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A review by unluckycat13
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wouldn't normally enjoy a book focused around a terrible person who is surrounded by terrible people, but I think the main character is actually kind of funny. Plus, we've all known her and some of us have been her. She's just a liberal white woman who's totally not racist or sexist because those would be bad things to be, but also refuses to ever engage with the fact she perpetuates those things. She voted for Obama after all, how can she be racist. June's racism is not the put on a hood and say slurs type that we like to think of. It's the casual, unchallenged racism that permeates everything around us and many of our actions. I think some people really hate June because they had a mirror held up to themselves. She's honestly not nearly as evil as beloved characters like Walter White or even the cast of It's Always Sunny. She's a Seinfeld level racist.
Although it's true that there's a lot of bluntness to this book, I think there's a lot of subtlety that goes by people. You see how the main character effectively transforms into her dead friend, and comes to understand her better than she ever did when she was alive. Or at least-- Potentially. June is an unreliable narrator, and you're only ever getting her incredibly biased view of events. But it's her very believable view.
My main criticism is that June is a really fun character when she's smart (and at her most defensive) but there's a middle portion of the book where her intelligence just seems to drop completely for the sake of the message of the book. I really think the story and the thrust of the book's point could have intertwined more.
The author apparently said she wanted reading the book to feel like a panic attack, and she nails that. Some of the most painful possible experiences. I think this is a rare case where the audiobook enhances it too, because the narrator really captures what an awful snob June is.
Although it's true that there's a lot of bluntness to this book, I think there's a lot of subtlety that goes by people. You see how the main character effectively transforms into her dead friend, and comes to understand her better than she ever did when she was alive. Or at least-- Potentially. June is an unreliable narrator, and you're only ever getting her incredibly biased view of events. But it's her very believable view.
My main criticism is that June is a really fun character when she's smart (and at her most defensive) but there's a middle portion of the book where her intelligence just seems to drop completely for the sake of the message of the book. I really think the story and the thrust of the book's point could have intertwined more.
The author apparently said she wanted reading the book to feel like a panic attack, and she nails that. Some of the most painful possible experiences. I think this is a rare case where the audiobook enhances it too, because the narrator really captures what an awful snob June is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Grief, and Sexual assault