Title: YELLOWFACE
Author: R.F. Kuang
Narrator: Helen Laser
ISBN: 9780063250864
Publisher: Harper Audio
Pages: 336 / 8hours 38 minutes
Source: Audible
Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody.
White lies
When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.
Dark humour
But as evidence threatens June’s stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
Deadly consequences…
What happens next is entirely everyone else’s fault.
Official Summary
16 November 2023
This book has been all over social media and while searching for an audiobook this weekend I could not resist giving this book a try. Thank you to everyone who has been flooding social media with this one – it was a fantastic way to spend a weekend at home.
In this enthralling novel you are thrust into the tangled web of literary deception, cultural appropriation, and the crazy world of social media. The author’s brilliant storytelling coupled with a totally immersive first-person voice makes this a razor-sharp exploration of the complexities surrounding diversity and racism.
The story unfolds with Athena Liu, a literary sensation, meeting an untimely demise in a freak accident. This sets the stage for the protagonist, June Hayward, a relative nobody, to seize an unexpected opportunity. June steals Athena’s unpublished manuscript and under the pseudonym Juniper Song, thrusts herself into the limelight. The white lie unravels as evidence begins to cast shadows on June’s stolen success, prompting a gripping exploration of how far she is willing to go to maintain what she believes she deserves.
The author skilfully weaves together themes of cultural appropriation, racism and diversity, confronting you with the uncomfortable truths that lie beneath the surface of the literary world. The book’s dark humour provides a subtle look at these weighty issues, allowing you to engage with the story on multiple levels.
The book beautifully examines the alienation brought on by social media. Capturing the terrifying consequences of living in a hyper-connected world where success and failure play out in the public eye. The author’s portrayal of the impact of social media on the characters adds a layer of urgency to the story, making it both relevant and relatable to contemporary readers.
The characters are masterfully developed, each contributing to the intricate tapestry of the novel. June’s moral ambiguity and the internal struggle she faces provide a compelling focal point, while the supporting cast adds depth and dimension to the storyline. The dialog is sharp, reflecting the wit and intelligence of the characters and the pacing keeps you engaged from start to finish.
“Yellowface” is not just a captivating story; it is a thought-provoking exploration of the ethical dilemmas involved in the pursuit of success, the consequences of cultural appropriation and the impact of social media on our lives. The book succeeds in being a wonder blend of entertainment and social commentary, leaving you with much to think about long after the final page.
While this is not my genre of choice, “Yellowface” proved to be a highly enjoyable story, This book is a must-read for those looking for a compelling story that digs deep into the complexities of contemporary issues. I would highly recommend this book.
Also by R.F.Kuang
The Burning God
After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.
Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.
Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. A Marshall Scholar, she 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, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature.
Thank you to everyone who shared their thought about this book. It was a wonderfully entertain read. Thank you for visiting the blog and reading my review, I hope you will be adding this title to your TBR – You won’t be disappointed.
