This one is going to sit with me for awhile. As a publishing professional, nothing about this satire (??) shocked me, and maybe that’s the most disturbing part of all. We’re supposed to hate June; she represents whiteness and entitlement wrapped up in a character who insists that she is the victim. However what RF Kuang does with Athena, the actual victim, is so masterful and complex. She doesn’t make Athena someone that everyone can empathize with; she has flaws, but she also can’t be everything that every single person or stakeholder in her career wants her to be. And that’s real. This book raises questions about what it’s like to be of the diaspora without having diasporic experiences and what that means to storytelling; it shines a blazing spotlight on the very real issues and conversations happening in publishing right now. I can’t wait to listen to the conversations this one sparks.

Yellowface is a must read! A fast paced, story of the plagiarism of an extremely self-righteous white women who stole her dead Chinese friend's manuscript about the Chinese labor corp and published as her own. She eventually is accused of doing so, to no avail. She is attacked by the Asian community for appropriation, while never taking ownership of doing just that. The entire story is of her blaming "other marginalized communities" and accusing them of reverse racism, because, only diverse writers / authors get published. This is her reasoning as to why her own book was a flop. The main character has zero redeeming qualities and I was actually waiting for them to appear. I think I liked that aspect the most. The author shows, not everyone is going to eventually "find their way" , seek redemption and become a good person. Some, just keep finding fault with everyone else, and never believes they are in the wrong.

I really liked how the author ended the book. The protagonist never takes any responsibility for her actions and even somehow ends up becoming a worse person by the last page! The ending felt like a psychotic character from a thriller told in such a fast paced way, that I wasn't even ready for the end when it actually came.

The author does a great telling of how the publishing world works and how from start to finish a book lands on bookshelves.

This would be an amazing bookclub pick, because there is just sooo much to unpack here.

This is a phenomenal book. Were we expecting anything less from this author? It was fast paced. It was entertaining. I was captured by the words of the writer. Highly recommend.

This fast paced, smart, cutting social commentary is very different than the authors usual style. With highly questionable, frequently unlikable characters making often cringewothy decisions, it kept me hooked to the end. I would recommend it, just to see for oneself. Great book for discussion, bookclubs and reflection.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to William Morrow (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

Quick summary! June Hayward and Athena Liu are frenemies and have been since college. Athena, daughter of Chinese immigrants, has been wildly successful in publishing, since her early 20's. June has not. Her debut flopped and she hasn't published anything since. Fast forward a few years. Athena and June keep in touch, but still aren't close. June happens to be there when Athena dies in a freak accident and <i>happens</i> to see a just-finished manuscript (that no one else knows about) on Athena's desk. So of course, June takes it. And passes it off on her own. And so begins June's success story. Except now, she can't escape Athena's shadow (dun dun dun).

Whew, this book was a wild ride! First off, I don't think I've ever hated a protagonist more while simultaneously enjoying a book so much, so hats off to the author for that.

June Hayward (or Juniper Song, if we must) is the most infuriating character, right of the bat. I hated her entirely by the end of the first chapter. She is selfish, lazy, and so NOT self-aware that it's almost painful. She is also an expert at playing the victim. I really <i>really</i> thought at one point that she might have a tiny moment of redemption or self-reflection, but no. All the way until the bitter end June holds on to the completely incorrect idea that she has been the victim in this entire mess that she created. And it made me hate her so much more!

June is almost a caricature of the unaware, privileged white woman who calls herself a liberal but, when it comes down to it, she really doesn't like anything that makes her uncomfortable or causes her to examine her life in any meaningful way. She thinks she's a feminist, but she only is in relation to white men. Intersectional feminism? Never heard of her! Racism (and June's potential to be racist) doesn't even factor into her version of feminism, which is ironic since that is what causes this whole mess to begin with!

The first half of the book is a sharp critique of the publishing industry (through June's utterly oblivious eyes) and a discussion of who is allowed to write what (i.e. should a white person be telling the stories of Chinese laborers, in this particular case), which is always a hot topic in publishing. That doesn't even being to address the problems of June stealing Athena's manuscript before her body is cold, but at this point June has already convinced herself that she hasn't done anything wrong and is doing the world a favor by giving them Athena's last work, heavily edited by herself.

