Believe the hype! I gobbled this down in a few hours, bewitched by its head-spinning audacity, brilliant writing, satire and one of the most unreliable narrators since Ian McEwan's Atonement. Absolutely stunning, clever, hilarious, and not afraid to be mean - its largely female characters, from the seething editorial assistant to the senior editor who makes un-PC comments in editorial meetings, are fuelled with largely justifiable rage. A satire on the publishing industry that also brings to life the magic and redemptive power of authorship, as well as its ability to completely screw up one's life.

Every so often, I succumb to blogger fatigue. In fact, since having my children it is not even 'every so often'. There are long weeks and even months where I barely sit down at my computer. I struggle to find the time to read, let alone draft my thoughts on it into coherent sentences. But every so often along comes a book that makes me remember why I love being a book blogger. Yellowface is one of these books. It was lovely to get an early copy, stay up late so I could storm through its nail-biting final pages and then stand back to watch the book soar through the bestseller charts. Given its subject matter, this also felt very meta.

This is a tale of a truly toxic literary friendship. There is Athena Liu, beautiful, thin, sophisticated with three best-selling novels behind her at only twenty-seven and a Netflix deal on the table. Sitting beside her sipping celebratory cocktails is old college friend Juniper Hayward who has not had the same luck. June's debut novel was a flop which is not getting a paperback release. Green-eyed with jealousy and resentment, June grits her teeth and toasts Athena's success. As the evening progresses, the two head back to Athena's apartment. Tipsiness turns into late night cooking and then out of the blue, Athena chokes to death on an undercooked pancake.

After the blur of 911 calls and blue lights, a shellshocked June gets an Uber home and starts the motions of public social media mourning, guiltily aware that she had never really liked Athena that much anyway. But stuffed in her bag is the completed manuscript for Athena's new novel about Chinese labourers in World War I. It's type-written. No back-ups. No electronic trail. It's the perfect literary crime. June quietly takes it and redrafts it as her own work. It is published to great acclaim. June finally has the literary success which she has craved for so long.

But right from the very start, there are cracks. Eyebrows are raised at this novel about Chinese labourers being authored by a white woman. June's publishers encourage her to rebrand as Juniper Song, using the middle name given to her by her hippy mother. Author photographs are taken which are carefully lit to suggest racial ambiguity and an author bio is drafted to emphasise the same. All June wants is to enjoy her new success - why are there just so many haters and killjoys?

June's Olympian levels of self-deception make her an absolutely fascinating narrator. She tells the reader with apparent sincerity that she only took Athena's manuscript since otherwise it would never have been published. The edits and adjustments that she makes to the text are only done to improve on Athena's work, to make it a better novel. She softens the racism suffered by the Chinese labourers, makes one of the villains Chinese and one of the British soldiers becomes a hero. June glows when her editor praises a passage which was her own original creation, secure in her delusion that she is the reason for the book's success. But when reviews come in finding fault, June smirks with delight that people are finally catching on to Athena's bullshit at last. Stepping back for this review, I can see that June is utterly ghastly ... and yet for most of the novel, I was cringing as the net started to close in, hoping that she would not get caught. Kuang has pulled off a masterpiece in framing such a compelling narrative around such unlikable characters.

The kernel of this idea - you have access to an unpublished manuscript which you know is a masterpiece, would you put your own name on it - opens up a lot of questions about the book industry as a whole. Debates around cultural appropriation, #ownvoices and how we confront racism in literature. Recent debates and Twitter mobs have centred around books such as American Dirt and the work of Kate Clanchy.

I was also reminded of the controversy around the then teenaged Kaavya Viswanathan's debut young adult novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild And Got A Life which was found to be largely plagiarised from a variety of sources. At the time, Viswanathan claimed that she had simply read the books in question and reused the passages unconsciously. Recently though, I was remembering the book and surrounding hoop-la and fell down an internet rabbit hole which suggested that Viswanathan's family had paid for a ghost-writing service (apparently not a very good one) in order to beef her up as some kind of literary wunderkind and get her into Harvard. They seemingly assumed that nobody would notice pilfering from young adult literature. As in Yellowface, the positioning of the author was deemed more important than the book being published.

