Yellowface

How this MC is not in PRISON or a mental hospital, I will never know. Really resonated with June's anger/jealousy at first and then realized maybe this bitch is just crazy...Apart from that, all I'll say is Candice's role in this was very predictable to me!!!! Which was kind of a let down because I was FUCKING with the ghost stuff!!!!!!

It was all go from the start but then started to drag towards the end. It was an interesting storyline.

As someone who has argued a lot on Twitter... This book has far too much realistic arguing on Twitter.

It was not a pleasant escape, it was a reminder of hell.

Stepping out of my usual fantasy-filled shelves, I entered unfamiliar territory with “Yellowface” by RF Kuang. Initially, I assumed it might revolve around an Asian party girl, only to discover a much deeper narrative waiting to unfold. This dive into RF Kuang's work marked my first encounter with her writing, yet the novel resonated with a personal touch, delving into the fast-paced and cut-throat book industry and shedding light on the pervasive racism that plagues the Asian community.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I anticipated. I listened to the audiobook with the version narrated by Helen Laser. I believe she captured the main character's point of view and intent so well. After the first chapter, I was hooked and needed to find out more. Throughout the book June Hayward tried so much justifying her choices, painting her actions as warranted. Her intentions shift through the chapters, convincing herself she deserves Athena's fruits of labour. Laser captured June's tone so well, it made me hate her more. 

Kuang didn't want the readers to love Yellowface's protagonist, June. She's crafted to challenge our perceptions and evoke a sense of unease and moral ambiguity. If you find yourself liking her or believing her intentions are valid, then you're just as complicit as she is. The narrative cleverly forces us to confront our own biases and judgments, blurring the lines between hero and anti-hero in a truly thought-provoking way. This book packs a serious punch, making us scrutinise where we stand in the murky moral waters that June navigates.

Yellowface paints a detailed picture of the publishing industry, shedding light on the everyday challenges faced by new and upcoming writers. Some authors, like June Hayward, struggle to garner attention from critics or capture the public's affection due to their limited literary prowess. In contrast, Athena Liu, a talented writer who is also a minority, is celebrated by the critics and the public. Her ethnicity and cultural background enable her to cover certain topics, yet simultaneously restrict her from writing within those themes. This dual perspective offers a deeper insight into the writing industry, possibly reflecting Kuang's navigation through the literary world.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend giving this book a read. While it's not without its flaws, the twist of having the main character as the antagonist is brilliantly executed, compelling readers to question and form their perspectives on the character. 

It felt a little surreal (and now pretty ironic) to read about rating on Goodreads, tweets, instagraming etc. and then here I am sitting and writting my thoughts on this book.

To be honest I feel a little puzzled as I don't really know what to expect from this book and not quite sure if I should rate it 3 or 4 stars. The plot itself was very interesting and as many has already mentioned - the first half of the book got me hooked and couldn't geet away from it. The second half though... it felt kinda repetetive in a while and it really didn't bring anything new to the plot in my opinion. Of course June was exposed in the end but she still somehow made it look like an accident like Athena's unfortunate death. I guess once you are drowning in a huge lie you cannot simply swim out of it.

I obviously know nothing about publishing a book but in today's society I can see that being somewhat diverse sells good and could bring you better benefits and you can even lie about it.

A really enjoyable read with intriguing plot and good pacing!

Four stars four being a very well written satire whose singular POV character is really such a a-hole. As a passive twitter user i hugely enjoyed the descriptions of the shitstorms in a tea cup. I actually started using twitter for following sports journalists but it then began to be a great way to follow authors i love, and some handle it deftly like Gaiman or Scalzi. Others play on the periphery like Abercrombie who relish in their 1 stars. In all cases i found this book an enjoyable romp on ground i knew enough of to find it familiar.

And I added a fifth start just because of so many knickers twisted in the GoodReaders reviews... the ultimate trolling fishing trip

I like the premise and that this can be a catalyst for discussion. I didn't much like Juniper, but I figure that one isn't really supposed to (although I do like many anti-heroes). For me I disliked how immature Juniper read, but maybe that's part of a point the author is making? Juniper is also one note, although that might have been a saving grace as I hate when a random romance is thrown in.

The author makes valid points about racism and biases, both subtle and overt and mentions tokenism and stereotypes. I also liked her commentary about online discourse (Twitter, blogs, goodreads, and her comment about reductress made me laugh).

I didn't love the whole book though, I more appreciate its message. I get that the book wasn't supposed to make me feel warm and fuzzy. However some people mentioned a twist and I didn't feel that it was much of a twist or a reveal. I kept waiting for Athena's mom to reappear or Athena's journals/her past although it is revealed that Athena's dad commits suicide on an anniversary of Tiananmen Square and ‘atrocities in Cambodia' perhaps that was the past Athena's mom wanted to keep hidden.

