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A review by dylanhenning
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was very interesting and frustrating to read but in the best way.
Our main character is June Hayward. She is a white author who didn’t have the most successful debut book and she holds a lot of animosity and envy for her former classmate and sort of friend Athena Liu who has had runaway success with her novel and is in talks for a Netflix deal.
One night Athena and June are hanging out at Athena’s place and Athena chokes on her food and dies. Before EMT’s can arrive June takes an unpublished manuscript written by Athena that she had seen earlier in the evening and she ends up publishing it as her own book under the name Juniper Song to appear more racially ambiguous. The book is a major success but there are some skeptics out there that June actually wrote it.
From there Yellowface takes us on a truly wild journey through the publishing industry and a white author trying to navigate scandal and trying not to lose her grip on her success and fame.
June Hayward is not just our main character but she’s also our narrator. This book is told to us from her perspective and June is very egotistical, self absorbed, and narcissistic. She’s an unreliable narrator and that can be frustrating to read but it makes it all that much more interesting. We as the reader know what June did. We know she’s a terrible person and she keeps making terrible choices throughout this book to avoid taking responsibility and being held accountable for her actions.
She has absolutely no redeeming qualities and I respect R.F. Kuang for following through on that the entire time. There were brief moments of introspection or moments where it seemed June had been caught and she was going to confess and apologize for everything she had done up to that point. But those moments are few and so brief because as soon as June considers the truth she immediately concocts another lie or another scheme to keep fueling her original theft and lie.
The thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was the ending. I won’t spoil anything plot related here but it didn’t feel satisfying. It felt like I was going to turn the page and start the next chapter in this messy chaotic story and instead it just ends.
In the end I really recommend this book. It’s frustrating, it’s funny, it’s a look at how white people often get the benefit of the doubt and goodwill even when they haven’t done the work to earn it. It’s a look behind the curtain of the publishing industry and some of its more toxic elements being put on display.
Our main character is June Hayward. She is a white author who didn’t have the most successful debut book and she holds a lot of animosity and envy for her former classmate and sort of friend Athena Liu who has had runaway success with her novel and is in talks for a Netflix deal.
One night Athena and June are hanging out at Athena’s place and Athena chokes on her food and dies. Before EMT’s can arrive June takes an unpublished manuscript written by Athena that she had seen earlier in the evening and she ends up publishing it as her own book under the name Juniper Song to appear more racially ambiguous. The book is a major success but there are some skeptics out there that June actually wrote it.
From there Yellowface takes us on a truly wild journey through the publishing industry and a white author trying to navigate scandal and trying not to lose her grip on her success and fame.
June Hayward is not just our main character but she’s also our narrator. This book is told to us from her perspective and June is very egotistical, self absorbed, and narcissistic. She’s an unreliable narrator and that can be frustrating to read but it makes it all that much more interesting. We as the reader know what June did. We know she’s a terrible person and she keeps making terrible choices throughout this book to avoid taking responsibility and being held accountable for her actions.
She has absolutely no redeeming qualities and I respect R.F. Kuang for following through on that the entire time. There were brief moments of introspection or moments where it seemed June had been caught and she was going to confess and apologize for everything she had done up to that point. But those moments are few and so brief because as soon as June considers the truth she immediately concocts another lie or another scheme to keep fueling her original theft and lie.
The thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was the ending. I won’t spoil anything plot related here but it didn’t feel satisfying. It felt like I was going to turn the page and start the next chapter in this messy chaotic story and instead it just ends.
In the end I really recommend this book. It’s frustrating, it’s funny, it’s a look at how white people often get the benefit of the doubt and goodwill even when they haven’t done the work to earn it. It’s a look behind the curtain of the publishing industry and some of its more toxic elements being put on display.