The second half is where I think the book may lose some people. It turns into, basically, a play-by-play of every single Twitter argument I've seen happen on book twitter in the few years I've been in that community. They're always heated, passionate, and they are ALWAYS a mess. And they never, ever solve anything. I tend to stay on the sidelines because Twitter arguments can get ugly, fast. And they are cyclical. It's the same fight every few months about the same topics. Sometimes with the same people. It gets tiring and very predictable. And Kuang manages to capture this environment perfectly when June is accused of stealing Athena Liu's work. And because Twitter must debate everything to death, Athena herself gets posthumously pulled into the fray, her merit and memory pulled to shreds by trolls and fans alike. While this part of the book was frighteningly accurate, I can see how it could turn readers off. If you're not tuned into book twitter, this part could get really annoying really quickly. And it could be a bit repetitive, especially with how June physically can't pull herself away from the negativity, to the point where it becomes unhealthy for her (it was only at this point in the book where I felt a very tiny bit of sympathy for her). Honestly, this is mainly why I didn't give the book 5 stars. The Twitter subplot (and I hesitate to call it a subplot because it takes up so much of the second half of the book) is VERY niche and could also be something that prevents the book from aging well, because it seems to be very "of the moment."

There is a bit of a twist, although I hesitate to call it that because I saw it coming a million miles away (and that's saying something because I NEVER predict plot twists). It was definitely set up as a twist for June because she was shocked, but any reader who pays just the smallest bit of attention will see the seeds planted for this throughout the entire book. If you don't, you may be more like June than you care to admit, so have a little think about that.

Overall I think this was a solid, enjoyable book. It was fast-paced and I definitely had a good time cackling at all of June's self-created misfortunes. I do also think that this will be Kuang's most divisive book among her already-established fanbase because it is absolutely nothing like any of the books she's written before. I personally love authors who genre-hop, but I know there are many readers who don't.

Take my rambling review how you will, but I will wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone.

I hate to say I really enjoyed reading this book, but only because the main character was such a terrible human. This was an really interesting look at what goes in to publishing a book today, which is way more than I even thought.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

R.F. Kuang keeps dropping literary bombs and this is no exception! You can't help but feel bad for the main character and her lack of success, but get that crawling sensation under the skin when she takes a...non-traditional route to success. "Yellowface" will be a provocative read for fans of Melissa Broder's "Milk Fed". Both stories have you asking many questions at the end, and re-evaluating the perspective of which you view life.

I recently had the opportunity to read "Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang, and I have to say that it was quite an adventure. Firstly, I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an advanced reading copy of this book.

The story follows June Hayward, a writer who feels like she's been overlooked in the publishing industry. When her Yale classmate and cross-genre literary darling, Athena Liu, dies in a freak accident, June steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I. June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work. She also allows her new publisher to rebrand her as Juniper Song, complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo. The book becomes a bestseller, but as June basks in her stolen success, she can't escape Athena's shadow. Emerging evidence threatens to expose her deceit, and June must race to protect her secret while discovering how far she's willing to go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

The plot is fast-paced, and the writing style is vivid, which makes the book an immersive experience. However, the dual narrative approach can be a bit confusing. On the one hand, the story exposes the prevalent racism in the publishing industry, highlighting the difficulties faced by writers of color. On the other hand, it explores the harsh realities of the publishing world in general, commentary on the industry as a whole.

Iconic. Phenomenal. Divisive.

Honestly, I kind of want to go scream out a window after finishing this. But I'll abstain. For now.

Y'all remember that one author who said that publishing was discriminating against White authors? Yeah, okay, now imagine sitting in their head for 350 pages and you have Yellowface.

Yellowface is sold as satire, and it truly is a satirical look at some very hot topics, with a dash of autobiographical reflection (or so it seems). With questions of authorship, ownership, and race, Yellowface focuses on who has the right to tell a story. This is examined from various angles - plagiarism, racism, cultural purity, narrative control, theft from life - and it deep dives into different perspectives on these issues, all while sitting in June's head and getting her first-hand reaction to much of the discourse. It's uncomfortable, at first, but you do find yourself saying every now and then, "Does June have a point?" Given the synopsis and the impression I've given of the story, you may now think I've been brainwashed, but the true artistry of this story is in those small moments of doubt.

I think this story will definitely be one you'll either think is pure genius, or absolute garbage (depending on your person leanings), because it does deal in a lot of reality, which this book shows can be skewed and divisive in a myriad of ways. I've seen a few reviews talking about autobiographical references (i.e., similar criticism RFK received on Twitter), and, while that might be true (I don't have Twitter, so my opinion is moot there), these aren't isolated comments. The criticism and discourse around own voices and diversity in publishing is something that is very real and it's amazing that RFK brings this into the bigger picture of ownership. Can diaspora writers write about ancestral experiences if they haven't experienced it themselves? Are they profiting off the pain of victims of war, colonialism, and immigration? Where does authenticity come into play? There is a strict standard to which diverse authors are held that doesn't exist for White authors and it's frustrating, isolating, and problematic.

