A review by maiahhtratchh
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book gave me the same feeling I had when I was in high school and reading the Kite Runner for the first time. It was the perfect amount of discomfort and intrigue that I would get upset or emotional and throw the book across the room and then immediately run to pick it up and keep reading without wasting too much time. RF Kuang has been able to tackle so many themes in the pages of this book with criticisms on publishing culture, white saviourism, social isolation, the harms of Twitter and social media, morality and copywrite, among so many others. She spins a web upon web of deceit and lies that it becomes so hard to understand what the actual truth is. It really becomes a psychological horror book as June devolves into madness under the pressures of her own guilt. The most painful part of this being that it could have all been avoided had she asked Athena’s mother if she could work on the manuscript instead of stealing it. Considering she was asked to speak at the funeral, I doubt her mother would have many objections. Even then, however, how she acts toward Athena in the writing process is terrible and colonial. All that is wrong with the book is Athenas and all that is right is hers. It also drove me crazy how she stole the first paragraph for Mother Witch, it’s crazy that she couldn’t just change it.. it would have been so simple. I have so many things to say but finally with the ending,
although she did not get what she deserved (or kind of did? It’s complicated) it really hammered home the themes of this novel and how, throughout the entirety of it, June has victimized herself to the point where she will do anything to hold onto that title no matter the cost.
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