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Yellowface: A Novel Hardcover – May 16, 2023

3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 39,581 ratings

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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. 


"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

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From the Publisher

A Reese's Book Club Pick!
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Babel The Poppy War The Dragon Republic The Burning God The Complete Poppy War Trilogy Poppy War Trilogy
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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

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow (May 16, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063250837
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063250833
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.09 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 39,581 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
3.8 out of 5
39,581 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book interesting and make them think about culture appropriation. They also appreciate the great satire and pacing. However, some find the tone infuriating, ugly, and redundant. They find the characters unlikable and undeveloped. They describe the plot as repetitive, unnecessary, and shallow. Opinions are mixed on the storyline, with some finding it fascinating and gripping, while others say it's disappointing and lacking reality. Readers also disagree on the character depth, with others finding them sympathetic and jarring, while still others find them narcissistic and rationalizing unethical behaviors.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

125 customers mention "Content"96 positive29 negative

Customers find the book interesting, eye-opening, and loaded with lines of thought. They also appreciate the good writing and occasionally difficult themes. Readers also mention that the book provides good insight into clandestine behavior.

"...I think *Yellowface* is entertaining enough to give Kuang’s other books a read, so I’ll be picking up at least one of her other titles soon...." Read more

"...While not exactly plot-driven, Yellowface features an intriguing and addictive main storyline while the author's writing style augments the novel's..." Read more

"...Despite these shortcomings, "Yellowface" does offer thought-provoking commentary on the issues of representation, cultural appropriation, and the..." Read more

"...of the world the book allegedly skewers -- lots of lead up but not a lot of substance beneath the style." Read more

27 customers mention "Pacing"23 positive4 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book fast and gripping. They say it mirrors the rapidity of public opinion and outrage.

"...It also mirrors the rapidity of public opinion and outrage, both of which play significant roles in the novel’s plot"...." Read more

"...Yellowface was a fast read...." Read more

"...Would recommend to anyone wanting a page turner, as it's a fast read!" 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

15 customers mention "Humor"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the humor in the book great, satirical, and cringeworthy. They also appreciate the decent commentary and clever characterisation.

"...This book was witty and uncomfortable. It was a prosed trainwreck I could not pull my eyes away from. I loved every minute of it...." 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

"...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

"...If you think that makes this book a slog- it doesn’t. The book is hilarious...." Read more

108 customers mention "Storyline"63 positive45 negative

Customers are mixed about the storyline. Some find the actual story fascinating, meticulously told, and the surprises continue. They also say the book keeps them guessing and gripping to the last page. However, others say the story is disappointing, repetitive, and falls short of reality.

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

"...But that's about it all I can say that is positive. It is repetitive...." 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

"...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

22 customers mention "Character depth"9 positive13 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character depth. Some find the book sympathetic and a good psychological study, while others say the characters are petty, jealous, and hard to empathize with.

"...The protagonist is an unlikable, whiny, and jealous person whom I could not sympathize with...." Read more

"...The characters are all deeply unlikeable, yet sympathetic, which is a tough thing to balance...." Read more

"...look forward to June's voice, the other characters, the misbehavior of so many people, the stealing, etc...." Read more

"...Every interaction in this book feels alive...." Read more

45 customers mention "Characters"10 positive35 negative

Customers find the characters in the book unlikeable, not well-developed, and never mature. They also mention that the main character is not exactly a role model.

"...The characters aren't particularly interesting, are not well-developed, and do not display any growth...." 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

"...The characters are all deeply unlikeable, yet sympathetic, which is a tough thing to balance...." Read more

23 customers mention "Tone"3 positive20 negative

Customers find the tone of the book infuriating, pathetic, and depressing. They also say the book feels jarring and disrupts the reading experience. Customers also mention the tone is obnoxious, repetitive, and redundant.

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

"...This made the reading of the book tedious instead of enjoyable." Read more

"...And even dead Athena, she was no prize. This book described such a sour ugly world in the unpleasant self-justifying voice of a thief that it just..." Read more

"...me any of that and the end was disappointing on top of a less than compelling read...." Read more

12 customers mention "Plot depth"0 positive12 negative

Customers find the plot repetitive, shallow, and self-indulgent. They also say the book is predictable and a bit of a cop out.

"...But other than that, it's a bit shallow in what it wants us to swallow...." Read more

"𝘠𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 is somewhat longwinded and disappointing given all the hype about her...." Read more

"...I felt that the portrayal of Song was over the top and was not believable...." Read more

"I did not like the main character, she was shallow and self absorbed. At the same time, there were many plot twists that kept me reading...." Read more

Highly recommended
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 August 27, 2023
“People come to a text with so many prejudices formed by what they think they know about the author,” she’s said before. "I sometimes wonder how my work would be received if I pretended to be a man or a white woman. The text could be exactly the same, but one might be a critical bomb and the other a resounding success. Why is that?”

I initially thought this book would be difficult to review because I couldn’t get over the wretchedness of the narrator. It’s been a few days since I’ve finished, and while the narrator remains abhorrent, I can finally gather my thoughts.

What initially drew me to the text was the promise of tackling discussions about race, cultural appropriation, and the horrors of the publishing industry. On that note, Kuang delivers. Though I wouldn’t say she offers anything new when it comes to the conversation revolving around social media critics (we’re all painfully aware of the almost perverse pleasure people online get out of attacking others), the story was interesting to read nonetheless. The narrative focuses on call-out culture as it relates to the literary world, but as you read along, you realize that it can apply to nearly every corner of online spaces, and it even makes you wonder if, or how, you may have contributed to it yourself.

What I found more interesting, however, were some of the other questions raised by the text.

Who is allowed to tell which stories?

When is the line between “taking inspiration from” and ”outright stealing” drawn?

Should every marginalized writer be saddled with the burden of representation?

The book doesn’t try to answer these questions (and it doesn’t need to), but rather offers arguments for a wide range of opinions on the matter.

Still… it’s a little on the nose. I know what satire is, but perhaps it doesn’t exactly translate to a 300+ page novel. And while the community backlash on social media is timely, it will ultimately date the book in the future. Perhaps it can serve as something of a time capsule, but it does call into question the lasting power of the book.

Overall, I recommend this book as a light read for someone even remotely interested in publishing, race, or unlikeable narrators (or any combination of those). I think *Yellowface* is entertaining enough to give Kuang’s other books a read, so I’ll be picking up at least one of her other titles soon.

[It should be noted that some reviewers, particularly Asian and Asian American reviewers, have noticed that Athena (the “antagonist”) and Kuang are eerily similar, and a lot of the attacks on Athena mirror that of the actual author, and, considering that most of the (arguably valid) criticism of Athena is spewed from a racist white woman, Kuang is in some ways trying to discredit her critics. I had not heard of or read anything by Kuang before this, but I really encourage you to look at some other reviews to get a bit more context. My review above was written before I knew any of that.]
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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.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Canada on June 18, 2024
It is a great book. It is very interesting, dynamic and easy to read. The relevance of the subject on this social media era is amazing, I strongly recommend it. Very entertaining and engaging.
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?
Omar Arizmendi
3.0 out of 5 stars Entretenido con unos pocos momentos lento
Reviewed in Mexico on January 26, 2024
El libro en general es muy entretenido, para mi gusto hay momentos donde es un poco lento pero eso puede ser con la intencion de que sientes la desesperacion que siente uno de los personajes en ese momento.
Nicola - Booked Up & Busy
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and a great insight into publishing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2024
When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.

This book is brilliant, it’s witty, humorous, and addictive! The writing is bold and straight to the point. I was laughing at things I should have not have been laughing at, and cringing at awkward moments and this is the beauty of satire. It is also written in first person so I was able to feel close to June’s thoughts. This author is a talented writer!

The book takes us through the publishing process from initial idea to publication. I love how the author highlighted the importance of diverse and own voices and the need for sensitivity readers in fiction. Anyone can read this book but I do think it is niche and will truely satisfy writers, book bloggers/avid readers and those working in publishing.

Let me tell you about June, I LOVE an unreliable narrator but in short, she is a jealous, calculating racist thief who manages to publish a book she did not write. The book focuses on stories from a Chinese war. It ANGERED me that June did not see the importance of race/culture whilst writing, it was not until she had to promote the book that she realised she was stepping on toes. This is a clear portrayal of racism and privilege in the publishing industry.

The book is heavy on social media presence and the realities of online bullying and cancel culture. The constant narratives on how June was feeling and her anxiety at being caught became repetitive after a while, but apart from that this is a concerning story, yet a thrilling and witty read.
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Eylül Özbek
5.0 out of 5 stars I really liked this book. 😍😍😍
Reviewed in Turkey on June 25, 2024
It starts slowly but at the end is amazing. Story is amazing. Please do not read bad comments about this book. It is super cool. Believe me…. 😍😍😍😍🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