A review by livvyandlattes
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.75

I’d like to thank HarperInsider for my advanced copy of Yellowface! Yellowface is a satirical novel about two aspiring authors whose friendship is fickle and convenient. There is little character development, though we dive into Jane’s psyche as guilt haunts her in the form of Athena’s ghost, and we watch her spiral just as her life spirals out of control through social media and her rise and fall of fame. Jane is insufferable, racist, infuriating, and narcissistic but desperately tries to frame it otherwise. Athena is also unlikable, but dead, remains the nicer character. There wasn’t much to this book, other than the obvious commentary of the writing industry, the treatment of authors, novels, and the repercussions of that. It is interestingly told from the perspective of our villain, and Kuang succeeds in making the reader root for Jane even as we hate her, rationalising some of her smaller decisions, until we can no longer stand her. The conclusion to this book cements her rotten morals and personality and becomes infuriating as well as highlighting the toxicity of social media and the repercussions of those that are ‘chronically online’. Kuang is an insanely talented author and she achieves a new voice here that makes this review seem strange, almost counter productive, but it was not what I expected, or my preferred genre in comparison to her fantasy works. It was still enjoyable and felt to be equal parts fiction and non-fiction, but it is so different from her other work that it might not be loved by her usual audience. Be open and prepared that this is far a way from the like of The Poppy War, and more a possible documentation of Kuang’s experiences that does not glorify the life of an author.