Yellowface - R. F. Kuang

Yellowface

By R. F. Kuang

  • Release Date: 2023-05-16
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4
4
From 851 Ratings

Description

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

“Hard to put down, harder to forget.” — Stephen King, #1 New York Times bestselling author

White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel. 

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. 

Reviews

  • Blah, blah, blahhhhhh

    1
    By Murphy105
    😝unrealistic ramblings of a narcissist
  • Twisted & Thought Provoking

    4
    By s.a.moody
    This is an interesting read and not at all what I expected. This is one of the first books I have read where I dislike the main character from the beginning. It’s intriguing to see things from the leads twisted and insecure perspective. There are many moments where I truly think that she believes what she is doing is right. She has convinced herself that she doesn’t get what she wants because she’s not a minority. Morals are quickly dismissed in order for June to be successful and famous. She gets everything she wanted, but can she live with what she’s done? I wish there would have been more backstory on June to shed more backstory on why she makes the decisions she does. That is the only reason I don’t rate this book 5 stars.
  • Disappointing

    2
    By S Caroline
    I wanted to love this book. But the main character was so pathetic and petty that it was a slog just to get through the book. There is a lot about the publishing industry which may have some merit, but the revelations are not worth my time. I was hoping to recommend this to one of my book clubs, but I couldn’t do that to them. Too bad.
  • The book that keeps you guessing.

    5
    By BuuWantsIceCream
    Yellowface is a well written piece that keeps you guessing who the real hero and villain actually are.
  • Interesting read

    4
    By MokoBama
    I enjoyed the book but was disappointed with the ending. Too abrupt.
  • Not recommended

    2
    By areli420
    Lame read
  • A drag

    2
    By badmassu
    It’s been a drag to get through. It feels like I’m reading the same thing over and over again? It started off clever then gets sillier by the pages. I understand what the author is trying to convey but it just doesn’t land.
  • Pass

    1
    By Ms. Voracious Reader
    Don’t bother. Plain and simple.
  • Has you wanting to know what’s next

    5
    By OyinkansolaS
    Kuang’s narration from the protagonist’s POV is stellar, has you intrigued by the lengths people who victimize themselves will go and how they see no wrong in their ills. The perspective of loneliness on the path to success in a dynamic industry is also an interesting angle to view the protagonist’s troubles from..
  • Unusual story

    5
    By nobookclub1
    I get so tired of the same story lines of most books on the market. This story was original and extremely well written. The protagonist’s stress was palpable. I had no idea how this book could end, but the conclusion was satisfying

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