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Yellowface: A Novel—A Chilling Novel of Racism and Cultural Appropriation from the author of Katabasis Kindle Edition

3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 56,031 ratings

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

“Hard to put down, harder to forget.” — Stephen King, #1 New York Times bestselling author

White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel. 

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. 

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From the Publisher

A Reese's Book Club Pick!
From the author of Babel
"Reading Yellowface felt like being inside a...knife fight with a deranged clown." - Constance Wu
Quotes
Babel
The Poppy War
The Dragon Republic
The Burning God
Katabasis
The Complete Poppy War Trilogy Boxed Set
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 21,465
4.3 out of 5 stars 25,785
4.5 out of 5 stars 10,835
4.4 out of 5 stars 9,231
4.5 out of 5 stars 292
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The instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. A powerful historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic. Rin’s story continues in this acclaimed sequel to The Poppy War—an epic fantasy combining the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters. The exciting end to the Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect. The complete Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang, the bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface. From R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Babel and Yellowface, this collection features all three novels in her historical military fantasy trilogy!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of May 2023: This novel is satire at its finest. Told in first-person narrative, readers get a front seat to the harsh—and more often scary—inner dialog of June Hayward, an up-and-coming author trying to get her big break in the publishing world. Centered around June’s relationship with Athena Liu—a talented author, fellow Yale alum, and friend—Yellowface puts a spotlight on the pressure some authors face trying to quickly and consistently produce the next great novel. Challenges around public opinion and cultural appropriation, specifically within the Asian community, are consistent themes throughout. With her strong desire for success, obsession with Twitter, and relentless scheming—June is not a character you will soon forget. The writing is smart and cheeky, and the story is immersive and thought-provoking. Be prepared for a shocking and wild ride. —Kami Tei, Amazon Editor

Review

“This is a great read. Crime, satire, horror, paranoia, questions of cultural appropriation. Plenty of nasty social media pile-ons, too. But, basically, just a great story. Hard to put down, harder to forget.” — Stephen King

“Viciously satisfying…addictive.” — New York Times Book Review

"Well-executed, gripping, fast-paced novel." — NPR

"Reading Yellowface felt like being inside a wild, brutal, psychological knife fight with a deranged clown. A merciless satire that left me screaming inside... from both its horror and humor."  — Constance Wu, star of Crazy Rich Asians and author of Making a Scene

"At once a brilliant satire that mixes horror and humor; a nuanced exploration of race, heritage, identity, and diversity in publishing; and an honest look at the hell that is social media, this might just be Kuang's best." — Boston Globe

"Yellowface is one of the most transfixing novels I’ve read in ages… Kuang boldly interrogates literary hot-button issues like privilege, appropriation, and authenticity, leaving it open for readers themselves to decide where to draw the line."   — Zakiya Dalila Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black Girl

"It's addictive, shocking, compelling, ridiculous, and extremely fun to read by turns." — Paste Magazine

“Yellowface is a brittle, eviscerating read that affected me bodily. Kuang’s oeuvre consistently finds new ways to expose and interrogate systems of power, in this case tackling the commodification and consumption of art with both swagger and sophistication. Yellowface really is THAT bitch.” — Olivie Blake, New York Times Bestselling author of The Atlas Six

"A spiky, snarky, shady, smart, sinister take on white privilege." — Nikki May, author of Wahala

"Yellowface is brilliant satire--thought provoking, thrilling, and hitting a little too close to home. A must read commentary on the line between representation and exploitation and those who are willing to cross it for fame. Everyone in publishing's wide orbit should read this, and take a long look in the mirror." — Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times Bestselling Author of Kaikeyi

"Yellowface is a spicy, satirical page-turner that skewers the racism and tokenization in the publishing and entertainment industries, the vanity of social media, and the lengths at which people will go to remain in the glaring spotlight."  — Tracey Lien, author of All That's Left Unsaid

"They say you should write the book that only you can write. Well, no one else but R.F. Kuang could have written Yellowface. A brilliant and unflinching take on white performativity and publishing. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Kuang is one of the most important voices in publishing today." — Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