I remember listening to Kirsty Logan speaking at a writing retreat and she remarked that her books are marketed as literary fiction because that was what her publisher specialised in. If she had been signed by a different publisher, they might have been sold in the fantasy section. I read an interview with Kuang where she noted how unhelpful so much of genre labelling can be. Kazuo Ishiguro is a respected writer of literary fiction but books like Never Let Me Go are prime examples of dystopian fiction. This is all very interesting to me as a reader because the reaction I get when someone sees me with a book whose cover marks it as science fiction is very different to the one that I get if its cover looks like literary or mainstream fiction. This is the main reason why Terry Pratchett never got the literary acclaim he deserved. And at that point, you can see that June has a point. Bestsellers are chosen long before they ever hit the shelves.

The question though of who is 'allowed' to write certain stories is an increasingly thorny one in our cultural commentary. Kuang considers the question from all angles. June argues that she has every right to tell a story about Chinese labourers. Except of course, it is not her story in any sense of the word. However, does Athena have any more right than June? Her life is a world apart from the lives of those whose experiences she has appropriated. Indeed, June insists to the reader that Athena abuses her position of privilege. Athena never even liked being asked to mentor younger Asian writers and June felt that Athena has realised her role in the literary world was to be 'able to explain Asians to everybody else'. If June is not to tell stories about China, is Athena allowed to tell stories about anything else? Or was she just as trapped in her lane?

To be clear, I think there is a definite advantage when a writer is speaking from a place of experience. I have read and winced through books which misrepresented various areas which are close to my own heart. Coming from a Northern Irish family, it is toe-curling how uninformed American and English writers can be on the geopolitics of that region. Similarly, I remember giving up on a book which had a bizarre take on growing up with an absentee father. But I would also add that I have similar levels of disdain when I read bad historical fiction. My views on The Boy in Striped Pyjamas are well-documented. That book still sells. What is the moral difference between a book which is badly written and one which is possibly well written but covers sensitive issues with poor taste? At what point do we let people read and decide for themselves?

Yellowface dances around the question of whether all creative work is predicated on pilfering. June is still bitter about an incident during their early years at college when Athena won a prize for a short story which seemed to be based on a sensitive incident from June's personal life. June remembers watching Athena questioning Korean War veterans at a museum exhibition as research for her writing. Watching her in that moment, June sees Athena not as a talented writer but as a vampire. Athena's own mother gives hints over personal feelings of violation at how Athena plundered their family history in her work. Naturally, June looks back on these incidents as justification for her own theft but even so, it leaves the reader pondering who exactly owns a story. 

Lost in a mess of her own making, June looks back over her teenaged notebooks and mourns the time when she wrote simply because she loved writing. I have always felt that the Charlotte Brontë quotation, 'I am just going to write because I cannot help it' is slightly misused since she originally wrote it in the context of her own mental health issues. I always wince slightly when I see it used in a pretty font on literary gifts. But still, I think people are drawn to that phrase because there is something about that uncritical boundless pages of utter drivel that one produces as a teenager which represents a creative freedom to which adulthood will never live up. June was the villain of the story, there is no doubt about that. But she and Athena are also victims of an industry which cares little for their art and more for the money which can be made.

It feels strange as a book blogger to be recommending a novel whose plot centres on a writer going through the mill of the online book community. But it has definitely made me more aware of how the opinions of others can influence my own. I do find myself sometimes 'checking' before I post a review in case a book that I have enjoyed is somehow problematic and I have not noticed. Is Kuang's message that we should look at the book rather than worrying about reaching a united public opinion? They say that no two people ever read the same book and yet people still get very upset if your opinion does not match theirs.

Every time I go into a bookshop and see which books have been placed on the front table, I think of Yellowface and wonder how exactly those have been picked. I have my own misgivings about how Amazon and Goodreads are choosing the books we read next but Kuang took my thoughts and turned them into art. This is a deliciously addictive literary thriller, skewering the BookTok generation with style. Fiendish, fascinating and utterly fun, it has placed high on my list of Christmas gifts for bookish loved ones.

Really fast read, an interesting look into the way white people conduct themselves in the book industry and how they appropriate the stories of people of colour. Wish it had been a little bit longer and the end wasn't my favourite

Outrageously good! I'm absolutely fascinated by Rebecca Kuang and her ability to write so beautifully in such a range of genres.

This was an uncomfortable read, but so valuable and so enjoyable. Some thoroughly unlikeable characters and satire that skewered society and the publishing industry. It really got me thinking about the power of stories and about who gets to tell stories.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, as I quite enjoy Rebecca narrative style, but if you are coming from having read Babel or The Poppy Wars, bear in mind this is a completely different genre and style and you won’t find anything along those lines.

