The first thing to say about Yellowface is that it is an absolute pageturner. I was hooked from the first chapter and finished it in a day. It's fundamentally a great story with an unreliable narrator that keeps the reader interested and guessing.

On top of that, it's a gossipy feast for anyone remotely interesting in the writing and publishing world. It's witty, insightful and satirical and does not flinch from uncomfortable and challenging subject matter.

Still more, the book is such a self-referential and thought-provoking look at wider issues of ethics, authorship, ownership, cultural appropriation and lots besides. It's not remotely like the author's prior work Babel in terms of the fantastical world building she achieved in that novel, but it explores similar issues from a totally different angle, which makes it a fascinating companion.

I suspect this book would reward multiple re-reads (not something I do very often), which is why I bought myself a hardback copy. I honestly loved it THAT much!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy of Yellowface in exchange for an honest review.

R.F. Kuang’s litfic debut certainly packs a punch and is as compulsively readable as I’ve come to expect from her. Being in the head of our narrator June was uncomfortable as she was such an unlikeable character, but that made it all the more compelling. I really don’t want to say too much and get spoilery, but that woman is batsh*t crazy and you’re there for every second of her thought processes.

I can tell that I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time and pre-ordering everything RFK writes!

R.F. Kuang is back so soon after Babel with another absolute masterpiece.
Juniper Hayward was a terrible terrible character from beginning to end and it was absolutely captivating just how low and horrible she could go. When you thought she'd hit her lowest point, she'd find a way to surprise you and just go lower.
Honestly, I'm at a loss for words this was incredible and uncomfortable and so necessary. The caucacity was out of this world. I applaud RF Kuang for writing this book, it cannot have been easy, especially since it truly talks about the underside of publishing we, readers and reviewers, don't know much about.
This book was just amazing from beginning to end.
RF Kuang is really a writer like no other and I cannot wait to read all she writes and to throw her books at everyone I know.

WHAT DE EF LITERALLY WHAT DE EF

I HAVEN'T FELT SO PARANOID READING A BOOK SINCE HAUNTING ADELINE

R.F. Kuang wrote another amazing, thrilling and chilling story that I'm sure will stay with me long after finishing it.

I was feeling all the feels, all the emotions, it was so wild ride, couldn't stop reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early access to this book.

I enjoyed the first half of this book, but after that it became slow, predictable and boring.

I know it’s supposed to be a satire, but I didn’t care about any of the characters, and found that I had to push really hard to actually finish the book.

I really wanted to like this book, but it ended up being just okay.

I received an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and the author Rebecca F Kuang.
I really enjoyed this novel, a vivid and engaging depiction of the publishing world and the intricacies of female friendship, diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, told through an immersive first-person perspective.
The author sums it up perfectly, Yellowface is, in large part, a horror story about loneliness in a fiercely competitive industry. It completely sweeps you up in its conversational cadence. I was hooked and couldn't put it down. 4 stars.

Honestly this was glorious. I read it at breakneck speed and I was absolutely gripped. For anyone interested in the world of publishing, cut-throat competitiveness and the pressure to succeed doing the one thing you love most of all, this is a must.
The characters were so tangible and the plot was incredibly well-paced. I'm just bereft it's over.

I loved Yellowface, and devoured it from beginning to end! It's a brilliant insight and satire of the publishing industry, and I found myself laughing out loud several times, while also gritting my teeth! Highly recommended, especially for those working in publishing or aspiring to be writers.

This is a very new story, not something I've read before and I found it refreshingly interesting and thought provoking. It also gave me an insight into publishing processes.

It also detailed the rabbit hole that social media can become, this element was very real and a stark reminder to beware!

Thought provoking read. Exceptional writing by this author!

I loved this book so thank you #netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

Absolutely brilliant. Razor sharp, humorous, insightful and clever. Best book I've read this year. I will be recommending it to every author - and non author - I know.

This is an intelligent thriller about the publishing industry, own voices, and the loneliness which can often accompany success. I could admire this for the discussion it contains and Kuang's sharp writing. It raises interesting questions such as who has the right to tell a story from history, what makes you own a story, where writers get their inspiration from and much more. But ultimately I'm afraid this wasn't really my cup of tea. I didn't like any of the characters and found the plot difficult to connect to.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I found this book very compelling and it drew me in but it's also one I personally found tricky to review.

June Hayward, a white woman, is a writer. As is her friend Athena Liu, a Chinese American. However while Athena's books have been bestsellers, June's book has struggled. But then Athena dies and June finds her latest unfinished books. June then inexplicably decides to steal it, finish it and publish it under the name Juniper Song. Her own full first and middle name that conveniently make her appear more ethnically ambiguous.

The book when released is an instant hit and the popularity inevitably leads to criticisms about the validity of a white woman writing about Chinese soldiers in the war. Subsequently the internet takes offence and tries to cancel her.

