This is like a rollercoaster through the literary world, blending sharp wit with high-stakes drama. The plot revolves around June Hayward, a white writer who steals her late friend Athena Liu’s manuscript and claims it as her own. The book is a biting satire on cultural appropriation and the quest for success, all while keeping you hooked with its clever twists. Kuang’s writing is both incisive and entertaining, making you laugh while also making you think deeply about the price of ambition and identity. It’s a wild ride that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling! Loved it and can't wait to see what she puts out next!

Entertaining, but man its been a while since I read such an unlikable MC. Brings forth good discussions on race and publishing!

I enjoyed this book and I was worried I wouldn't due to all the hype around it, but it was a great read. I enjoyed the way it showed you a bit about the publishing world and authors work. Such a good book. Highly recommend.

I was excited for Yellowface because I have very quickly become a fan of RF Kuang but I had heard a lot of mixed reviews - this books seems to be a love it or hate it.
I’m so glad to say I LOVED it!

Yellowface follows a struggling author Juniper following the freak death of her frenemy Athena (a not-so-struggling author) when she decides to take her final manuscript and present it for publishing as her own. This poor decision results in a snowball effect of lying and lying to cover up previously lying. The two key purposes of Yellowface are to 1) provide entertaining satire about the publishing industry and I have to assume the author’s experiences as a Chinese woman and 2) document Juniper’s spiral into paranoia and despair as the bookish community persecutes her.

Aside from being an enlightening and amusing commentary that felt incredibly relevant, the most enjoyable thing for me was how much I related to Juniper - who, you guessed it, is probably not a very good person. I could totally empathise with how she felt being backed into a corner and the desperation to not fade into obscurity after finally finding success.

This is a super easy contemporary read and I definitely recommend anyone to pick up! Even if you haven’t loved Kuang’s work in the last, Yellowface is a totally different game and you may be pleasantly surprised!

The best way to describe this book is that it is one that is so gritty and icky and that’s what makes it good. It makes you uncomfortable. It confronts you. Because the main character is not a good person. Plain and simple. And you know that. But yet you are totally hooked.

The writing is phenomenal. I mean I think it is a serious talent if an author can write a book where the main protagonist is completely horrendous and yet the book is so incredible that you can’t stop reading!

Sometimes we don’t want to read the same thing over and over again because it can get repetitive and boring. Sometimes we want a book that makes you sit back and go wow. Sometimes we want a book that makes you really angry and frustrated. This is Yellowface.

This book puts to question morals, and what different people see as right and wrong. And it’s brilliant. I will not stop saying that. I need a physical copy of this book right this instant. And I need everyone to read this book as soon as it comes out.

This book is about Juniper Hayward who is an author who believes that her debut novel was unsuccessful because the current publishing industry is only looking for those diversity moments and so her being a white woman puts her at a disadvantage. When her college frenemy, Athena Liu, who is a successful Chinese author dies, June decides to take her manuscript and turn Athena’s book into her own an publish it under a pseudonym. This book explores the results of Juniper having plagiarised her work and dealing with the fall out of this.

Yellowface confronts diversity, racism, the publishing industry, social media and more. It is uncomfortable at times, and unbelievable at others, but it is such an important issue that everyone needs to read about.

Thank yo uHarper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

"Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing, is opening doors to other lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much,"

Have you ever read a book and thought holy shit a writer really did THAT?

This was my experience reading Yellowface, R.F Kuang pulls no punches when it comes to the publishing industry, racism and performative allies, and the echo chamber of social media.

Yellowface's main character wasn't likeable, she wasn't meant to be, so following June's journey was a little cringe at times but in the best possible way because it was true to the character.

It's about who gets to tell what stories and deluding yourself into thinking your voice is the right one for the job.
It's a toxic situationship that's milked for money and fame.

While I figured out the 'culprit' early on, it in no way affected my enjoyment of this book.

Yellowface pulls no punches, it says f*CK you and f*CK you too. It's absolutely worth the hype and I couldn't put this one down.

