A review by jelkebooks
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I absolutely flew through this novel. It was just such a compelling read, and I absolutely did not want to put this down at all. The story was just so incredibly captivating, and the main character was a trainwreck you just couldn't look away from.
The characters within this book are so incredibly unlikeable. I feel like no one is actually a person I would root for, which could potentially be our main character's bias speaking as well, but I actually quite liked how morally grey this book was. It feels hard to explain, but it just felt like a great thought excercice to see these characters be the hero in some situations but the villain in others. It never was really clear cut, and I liked that. June was absolutely insufferable though. She was so incredibly self-centered. Everything everyone ever did was a personal attack to her. It got so exhausting, especially because the only person behind her own downfall was herself. However, it was incredibly interesting character to follow throughout the book. There are definitely some situations were you can sympathise with her a little, but I like how overall R.F. Kuang didn't make her likeable at any point in this book.
I also really liked the discussions in here around the publishing industry, and how a publisher will be by your side no matter what as long as you are still making them a shit load of money. It was also interesting to see someone get completely sucked into social media drama. Part of that is definitely June's narcisistic tendecies, and obsession to be liked by anyone and everyone (because she's just the most amazing to have ever existed). I just thought it was interesting to see someone just completely spiral because of what's being said on Twitter, despite those same things not really being reflected in real life. I don't know if that makes sense, but it does to me.
Anyway, I really liked this book. I just thought it was really well crafted. It was a really interesting character study, while also having some great commentary about cancel culture, and the publishing industry. I just thought the ending was incredibly abrupt. I literally checked back a couple of time to make sure it was really the end. It made things fall flat a little bit. I feel like the book ended when it was such on a high tension wise. It just felt odd. 
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