GOOD based on 5 reviews
Bloggers’ reviews summary
R.F. Kuang’s wonderfully weaved cautionary tale about the book publ world shows how jealousy, envy and fear over our peers can drive some of us to do outlandish, crazy things.
| Superb | 1 |
| Good | 4 |
| Mixed | – |
| Unfavourable | – |
Book description from the publisher, Harper Collins
In RF Kuang’s Yellowface, failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, and she sees her opportunity… and takes it.
So what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript? So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity?
And so what if the first lie is only the beginning … Finally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her…
Publication date: 9 May 2024 (HarperCollins)
Independent bloggers’ reviews of R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface
 GOOD | “Yellowface is a messy woman/disaster story in the best possible way. It’s the sort of book that will have you inwardly yelling at the protagonist about her bad choices but you don’t want to stop reading because you just have to find out how it all ends.” Karissa Reads Books |
 SUPERB | “This is a deliciously addictive literary thriller, skewering the BookTok generation with style. Fiendish, fascinating and utterly fun, it has placed high on my list of Christmas gifts for bookish loved ones.” Girl with her head in a book |
GOOD | “With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.” 1 girl….2 many books |
GOOD | “Yellowface is compelling, uncomfortable and full of drama yet I’m conflicted on how I feel about this novel. It’s certainly clever and an excellent satire of the publishing industry, yet it seemed to be an almost Gothic horror satire towards the end before things were tied up quickly and nicely. “The novel exposes the bias and racism in publishing toward BIPOC authors as well as the nastiness that resides in the online book world. Yet with the protagonist June managing to weasel her way out of all criticism/conflict that comes her way, it does become repetitive as she never seems to learn.” Sam Still Reading |
GOOD | “Yellowface is extremely entertaining, brilliantly written, and maddeningly upsetting. Our first person protagonist June is a real piece of work, and unfortunately both she and the world she inhabits are painfully real. June is a white woman with an almost supernatural ability to justify her worst actions. “The writing is impeccable. It takes a talented author to write such a strong voice that can nevertheless be seen right through. Everything we experience is filtered through June’s extremely limited, self-serving POV, and Kuang is able to maintain that strong narrative voice while nevertheless allowing the reader to understand what is truly happening.” A Blog of Books and Musicals |
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