"A darkly satirical thriller about greed, truth, identity, and art—and who a story really belongs to. Reading Yellowface was like riding a roller coaster with no safety belt. I screamed the whole way through!" — Peng Shepherd, author of The Cartographers

"Excellent satire from Kuang...This is not to be missed."  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This unsettling and electrifying book piercingly addresses issues of cultural appropriation and racial identity.” — Library Journal

"There’s SO MUCH I recognised (with the odd full-body cringe) about the vagaries of publishing and the ego bin fire of being a writer and SO MUCH I learned about my own white privilege but above all it’s a funny, engrossing read about what people do when they reckon they can get away with it." — Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key

"Her magnificent novel uses satire to shine a light on systemic racial discrimination and the truth that often hides behind the twisted narratives constructed by those in power." — Booklist (starred review)

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B9SN8K6H
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow (May 16, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 16, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 332 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B0CB9489VY
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 56,031 ratings

About the author

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R. F. Kuang
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Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times bestselling and Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award nominated author of Babel, the Poppy War trilogy, and the forthcoming Yellowface. She is a Marshall Scholar, translator, and has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
56,031 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and addictive. They praise the writing quality as well-crafted and detailed. The premise is intriguing and thought-provoking, with an interesting point of view from an Asian author. Readers appreciate the humor and satire, finding it entertaining and witty. However, some find the main characters unlikable and hard to love. Opinions are mixed on the story quality, with some finding it compelling and brilliantly told, while others feel it loses its way at times.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

158 customers mention "Readability"149 positive9 negative

Customers find the book engaging and addictive. They say it's a solid addition to its genre with an interesting storyline that keeps you turning the pages.

"...The story moves at a game clip, and we watch June use her first and middle names for the manuscript she steals and cleans up from Athena, and now..." Read more

"...exactly plot-driven, Yellowface features an intriguing and addictive main storyline while the author's writing style augments the novel's pacing, "..." Read more

"...However, while the novel starts off with a bang, capturing your attention from the very first pages, it ultimately struggles to maintain that..." Read more

"...with her crime, which is out of character for me, but the story was so compelling, and she deserved the rewards for her hard work. Enjoy the story!!" Read more

101 customers mention "Writing quality"75 positive26 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They appreciate the detailed points of view and understandable characters. The author's writing style is clear throughout the story. Overall, readers describe the book as an easy and quick read.

"...R.F. Kuang's writing is sharp and unflinching, offering an unvarnished look at the harsh realities of the entertainment industry and the challenges..." Read more

"...It felt frustratingly slow at times, but only because there was so much detail, making the book a page-turner...." Read more

"...It's meticulously told, and the surprises continue, but mostly, I was just so enamored with June. At every moment, I was holding my breath...." Read more

"...The last 40 or so pages were a bit too much telling and it didn’t sustain the earlier pace or suspense, it got breathless but less credible, a the..." Read more

78 customers mention "Thought provoking"78 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They appreciate the interesting perspective from an Asian author. The themes are relevant and poignant, exploring cultural appropriation, identity, and the competitiveness of writing. Readers say the book helps them think deeper about some topics and issues.

"...novel to date, after The Poppy War series and Babel, touches several additional themes, and it can be also read as a commentary on the rising cancel..." Read more

"...While the initial setup is gripping and the themes are relevant and poignant, the narrative loses its way, becoming bogged down in repetition and a..." Read more

"...This is the perfect beach read for the summer. It's smart, sophisticated, fun and fast. Easily one of the best books of 2023." Read more

"This book takes on diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation within the publishing industry. June and Athena are rising stars...." Read more

54 customers mention "Humor"47 positive7 negative

Customers find the book's humor engaging with its satire and sharp prose. They describe it as lighthearted, funny, and entertaining, offering an insightful look at race in America and media. However, some readers found the plot cringe-worthy.

