Yellowface

Amazing writing! Keeps you hooked till the very end. No dull pages, and story build is great.

This book is a must-read for anyone looking to make a career in writing and publishing. I am one of them, and it resonated loudly. The protagonist is a nondescript white author, June, whose Asian-origin peer from college, Athena, has cracked the author code - seven-figure deals, social media queen and a bucketful of respect in the industry. However, success is riddled with loneliness and paranoia. So Athena relies on the less fortunate June as a sounding board, shares her successes with her, and treats her to drinks after her wins. Neither is technically a 'friend' to the other, yet they have enough shared memories to qualify as such. June has the dubious distinction of not only witnessing her "friend's" sudden death but also the unravelling of Athena's unsavoury truth. Based on the themes of plagiarism and who really owns a story, the book is a resounding slap on the publishing industry as well as the role social media plays in creating and destroying reputations, and therefore, careers. The reader is enlightened about terms like "cultural appropriation", "dogpiling", "cancel culture", "racial diversity", etc. and educated on social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, as well as Instagram. Success in the industry has nothing to do with authentic literature, writing talent, or creative freedom - ultimately, it's all about the money. There are some chilling quotes sprinkled across the book. Here is one- “The truth is fluid; there is always another way to spin the story.” Rebecca Kuang has leveraged June quite effectively to invoke dislike, sympathy, pity, and disgust in the reader. In fact, none of the characters is pure as the driven snow; they are all flawed. The ending is deliberately left to the reader's interpretation, as by then the reader has been sensitised to the fact that anything can happen in the publishing world. Definitely worth a read. It did not bore me anywhere, and the writing is very engaging. I particularly the loved the title cover.

I was looking for a more thriller and horror plot, alsothe ending is kind of vague, could have been more realistic.

The book came in perfect condition with a timely delivery. My rating for the book is ★★★★★ What an unputdownable book! It is a gripping and interesting fiction that has a strong take on various things among writers and the publishing industry. You need a narrative that is gripping enough to make you turn pages and this book has got that perfectly. In this social-media-obsessed-celebrity-status-thirst-name-fame-money-hunger world, how writing gets difficult, how jealousy creeps in and spoils June's peace of mind, and how an industry darling makes her wear that 'Yellowface' that gradually becomes offensive when June goes to the top in the publishing world. This book has a unique take on plagiarism through the central characters. From every angle, you will not deny that these central characters plagiarized someone or the other, which was incorrect. At the same time, the entire story is narrated like you owning an unclaimed million dollars you found from your friend's boot, and while spending the last dollar you are busted. The places Kuang describes when June shot to fame are simply unbelievable nuances you will enjoy. The book tours, the publishing numbers, June's envy of Athena and her success, and many such things made me connect holistically with the novel. The conflict starts right from the initial pages. The grip that Kuang holds in her text and the entire novel is admirable. Her take on publishing pressures, voices of the marginalized in publishing, writer's block, and how social media ruins the peace of mind for anyone especially writers who are supposed to churn pages and pages out every day for the contract they signed with the kind of world we're in is completely empathetic. Though the plot twist was a little easy to predict, I would say, I got what I wanted as a reader. As an audience, I wanted that to happen much earlier, but keeping that twist at the end elevated that novel. Above all, Kuang's class narrative shines when June embraces her plagiarism, discovering herself as a writer and refusing to give up on writing. Despite all the setbacks in the publishing world, in the end, she perseveres, to write another story and leave everything behind to fight for her passion. Class!

"Yellow Face" by R.F. Kuang is a book that has left me with a whirlwind of thoughts. Even though I finished it days ago, its intricacies and questions about morality and human behavior still linger in the back of my mind. Trying to put these thoughts into words is a bit like navigating a maze of ideas. At its core, the premise of the book seems simple: June Hayward, an author, steals the last unpolished draft of her late friend Athena Liu's work, while she witnessed Athena's death. But this novel is so much more than a mere theft. It delves into real-life situations, the complexities of morality, the impact of the internet on our lives, and the incredible power that a simple lie can wield. Through its pages, it peels back the curtain on the often-hidden world of the literary industry, revealing just how intricate and convoluted it can be. June's character is a fascinating study in moral ambiguity. She's a character so vile and morally questionable that it's hard to root for her. Her attempts to justify her actions and her tendency to cast herself as a victim are both infuriating and captivating. It's precisely this moral murkiness that keeps the reader engaged—what more could you want from a protagonist who's unreliable and morally dubious? This book also takes a critical look at important issues within the publishing community. It shines a light on the dynamics of competition and power struggles among authors and publishers. Additionally, it explores the industry's perspectives on diversity and inclusion, exposing how minority groups are often marginalized. The portrayal of the influence of social media in the story is well-executed and thought-provoking. It made me reevaluate my own involvement in the book community, and it felt like a reflection of the real-world issues we see on platforms like Twitter. It's as if R.F. Kuang was drawing from her own experiences and observations to craft this narrative. Admittedly, some moments in the book are incredibly thrilling, while others may make you want to skim through. Striking the right balance between these moments could have elevated the reading experience. In the end, "Yellow Face" proved to be a mind-bending piece of literature that left me eagerly anticipating more from R.F. Kuang. This book is a testament to the author's storytelling prowess and her ability to unravel complex human emotions and situations. I can't wait to see what she has in store for readers next.