You either love or hate the main character, as you question her morals, in stealing her dead friends unpublished manuscript and claiming it as her own.

Reading Rebecca's authors note about this being a story about loneliness, are you meant to empathize with June at the end of the story? I was super frustrated by June's actions throughout the book - she lied, she was manipulative, had no guilt nor remorse, was defensive a lot of the time, arrogant and had no self awareness. Even at the end she still seemed delusional and I don't think she really learned the lessons she needed to, though maybe that's the point. I definitely don't recommend this to anyone that doesn't want to read someone's day to day anxiety levels - it can be heavy at times and might make you feel anxious also.

This is my first Rebecca Kuang book and I did find her writing impeccable. It was witty, relatable, funny, shocking and she really sparks an emotional response in the reader. No matter how frustrating June was, Rebecca's writing is what drew me back for more. It's definitely one I didn't want to put down as it's so memorable. I do want to check out her other work as a result.

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC however my time ran out to read it due to outside commitments. Instead I have read the published release and as always, Kuang's writing wastes no words! June is the absolute worst. As the story goes on, we watch as June continues to dig herself even deeper, making her lies and her situation even worse, all the time trying to justify herself and her actions. June is definitely a dumpster fire of a person you will love and hate to read. There is a reason this book is so hyped, and deservedly so!

This was definitely the book of the moment when I read it a few months ago (yeah yeah Fourth Wing, I see you too). With its obnoxious yellow cover, cheeky reputation and fun marketing campaign I couldn't let this one pass me by.

I started on a whim, and literally could not put it down, it's such a fun, fast paced read. I say fun, and on the surface it definitely is, however it is also a cleverly worded look at the problems within the publishing industry and among creators of color.

There was some clever commentary on how certain books are chosen to be successful, and there is no literary basis for it, it is just how it is... Again, looking at you Fourth Wing...

Either way having also just read Babel which I'm still reeling from, Rebecca Kuang is fast becoming a new favorite author. I'm ready to dive into the Poppy War trilogy pretty soon if anyone is keen to join?

“Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.”

This book was very far removed from my usual reading genres (fantasy, romance), but I’m so glad I gave it a go. A satirical look at diversity in the publishing industry, this book was filled with thought-provoking questions on morality, diversity, and fame, interwoven amongst a fictional tale of a girl who might just go too far to “have it all”.

I found the story engaging from the get-go, and the blend of real-world references combined with a fictional world (seen through the eyes of an unreliable narrator) was really fascinating.

The thing I loved most about Yellowface was just how deeply embedded we get into the narrator’s mind. I swapped from an ebook to an audiobook a few chapters in for this very reason, which made everything even more immersive.

The climax of the book fell a little flat for me, but overall, this was a clever, intriguing and enjoyable read.

I loved the insight into the publishing world and the razor sharp characters but there was something missing that I can't put my finger on.

This was definitely a compelling read that took me on a journey of emotions.

While Yellowface has a great storyline, I found the character development very shallow. Why is June envious of another woman's looks when her own appearance isn't commented on, and why is she only comparing her own writing and success to only one other author's work?

This might’ve been a commentary on racism in the publishing industry, but I found it to be a commentary on how people, not just authors, borrow each others ideas and shape it into their own work and how we judge each other when we realise this has happened.

Just amazing. A huge shift in tone from Kuang’s previous works which shows her immense skill and versatility as a writer. I adored this book and the light it shone on the publishing industry.

“Athena Liu is a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories by basic white girls anyway? But now Athena is dead. And June has her unfinished manuscript...”

When people talk about having an unreliable narrator, they’re talking about June Hayward. I spent my time while reading this book going back and forth between sympathising with her for her struggles in the publishing industry and raging at her lack of self awareness.
She had that typical white woman trope of “everything is all about diversity and it’s so hard to be white now” which is actually a load of crap and the numbers within the publishing industry prove it.

