Yellowface by R.F. Kuang | Book Review

Welcome to my book review of Yellowface R.F. Kuang.

“I’m too deep into this now to confess. That is the only line I cannot cross.” -R.F. Kuang, Yellowface

Yellowface Synopsis:

When famous writer Athena Liu died, June Hayward didn’t mean to steal her unpublished manuscript… or so she claims. It all just happened in a fit of festering jealousy over Athena’s success. Now June, published under the more “racially ambiguous” name Juniper Song, is accused of racism when word gets out that her new novel might be plagiarized. But Internet criticism and death threats are just the price of fame, right? How far will June take this lie, and will she learn from her mistakes?

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Yellowface Review:

As I’ve gotten back into reading post-grad, I’ve been catching up on recent highly acclaimed books, so Yellowface was an obvious pick for my next read. After all, it was voted Readers’ Favorite Fiction in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2023. With the promise of social commentary and a page-turning plot, I dove right in and didn’t look back.

The first element to strike you as you read Yellowface, and what will continue to shock you throughout, is the strength of June’s voice. Told from a first-person perspective, this book places you directly into June’s mind and allows access to her attempts to justify herself. As we see how flippantly she explains away her racism with pretty words and cherry-picked factoids, it quickly becomes apparent that June genuinely does not see herself as a villain but as a victim.

This characterization makes June one of the most compelling characters (and unreliable narrators) I have read about in quite some time. Her self-aggrandizement paired with a lack of basic empathy makes her an absolute train wreck in a way that drew me in and forced me to keep reading.

And yet. Even as you recoil at June’s heinous actions and thoughts, you can’t help but relate to the emotions that drive them: the fear, the insecurity, the anger, the jealousy, the greed. Kuang wrote June’s emotions in such a palpable way that everything June does makes perfect sense, even if she’s still clearly wrong for doing them. This adds an excellent layer of horror to the reading experience as you recognize parts of yourself in the same character you hate beyond redemption.

“The truth is fluid. There’s always another way to spin the story, another wrench to throw into the narrative.” -R.F. Kuang, Yellowface

Yellowface provides a never-before-seen commentary on the inside of the publishing industry. Critiquing the industry’s systemic racism and lottery-esque processes, Kuang takes us through June’s experiences as an unsuccessful white author, a successful presumed-to-be-Asian author, and a widely hated author.

Similarly, and closer to home for those of us who enjoy talking about books online, Yellowface tackles the issue of online discourse in the book community. While many of the public’s takes about June are accurate and necessary, Kuang also provides more nuance not often portrayed in media. There are moments when haters spin some of June’s genuinely innocent actions into additional evidence of her racist nature. These moments add depth that I did not expect but that launched Yellowface to another plane of excellence.

Yellowface is, above all else, satire. It points out the flaws in the aforementioned communities, and it does this incredibly well and with much tact. The commentary is admittedly a bit heavy-handed at times, and I don’t always prefer this style. However, I also understand that this choice makes the story and its messaging more accessible to a wider audience. This book’s widespread success is proof that Kuang succeeded in this goal, so I am happy to waive my own preferences in this case.

In addition to being satirical, Yellowface also has elements of a thriller woven throughout the story. The ways that these moments come into play not only add to the intrigue of the story but also another layer of “holy wow” as things come together. I won’t say more for fear of spoiling too much, so just know this book is incredible.

Yellowface Recommendation & Rating:

Overall, I was blown away by how much R.F. Kuang managed to pack into such an entertaining and easy-to-read novel. Filled to the brim with festering emotions, social commentary, and a compelling plot, Yellowface no doubt deserves every ounce of the praise it has earned.

If you have an interest in social issues (particularly racism), online discourse, or the book community at large, I could not recommend this book more! I can guarantee you’ll hear me recommending Yellowface for a looooong time, so get ready!

“Tell me, do I truly deserve that? Does anyone?” -R.F. Kuang, Yellowface

My Rating: ★★★★✬ 4.5 stars

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Thank you for reading my Yellowface review. To read more of my book reviews, check out my Book Reviews page.

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