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A review by rosa_lina96
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
tense
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
4.25
Wow. What a book.
To start- I'll reiterate what other people are saying about the book, which was that it taught me a lot about the nature of the publishing industry and just how cutthroat it seems to be. Several of the points that June makes through her narration (I can't definitively say whether they're true or not, given that June seems to be a terribly unreliable narrator at best, but I digress) seem to be poignant reflections on the author's own publishing journey, or details that were gone over in the few publishing classes that I took throughout my university years, and it's a nice change of pace to see a book that isn't afraid to shy away from the issues surrounding the publishing industry and exactly how they can affect potential authors.
I have to admit that I almost read this book in one sitting. It was impossible to look away from, like some kind of car wreck that you know is awful but you can't take your eyes off of. June is not a likeable protagonist by any stretch of the imagination- she's apparently incapable of critically thinking about her own actions for how much she bemoans them, she's blatantly racist despite insisting that she's not (pro tip, June, if you have to actively confirm the fact that you're not racist you might be at least a teensy bit racist), and she's privileged to the extreme- and yet her narration was somehow compelling enough to make me want to continue, despite the fact that she's probably one of the first narrators in a book that I've utterly despised. At certain points in the beginning, you could probably be forgiven for thinking that her motives sound somewhat sympathetic, but as the narrative goes on and she holds on tighter and tighter to the self-serving narrative that she's conjured up to excuse her own plagiarism and racism, you find yourself wondering exactly how far she's actually willing to go to try and hold on to her ill-deserved fame. It was gripping, in an extremely dark and twisted kind of way.
The star rating would be even higher had the book not taken kind of a weird dip into semi-horror territory near the end- something which I didn't think flowed very well with the rest of the plot's progression, but maybe that's just me- but as it is I'm still going to be sitting with this book's message for a long time after reading it. Highly recommended.
To start- I'll reiterate what other people are saying about the book, which was that it taught me a lot about the nature of the publishing industry and just how cutthroat it seems to be. Several of the points that June makes through her narration (I can't definitively say whether they're true or not, given that June seems to be a terribly unreliable narrator at best, but I digress) seem to be poignant reflections on the author's own publishing journey, or details that were gone over in the few publishing classes that I took throughout my university years, and it's a nice change of pace to see a book that isn't afraid to shy away from the issues surrounding the publishing industry and exactly how they can affect potential authors.
I have to admit that I almost read this book in one sitting. It was impossible to look away from, like some kind of car wreck that you know is awful but you can't take your eyes off of. June is not a likeable protagonist by any stretch of the imagination- she's apparently incapable of critically thinking about her own actions for how much she bemoans them, she's blatantly racist despite insisting that she's not (pro tip, June, if you have to actively confirm the fact that you're not racist you might be at least a teensy bit racist), and she's privileged to the extreme- and yet her narration was somehow compelling enough to make me want to continue, despite the fact that she's probably one of the first narrators in a book that I've utterly despised. At certain points in the beginning, you could probably be forgiven for thinking that her motives sound somewhat sympathetic, but as the narrative goes on and she holds on tighter and tighter to the self-serving narrative that she's conjured up to excuse her own plagiarism and racism, you find yourself wondering exactly how far she's actually willing to go to try and hold on to her ill-deserved fame. It was gripping, in an extremely dark and twisted kind of way.
The star rating would be even higher had the book not taken kind of a weird dip into semi-horror territory near the end- something which I didn't think flowed very well with the rest of the plot's progression, but maybe that's just me- but as it is I'm still going to be sitting with this book's message for a long time after reading it. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape