I’ve read a few novels lately in the vein of “what if a writer stole another writer’s idea” in one way or another, and I think this is my favorite one. It let the reader in on all the small choices leading up to the Big Choice, the rationalizing behind those choices, and, on a broader level, how people tune out anyone who questions their decisions and seek out people who will affirm them. It also used social media and texting in a way that didn’t feel annoying or stilted (which is more difficult than you may think, given how often we use it!). Lastly (as is likely obvious by the title and cover choices), it deals with themes of identity and who can/should tell certain stories without feeling like a rehashing of ~the discourse~, similar to how it deals with the idea of “cancellation.” I liked it a lot!

I wanted to like this book, since I loved Babel, but there was just no one to root for. I just felt so icky about all the characters and couldn't help but hope bad things happened to all of them.

In "Yellowface," Kuang has crafted a bold and obvious unreliable narrator that will pull into the envious, toxic environment of publishing. Between acts of ignorance, cruelty, and stupidity, I found myself sympathizing with June and reflecting on the morality of it all. I read this in a rush of two days, but have a feeling that it will sit with me for longer.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I loved how much different this book was from Babel. The main character was so unlikeable yet the reader might root for her despite her bad decisions. Very compulsive read.

Book review: Sharp novel looks at who can tell what story
Ashley Riggleson Jun 18, 2023

In the acknowledgements of “Yellowface,” novelist R.F. Kuang calls her new work “a horror story about loneliness in a fiercely competitive industry.” And while that description is certainly apt, I found “Yellowface” to be so much more. I was engaged from start to finish.

As the novel opens, readers are introduced to Juniper Hayward (soon to be rebranded as Juniper Song). She is a struggling novelist with one mediocre book to her name, and she has no idea how to move forward. That all changes one night when she meets with her so-called “friend,” Athena Liu.

Athena is also a novelist, but unlike Junie, she has written more than one novel and has won critical acclaim for all her books. They meet for dinner and drinks, and when a freak accident leaves Athena dead in her apartment with an unfinished manuscript of her next book, Juniper sees an opportunity, and before she can think too much about it, she takes the manuscript with her.

That’s when things get complicated. June quickly realizes that she has stumbled onto something great, a novel that will bring her out of the obscurity she has known for so long. June sees that, while Athena’s manuscript is good, some alterations would make it great. And as she works, she begins to believe that her changes to Athena’s original story justify her next move, calling it her own.

Of course, this decision raises questions, the most obvious being, “What makes a novel yours?” But there’s more. Athena is an Asian American writer, and her manuscript tells the story of Chinese laborers during The Great War. June, though she is rebranded to seem otherwise, is a white woman whose only connection to this story lies in her hours of research. And so, Kuang also raises pertinent questions about cultural appropriation, asking “Who can tell what story?”

Intellectually speaking, “Yellowface” is a novel that is completely at odds with itself. I found it to be an elaborate thought experiment in which some of the most controversial issues in publishing are brought to the fore. But, although it is a cerebral text, it is also intense and suspenseful, as June slowly breaks under the pressure of her hoax. This profoundly disquieting novel is sure to win Kuang many new readers.

This review was originally printed in The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, VA.

I finished this book late last night and still unsure how to bring my feelings about this book.

Firstly, I am not usually a thriller or satire reader. But, with this being Kuang, I knew I had to give it a shot, and I do not regret any of it.

Yellowface is a book you need to read without knowing much, I went in knowing that one character died by a piece of pancake, and that the other was a white woman who was stealing the identity of that character who died, and thats all you need to know.

Go in with a curious mind, and enjoy yourself, because it is a totally enraging but truth of how publishing and authors can be, and how it should be better.

10000/5 stars. Highly recommend.

A disturbing and introspective look at the person who goes too far. Kuang, known for her brilliant series The Poppy War, tackles racism, privilege, social media, and the publishing industry in this novel about a woman whose casual racism will make your toes curl. Aspiring author June Hayward seizes a deal with the devil when her friend and much more successful writer Athena Liu dies in a grotesque and unexpected accident - she steals Athena's manuscript draft and claims it as her own. As Athena's work focuses heavily on her Chinese heritage June grapples with issues of identity and appropriation. The rest of the book is Hayward desperately trying to prove her talent as she deals with the consequences of her theft and her conscience. It's a satirical take on liberals being racist, a very stern look at the influence of social media with unlikeable characters, and a scathing critique of the publishing industry. I don't know how much of this work comes from Kuang's lived experiences - according to reviews on Goodreads apparently a lot of it - but you can definitely see the hand of experience in a lot of the prose.

This book is not always a comfortable read and those who like characters they can root for will be disappointed. There is little redeeming in the main character and there really aren't any other characters who are drawn out enough to get to know. However, this book is a strong and well-written look at how one ill-intentioned act leads to another, and how self-justification works even in people who believe they are good.

This was a wild ride. June is the most insufferable, whiney main character, which makes reading and hoping for her downfall so weirdly enjoyable. But it never seems to come. Which makes this a hard read at times. The way she wiggles out of every controversy is annoying. And yet, at times, you get this twinge of sympathy while she's having her panic attack and spiraling - but it quickly goes away once she thinks of and implements her next harmful idea.

