(Reviewed at 50% but I can already tell I'll love this one.) An accessible first RF Kuang novel for readers who are intimidated by the length and breadth of her other books. This one is a fast, immersive read; Kuang wastes no time establishing the personalities of the characters and kicking off the action. She has struck the delicate balance of writing an unreliable narrator whom we love to hate, yet have enough sick curiosity for to see how far she can get away with her crime. For me, the main character is the greatest example of 'white woman ally' that I've ever seen, and as a Chinese speaker, the scenes where she's complaining about Athena's writing and changing the character names was extra funny. And of course, like in Babel, Kuang's writing is tongue-in-cheek, 4th wall breaking, and satirical.

Talk about a character unhinged. Athena, the main character in this book, is the epitome of unbelievable. If you enjoyed Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou, this one will also tickle your fancy.

You'll find yourself shaking your head in awe at Athena's actions and thinking throughout this story as she navigates taking her friend's/colleague's work as her own.

Part of me hesitates to label 'Yellowface' a satire, because the core message of the novel, and even its delivery ring far too true.

Lately, there have been a string of complaints where white writers (some quite well-known), long afforded the benefit of cornering the literary market, expressed their frustration about the unfairness of BIPOC authors suddenly 'flooding' the market. The myth goes something like this: publishers aren't interested in white writers anymore. They're exercising a kind of artistic affirmative action plan, giving less-talented writers of color deals that would under 'normal' circumstances have gone to the glut of near-genius white writers.

I've always held a kind of horrified fascination whenever I hear this complaint, that people actually believe that after hundreds of years of writers having to be white (and male) to get taken seriously let alone published, a grave injustice is being done because there have been about five years during which publishers have sought out writers who are neither white, nor male and allowed them to tell their own stories.

In 'Yellowface' June Hayward is a frustrated young white writer, watching from the sidelines as her former classmate, the beautiful Athena Liu earns accolades, exposure and mega book deals for her work. Sure, Athena is a good writer, June concedes, but she also has the unfair 'advantage' of being Chinese when publishers are seeking diverse authors. June herself had a book deal, but not one as large as Athena's and her work was largely unnoticed. So, when Athena dies in her apartment with June present, June does what she tells herself almost anyone in her position would do—she takes Athena's work-in-progress and passes it off as her own.

June theft of Athena's work is direct and specific, but also a metaphor for what happened in publishing before we had more BIPOC published authors—white writers, apparently much more adept at writing, co-opted the experiences of people of color and represented those experiences in books and were lauded for their authenticity. That happened for so long without objection that today, many white writers feel a sense of entitlement to those experiences, and resist strenuously when its suggested that while they should write what they wish, true authenticity comes only from those with lived experience. Likewise, June over time convinces herself that Athena's story is actually hers, because she 'polished' it and made it shine. Just as, today, some white writers claim they are doing something of a public service by making BIPOC experiences 'visible' and 'relatable' in a way BIPOC writers cannot.

Still, 'Yellowface' doesn't spare the crusaders for 'authenticity' either. Kuang nails the frenzy of condemnation that sometimes occurs even at a mere hint of an accusation of appropriation, or theft. She exposes the unseemly willingness of some BIPOC creatives to call for the excommunication of white writers if they fail to publicly and vociferously acknowledge that the experiences and cultures they may portray are perhaps best portrayed by someone else. And most of all, she shows us the ridiculousness of it all, asking the unanswerable question: what does it mean, anyway, to own a story?

I will say though that the topical nature of the book was more attractive to me than the delivery. I loved the ridicule thrown at the politics of bestsellers, the pandering that writers do online, to the public and to their more successful counterparts, the cliques, the positioning, the constant search for positive affirmation. It was very competently written, but no blow-your-socks off turns of phrase IMO. It also meandered at times, repeating the slow-motion car crash of June's lies being exposed in various forums and ways. And then it ended without what some readers will want—an unambiguous, clear resolution. Still, a good, entertaining read about the tangled web our lies can weave. With some social commentary thrown in if you like that sort of thing. Recommended.

Thank you Harper Collins Canada for sharing a copy of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang on Netgalley. This was my most anticipated read of the year!

I’m glad I read some early reviews for Yellowface because it prepared me to not like the main character, which I did not. June Hayward never seems to learn any lessons and is very self absorbed. She is the only POV we get for the whole story too so prepare yourself for that. June watches her friend Athena die and then steals her unwritten novel as her own. Which considering Athena is successful and Asian American and her novel is a in depth look into Asian immigrants who fought in the war, it seemed like a horrible idea from the start. June digs herself deeper and deeper and it’s a train wreck.

While it’s an uncomfortable and thought provoking read, I’m not sure it lived up to the hype I’d built for it. I found that with the plot so heavy in the first half, the second half just drags and goes off the rails a few times for me. But I did love all the insider looks into publishing and the discussion of reviewers and Twitter drama from an author’s point of view.