Stories like this make you think about your own opinions on culture vultures, cultural appropriation vs appreciation and who has the right to write our stories.

Like a car crash, you couldn’t look away. Was she going to get caught? Would she be exposed to the world as a fraud and a thief? You’ll have to read to find out…

I do have a critique though, in that the constant “woe is me” from the FMC did grate on my nerves a bit. Her constant complaints about diversity and how hard it is to be white just felt a little bit too real and I could definitely imagine people going on like that.

Thanks to #NetGallery and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Format: Digital
POV: Single
Age suggestion: 16+

An insight into the tough and competitive publishing world. This is clever and dark and definitely a good read that made me feel uncomfortable the whole time, that rather than finding it compelling I had to put it down as I really didn’t like the characters and how everybody interacted. It made me want to turn off my social media that gives trolls a voice and generates such toxicity. I understand why this book appeals and is getting so much hype. I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it.

3.5⭐️ Thanks to #netgalley and @harpercollinsaustralia for the e-book. I actually bought a copy drawn in by the hype and it’s a great cover.

It was completely my fault but this one was a dnf. I was struggling to get really into it at the start and next thing I knew my time was up.

wow what a bombshell of a book! I really enjoyed reading this. I found myself constantly cringing at Junes attempts to justify her decisions, her views on different ethnicities, her offense at being "judged" for being white...this was so cleverly written. I really can't recommend this enough.

Wow! This is like nothing I have read before!

If you have not already heard or seen this book on the internet, this is about a white American author ‘Juniper’ who steals her “best friends” manuscript. Athena is Chinese American and has hit stardom with her novels, whereas Juniper is failing to get her first book published. The two women both went to Yale and did the same degree, comparing themselves to each other through College and after graduating. One afternoon the two decide to go out for drinks one night (as none of them seem to have a close circle of friends) and they end up at Athena’s lavish apartment making some pancakes, little did they know Athena will soon be dead and Juniper will get the spotlight she thinks she deserves.

I had not previously read any of R.F.Kuangs novels but I had heard great things about them so I knew this would be something spectacular, and I was right! This is probably one of the best written books I’ve read as every line is so smart and giving the reader the perfect idea of what’s going on inside Junipers mind and how her mind works. I had so much fun reading this as I was laughing at how delusional the characters were and at other moments my jaw was on the floor!

I’m not a big annotator of my books but I think I will now have to buy a physical copy and do a reread because there are so many details that I probably didn’t process the first time. I also loved how I learnt some new things from this book, as I like to expand my knowledge through reading and this just makes it so fun as I can connect them to this novel.

Thank you NetGally & HarperCollins Australia for allowing me to read this!

Adored this and couldn’t put it down! Thought it was brilliant! A blistering insight into the callous machinations of a largely white publishing industry and what it is like to be a writer caught up in it. Also cleverly captures the era of the very online, alongside discussions on identity politics, craft, and authorship. Which stories get told, whose voices are heard. All of this while also managing to be engaging and entertaining. Highly recommend!

*I received a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my unbiased review*

I had a feeling I would like Yellowface - as an avid reader, aspiring writer, and someone who is active on social media - but I had no idea how much this book would pull me in and make me think.

This book lives up to the hype. It is utterly gripping from the first chapter, when June's sort-of-friend and sort-of-literary-rival, Athena, shows her the latest manuscript she has been working on, shortly before her sudden and untimely death.

The friendship/rivalry between June and Athena is complex and believable, and June as a character is simultaneously unlikeable and relatable. This is a really unique spin on an unreliable narrator - June is constantly trying to justify her choices, and trying to position herself as a victim of circumstances which she in fact has created. As a reader, it was weird to find myself sympathising with her even as the narrative style was clearly biased and self-serving, and June's manipulations and half-truths were laid bare.

I had some mixed feelings about the ending but overall, the book was beautifully written, the pacing was good, the characters were complex and the plot was gripping. Such a fun and thought-provoking read that I am still mulling over days later!