"...Yellowface is suspenseful, plot-propelled, a cat-and mouse drama with satirical varnish...." Read more

"...Great characters. And a page turning plot. It's also, at times, laugh out loud funny, and it is never--even in it's less than perfect second half--..." Read more

"This book takes on diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation within the publishing industry. June and Athena are rising stars...." Read more

"...likable about the novel is that it's a remarkably fast read, a decent commentary that cuts at social media, and a poignant take on the fickle nature..." Read more

158 customers mention "Story quality"67 positive91 negative

Customers have different views on the story. Some find it compelling, with satire and powerful commentary. They describe it as exciting and interesting, saying literature builds bridges and makes our world larger. However, others feel the narrative loses its way and drags after the brilliant first half. The plot seems repetitive and the ending is disappointing.

"...or suspense, it got breathless but less credible, a the plot seemed to fall over itself at times...." Read more

"...Enjoy the story!!" Read more

"...The cultural appropriation motif permeates the whole novel, with June's fitness to write a novel that involves characters coming from foreign races..." Read more

"...the story was interesting to read nonetheless...." Read more

57 customers mention "Pacing"31 positive26 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it fast-paced and thought-provoking, while others feel it drags slowly to an unconvincing conclusion. The characters are hard to like or sympathize with, making the plot boring and hard work.

"...The story develops at a rapid tempo, thus rendering the whole reading experience a rather delightful feat...." Read more

"...as the narrative progresses, with the pacing becoming increasingly sluggish and repetitive...." Read more

"...What is likable about the novel is that it's a remarkably fast read, a decent commentary that cuts at social media, and a poignant take on the..." Read more

"Yellow Face was a great story! It felt frustratingly slow at times, but only because there was so much detail, making the book a page-turner...." Read more

34 customers mention "Moral compass"18 positive16 negative

Customers have mixed reviews about the moral compass of the book. Some found it insightful and thought-provoking, exploring issues like racism, cultural appropriation, and prejudice. However, others felt the protagonist lacked humanity and basic believability, with misbehavior like stealing and lying.

"...I loved how this book highlighted cancel culture...." Read more

"...She has absolutely no redeeming characteristics. No friends, no love interests, no family...." Read more

"...that touches on writing and book publishing, social media, racism, prejudice, marketing manipulation, and cancel culture in compelling fashion...." Read more

"...Her moral compass was also askew, which really was the whole point because no one in their right mind would steal a colleague’s work and pass it..." Read more

67 customers mention "Character likability"13 positive54 negative

Customers dislike the main character. They find the book tedious without a positive character to lift it up.

"...Just in different ways. There are no likeable characters here, but that is okay, I don’t need that. I loved how this book highlighted cancel culture...." Read more

"...Juniper Song. It's hard to blame the author. The character is largely annoying and unlikeable...." Read more

"...There is no complexity in these characters or honesty, compassion or redemption at all in this novel, no "reality" and most insulting of all, Miss..." Read more

"...It has everything I want. Good writing. Great characters. And a page turning plot...." Read more

Highly recommended
5 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended
Firstly, any book writing from the point of view of a plagiarist is intensely entertaining. In a twisted way you want them to succeed, knowing they will be challenged all the way to the bitter end. But this riveting satire is nothing quite like this. For aspiring writings waiting in the wings to get into publishing, this is a starkly honest reveal of how it all works.June Hayward is a struggling author with a college friend called Athena Liu. Where Athena is a literary and critical success, June is nowhere near achieving such high fandom. Her writing isn’t there yet and she knows it. But when Athena tragically dies⸺a scene any onlooker would find truly traumatic⸺June intrusively goes through Athena’s rough draft manuscript and decides to edit it. There is a lot of June’s natural writing within the manuscript which may have excused or given her a reason for believing the majority of the book is hers. Adopting the pseudonym June Song and using an ethnically ambiguous photo, she submits the book which is about Chinese laborers during WWI. The manuscript is accepted on the spot. Thus begins her literary career. But when the book is “chosen” by the publisher to be the blockbuster bestselling book du jour, accusations mount because June is not Chinese and someone knows the book isn’t rightfully hers.What I love about this tale is how it takes the reader through the editorial process all the way to marketing and PR. It’s about self-indulgence, exploitation, and ruthless ambition. But as June basks in the spotlight, “enjoying this delightful waterfall of attention” and a production company options the rights to the book, somebody launches a social media rebellion over their distaste for June’s cultural appropriation. Not only is she dominating literary conversations everywhere as a breakout success, but she’s becoming the target of abuse.With stunning writing and clever characterisation, this book will no doubt spark much discussion on social media literary threads. There’s too much truth in it to go unnoticed. Where R. F. Kuang has tapped into some of the major issues of publishing today, there’s also a lesson to be learned. Highly recommended.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023
    R.F. Kuang is a Chinese-American writer, young, and blessed with talent. Her previous novels were fantasy, her characters were fantastical and exaggerated. In Yellowface, Kuang takes a candid jab at the publishing industry, for their repeated and performative treatment of ethnic characters. It’s metafiction on the nose, and the nose is pointed! Since 2020, publishers have pledged to represent ethnic minorities with authenticity, instead of pressing them into reductive and ornamental molds. Kuang’s twisty plot reveals her audacious theme, and her theme is a response to publishing’s failure to pivot as they vowed.

    The industry continues to tokenize people of color (YF focuses on Chinese American POC), presenting them as one-dimensional figures, sugary and saccharine and simple. It’s condescending and cringey. Ms. Kuang took a deserved thwack at the industry, and the outcome is a wild and frantic ride inside the publishing houses.

    Yellowface is suspenseful, plot-propelled, a cat-and mouse drama with satirical varnish. Kuang is a siren when she creates characters---I thought they might walk off the page! It has a staccato pace and a comical touch in all the fatal, tragic places. The voice is light, so the book isn’t turgid, despite the torment of protagonist June Hayward. June is a white American writer who wants success, awards, fame. She’s gotten, instead, a first-book flop. Her nemesis is brainy, beautiful, and self-possessed Chinese American Athena Liu, a celebrated novelist with a Netflix series on the way. Kuang created a complex character in Athena, breaking the stereotypical “good girl” that publishers crank out with Asian characters.

    Fictionally, the character of Athena allows herself to be tokenized by publishing giants in order to prevail as a celebrity best-selling author. Kuang pulls no punches--Athena is cunning and egocentric. And so is June, her white frenemy who steals her secret manuscript when Athena chokes and dies on a pancake (that’s in early pages). A lot of the suspense comes from Twitter screech, where people are not afraid to be their uglies selves.

    The story moves at a game clip, and we watch June use her first and middle names for the manuscript she steals and cleans up from Athena, and now her heritage sounds more ambiguous. Her first name is Juniper and her middle name is Song, given to her by her hippie mother, but fortuitous for the moment—folks may think it is Asian, as the story, The Last Front (a bit of irony there) refers to a history of the Chinese Labor Corps recruited by the British Army and sent to the Allied Front during WWI.

    The reader is kept guessing as each new event raises the stakes for June/Juniper. The last 40 or so pages were a bit too much telling and it didn’t sustain the earlier pace or suspense, it got breathless but less credible, a the plot seemed to fall over itself at times. It was fervent and long-winded, with a lot of crowded add-on that was jammed with info. It’s a minor irritant in what was an otherwise engaging thriller of competition and cultural controversy within an industry that yet remains covetous and veiled to outsiders.

    One of my favorite reveals is when Athena states she is "ethically troubled" because her parents and grandparents lived through the pain of their history, yet, in her privileged position of looking back from a comfortable life, Athena admits that "I have the indulgence to look back, and be a storyteller" (and get wealthy off their story). But June states, "I've always found that line to be a cop-out...We're all vultures, and some of us--and I mean Athena here--are simply better at finding the juiciest morsels of a story, at ripping through bone and gristle to the tender bleeding heart and putting all the gore on display."
    48 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2023
    "But isn’t that what ghosts do? Howl, moan, make themselves into spectacles? That’s the whole point of a ghost, is it not? Anything to remind you that they’re still there. Anything to keep you from forgetting."

    "Have you ever wondered at the mechanics of popularization? How does someone go from being a real person, someone you actually knew, to a set of marketing and publicity points, consumed and lauded by fans who think they know them, but don’t really, but understand this also, and celebrate them regardless?"

    In one of the most hyped and discussed releases of this year, R. F. Kuang's Yellowface accomplishes several divergent objectives, with the most eminent being a thorough lambasting of the ills of today's publishing industry and its exploitation of cultural appropriation in literature. The term cultural appropriation refers to "the act of borrowing specific elements and symbols from other cultures and then incorporating them into a work of art." (Young, 2008) Furthermore, Kuang's fifth novel to date, after The Poppy War series and Babel, touches several additional themes, and it can be also read as a commentary on the rising cancel culture in social media, a story about the relationship between two frenemies as well as a thriller chronicling the consequences of a high profile literary theft. The novel begins as a Highsmithian in spirit, story about a con-artist who steals the work of a deceased individual and presents it as his own, a plot premise also reminiscent of Yann Gozlan's 2015 film A Perfect Man (original title: Un Homme Ideal) that leaves promises for a story that is filled with tension and twists until the end. However, Kuang doesn't seem to invest much in this aspect of her book, and she concentrates her focus on the subjects that I've already mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph.

    The main story concerns two young authors, Athena and June, who met while studying at Yale University and forged a friendship that was not devoid of substantial amounts of schadenfreude and bitterness, especially from June's side as Athena seemed to live the dream of any new author, seeing her books published by major players in the publishing industry and some of them even opted by Netflix for a television series. June, on the other hand, has published one novel that didn't get much attention either from critics or the readership, thus making her feel deficient in talent. Yellowface possesses a metafictional aspect too as it is tough not to discern the similarities between the fictional character of Athena Liu and the author herself as Athena "is a young, Ivy-League-educated, Chinese-American female author who got her first book deal in college, writes about the Asian diaspora through a historical lens, and raves about her books on Instagram — many qualities reflected in Kuang herself." as H. E. Gadway keenly observes in her review on The Harvard Crimson. This fact bolsters the validity and credibility of the plot events concerning the harsh realities of today's publishing industry, with June, the sole, first-person narrator of the story, having to navigate through the vicissitudes of a voracious, vulture-like business which possesses the power to make someone a star or throw him into oblivion. This capriciousness is extensively exposed and criticized by the author, who feeds her protagonist with memorable lines both in the dialogue and the inner monologue parts of the novel.

    The opening chapter introduces the two "friends", Athena Liu and June Hayward, who meet for a girl's night out in Washington, DC to celebrate Athena's agreement with Netflix regarding the adaptation of one of her works into TV series. After drinking spirits in a bar, they return to Athena's flamboyant residence to have a last drink and chat a bit more. But things take a nasty turn: Athena dies after choking on a pancake, (!) and June is unable to help her, sitting by and watching the spark leaving her friend's eyes. After she calls 911, she wanders around the house and spots the drafts of Ahena's latest project, a World War 1 novel revolving around a forsaken, niche historical subject, the sufferings of Chinese laborers sent to the western countries to help with the war. June works on these first drafts, infusing the text with her own style, however being careful to retain the story's basics as Athena crafted them after a meticulous research on the subject. What ensues is June's introduction to the circles of the most discussed young authors, landing a six-figure contract with an independent publishing house and even discusses a potential movie adaptation of The Last Front (the book's title) with some eminent Hollywood producers. Nevertheless, soon the past catches up with her and one day she sees a torrent of posts in social media accusing her of stealing an original work by her dead, so-called friend.

    While not exactly plot-driven, Yellowface features an intriguing and addictive main storyline while the author's writing style augments the novel's pacing, "Kuang’s prose mimics the constant streams of content that flood social media feeds. It also mirrors the rapidity of public opinion and outrage, both of which play significant roles in the novel’s plot". We follow the story through June's eyes and early one we suspect that she may be an unreliable narrator as Kuang subtly hints through the employment of various tropes and techniques, forcing the reader to read more carefully to pinpoint the parts where June is not as honest and reliable as she presents herself. Moreover, Kuang devotes many pages to how the protagonist is affected by the quotidian posts in social platforms such as Twitter or Goodreads. At one point, June exclaims: "I can’t help it. I need to know what the world is saying about me. I need to sketch out the contours of my digitally perceived self because at least if I know the extent of the damage then I’ll know how much I should be worried." Kuang cauterizes the modes of victimization as manifested in contemporary online media and allows her character to succumb to the vicious habit of "doomscrolling" -the incessant up-and-down in Twitter's feed- and become a subject of controversy as her career reaches its pinnacle. In another part, we read: "I should have stopped looking once I’d glimpsed what I thought was the bottom of the pit of internet stupidity. But reading discourse about myself is like prodding at a sore tooth. I’m compelled to keep digging, just to see how far the rot goes."

    What is more interesting, though, is June's attempts at justifying her treacherous act, with the arguments changing through the course of the novel. At the beginning, June says both to herself and the others: "I inherited a sketch, with colors added only in uneven patches, and finished it according to the style of the original." We see how essential it is for her to believe that she is not just a common con-artist or thief but a true writer who added to the texts elements from her own style, thus the final result feeling something like a collaboration of sorts between the deceased Athena and herself: "See, the closer we seem, the less mysterious that resemblances to her work will appear. Athena’s fingerprints are all over this project. I don’t wipe them off. I just provide an alternative explanation for why they’re there." The outbreak of the plagiarism scandal is addressed head-on by June, and she manages to put it under wraps, or so she thinks. Because the squabble in respect to the originality of her work is rekindled after the publication of her follow-up novella, which is also based on Athena's notes. I suppose that Kuang wants to pose a timeless question, if there is any work of art that is not -more or less- an indirect copy of another's work. Anthony Cummins writes in his review on The Guardian: "Everyone’s bluffing, Kuang seems to say, and in its deepest implications Yellowface ultimately posits any creative act as a pilfering of one sort or another."

    The cultural appropriation motif permeates the whole novel, with June's fitness to write a novel that involves characters coming from foreign races and cultures, in this case the Chinese laborers, is brought into question early on and invokes a wave of anxiety and nerves to our narrator. We see, through the process of June's novel publication, that the industry considers the authors who come from an ethnic/racial minority, the most appropriate ones to write about their own people and overall culture. White authors, on the other hand, find this fact rather vexing and call for artistic freedom that often leads to racially insensitive texts that provoke public outrage: "Kuang clearly demonstrates sides of the book world that readers often choose to ignore, including how publishing houses see authors of color only through the lens of diversity, the ways in which the industry normalizes casual racism, and the various excuses that white authors make for insensitivity and ignorance." June is not an Asian woman, as Athena was, and she is deemed not the more befitting author to write about such a specific, in historic terms, group of people living at a certain point in the past. Readers of Yellowface are bound to comprehend how significant the appropriation issue is for Kuang as an Asian woman and a young author.

    The wittiness of Kuang's prose makes the words feel like singing on page and this is the foremost upside of the novel. The story develops at a rapid tempo, thus rendering the whole reading experience a rather delightful feat. I wasn't aware of R. F. Kuang's work, as I am not the most avid fan of fantasy fiction, but Yellowface is worthy of its reputation and acclaim. An unmissable title by any means for all literary fiction aficionados around the world.
    67 people found this helpful
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  • DannyP
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mal cortado
    Reviewed in Mexico on February 8, 2025
    Estem... Parece que lo cortaron con los dientes, aparte de eso, todo bien...
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    DannyP
    3.0 out of 5 stars
    Mal cortado