Yellowface is a dark and satirical piece of literary thriller, light on the thriller but very heavy in the literary. However, heavy in the sense that the book is centred around the publishing world and the industries and people around it. It is quite contemporary and draws a lot from reality in terms of background. It is a book about book, the publishing industry and the fame and viral phenomenon.

Best thing of it, for me, were the characters. I found an absolute delight reading the rise and its consequences from June´s point of view. True, the main premise is a bit unhinged and even ridiculous, but I do also think that is part of the whole point. How something so inherently ridiculous and at first hand unrealistic can be moulded into true and how far people are willing to go for it.

I found it very entertaining, but alas, it is partially the world I live and work in, so I was interested on it. I can also see how someone who is less interested or intrigued on it may find some parts long or tedious. However, and with that in mind, I think is one that you should give a try!

So glad that this story lived up to the hype- I raced through it. Athena is a literary success, everything she writes is critically acclaimed, she is feted everywhere she goes. Her erstwhile best friend June is happy for her but also chasing the same success so is envious at the same time. When Athena chokes to death on a pancake, June takes her just completed manuscript as her own, She tweaks and edits it enough to make it feel like her own work, but it is a reworking of Athena's efforts too,
The new book (in June's name) is a huge hit and June enjoys the success and recognition that she's been craving. But behind it all, there's the uneasy feeling that June is going to be caught out for what she's done.
Its a great insight into the publishing world, the social media of book reviewers and how quickly people can be built up and knocked back down for anything.

“Is erasing one’s voice as easy as stealing one’s work and rewriting it?” It’s one of the loudest questions echoed throughout Yellowface.

This book paints the capitalistic and racist side of the publishing industry through stark satire.

As someone who immensely devoured the Poppy War trilogy, I was bound to read this book. While the book raises most interesting questions on racism in the publishing industry and one’s identity, I couldn’t help but feel Kuang’s voice interfering with the plot.

Overall, this gets a brownie point for putting out a satire on the publishing industry. I only wished I wasn’t bored in the middle or not feel Kuang’s presence for the good portion of the story.

I really really enjoyed this, up until the very end. I think if you go in expecting a satire and not a thriller (this is more reminiscent of Not Okay than it is of The talented Mr Ripley) you will probably have a better reading experience. I loved the commentary and the insight in the publishing industry, but I thought the thriller-like turn towards the end was unnecessary. I am, however, very rarely satisfied with Kuang's endings, so that's hardly surprising; I always enjoy her worlds and her characters, but I think she has yet to nail her endings - and no, I am not talking about the end of The Poppy War trilogy, an ending I love and adore.

I especially liked June as a main character, a character so deeply immoral, and self-obsessed, and irredemable, and self-destructive; in other words, a perfect unreliable, unlikable narrator. And god, do I love unlikable narrators.

Yellowface is a satirical thriller that explores themes of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation in the publishing industry.

The book is based around two "friends" June Hayward, a struggling white writer and Athena Liu a Chinese-American literary phenomenonl. On a rare night out between the two, Athena dies in a freak accident affording June the opportunity to steal the manuscript to her next novel. The success of the book catapults June to to overnight stardom but questions abound as to who wrote the book and June soon faces the wrath of social media and Athena’s ghost.

The first person narrative through June's eyes is really propulsive, there were times at which I nearly believed her as she twists to truth to suit her story.

The two main characters are completely unlikeable which normally would put me off but the web of lies that gets created by June had me reading it in a couple of days.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this advance copy (and sorry for the late review!).

Yellowface was a romp. Chaotic, satirical, dark: I loved it. I really adored the social commentary in this book, and the pure satire about how June behaves. I was simultaneously cringing and laughing out loud. I'd recommend this one!

Really enjoyed this book. Felt very conflicted with the protagonist, wasn't sure if I wanted her to get caught or get away with it, shows the skills of the author in making the reader feel this way!
Thanks for the opportunity to review!

This book was really well written, I loved the commentary and loved the dislikable characters. I enjoyed the storyline and the thrilling aspects of it too, though it’s more literary than thriller for sure!

A thriller about publishing! who knew! Funny, sharp and a page turner, there were so many moments when I thought - I know exactly what she's talking about! One of those rare books about the trade that everyone in the trade can enjoy too.