June wasn't particularly likeable but I guess she wasn't supposed to be. She tried to make too many excuses for her actions and as if once wasn't bad enough she then stole and took over a second piece of Athena's work!

I did enjoy reading this book and it made me think but I'm not sure of the overall point. Stealing is bad? Duh. Don't talk over the people that experienced something? Also seems clear, but neither of those feel like the whole story. *Shrug* Maybe I'm just being dense?

Wow - an uncomfortable and awkward book, but I LOVED it. Darkly hilarious and honest, and a plot that kept me gripped. I loved how meta it was, and I feel like June would be reading her Netgalley reviews obsessively - and judging every single one of us for misunderstanding her. Fantastic book, really unique.

Incredibly engaging, I flew through the book in one sitting. The plot itself is an incredibly interesting one, and acts as the perfect framework for showcasing racism on a minor and major scale, from both individuals and institutions, and deliberate and ingrained.

However, While an exciting read, I felt the book as a whole lacked dimension.

The characters didn't feel well-rounded enough, especially from a writer who is incredible at making characters come to life. Instead it felt as though one character was a poster-child caricature, whilst all others fell into the background. This was not helped by the fact the main character seemed to only have one true motivation - her character wasn't complex enough to be believable.

The moral narrative of the book is delivered very clearly. Though perhaps too directly - it leaves little room for the reader to form their own interpretations of characters and motives. While this makes the book very easy to follow and accessible to a wide audience, it reads as though the reader isn't trusted to understand that the novel is a work of satire.

An overall entertaining book that I would recommend to those new to satire, but not to individuals looking for a complex developed narrative.

Could not put this down. As brilliant as everything else I've read by R.F. Kuang. At this point I'll read anything else she comes out with. As someone working within the book industry it had an extra layer of enjoyment, can't wait to talk about this with EVERYONE.

Athena Liu is a successful published novelist, a literary darling. She doesn’t have many friends except June Hayward, whose publishing journey has been lacklustre and hasn’t reached the paperback stage. It’s fair to say that June is jealous of Athena’s success and wishes to be a big household name herself.

One night, June and Athena are celebrating Athena signing a Netflix deal. They return to Athena’s apartment, where she dies in a freak accident. However, before her sudden demise, she showed June a copy of her latest, unpublished manuscript, a WWI novel following the Chinese Labour Corps.

June steals the novel and passes it as her own. She gets a huge publishing deal and The Last Front is published under an ambiguous name, Juniper Song. A name suggesting that June is an Asian American, which she isn’t in the slightest.

The book becomes a huge success, however, the ghost of Athena Liu won’t let June be…

I really enjoyed this book. It digs deeper into the nitty-gritty of the publishing world and how some books receive more hype and advertising than the others (it’s fair to say that Yellowface has received quite a bit of advertising and hype that Kuang criticises in her own story!).

The book raises the issue of plagiarism and taking stories from other people. Did I have any sympathy for June, or Athena, on the matter? No. As the book progressed, it became clear that Athena was entitled and looked down on people. June just took what she wanted and blatantly lied to others about it.

It was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.

Many thanks to The Borough Press for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

Shall I put the kettle on? Cause Rebecca has spilt the TEA.
I am hoping this insight into the world of publishing isn’t as accurate as it reads, and it isn’t as racist, jarring, and horrific in real life. Although this was an enjoyable read, I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters but as a reader I feel I was able to glimpse at how stressful and unfair life can be as a writer.
3/5 stars

RF Kuang has certainly grown in my reading lists especially of late. Last years release of Babel was a favourite read of mine and the unexpected ending was phenomenal.
I received an e-arc from NetGalley for yellowface and read through this in a day. The first few chapters explain the relationship between Athena and June which tragically ends in Athena’s sudden death.
Yellowface shows some of the relationships between publishers and their authors and how some are willing to believe in their authors more.
Throughout the book, June starts to feel guilt for stealing Athena’s work and we see how this affects her with, at one point, Athena’s ghost stalking her.
This was a gripping read with twists and turns that appeared when you least expect them with more suspects than originally thought.
Can’t wait to see what RF Kuang does next !!

Review in exchange for e-arc on netgalley

This book is fantastic! R.F. Kuang is an incredible writer, something we already knew, but in this she has done something so different to her previois books yet just as fantastic. Yellow face is so darkly funny, so satirical about publishing and the book community, and the lead character is so despicable. I’ve never read a book where I’ve been hooked from the first page and devoured it in such a short amount of time…with a lead character I hate - let alone this much!

The way it’s written is so clever, so addicting and gripping, and actually a book I think is very important. It really highlights a lot of issues within writing and publishing, in a way that’s so enjoyable. This book had me cackling out loud on public transport it’s so fun, and I sped through the book in next to no time because I was loving every page so much. Hugely recommend.