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A review by zoiejanelle
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
holy shit this book is SHARP. any and all of the negative reviews are actually wrong—this book is a masterpiece.
as someone who works in publishing… this book was so meta. it was actually jarring to read about such familiar circumstances, famous figures, and social niches. i was completely immersed from the get and i did not want to put this book down for a single second.
my jaw dropped in chapter one, and dropped, and dropped, and dropped—it nearly fell off. every twist was so captivating. themes of theft, plagiarism, greed, envy, narcissism, and OF COURSE racism and false allyship were expertly woven into the narrative. at times i felt hit over the head with the message, but not because of any fault of the author, but because of the startling realism of June’s character.
June was such an unreliable narrator, Nick Carraway is shaking in his boots! it was absolutely hilarious how often the characters referenced Fitzgerald, and the other literary references didn’t go unnoticed either!
i loved that the resolution wasn’t black and white—it felt completely realistic and perfectly appalling. and the moral resolution wasn’t totally black and white either. because Athena was dead, because both June and Candace and every other character is complex and flawed, because business and the arts are so complicated, there was notable nuance to some of the messaging about legacy, retellings, and what artists DESERVE.
this is a must read for any and everyone interested in the publishing industry, and for white people willing to do some introspection about their own implicit biases in both their creative pursuits and their careers.
as someone who works in publishing… this book was so meta. it was actually jarring to read about such familiar circumstances, famous figures, and social niches. i was completely immersed from the get and i did not want to put this book down for a single second.
my jaw dropped in chapter one, and dropped, and dropped, and dropped—it nearly fell off. every twist was so captivating. themes of theft, plagiarism, greed, envy, narcissism, and OF COURSE racism and false allyship were expertly woven into the narrative. at times i felt hit over the head with the message, but not because of any fault of the author, but because of the startling realism of June’s character.
June was such an unreliable narrator, Nick Carraway is shaking in his boots! it was absolutely hilarious how often the characters referenced Fitzgerald, and the other literary references didn’t go unnoticed either!
i loved that the resolution wasn’t black and white—it felt completely realistic and perfectly appalling. and the moral resolution wasn’t totally black and white either. because Athena was dead, because both June and Candace and every other character is complex and flawed, because business and the arts are so complicated, there was notable nuance to some of the messaging about legacy, retellings, and what artists DESERVE.
this is a must read for any and everyone interested in the publishing industry, and for white people willing to do some introspection about their own implicit biases in both their creative pursuits and their careers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Cursing, Body shaming, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent