Review by capriqueen - Yellowface

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capriqueen 's review for:

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

5.0

challenging dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was an electric read. Like a train wreck I couldn’t look away from. Masterfully done, weaving in June’s insistence of not being racist with all her microaggressions and stereotyping she’s clearly unaware of. June’s mindset was disturbing and fascinating, with the constant self-aggrandizing, always shifting the blame so she was the victim, the insistence that the world was just stacked against her and what else what she supposed to do?

As the book hurtled toward the end, I found myself wondering what ending would be satisfying. Would June learn her lesson, finally feel regret as she crumbled away. Would she end her life from shame, would she flee to a foreign country. All I knew was that it wouldn’t be a happy ending. And it wasn’t, and she didn’t learn, she just clung to the narrative she’s been telling herself, and I honestly think that’s the perfect ending. I pity her, her inability to self-reflect and process, and I think that causes the reader to look inward. Am I like her? How do I not be like her?

This is going to be a book I’ll think about for a long time

Content Warnings