Overall, I’d say it was a good read and one that would be much better read with a group or book club for discussions rather than on your own.

This book is a great insight into the publishing world and the skewed mindset of some of the individuals working in the industry, but it also translates well into how the general public thinks of racism as well. June is such a classic example of a white woman who refuses to believe anything she's doing is racially motivated, but even her reaction to the Chinese food she's offered throughout the book let's the reader see what she doesn't. I am a white woman so I can't say exactly how accurate the experience is for others, but as a white woman I can also say that I've echoed some of June's thoughts throughout my life, and I've learned to recognize how problematic that is. I loved The Poppy War series and while this is completely different, Kuang does a fantastic job.

I think more than anything this book gives us a glimpse into the current concerns within the publishing world. It also allows us to examine the repercussions of too much time spent online. That increasing feeling of paranoia and cynicism that comes from a lack of quality community. I enjoyed this book and the questions it made me consider.

We follow our unreliable narrator as she makes choices that seem to get in her own way but don't we always? There's not a single character in this novel that I would call likeable. This book has gotten a lot of social media buzz even as the novel criticizes how reviews and online promotion can be such a damaging space. Lots of things to consider with this one!

Such a stressful read-- the protaganist will make you want to pull your hair out, but you will not want to stop reading. This is my first by Kuang and I was surpised to learn this is not her usual genre. Overall just a really good book that I will definitely reccomend to my patrons.

I greatly enjoyed this novel. Along with being a fantastic story, it has a lot to say about diversity, appropriation, and publishing. It gave me a lot to think about. I definitely will be recommending it to everyone--and already have.

What, after all, is a storyteller? In this seething exposé, itself the work of a fictional storyteller crafted by a real-life storyteller, “ripping through bone and gristle to the tender bleeding heart”, June Hayward, aka Juniper Song, takes us deep into the “grotesque” world of commercial publishing, from a wannabe author’s point of view, revealing to us the Machiavellian spawn churning within.

June, our first person POV narrator, is in awe of Athena Liu, her authorly nemesis, a fantastically successful (indeed, unbearably so) Yale colleague, who was taken her writing career to heights June can only dream of. And dream she does, as she finds herself inescapably locked into the self-immolating position of both worshipping Athena, and envying her with every pore of her being.

Without giving the plot away, (no spoilers here), as we follow June on her path to subsume and emulate Athena, every hint of morality or shame is rationalized and swept aside in her desperately distasteful bid to enter the world she now feels unfairly denied her.

What follows is a searing, satirical look at diversity; racism; reverse racism; ambition; the terrifying all-consuming ‘truth’ of social media; and of course, the ultimately-vicious big business of publishing - and last but not least, the fate of those angst-filled storytellers caught in the midst, forevermore “racing along the hamster wheel of relevance”.

Darkly convincing, (written by a hugely successful author bearing deep similarities to our literary heroine), I loved this only-slightly over-the-top illumination from within, and the depths of desire and despair it takes us to, - an unputdownable tale of angst and redemption, hovering, tantalizingly, just out of reach, as our storyteller tells the story of her storyteller (and her story and on, it goes…).

A great big thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
All thoughts presented are my own.

#yellowface #netgalley #williammorrow #rfkuang #booksofHCC #harpercollinsCA

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this title.

Rating is actually rounded up to 4.5 stars.

This was another wonderful book by Kuang. I have loved reading all of her books. They are so well written, interesting and intelligent, and they make me uncomfortable (in a way that makes me feel like it should because it is doing something important). This book was no exception. Because this is not a fantasy book, it isn't likely to be the kind of book I will return to again and again, but it is none-the-less and important and good read. The narrator's voice is so well done, drawing you in even though she is despicable. I also loved the bits of suspense where I wasn't sure, like the narrator, what exactly was going on. June was a perfect unreliable narrator.

The only reason this isn't a 5 start read is because I felt like the book ended abruptly. "I was trying to get my kindle to go to the next page and there was none" kind of abrupt. The story was mostly tied up, so maybe it was just so compelling that it felt that way, but I definitely was caught off guard that there wasn't at least a few more pages.

😍Loved: This book was refreshing! Satire isn't something that I typically gravitate towards but this book was a ride! If you can listen to the audiobook, the narrator is fantastic!

😀Liked: I really enjoyed the exposé of the publishing industry and there was a lot that I learned. The MC June made me smile, laugh, completely cringe and while she was incredibly unlikeable, I had to find out how everything was going to pan out.

😐Lukewarm: I found the plot slowed at time and was occasionally repetitive.

Thanks to for the advance e-copy! Off to read all of Kuang's backlist that I've collected as I'm totally hooked on her writing.

I don’t know what I think about this book--is it “what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive”? Or is it a story about the injustices of diversity in the publishing industry? Or is it the horror tale of a woman driven mad by social media? Whatever it is, it was a compulsive read and I was sad to see it end without knowing if June’s musings at the end became what will happen or were they the delusions of a crazy woman. Although June did something really bad, I don’t think she was a bad person--she was human with human feelings: envy of Athena being chief among them. I found Athena, although she is only alive in the very beginning of the book, a conundrum--was she really June’s friend or did she hang around with June to make her feel superior or to use her life experiences for story ideas. The book did a good job of creating an almost stifling atmosphere--at every step I thought, “if June had only done _____” instead of what she did do and as she became more and more isolated the book seemed to rush to the end. I had to keep reminding myself that it is not true, it is just a story as I felt the box June was in becoming smaller and smaller, until at the end she just disappears…

This is the first of Kuang’s novels I’ve read, and I knew I was going to love it. Morally grey characters, an unexpected death, an unreliable narrator - it checks so many of my favorite boxes. Not to mention the social commentary nestled throughout. I’m excited to see what other readers think and see what portions of the conversation continue past the pages. 5/5

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for sending the book for review consideration. All opinions are my own!

#LiteraryFiction #Thriller #Mystery

June Hayward and Athena Liu attended school together and came up in the literary world at the same time. But while Athena has found success, June has struggled. When she witnesses Athena die in a freak accident, she's horrified, but she also takes Athena's unpublished manuscript and works it into something of her own. It's a success, and since it's about Chinese history, she goes along with it when her publisher changes her name to make it sound more ethnically ambiguous. But then she starts getting threatening messages, and June realizes she's going to find out how far she'll go to remain in the literary spotlight, and to keep her secrets buried.

A page-turner, this sharp and incisive novel is a strong sendup of the current publishing world. Readers will watch, horrorstruck, as June makes decisions that dig her deeper and deeper into a hole she'll never be able to climb out of. Kuang's biting critique of both the publishing world and online culture is so entertaining and often very funny. The book's central mystery is perhaps the weakest link in the novel, but it hardly matters: the character of June is well-rendered, and readers will keep reading to see what happens to her.

I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for Yellowface by RF Kuang, but I ended up really enjoying this one overall! If you need likeable characters, Yellowface isn't for you. None of the characters are likeable, but especially the MC June. This dark satire drew me in immediately and kept me compulsively engaged in that "watching a train wreck" kind of way. I just couldn't look away. (Or rather, stop listening because I did do the audiobook!) I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the ending, but I would recommend this one if you enjoy unreliable narrators, peeks into the publishing industry, and delving into the gray areas of morality!

Engaging story about how far one will go for success, and how lies always seems to catch up with you in the long run.

Yellowface was a creative look at how racism can actually target the average while female.
Loved the internal observations of what it takes to publish a book. And what audience it will target to make it a hit.
Junie was smart and educated and a decent writer- but she was not the diverse image the publishers wanted. So she latches on to her Asian friend Athena. Athena has it all- she's beautiful and smart and her debut novel brings fame and success. Junie thinks her life would be perfect if only she could be like Athena. Without spoilers, Yellowface is a dark story of obsession and loneliness.
Kuang has written a thought provoking novel of racism laced with the influence of social media on our society.
Would highly recommend.
Thanks to Net Galley and Harper for the advance read.

Thank you to R.F. Kuang, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

This book follows June Howard, a young author who is hard on her luck, and struggling with her friendship to author superstar Athena Liu. When June witnesses Athena tragic, accidental death, she seizes an opportunity to steal Athena's unpublished and secret manuscript. This first draft, a book about Chinese laborers and their unsung contributions to Allied forces during WWII, is full of half-finished ideas and opportunities for June to step in and add her own voice. While June briefly struggles with the ethics of the situation, she ultimately decides to edit the manuscript as her own and publish under a racially ambiguous pseudonym. I mean, can it really be so wrong to steal an Asian author's work about Asian history and pass yourself off as not totally exactly white to publish it? June did the research, too, right? She deserves these accolades Athena was getting - right?

This is a great conversation about whiteness, race, and the publishing industry. This was really well-written and a very poignant critique on the publishing industry and race. I can't call it a super fun read - but it's a good one. I also think it is a good one for publishing and book professionals to read and analyze in regards to their own practices. 4.5/5 read, do recommend!

RF Kuang has truly become a favorite author. I'm so beyond impressed and delighted by how much she manages to weave into her novels. Fantasy, literary, anything -- she can write it.

Cringe from beginning to end, but in the funny way. Even though I went into this book knowing it was satire, hearing the main character make the wrong, most audacious decision they could possibly make over and over again, brought me physical discomfort. The reader may have to know the various discourses that come with "book Twitter" to pick up on how on-the-nose Kuang's critique is. This one is definitely for those that enjoy mess and scandal.