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A review by luluwoohoo
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
An unashamedly bold, uncomfortable, and laugh out loud satire exposing the publishing industry for its dark underworld.
Told through the lens of a self-important white woman who resorts to plagiarism to fulfil her dreams of literary stardom, June is truly a wonderful character to read. She is undeniably awful and her level of delusion is utterly cringeworthy, but these characteristics make her a car crash we want to see explode into flames. There are just enough hints of legitimacy to her emotional frustrations and her mental health struggles to keep you on your toes until the end, but like everyone else in Yellowface, you don't root for June's success, but rather revel in the downfall.
Having read Babel last month I was already familiar with Kuang's style, and this is no less ballsy and confronting. She pulls no punches when it comes to spotlighting racism, xenophobia, trauma porn, tokenism and the viciousness of social media clapback. Is it self-inserty to the max? Sure. I don't think I really care because I had a lot of fun. The bold simplicity of the storytelling and the multiple pop culture references won't work for everyone, but they felt appropriate within the confines of this story.
The background of publishing is obviously incredibly meta, but I appreciated the industry as a backdrop for the scandal. Through the examination of art as a commodity under the capitalist system, Kuang does build sympathy for June and others who are statistically unlikely to succeed in the business at all, and portrays characters like Athena as lucky more so than just talented. Much of June's success relies on white publishers, and the subsequent backlash comes from primarily Chinese sources, but Kuang paints a nuanced picture of how subtle racism can be without also acknowledging the complexity of ownership and voice.
This is a razor sharp and witty tale that keeps you equally uncomfortable and enthralled the whole way through. It felt a bit too real at times, in the best way. A truly wonderful achievement that I'd happily read again and again.
"I worked my ass off doing blog interviews and podcasts, hoping that the more sweat I put into publicity, the more my publisher would reward my efforts. But now, I see, the author effects have nothing to do with a book's success. Bestsellers are chosen. Nothing you do matters. You just get to enjoy the perks along the way."
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
An unashamedly bold, uncomfortable, and laugh out loud satire exposing the publishing industry for its dark underworld.
Told through the lens of a self-important white woman who resorts to plagiarism to fulfil her dreams of literary stardom, June is truly a wonderful character to read. She is undeniably awful and her level of delusion is utterly cringeworthy, but these characteristics make her a car crash we want to see explode into flames. There are just enough hints of legitimacy to her emotional frustrations and her mental health struggles to keep you on your toes until the end, but like everyone else in Yellowface, you don't root for June's success, but rather revel in the downfall.
Having read Babel last month I was already familiar with Kuang's style, and this is no less ballsy and confronting. She pulls no punches when it comes to spotlighting racism, xenophobia, trauma porn, tokenism and the viciousness of social media clapback. Is it self-inserty to the max? Sure. I don't think I really care because I had a lot of fun. The bold simplicity of the storytelling and the multiple pop culture references won't work for everyone, but they felt appropriate within the confines of this story.
The background of publishing is obviously incredibly meta, but I appreciated the industry as a backdrop for the scandal. Through the examination of art as a commodity under the capitalist system, Kuang does build sympathy for June and others who are statistically unlikely to succeed in the business at all, and portrays characters like Athena as lucky more so than just talented. Much of June's success relies on white publishers, and the subsequent backlash comes from primarily Chinese sources, but Kuang paints a nuanced picture of how subtle racism can be without also acknowledging the complexity of ownership and voice.
This is a razor sharp and witty tale that keeps you equally uncomfortable and enthralled the whole way through. It felt a bit too real at times, in the best way. A truly wonderful achievement that I'd happily read again and again.
"I worked my ass off doing blog interviews and podcasts, hoping that the more sweat I put into publicity, the more my publisher would reward my efforts. But now, I see, the author effects have nothing to do with a book's success. Bestsellers are chosen. Nothing you do matters. You just get to enjoy the perks along the way."