RF Kuang is simply a genius. The way that her brain works, the incisive and cutting way that she writes. I'm just in love with her canon. This book is a takedown of publishing, the backlash to "woke" culture, the model minority myth, the fraught conversation around appreciation/appropriation, the expectation of a perfect victim, the racism and ESPECIALLY white feminism that says, "I'm all for increasing diversity in x field, BUT..." There is nobody likable in this book and I am obsessed with that. Just gonna be over here in my corner hungry for more of her beautiful and provocative and insightful creations.

This was amazing. I feel like it got right what so many parodies and send ups of the publishing industry get wrong. It felt so familiar that entire conversations could have been lifted from my meetings with authors and publishers. And the razor sharp commentary on virtue signaling and racism in the industry was masterful. There are ppl I know in the industry who would read this and miss the irony entirely.

So, this had a very strong beginning. I was hooked immediately. I even felt sympathy for June. About halfway in, that changed and I found myself wondering when the book would end and what would happen to June. In a twist, though, by the end I had come to the conclusion that everyone was flawed, everyone was liable, and that publishing was a whole lot more complicated than I thought. Still not entirely sure what I think of June.

This book sounds just like a story that you would hear about on the National news. Two friends, one who has everything going for them and the other friend just trying o survive.Both ladies are at club drinking and when they get home life gets hard. Athens dies from something and June decides to steal her latest novel and say that she wrote it. This book will have you wanting to read every page. Eventually June gets caught and must admit the truth. The tru5 always win.

This darkly funny critique of the publishing industry about jealousy and getting what you deserve will pull you in from the beginning. A struggling writer steals the success of her college frenemy after the friend unexpectedly dies with a stellar unpublished manuscript. Is success based on the quality of your writing or on whether you fit the current popular trend? Kuang shows that her skill extends beyond fantasy epics in this realistic depiction of self-justification and female anger.

Easiest five star book I have ever read! R.F. Kuang does NOT disappoint. Yes, this book has a message and does so using satire.

Think of this one as Talented Mr. Ripley in the publishing world.

But don’t let the publishing part encourage or discourage you. The book was at its strongest when we were experiencing friendship dynamics and reconciling of one’s ideas of where one wanted to be and where one is, rather than the halt in narrative which happened when Kuang went into explaining mode.

Read it as a literary thriller and you will have a heck of a ride.

This was such a unique book that discussed diversity in the publishing industry, who gets to tell whose story, and the consequences of plagiarism. The main character is a majorly flawed individual who has accurate observations and even a cause for empathy. This book isn't for everyone and may seem too trendy because of pop culture references and its dive into the Twitterverse, but I loved every second of its dark irony and sarcasm.

Struggling writer June Hayward and well-known author Athena Liu are sort of friends, so when the latter invites her up to her apartment for pancakes, starry-eyed June can't refuse. But when Athena chokes to death on her food, June seizes the moment to slip the dead woman's manuscript into her bag. Months later, June publishes it under her own name which sets off a chain of events with irreversible consequences.

Trippy, Satirical, and Quirky, this was everything I hoped it would be!

This was a sometimes fascinating/sometimes trippy book about the publishing industry that really highlighted some of the horrible, messed up practices in the industry. I was both mesmerized and horrified by June's journey. This is definitely a book that exposes some of the issues in publishing.

My favorite book of the year!

It's the unraveling of a "Karen" which even I hate to use now because Junie would be glaring at me accusing me of reverse racism.

The Pov is what sets this book miles above any book I've ever read with the theme of racism . It's such a personal voice that you can't help but feel this is the authors personal experience with this type of person her whole life.

RF Kuangs revenge

I hope when people read this book and agree with Junie's mentality you do a SEVERE SOUL SEARCH and reevaluate life.
Some people don't even know the hatred and bias they carry .

Whew. R. F. Kuang's YELLOWFACE is brilliant. An evisceration of the publishing industry and a juicy horror novel of existing on the internet. 100% worth the hype.

I wish I could witness Kuang's creative process from beginning to end. The plot, the pacing, the writing voice, everything, literally everything, is perfect. Kuang absolutely nails satire, which I was a bit afraid to see her (or any author really) do.

It was almost impossible to put this book down. A must read, but not something everyone will have the capacity to understand.

YELLOWFACE offers a smart, biting satire of publishing—would recommend to fans of THE PLOT and THE OTHER BLACK GIRL.

I discovered the author through her stellar book, Babel. This is something else entirely, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The behind-the-scenes realities of the publishing industry are interesting enough, but the voice Kuang has captured in June Song Hayward is spot on Karen. June is infuriatingly entitled and hilariously self-destructive. But Kuang captures her so well that you almost want to root for June to succeed! It does take a strange turn toward the end but it’s satisfactorily resolved. I loved the book, but June is exhausting, so I’m glad it’s over. You have to wonder if there’s any backstory here from real life.

Rebecca F. Kuang lights a match, and the literary world explodes! Her new novel, Yellowface, takes on issues of racism, cultural appropriation, cancel culture, and identity politics. My thanks go to Net Galley and William Morrow for the review copy; this book is for sale now.

Our protagonist is Juniper Hayward, a struggling writer. June’s longtime friend, Athena Liu, is spectacularly successful, and though June tries not to be bitter, Athena is a bit oblivious to June’s distress, and so although June likes her, she also kind of hates her. Then one day, as the two of them are discussing Athena’s newly completed masterpiece, which took a decade to create and has been seen by no one yet, Athena chokes to death on a bit of food. June employs the Heimlich maneuver, but it doesn’t work. Now Athena is dead, and June has in her possession the unpublished manuscript.

What comes next makes my jaw drop! June leaves with the manuscript, which still needs cleaning up before it can be published, and using every lame attempt at justification one can imagine, she edits it and publishes it under her own name. She rationalizes:

“The truth is fluid. There is always another way to spin the story, another wrench to throw into the narrative. I have learned this now, if nothing else…My only sin is loving literature too much.”

To make matters worse, her publisher suggests she use her middle name, Song, as a pen name. (Oh, snap! There’s already a mystery series that stars Juniper Song, though this doesn’t make it into the novel.) The book is a brilliant success, but during her book tour, audiences cannot help noticing that June is, well, Caucasian.

Man your battle stations!

Initially, June seems like a decent enough person that has made one self-serving mistake, but as the narrative unfolds, her judgment, behavior, and moral character deteriorate. The suspense is thick and absorbing as I wait to see just what will happen next.

In places, this story is drop dead funny.

I recommend this book to those that love to see good fiction based on current events.

I loved this one! I have loved all of RF Kuang's books. They all have unique premises and every book is a different genre. This one was a fresh take on the publishing industry and I loved it.

I ripped through this offbeat and provocative book. Definitely made me think about the industry and how it handles race, culture and stardom. What a mess this MC gets herself in - it has that Evan Hansen feel that makes my stomach hurt. Very smart and compelling exploration and a plot that made me read this book fast and furiously!

Whew, I see why this one got all the hype, but man, my brain couldn't take anymore. The narrator is so infuriating and annoying, especially when she continuously tries to make her actions "right". The writing was beautiful and the author is a force to be reckoned with in modern publishing. I enjoyed the glimpse into publishing I was unaware of and I feel like I will be a better person after finishing this book. I will be recommending this books to my friends, but also because I wan't someone else to be as angry as I was while reading. I suppose that means this is a winner!

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think that R.F. Kuang has some of the best prose in the game and the breadth of Babel truly astounded me. But something about this book -- that covers something deeply important and serious -- seemed obvious to me. Everything about it felt like a check-list for what she was trying to do with a gotcha narrator. I do think that the themes around the racism and inequity in the publishing industry are real, but that's just it -- we know that. A lot of this book seemed to say things we already know and do so...in kind of a boring way?

That being said, it did read like a thriller (even a surface level one) and I could not put it down, even once I got to the kind of cartoonish ending.

3.75 stars.

I love love love YELLOWFACE! Truly haven't read anything like it. The story is completely outrageous, poignant, and will keep the reader on the edge of their seat (either laughing, cringing, rolling their eyes, or waiting in suspense to see what is going to happen).

Typically I don't enjoy books that feature an unlikeable main character, but somehow this one worked for me -- I blame it on the satirical elements as well as the glimpse into the publishing world -- which has always been fascinating.

I was so happy to see that Reese picked this up as her July book club because MORE PEOPLE NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! I might need to reread it -- which tells you enough, go read it!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. As a fan of BABEL and YELLOWFACE, I can't wait to see what Ms. Kuang will come up with next!