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abrielleemory 's review for:
Yellowface
by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to this book on Spotify, so I’m sorry if the spellings of the names are incorrect.
I saw in another review that someone described June as a character unlike anyone she’d ever read before. And, I agree with that analysis wholeheartedly. June expresses what I believe is the emotion of a lot of white people I know. We can’t express our irritation or dislike for anyone of color without being deemed a raging racist, while some POC threaten white women with physical or verbal violence online or in-person. I think this book does a great job highlighting and describing reverse racism, a term that I really just started to think about in the last few years.
Athena was insufferable. I was so surprised she died so early on, but the more I learned the more I loathed her. Do I think what June did was right? Of course not, what she did was straight up theft. But, do I see how jealousy wove this narrative in June’s head that she was in the right? Yes.
My only dislike in the book is the whole thing with Candace at the end. It made June look psychologically crazy so suddenly, rather than a potential slow trickle into madness like what happened with the Athena’s ghost stuff.
This was a really interesting book, but I’m so glad I listened to it on Spotify. The reader does an impeccable job of capturing how I would imagine June in my head.
I saw in another review that someone described June as a character unlike anyone she’d ever read before. And, I agree with that analysis wholeheartedly. June expresses what I believe is the emotion of a lot of white people I know. We can’t express our irritation or dislike for anyone of color without being deemed a raging racist, while some POC threaten white women with physical or verbal violence online or in-person. I think this book does a great job highlighting and describing reverse racism, a term that I really just started to think about in the last few years.
Athena was insufferable. I was so surprised she died so early on, but the more I learned the more I loathed her. Do I think what June did was right? Of course not, what she did was straight up theft. But, do I see how jealousy wove this narrative in June’s head that she was in the right? Yes.
My only dislike in the book is the whole thing with Candace at the end. It made June look psychologically crazy so suddenly, rather than a potential slow trickle into madness like what happened with the Athena’s ghost stuff.
This was a really interesting book, but I’m so glad I listened to it on Spotify. The reader does an impeccable job of capturing how I would imagine June in my head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent