Whether you like it or not is irrelevant because that's the point. The book is a brilliant satirical commentary on our role in publishing as writers, workers, and consumers.

Unlike Kuang's past works, Yellowface doesn't bring social commentary with a statement which is what people really dislike here.

With Poppy War and Babel, you could feel great about yourself knowing you were on the "right side" of things. But Yellowface doesn't have that because there isn't a right side.

Since college, Juniper and Athena have been writing buddies. As Athena’s success and fame grow as an author, June must hide her disdain, disgust, and jealously.

After witnessing the freak accident that results in her friend’s death, June lifts Athena’s finished work and boldly decides to pass it on as her own.

What follows is a rollercoaster of events; forcing protagonist and reader to reflect deeply about race, the publishing world, and if anyone has ownership over storytelling.

For fans of THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Dalia Harris

I am a R,F, Kuang fan; having loved Babel. I was so impressed that she was able to write a book with a similar theme and Big Idea, but in an entirely different voice and genre. Yellowface is an easier read/listen than Babel, but it's equally as thoughtful and significant. I really enjoyed it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think Kuang did a really smart move with the unreliable POV style throughout the book. The narrator normalizes her behavior, and her terrible actions seem more morally gray to the reader because of her justifications, making the reader question themselves multiple times. I also like how the author tackles the idea of diversity in publishing. However, there were multiple times throughout the book where I thought the book could have ended, but it just kept going. It just felt like it dragged a bit, and Kuang just kept adding more and more. Other than that, I enjoyed the story, and I really liked the narrator.

What a kickass book! I typically don't go for books with unlikeable protagonists, but holy cow did this one have me hooked. I stayed up late to see how this book could possibly end. I don't want to give a single thing away, so just know this is about two friends who are authors - one a media darling and huge success, one not so much. This is a behind the curtain look at the publishing industry as well. The narration is masterfully executed to build tension and intrigue. I had never read R. F. Kuang up to this point. I had an interest prior to this, but now will absolutely be picking up previous works ASAP. I have been telling everyone I know to read this book. I feel like it is a book that transcends people's preferred genres. Wow, wow, wow!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an audio ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

I rarely don't like any of the characters but still like the book; however, R.F. Kuang's books tend to bring that out in me.

June and Athena went to school together and were on track to be great authors. However, their relationship turns frenemies when Athena's career takes off and June's first books bomb. When Athena suddenly dies with June at her house, June steals her latest unedited book.

The book is about Chinese laborers during WWI. But since June, who changes her name to Juniper Song, isn't Asian American and it is different from her other books, she is questioned relentlessly about it. Still it is a hit and she thinks she has pulled it off and until everything threatens to come crashing down.

I gave Yellowface ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I didn't like June nor Athena. I wasn't in until about the 3rd or 4th chapter and then I could not stop listening! It touches on racism, cultural appropriation, bullying especially on social media, cancel culture and what makes a story ours to tell. I was intrigued how June continued to spin the narrative while giving us glimpses of conscience. It was very thought provoking which is what I love about R.F. Kuang.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for an advanced audio copy of this book! It just released so go pick it up!

Do yourself a favor and listen to this in one sitting if possible. The writing grabbed me from the first sentence to the last, and I could not put it down. I truly admired Kuang's intentions when writing this novel. The narrator did a great job capturing me and keeping me hooked on the book, which was almost impossible to put down. The main character is unlikeable, but you're still intrigued to see how far she will go to get her way. It's a compelling book I recommend to readers who enjoy satires and the dark thoughts that come with what-if thinking.

June, an unsuccessful white woman writer, & Athena, an successful Asian woman, have known each other since attending Yale together, and although they were never really close. Since they live in the same city, they get together occasionally for drinks, and on one of their evenings they end up at Athena's place where she chokes and dies. June has always coveted Athena's success, and seeing Athena's latest manuscript, she grabs it.
What ensues is a satire about the cultural identity & appropriation and the publishing industry, as well as creativity! An extremely interesting read which delves into the question of who should be "allowed" to do write about what and should the publishing industry dictating what authors write.

June is a 20-something underachieving author and she is not happy about it. Her college friend, Athena, is also 20-something and an author. However, Athena is wildly successful. June is less than graceful about it on the inside but is all support and smiles on the outside. Athena suffers a terrible accident and leaves a rough draft manuscript behind. June happens to have access to this manuscript and no knows she has access or that it even exists. You can probably guess where this is going.

This is a harsh look at the publishing community and it hits the mark. The book tackles the industry’s treatment of marginalized communities, racism, who can tell which stories, what it takes to be successful, cancel culture, plagiarism, and more. The book has a cutting edge wit that takes no prisoners. It’s absolutely valid and these are real issues that publishers are grappling with.

4.5
While this book (a contemporary literary thriller) is outside of my preferred genres, it rose immediately to the top of my most anticipated reads of 2023 list because R. F. Kuang is one of my favorite writers and this book did not disappoint! I finished it in one day (practically in one sitting) because I just could not put it down! The audiobook is very well done and captures just how insufferable June's inner monologue is.

June has a complicated relationship with fellow author Athena. While June has struggled to find a place in the literary world, Athena is a rising star and June is extremely jealous since she believes that Athena has a leg up because she's a minority. Of course, June is horrified when Athena chokes to death in front of her, but that doesn't stop her from stealing Athena's newly finished manuscript, which is of course brilliant, and publishing it as her own.

This is a sharp critique of racism and white privilege in publishing as well as an exploration of just what lengths people will go to for the fame they believe they deserve. Kuang's prose is just as flawless as ever and, paired with a fast-paced plot, makes for a very binge-able book. If you're not as interested in the publishing industry and as involved in online book spaces as I am, this novel might not be as fascinating to you, however I would recommend this to just about anyone!

After the success of Babel, I know so many readers are both thrilled and nervous to see that Kuang is releasing another book so soon. Here are three succinct thoughts on what’s sure to be a buzzy book of the summer: 1) This is a page turner—I flew through it in two days. 2) This is not a perfect book—it’s occasionally repetitive and rambling, and it can definitely be described as on-the-nose. 3) This is a must-read for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of the publishing world—Kuang skewers the industry in this satire, and she isn’t afraid to name names. The story follows June Haywood, a struggling writer whose college frenemy, Athena Liu, has become a literary darling. After June witnesses Athena’s tragic accidental death, she takes Athena’s latest manuscript, tweaks it, and claims it as her own. The rest of the novel follows June’s literary rise, the constant threat of the truth coming out, and her frustrating ability to stay on top—for awhile at least. Told in June’s perspective, this book often feels dark, uncomfortable, and just plain icky (if you need a character to root for in order to enjoy a book, this won’t be for you!). Kuang certainly made a lot of brilliant choices throughout this novel—not including long excerpts of her characters’ writing, for one!—but the book as a whole might not rise to the label of brilliant. I’m going to be mulling this one over for awhile, and I’m looking forward to discussing it with the FictionMatters Book Clubbers as our Buzzy Book of the Month for July.

I find it difficult to explain WHY I liked a book with such a detenstable narrator, but the social commentary, the meta and dark satire of the online reading and writing community and publishing as a whole- I mean, damn did it hit home. Very different and set apart from R.F Kuang’s other work, this is a unique literary book that really stands out. The audiobook is 👌🏻

What a riveting audiobook! Kuang captures the voices of ordinary people who do unspeakable things for their own profit and ego. The publishing industry and issues of cultural appropriate, coupled with issues of ethics, honesty, and sanity all converge in Yellowface to achieve a level of success that Juniper Song and all who inspired, inadvertently provided her with grist for her mill, or tried to befriend her could only dream of. The narrator's skill adds to the written words and brings Junie's voice to life. 5 stars.

Riveting and relevant, this novel took hold of me from the start and never let go! Despite the unlikeable main character, it was still so captivating. The ethical and cultural questions it asks are uncomfortable but sure to resonate with many. I was also completely engrossed with the social media and publishing world commentary. It was witty, thought-provoking and increasingly intense as the story progressed. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was wonderful and captured the tone of the novel perfectly! 4.5/5⭐️

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7
Hayley Beale
A deliciously cynical look at the world of publishing, cultural appropriation, and social media.

After Athena Liu, superstar young author, dies in a freak accident in front of her friend, struggling writer June Hayward, June has the foresight to grab Athena’s work in progress. June takes this manuscript, about the Chinese Labor Corps in World War I, and puts her own spin on it. Suddenly the publishing world is on fire with interest for The Last Front and after disingenuously repacking Junie as “Juniper Song” (her full first name and her middle name) and re-taking her author pictures, Eden publishing house has a big hit on its hands and June has all she ever wanted. But then @AthenaLiu’sGhost takes to Twitter to tell the world the real origin of the novel and the Internet dogpiles in.

June narrates this novel (marvelously presented by audiobook narrator Helen Laser) and is a wonderful mix of self-delusion, self-justification, and whiny brat but the author manages to make her somewhat sympathetic as well as land home the points she wants to make. Junie’s ‘crimes’ are three-fold: she stole somebody else’s manuscript and passed it off as her own work, she’s a white woman writing about a culture that she is not part of (and the implication is that she substantially revises the role and attitudes of the white people in the novel), and that she doesn’t just want to be a writer she wants to be a famous and much-discussed author.

Perhaps inspired by the furore over American Dirt, there is some real fury in Yellowface directed at not just the despicable/hapless June but also at the publishing industry and its lip service to diversity, both in terms of authors and employees. The limited opportunities for authors of color and the pigeon-holing of them to write only trauma stories is compounded by the low representation of people of color working in publishing.

A large chunk of the novel is devoted to the Internet’s takedown of June and it does get a little tiresome as posters harangue her for her various misdeeds real or imagined. Unfortunately June can’t look away so neither can we and we have to live through it all with her. Even as she exorcizes one ghost and writes a second novel which is nearly all her own work, June is being dragged down by real and virtual critics and then, just to really screw with her, Athena pops up again.

This is a satire that cuts deep - highly recommended.

Thanks to Harper Audio and Netgalley for the review copy.

*4.5*
It was clear early on that there would be no likable characters in Yellowface. This realization happened so early in the book that it was easy for me to settle into that idea and sit back and enjoy what would surely be a humiliating and well-deserved fall from grace for Juniper Song. In some ways Juniper Song is just one person, someone who would sell her soul, her integrity, and her last shred of self-respect in order to make it in the publishing industry (an industry that is portrayed as such a cut-throat evil empire it ensures anyone caught in its snares becomes a petty, jealous, hungry-for-attention narcissistic monster). On the other hand, she seems to also be a stand-in for and compilation of certain white people--and we all know they are out there and may know some of them personally--who treat success and critical claim as if it is a scarce commodity and any inkling that the balance could tip away from white over-representation is an injustice, a personal affront and maybe even an attempt to pretend that reverse racism is a real thing.

I enjoyed listening to this book and appreciated the chance to listen to it early thanks to NetGalley. The narrator, Helen Laser, did a great job portraying Juniper's character flaws in voice and intonation without making her voice sound so annoying that it is impossible to listen to her. The ending of the book seems inevitable as an accurate portrayal of the world we live in today, so for me it is not a reflection on the author's writing if I was left wishing the ending could have been different.

Prepare for a mouthful because it's incredibly difficult to summarize the reasons why Yellowface resonates all the way from my experiences in publishing to my identity as a Chinese American. To begin, Yellowface as a whole is captivating. It manages to deliver a story about friendship and rivalry while also addressing a satire of white privilege. Part of its beauty lies in the ways that Kuang uses first person to not only deeply locate us within June's mind, i.e. her insecurities and personal feelings of envy, but also for us to peek into a lens of the white gaze.

There's a lot to say about June. It's clear to see the ways in which Kuang litters June's POV with not only her own tendency to see herself as both the main character and the victim, but also her ignorance about her own racist microaggresions. The ways in which June has felt cheated because of how she perceives Athena's success without ever taking a moment to think of the cost or the struggles. To attribute Athena's success not only to luck, but also to the value of her identity, a feature which June will later exploit. Because of her jealousy and relentless exhausting competition, June exemplifies a world - specifically of the United States - with whiteness at its center. And so to June, these fears of fading away, to be relegated to the periphery of experience and success, feel like a personal attack to her.

As a Chinese American, I am only too accustomed to hearing the arguments of 'reverse racism', of the 'token diversity', of the idea that marginalized voices are eroding this sense of 'American' identity. Reading June's perspective, felt like seeing reflections of headlines in the news, sound byte interviews, and even comments across dinner tables. It felt abrasive and raw and that's entirely the intention. If you read Yellowface and don't have a feeling of discomfort I think you've missed the point. June's words and actions drip with careless word choices and vary in intensity from her own theft of spaces for marginalized voices to her opinions on Athena.

I was also able to listen to some of this book via audiobook and that was truly a whole new level. The things June was saying were chilling. They felt even more real and so close to me, I got shivers. Helen Laser does justice to June's own internal narration and feelings of entitlement. If audiobook reading is something you enjoy, this is a recommendation for me especially since Yellowface is first perspective.

What a great time to read this during AAPI Heritage month! This book pulled me in and did not let go. I was enthralled from the beginning. The narrator was outstanding. This was my first R. F. Kuang book and what a writer she is. Who is right and who is wrong is the theme as a writer looking for her next book, revises and passes off a story a now dead acquaintance wrote. This story is timely and captivating..

I love a good anti hero. 🙃🙃

This book delivers in so many ways. Juniper has nothing but good intentions, but yet, her decisions get her into the messiest mess one can imagine. When her Uber successful friend Athena dies and she decides to take her first draft as her own, you expect things are going to go wrong.

Juniper is thrust by her own choices into a world where she is confronting her own deep seated less than stellar views. This book touches on racism, xenophobia, sexism, and Juniper is honestly always missing the point.

This is an interesting conversation on the micro aggressions that happen throughout our daily lives and publishing is the perfect platform for it!

What will you steal for success?
Will you steal someone’s skin?
What is a person’s identity?

Juniper takes Athena’s work (and her life experience with it) and spends an entire novel trying to make it fit around her.

I felt like the ending was spot on as the cycle never ends.

I really enjoyed this publishing narrative with a mild dash of thriller!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I listed non audio and LOVED the narrator so much!

I absolutely adored this book, both the writing and narration are amazing and emotional. By seeing this story through the bias of the main character is so well done that seeing her actions makes you wish you could step into the story to educate her! It is an extremely well done portrayal on how our society tries to capitalize off diversity while sitting on the villain’s side. The ending was simultaneously predictable yet came out of nowhere and shocked you, leaving me both satisfied and craving for more of Juniper’s story. The narration is extremely well done and completely immerses the listener into Juniper’s mind and life.