Firstly I would like to thank the publisher for an advanced reading copy of this. Although I enjoyed this book I did not love it. Coming off the back of reading some epic fantasy at times it seemed quite slow. As a palette cleanser it was fine. Its a good satire on the publishing world which I found interesting working in a Bookshop. It was just very stop start and didn't grip me enough. There are explosive moments but then the story drops off again so your engagement wains. I will definitely always read anything R.F. Huang writes though as I love her prose but obviously love her fantasy more

In a literary landscape often dominated by the predictable, this novel emerges as a beacon of originality.

Its exploration of both subtle and overt confrontations is nuanced, offering readers a profound emotional journey. The narrative is so engrossing that one can't help but be fully immersed. The eloquence of the prose beckons, drawing readers into the heart of the unfolding drama. The story is a masterful tapestry of contemporary reflections, echoing sentiments and scenarios that resonate with today's society. From casual encounters with prejudice to the overzealous classmate we've all come across, the narrative weaves these elements with finesse. The characters are intricately crafted, presenting a mosaic of moral complexities that challenge conventional archetypes. Kuang's prowess as a storyteller is evident. She seamlessly merges incisive societal commentary with riveting drama, reminiscent of classical literature but with a contemporary edge. This novel promises to leave an indelible mark on its readers, and I eagerly anticipate delving deeper into its layers.

Everyone raves about this book

i tried and got around 15% in and just didn't have the want to carry on.

Its now sat on a pile of books that may get to if i don't have anything else to read

Yellowface is a total page-turner that peels back the curtain on the wild world of publishing, throwing in a mix of timely issues like diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation. June Hayward's journey from being ignored to hitting the bestseller list is like a rollercoaster that you won't want to get off.

R.F. Kuang's Yellowface isn't just a deep dive into the cutthroat publishing scene; it's also a nosedive into the drama-filled world of online happenings. June's rise to fame unfolds against the backdrop of the internet's all-seeing gaze, showing us just how crazy things can get in the literary community.

What really makes Yellowface stand out is Kuang's knack for getting us into the nitty-gritty through an immersive first-person voice. Juniper Song doesn't just tell her story; she pulls us in, making us feel like we're right there with her, grappling with tough choices and moral dilemmas. Do I agree with her decisions? Can I empathize with her?

If you're into the juicy drama of the publishing world and curious about how people navigate the storm of online criticism, Yellowface is a gem you don't want to miss. Kuang weaves a captivating tale while shedding light on the online dynamics, making this book a must-read for anyone fascinated by the crossroads of literature, ambition, and the ever-watchful eyes of the virtual world.

An exposition of life on social media. Woe betide me if I ever have to depend on it for any of my needs.

Kuang's June is a lonely woman and she does not even see it. Her life depends on her visibility on the media and she has tied in her work interictally with that fact so that it does not exist without. She is continually interacting with people she does not see physically, internet ghosts. I'm not going to go into the wormhole of who should write what but one thing I would say, let who ever write whatever, and then let the readers decide themselves.

I did not like June or her choices and as the writing reflected her then the book suffered as a whole. On the physical end the book might have benefitted from a tighter edit after all it is a book about publishing.......

An ARC kindly given by author/publisher via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed Yellowface – some parts were problematic, when you are unsure about the character's choices, but it was a lovely insight into the cut-throat world of publishing and modern culture.

Thank you so much and apologies to the publisher for the eARC of this book which I received many many moons ago.

R.F. Kuang is a self-aware talent. This book is a departure from her previous work in the SFF space, but it doesn't seem to have put her at any kind of disadvantage - she once again sticks the landing. This book is satire, taking on the publishing industry at large, though not without taking a few good-natured jabs at her own success. Yellowface is biting, pacy, and scathing, unwilling to pull its punches. There are only two real criticisms I have of this book:

1. It belabours the point
This book is a touch repetitive and extremely zeitgeisty - it feels very much of this particular moment in time and like it's constantly wink-wink-nudge-nudging at those of us who work in publishing-adjacent industries. I suspect it's shelf-life might be limited by how reliant it is on contemporary talking points for its humour.

2. Kuang writes too quickly
Every time I read an R.F. Kuang novel I get the impression that she is very much a write voluminously now, edit later kind of writer. This isn't really an issue when there's plenty of time between writing and publication, but I get the sense that her publishers are rushing her to publication because she's riding such a wave of success at the moment. I would so rather read something that feels a little tighter than get the next Kuang sooner.