Normally books about books and writing really lean into the idea of putting literature on a pedestal. As a book lover, these kinds of books speak to me. But this one...June is constantly talking about how important writing is to her, but the way she treats it and manipulates it, made me think that maybe it isn't that important. The things she does are not warranted just to produce a piece of writing that will at best entertain someone. So, that's a weird feeling to have with a book.

Overall, the emotions Kuang elicits out of the reader with this story makes it a good read. There is a lot to unpack here and would make for a great book group discussion.

Everyone in book world needs to read this! Whether you are a reader, reviewer, author, publisher, publicist or whatnot – Yellowface covers it with so much wit, brilliance and accuracy.

I was gripped from the start and flew through it all! It's such a highly riveting page-turner with not one dull moment. I loved June's voice and as intentionally tone-deaf as she appears to be, I feel that she makes some really valid points too. Like yeah, I love representation but why are ownvoices suddenly made out to be the 'in' thing?

Kuang does a fantastic job in exploring complex issues as well as seeing both sides of an argument with nuance and depth e.g. does an author have the right to write about experiences that they have not personally lived through? The underlying commentary is really quite something else.

I'm not quite eloquent enough to put across just how multi-layered, clever and sharp this novel is, but highly recommend it! This is my first RF Kuang book but certainly not my last. Just what have I been missing out on?

If you like books featuring…
—the publishing industry
—satirical dark humor
—unreliable narrators

For fans of…
—The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
—I Hate Suzie (HBO)

This main character is one of the most reprehensible people that I have seen outside of a Disney villain. It’s not so much what she does, but the fact that she never recognizes that what she’s doing is wrong. She has pretty strong white privilege energy throughout. I also feel like this author is incredibly brave, taking on the mercurialness of the publishing industry and how best sellers are designed, not written. I also appreciate her, taking white people to task for thinking that they are the only people who can write history. I really like how she writes, how she keeps the plot moving forward lightning fast, and how Athena becomes such a strong character, even after dying in the first couple pages of the book. She may actually be the main character, because in some ways, it isn’t our protagonist (who proves that that word does NOT mean “hero”). June is the one who tells us the story, and she’s the main catalyst for the plot, but the character that has the most impact on what happens throughout is Athena. I’m looking forward to reading Babel because I really like Kuang‘s writing style, but I really hope that the hero in that does not make me want to punch them through the page. I took one star off because the villain was incredibly predictable and because I feel like there’s a few things that would’ve happened quite differently in the real world.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was fun behind-the-scenes look into the world of publishing. It was one of those stories where you should hope the protagonist gets caught but you're rooting for them to succeed in their crimes, kind of like Ocean's Eleven. I would definitely recommend this book!

A scathing look at the publishing industry and white privilege, Yellowface is the kind of book that makes you cringe, sometimes because of the terrible decisions the protagonist makes, and sometimes because the mirror might be a little to reflective. June Hayward is a writer who had little success with her debut novel, but classmate Athena Liu has taken the publishing world be storm. Their friendship is tainted by past decisions and current successes (or lack thereof), and when Athena dies suddenly, June takes the opportunity to pilfer an unfinished manuscript. As June hides the true story behind her breakout novel, her editor suggests changing her name to June Song (her ambiguous middle name), and a debate starts on social media about how stories about marginalized identities should be told. A quick literary thriller that will keep you turning the page.

Somehow my first RF Kuang book, but definitely not my last. I loved the writing style and how the main character, June, has such a distinct voice. The topic was also so interesting and topical, especially if you are in the book industry at all. Just a really great read with a really horrible main character.

I'm not sure how to review this book... I really wanted it to turn into a ghost story. I thought the writing was really engaging, but it also felt less like I was reading a book and more like I was reading a really impressive writing exercise. And even while the book was very readable, there was a distance in the writing. It never quite felt like I was immersed in the story. It always felt like I was being told what was happening. That said, I did enjoy the way the publishing industry was described here. I've read a few books about the world of publishing, and it felt really believable here. I also loved how gross it felt to be inside June's mind as she rationalized her behavior. She was the worst, and Kuang did a great job at humanizing her without excusing any of her bad choices. The concepts of cultural appropriation and who is "allowed" to tell what stories is really complicated, and I don't trust anyone who tries to be too clever about it, but I do think what Kuang has done here with her white MC is interesting and certain to lead to lots of heated conversation.

This was such a fantastic version of "rooting for an unlikeable character!" June/Juniper is horrendous and also relatable, and I couldn't' wait to see what happened with her in this novel. So very different from Babel but also fantastic.

reading this felt like coming upon a car crash you can’t look away from — v entertaining and harrowing all at the same time

This was such an absorbing, fascinating, frustrating read. Overall I really enjoyed the insider look into the world of writing and publishing, and obviously R.F. Kuang is a fantastic writer. For the most part, I couldn’t put this down, but there is a section in the middle of the book that focuses on Twitter and that really dragged on for me. But I think this is one of the standout books I’ve read so far this year!

RF Kuang does it again, and in a whole new genre! Yellowface was utterly devourable. Once I picked it up, I was hardly able to put it down, having to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next. It's a searing satire of the publishing industry while also being a fascinating character study. I would recommend this book to all kinds of readers, because I feel like it is fast-paced and captivating while also having so much going on beneath the surface.