A review by sahanac
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love the way RF Kuang experiences life, and then immediately decides that she’s got to write a critique on it. Live in China for a gap year? Writes The Poppy Wars series. Goes to Oxford? Babel is the result. Has a number-one best-selling book about race and colonialism? Write a book about the racism within the publishing industry in an almost prophetic way. This book took so many twists and turns, and the protagonist (not the hero, by any means) spiraled so far into a mental maze of justification that was absolutely fascinating to watch. I was almost convinced there was going to be a surprise paranormal element, but it was just one person’s unchecked privilege and Murphy’s Law. 

I can’t say if I liked any characters. I can’t say if I respected anyone in this book. Even the protagonist’s rival, the Asian American person she stole from, (who for the record, DID NOT DESERVE any of what happened!) was a touch and go person, and the gray morality present through this book really reinforced Kuang’s mastery of making complicated subjects into bestsellers.