That being said, readers are placed in June's point of view and there is no escaping her own questioning of how the publishing industry should work and her perceived problems and disadvantages. The criticism she receives as an author is interesting, because it shows the harsh critique given, but also shares June's problematic view and self-satisfaction in her choices, both with respect to writing and life. There's an interesting balance struck where we get both sides of the argument for why and why not. June's continual negotiation with herself, her opinions, and her own righteousness feel wrong to read, but also reiterates arguments that have been seen time and time again through discourse around authorship, racism, characterization, and ownership.

Yellowface made me want to scream, beat up June, and also melt into a puddle of second-hand WHY DID YOU DO THAT?? But at the end of the day, Yellowface left me with a lot to think about regarding who gets to make the narrative.

I still want to scream though.

TW: death, racism, cyber bullying, ableist language (countered), rape, PTSD, suicidal thoughts, panic attack, alcohol; mentions suicide, war, racial slurs, Islamophobia

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 5/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.

My most often asked question while reading Yellowface was; why did Kuang have to write June Hayward as first person because the secondhand shame crawled over my skin like a too-tight shirt exposing all the bits I’d prefer to cover. But, did I ever love it! The absolute cringe of being in June’s head while she continuously tried to justify her actions and then double downed on them because god forbid the women ever take accountability. It felt like one horror show to the next and all I could do is watch it happen and oddly… I don’t know, root for her in a way? It was weird because I was like: Oh my god they’re going to find me—I mean—June out! It was absolutely a roller coaster to read and Kuang never fails to make me think. She never fails to teach me something through her cutting words and I relish the lesson. The racism and micro-aggressions and white bystander syndrome and the whole concept of being a token Asian author etc, How bestsellers are handpicked and the list just goes on. Kuang is fierce, her writing is compelling, and despite disliking June immensely she somehow made me strap on a seatbelt and sit front passenger side with her hoping not to crash. I wish I could convey everything that Yellowface was but if I leave it with one word then that word would be: Brilliant! Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the arc of one of my most anticipated reads of the year, it absolutely did not disappoint!! I will be posting a review on my Instagram within the next week. Hopefully Friday, April 14th.

Miss Kuang has done it again. Literary fiction isn't a genre I would normally pick up but if Rebecca Kuang writes it, I will read it. I was hooked almost immediately and normally an unlikeable main character makes a book far less enjoyable for me but that was very obviously the intention here. The point is that the readers are supposed to be rooting to the main character's downfall, which I very much was. In this case, a bad ending for the main character, Junie, would mean a happy ending for the readers. Not including the mc, there really weren't any good people in this book except for a couple of bookish bloggers who were made out to be the antagonist in the perspective of Junie. But that's no surprise considering most of the characters are part of the publishing industry and the whole point of this book is to call out the problems within said industry.
This whole book was a satirical commentary on white fragility and white guilt and white victimization and it was a slap in the face to all the negative, racist reviews for Kuang's previous book, 'Babel.' Seeing how Junie, a white woman, took the manuscript from Athena, an Asian woman, and a bunch of the critiques Junie had made sounded eerily similar to those reviews of 'Babel,' and of course, she took those parts out and made it more white savior-esc. It was an amusing and angering read but also a necessary one. Especially coming off of the HarperCollins Union strike, which Kuang was loudly in support of, the novel is relevant and rich with commentaries and criticisms.

Absolutely loved this guided tour of the proverbial sausage factory-- in this case, sausages are books and the factory is the modern publishing industry. June/Juniper is a delightfully horrible millennial Becky Sharp. This had me reading well past my bedtime because I just had to know how it was all going to turn out.
Kuang crushed it and I expect it to be on the top of everyone's summer reads.

Kuang is not just a fantasy author and she will prove it to you in this book. I will be stuck with everything I have read from this book for years to come. This book will probably be my favorite read of 2023. Kuang does an amazing job with bringing the reader into the realities of publishing and the truths behind true success. This is a work of fiction that I feel is built entirely on facts that the author and others have experienced. It is beautiful and tragic and I am so glad I put my ENTIRE TBR to read it.

So, I only made it about halfway through this book, but that's because I have a fairly low tolerance for cringe and the main character was the cringiest ("ailing" the way someone from TX would say it is what did me in if you have read it and you're curious). But that's intentional, and the author did a great job of writing this character - she felt so believable. She was just awful and I couldn't do it, but that was more or less the point of the book, so job well done.

When Juniper's famous-author-friend dies unexpectedly, she publishes her would-be novel in her own name. The only problem? Juniper isn't Asian.

