A review by sarahrahrah
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

From the acknowledgements:

Yellowface is, in large part, a horror story about loneliness in a fiercely competitive industry.

The loneliness and behind-the-curtain look at the world of publishing are certainly evident. I was fully writing a negative review in my head while reading the first 3/4 of the book. The narrator is SO unlikable (which is the point), and her whiney self righteousness was a SLOG to get through, to the point that I was considering DNFing. But then at around the 70% mark, it picks up in a major way and was interesting, tense, and evoked a visceral emotional response in me!

I think the most brilliant turning point is this line:

I've written myself into a corner. The first two-thirds of the book were a breeze to compose, but what do I do with the ending?

Woof. I feel like this line alone exactly reflected my reading experience up to that point, as well as was exactly how I felt in that precise moment of reading the line. The first two-thirds were the whiney annoying slog, but now how will it end?? Where does Juniper Song end and R. F. Kuang begin? Whose story is this? 

So this is a complex review for me. The majority of it was 2 stars, but then the ending was so tense and thought-provoking and wrapped the whole thing up in such a way that this will stay with me for a while. So idk, I guess 3 stars but maybe more?