    Reviewed in Mexico on February 8, 2025
    Estem... Parece que lo cortaron con los dientes, aparte de eso, todo bien...
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A timely novel.
    Reviewed in Canada on August 10, 2024
    This was a book I kept thinking about after I read it. It addresses issues associated with publishing and moral issues associated with social media in today's society. It was very well written and provides food for thought about right and wrong.
  • Denise Telles
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sátira a um mundo assombrado pelo fantasma do privilégio branco
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 4, 2024
    Rebecca F. Kuang, a autora de Yellowface, nasceu em Guangzhou, na China, e mora nos EUA desde os quatro anos. E isso dá uma perspectiva única a essa história de uma escritora branca que se faz passar por autora do livro de uma escritora chinesa.
    Nas suas mãos, Yellowface se torna uma sátira ao mundo altamente competitivo da literatura com todos os seus personagens: escritores, editores, leitores, críticos e as onipresentes redes sociais. Mas não só. Rebecca usa a história para falar de racismo e misoginia, de apropriação cultural e ressentimento, sem poupar ninguém nesse universo em que ela circula com a desenvoltura de alguém que domina o seu ofício.
    Yellowface traz a história de uma amizade/rivalidade entre duas escritoras: Athena, americana de origem chinesa, jovem, carismática, bem-sucedida, autora de vários best-sellers; e June, americana branca, jovem, sem sal, um fracasso como escritora. Logo na primeira linha, ficamos sabendo que Athena morreu quando estava prestes a celebrar mais uma vitória em sua carreira. Quem conta o que se passou é June.
    A narradora revela que não apenas testemunhou a morte horrível de Athena, mas que aproveitou aquele momento para roubar o manuscrito no qual sua amiga/rival trabalhava e que ainda não tinha sido mostrado a ninguém.
    Quem iria desconfiar que aquele manuscrito não tinha sido produzido por June?
    Pois é, quem? Quem desconfiaria que uma americana branca que nunca tinha ido à China, que não tinha qualquer laço com aquele país asiático, não seria a autora de um livro que fala em profundidade sobre um episódio obscuro do passado chinês?
    Na verdade, várias pessoas desconfiaram. Yellowface relata essa jornada de June para se afirmar como autora de uma história que não é sua, apesar de ter trabalhado no manuscrito, confuso e cheio de furos (é o que ela diz), para que ele ficasse mais apresentável. Por sugestão da equipe de marketing que promove o livro, June chega a trocar de nome, adotando um que parecesse mais asiático. O livro, chamado “The Last Front”, se torna um enorme sucesso.
    Ninguém é inocente nessa história. Nem mesmo Athena, que aos poucos tem seus métodos de trabalho revelados por pessoas que conviveram com ela.
    June faz tanto esforço para se apresentar como a autora de “The Last Front”, e Rebecca F. Kuang é tão hábil na narrativa, que eu cheguei a me pegar torcendo durante alguns capítulos por essa vilãzinha invejosa e mentirosa.
    Até que eu voltei ao meu bom senso e me lembrei do quanto escritores racializados têm dificuldades nessa indústria (a própria Athena, apesar de todo sucesso, passou por poucas e boas) e o quanto tudo o que June fez é simplesmente revoltante.
    E o quanto o fato de June se fazer de vítima é mais revoltante ainda. Num certo momento ela se queixa de racismo reverso (como se racismo reverso existisse) e num outro ela choraminga: “Essa indústria só quer saber de pessoas diversas!” (eu até ri).
    Rebecca F. Kuang é brilhante ao expor o cinismo e o racismo da indústria editorial. Em outro capítulo, uma editora afirma numa reunião cheia de pessoas brancas, cristãs: “Nós já temos um escritor muçulmano. Mais outro, e nós seremos minoria.”
    Yellowface é um thriller engraçado e assustador.
    Assustador tanto quando passeia pelo gênero terror, como quando você percebe que June acredita nas mentiras que conta para si mesma.
    Assombrada pela possibilidade de ser vista como impostora, assombrada pelo fantasma de Athena, June vai chegar a extremos para manter a farsa.
    Será que ela consegue?
  • Fuchs Joan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Oooh, what a ride
    Reviewed in Germany on January 28, 2025
    Ich wusste nicht, was zu erwarten war, aber damit habe ich echt nicht gerechnet. Messerscharf, heftig, tiefgründig, aber auch witzig und relatable, das ist echt ein tolles Buch! Ich konnte kaum mit Lesen aufhören und habe mich immer gefragt, wie denn das ausgehen soll. Der Schluss war passend, stimmig, einfach wunderbar. Gerne mehr davon!
  • Simone
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not as seen in the picture
    Reviewed in Sweden on January 15, 2025
    The book that arrived wasn’t gold, it’s yellow like the standard edition.

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