I enjoyed R.F. Kuang's YELLOWFACE from the first page to the last. This title brought problems with book publishing and bookish social media front and center and explored these issues with precision and humor. Kuang puts you in the panicked, desperate brain of the protagonist; someone who is relatable but is making every wrong choice. An exciting ride on every page written by an intelligent, incisive writer, I wish YELLOWFACE was required reading.

She did that. Kuang went there. And it was absolutely worth it.

If you're even slightly aware of the publishing world, you will realize that this boo tells it as it is and may even be taking it a little light.

Our MC is so problematic yet seems like a 100% real character.

10/10

This book was like a train-wreck: I couldn’t look away. I binged this book, and it was very entertaining! In all honesty, it was probably the most bingeable “lit fic” book I’ve ever read.

I’m not familiar with R.F. Kuang’s publishing journey, so I was able to separate that from June’s story.

I actually really enjoyed the ending. I thought it was ambiguous but also reflected June’s journey throughout the novel.

Overall, I thought this was a fun and satirical lit fit book. Thank you to Netgalley, R. F. Kuang, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was fantastic. I’m not one to read other reviews of books but this has got me spiralling. The writing is so different than anything else she has written but is fast paced and engaging. This is how it was meant to be. Satire at its finest and so perfectly timed.

This is going to be one of those books that people will love or hate. And if you hate it… you probably need to do some introspection.

This book read like a train wreck. I couldn’t look away and yet I didn’t want to keep reading because June was just THE WORST! Props to Rebecca for writing the most unlikeable character ever. Like wow! Throughout this read, I kept being like “surely she can’t get worse!” And she DOES!

I love satire and the mark of a really great satire is how true to reality it seems even when it is totally bonkers. From some of what I have seen online, I know people like June exist. Rebecca did such a great job merging the reality of how people like June think with their inability to actually see their actions as anything but what they think is just.

Rambly review bc my thoughts are all over the place:

If you’re familiar at all with RFK and/or her books, then you can are definitely familiar with the way her voice and experiences shine through her prose. I know this bothered a lot of people in Yellowface particularly but I personally found it interesting and entertaining, as it really felt like I was being let in on some juicy piece of gossip. Moreover, in some ways, it was a bit amusing and thrilling to see how RFK’s experiences were reshaped and fashioned into a tool to expose the toxic undercurrents of the book community — including publishing companies, authors, and book reviewers.

However, as intriguing as it is to peak inside RFK’s brain, I question where the line exists between her experiences and the characters? At what point does fact become fiction? This may be obvious to some but as a reader, trying to identify that line is its own kind of madness and in some ways is part of the reading experience.

What I really enjoyed was RFK’s crafting of June and Athena, as two complex, unlikeable characters. At times, June’s frustration and jealousy are so undeniably human, so understandable until it veers and takes a sharp turn and we see how she attempts to justify certain actions by rooting them in seemingly logical points. We see June use certain arguments and fallacies in her reasoning which is something frequently reflected in book discourses. RFK has a talent for capturing how quickly things can get out of hand because of feelings of entitlement. As someone privy to the inner workings and dynamics of booktok in particular, I had the same feelings of exhaustion that I do with real-life out of pocket behaviour.

The revelations we get of Athena’s actions prior to her death were so interesting and I wish we got to read more about it but I think it throws an interesting wrench into the question of who gets to write about those experiences. On a side note, it actually felt sinister reading how certain aspects of people's lives (that the characters had personal proximity to) were commodified and rebranded for fiction — which speaks to the complexity of having a right to representation. Moreover, Athena’s personality in particular was really fitting for this question and plot. Does being an asshole justify the theft of her work? Obviously not but RFK skillfully posits the reader into Junes brain that such an action almost feels justified — if not for the clear racist and xenophobic undertones.

Athena and June, in some ways, are mirrors of one another. Questions of who gets to write about what experiences is a connecting thread between the two and something that RFK forces the reader to try to answer time and time again until the reader themselves feels a bit crazy.

June and Athena’s dynamic, as short-lived as it was, was entirely fascinating. Before Athena’s untimely demise, we see a sliver of potential in their dynamic, a possibility of true kinship between June and Athena before it's violently ripped away. I think that's what makes what follows a bit tragic. Combined with the toxicity of the publishing industry, the possibility of something healthier is ground beneath its feet.

This novel cumulates into a horror show of sorts by the last third of the book, when the plot reaches ridiculous, unrealistic, dramatic heights. It was also at this last quarter of the book that there were so many interesting elements that shone through that I wish were expanded or described in more detail.

Overall, this was truly a binge-read. RFK’s imitation of a rambling Twitter feed is so accurate that at one point I felt so sick and exhausted, and if RFKs goal was to make the reader feel like they were going in circles that left them feeling insane, then her goal was achieved.