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suhteff 's review for:
Yellowface
by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
god, this was fucking stellar. rf kuang said this book would be ridiculous and absurd—and she delivered exactly that. this was an insanely hilarious, page-gripping read. i enjoyed this a little too much.
this is the first novel i've completed of hers, but i've been exposed to her writing before (i read about 55% of the poppy war but haven't had the chance to complete it yet...definitely will soon though, now that fall is coming up). without a doubt, rf kuang is an exceptional writer. her way with words is actually mind-blowing. going into this, i knew her writing would not be something i'd have an issue with. in fact, there's not a single thing i disliked.
i gained a lot of insight on the book publishing process. from drafting manuscripts to querying literary agents to sending books to editors and publishers—it was so fascinating to read.
what's more riveting is how the novel tackles numerous issues within the publishing industry—providing thoughtful commentary on racism, plagiarism, cultural appropriation, cancel culture, performative diversity, and more. the industry, like many others, is absolutely sickening. i found the twitter discourse and jabs at those who hop on hate trains accurate—it's unfortunate how relevant that is in our current day, especially now that cyberbullying has been more normalized than ever.
also, i know june is supposed to be an insufferable character (and trust me, she was), but a part of me wanted to root for her...she was just so determined and delusional, i wanted to applaud her for all the efforts she put into trying not to get caught LOL. girl was crazy but she was putting in the WORK. her spiraling thoughts were definitely disturbing, but i also found them HILARIOUS. i was thoroughly entertained. i can't say i'm surprised by the ending, but i absolutely loved it.
rf kuang, you are amazing. this was perfect.