A review by ashley_mrose530
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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

4.5

I was initially going to give this a relatively low rating and I almost DNF'd it, but I decided to keep reading because I liked the commentary and learning about the publishing industry, as someone who wants to publish my own novel one day. That was the only thing that kept me reading because I really didn't like June. She was a horrible person and didn't have any redeeming qualities at all to make me want to learn about her story. But as I kept reading, I realized that's pretty much the point Kuang was trying to make.
This whole book is a commentary on the publishing industry and social media in general and how narratives can be spun in many different directions and how all narratives can become good and increase the all-mighty dollar. And I think Kuang did a fantastic job showing that. Even though our main character stole someone's writing and was very racist, among other things, she was still considered a good person, given the benefit of the doubt, and people still bought her books and gave her all of their money. This is something we see happen time and time again in all aspects of living. Public perception is very subjective, impressionable, and forgetful especially when it comes to rich white people.
And these lessons weren't meant for June to learn, but for the readers. Yes, June is very unlikeable and I might even go so far as to say I hated her, but that was part of the point of the story and I think it's a really intersectional and important story and lesson to learn. I definitely would recommend this book to everyone to read at least once.
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