This book made me question.... The concept of race and ethnicity - and how deeply or superficially they make up one's jdentjty. Who has the right to tell stories? And who shouldn't? A thought provoking work of fiction.

não sei mais quantos finais podres eu consigo aguentar jefe (e 100 paginas de instagram e twitter não ajudaram)

Before reading this book I had a one sided beef with this author borne of the bitter disappointment I felt after reading the much hyped Poppy War trilogy. After reading this though... I'm still not a fan of those books, but I would now consider myself a fan of R.F. Quang. This book cleverly takes a lot of the meta narrative surrounding the author and her critics and wraps it into a fun, funny, page turning thriller that made me feel a little too seen as I read it. The protagonist is both relatable and hateable as you watch her bend over backwards to justify her own actions and find a way to give herself the validation that she so desperately craves while profiting off of someone else's work. It feels like a self deprecating shot across the bow to all the haters l, and as a former hater...I really enjoyed it. It's a mix of Macbeth and imposter comedies that feels sharp and well paced, especially for the first two thirds. I would recommend reading some of the authors other works before picking up this one, it's a small thing but having read her other books I think I had a lot more fun with this. Negatives for me were that the ending gets a little messy in terms of what to overall message the novel is trying to deliver, still solid but not as fun and fresh as the majority of the book.There were also a couple parts throughout that felt more driven by plot than character (refusing a sensitivity reader, making cultural changes to the novel without context etc.) Overall though, I still had a blast with it!

I hated this story, but then I was hooked and loved this story. It was so many emotions. I felt sorrow and anger and guilt and fear! It is a story of friendship and distrust. It was a story about death and mental health. It was very engaging and at times funny and scary. I'll definitely recommend it to others.

An enthralling read. I didn't know much about the book before I started it other than there were a lot of positive reviews and hype about the book. After reading the first few pages I found that I really liked the writing style and decided to give it a go even though I thought may not be the type of book I would normally read. Well, I'm glad I gave it a go. I loved it from start to end and found it so informative and thought provoking in a number of areas including book publishing, racism and the power of social media. I'm keen to give Babel a go now. Highly recommended!

Empieza muy bien, pero en el desarrollo se empieza a caer a pedazos

After reading Babel a while back, I had assumed Yellowface would follow a similar style. Though it hadn't been a book I loved, I liked the writing enough to give this one a go when it was selected for a group read. I was so excited when I realized this book is more of a thriller.    After the death of her friend and rival Athena Liu, June Hayward takes Athena's first draft of her latest book. With some editing, June claims it as her own. How long can she get away with feigning a heritage that doesn't belong to her?    While I was taken in by the premise, I spent most of the book feeling uncomfortable. Yes, that is the purpose of the book, but I wasn't prepared for it and wasn't in the mood for this type of read. I'd hoped at least for some character growth. The voice of the narrator left me feeling I was on the outside of an inside joke. 

rf kuangs books are always entertaining – everyone in this needed to touch grass xd – didnt love the meta story and felt heavy handed and funhouse mirrory but an easy and enjoyable binge read lmao

Começa muito bem, talvez um dos primeiros livros que conseguem capturar a contemporaneidade do mundo pós internet 2.0. Infelizmente perde fôlego e direção do meio pro final.

I was not expecting this book to have such a hard grasp on my attention.

It was obvious from the start, we aren't supposed to like the protagonist and needless to say, I hardly had sympathy for her.

I was shocked at all of the twists and turns in the story, I thought we were going to hit so many breaking points and boy, you're in for a ride!

I love the way the story is written from our protagonist's thoughts and perspective. It reminded me of the tv show You. We have an unreliable narrator! It was super easy to follow via audiobook.

I love the hot button topics around race, authenticity, interpretation, and ambiguity. We know the protagonist is ignorant, emotionally unintelligent, immature, but will she ever learn from her mistakes and be an ally? She's the disaster I couldn't stop looking at.

As someone else put very well, this is much like “Scott's Tots.”

“Amarilla” de R.F. Kuang te sumerge en una ácida crítica a la industria editorial a través de June, una ‘villana' solitaria, narcisista, racista y adicta al éxito (¡y redes sociales!). Su narración te atrapa en una lectura rápida, a pesar de la cuestionable moral de June donde tomarás su lado a veces, aún sabiendo que está mal (¡Vibras de Walter White!). El final es un poco empanadoso, pero en general es una novela adictiva y bastante entretenida.

I have never wanted to beat the shit out of a protag so badly in my entire life. 5/5.

Great Book! Did not know how much is involved getting a book published. Good ending!
330 Pages, Lots of Awards! David N.

Le iba a poner 5 estrellas pero el final ha sido bastante flojo así que se va a quedar en 4. Por el resto del libro un 10/10.

Kuang is so good, and her writing about racism is searing. Definitely a must-read author for me.

It got a little drawn out and maybe wordy in the middle. The main character is obnoxious and I think the point was to make her a bit unlikeable - if that WAS the point, the author did a great job. I couldn't stand Junie - loved to hate her but couldn't stop reading.

I figured that a 2023 Goodreads Choice Winner would be a wonderful read, but I was wrong. I love anything to do with writers and books, so this is what prompted me to keep turning the pages. Yellowface was “interesting enough” until it wasn't. Overall, the novel was tedious and, by the end, painful.

Also—SPOILER ALERT—isn't it a tad strange that Athena Liu's mom has proof that her daughter's novel was essentially stolen, yet the drafting notebooks for the story never see the light of day? Instead, they just sit in her house, untouched. I can understand the fear on Mrs Liu's end, but why doesn't this situation continue to haunt June? Every other interaction causes June to unravel, yet she is somehow able to mentally move on rather quickly from knowing this evidence exists. June doesn't make any attempt to have it destroyed. She simply trusts that mum's (the) word.