This is, of course, only my personal opinion. The book employs a modern narrative approach, which I do not mind at all, perhaps because I have read a great deal of classic literature. Many readers seem to admire this book, and I can understand why. I enjoyed it as well. However, when you read the description on the back cover and begin the story, you naturally start to anticipate how it might end. As I continued reading, I expected a surprising twist or an unforeseen conclusion. Instead, the ending unfolded exactly as I had predicted. While the story was engaging, the lack of surprise made the conclusion feel somewhat predictable.

✒️ Book Review ✒️ Yellowface written by R. F. Kuang is a satire and literary fiction. It's very differet from all the other works she has put forth so far. Firstly, Yellowface the term refers to the practice of imitating an East Asian person with help of make up as a part of a performance. And this act is often regarded as sensitive and offensive. Our main character, June, is a writer. But her debut novel flopped pretty badly. Her writing career is full of hiccups and she is frustrated about it. On the other hand, one of her college mate, Athena, who is also a fellow writer, and June's contemporary, is soaring high in the publishing industry. She is a Chinese American and her story mainly deals with the representation of the struggles faced by her countrymen at different points of time. One night Athena dies. How? I am not gonna tell you that. But June was present with Athena when Athena drew her last breaths. Out of curiosity or frustration over her own stale career she decides to steal Athena's unpublished manuscript. Athena is very inexplicit about her works. She doesn't let anyone know about what she is working on before finishing the first draft. From here on the action begins. It basically criticizes the publishing industry, talks about racism, reverse racism, and who is allowed to tell and story and what are the limitations. None of the characters are likeable, everyone is trying to reach the final line. And that just makes it more realistic. June is an unreliable narrator. She keeps on persuading the readers and herself that she didn't steal Athena's work rather she gave it "life". Because she researched a lot, and wrote original paragraphs and dialogues for the book. Now the manuscript that June stole was about Chinise Labourers in World War One and their struggles. June is a white woman. And obviously, the topic is very far from her line of interest. This sparked a lot of controversy after the publication of the book. Some praised June but some commented on how June is trying to make money selling the traumas of an Asian country. Yellowface exposes the overall book community, including book bloggers, book tweets and Goodreads Reviews. There is heavy trolling on this one. Once again check the trigger warnings. R. F. Kuang has tried to convey that social media has allowed everyone to state their opinions and sometimes certain opinions can hurt the sentiments of the other party. But because it's an online platform, people often forget to be sensitive or rational. It's like once you close the laptop, everything is normal. But We need to remind ourselves that even there is an actual person sitting on the other end with actually human emotions. And we can only see the tip of a iceberg. R. F. Kuang has also displayed how a narrative can be spun in two different ways. How normalised reverse racism has been in today's world. She asks the question is okay to send death threats to Karens? She forces the readers to take their own stance and formulate their own opinions. You can't help but see your own moral compass swaying. June did a wrong thing. Very wrong. Yes, but the things that she had to go through were not exactly justified either. I don't support her actions but the writing made it difficult to not sympathize with her at certain points of time. There is one segment about jealousy. I never use any highlighter or any such thing on my books. But this time I just had to. It goes like this.... The book also feels personal to me because I got to know a lot about how publishing industry works. I want to activate work in a publishing house someday. So it was fun to learn certain technical words. And writing in general makes my heart sing. So when June described how much writing means to her, I can't help but nod along with her. The ending however, to my opinion could have been a little different. It just left me unsatisfied in a way. I am rating this 4 stars because of that. Language was pretty easy, I finished it in one and a half days.

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