Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang (colour may vary)

I enjoyed this a lot. It’s sharp, readable and uncomfortable in a way that made me want to keep going even when I was slightly horrified by everyone involved. The premise is such a good one. A struggling writer takes another writer’s manuscript after her death and then convinces herself, with increasingly impressive mental gymnastics, that what she’s doing is somehow reasonable. What I liked is that the book doesn’t make it too easy. June is awful, obviously, but she’s also insecure, ambitious, jealous and desperate in ways that feel recognisably human. Not likeable, but very readable. I thought the satire of publishing was one of the strongest parts. The book is very good on who gets praised, who gets doubted, who gets marketed, and how quickly people can turn moral outrage into content. It also captures that horrible online pile-on energy where everyone is performing certainty and nobody is having a normal one. Quite stressful, but in a very accurate way. It’s not a subtle book, but I don’t think it’s trying to be. It’s more of a fast, spiky, slightly queasy read about appropriation, ambition, racism, envy and the stories people tell themselves so they can sleep at night. I liked that it didn’t let anyone off particularly easily. I didn’t love every single part of it, and at times it felt a bit more pointed than nuanced, but I was never bored. It’s one of those books where you keep thinking “surely she cannot make this worse” and then she absolutely does. Very readable, very uncomfortable and much cleverer than a simple publishing scandal story. I can see why it got so much attention.

I can see why this has been a book that has divided readers. I think, if you work in or around the publishing industry, you will appreciate some elements of the story more than this who remain blissfully unaware on the outside of all that goes on. Then again, if you pay even the remotest bit of attention to what goes on in the sordid world of social media then you can perhaps understand many elements of this story. After all there have been many careers made, and ruined, at the hands of social media keyboard warriors, and so many aspects of this story, so many of the key themes, are fresh, current and, for some, still very raw. You don't need to be in publishing to recognise dogpiling when you see it, or to understand the negative side of 'fame'. Or maybe, in this case, infamy. For me, kind of on the outside as a reader, but not entirely, I really enjoyed this book. Understood some of what the author was portraying, laughed along in all the right (wrong) places, became infuriated in the right ones too, and recognised this story for what it is. A warts an all portrayal of an industry that is far more complex, and cut throat, than many people might realise. Exaggerated for effect? Possibly. But behind every exaggeration is a seed of truth. For most authors, who don't have legacy backlist and a longstanding reputation and fan base to hang their hat on, you live and die by your last sales total, dropped from the schedule the moment your figures don't meet expectations, or when there is a hint of a scandal that, even by the best spin doctor, cannot be exploited for commercial gain. And that, for most, is a very hard place to exist. This is the story of June Hayward, and author whose only title had a mediocre reception at best, and who is struggling to find that next big story that will see her gain the adoration she feels she deserves. She is best friends with Athena Liu whose fortunes have proven far greater than June's. When a very unfortunate foodie incident (yes really) sees Athena meet a premature end, June is left with a dilemma. She has in her possession the only copy of Athena's very final manuscript. Will she do the right thing and hand it over to Athena's estate? Or will she take advantage of the fact that no-one else knows about the book, and use it to further her own career? Now, if she did the right thing, this would be a very short book. In fairness to her, she does rewrite huge elements of the text, but the core -the inspiration, the tone, the story - still belongs to Athena. When her agent, and a prominent Indie publisher, snap up the book, it's too late to turn back, and what follows is a mixture of karma, pride, arrogance and revenge, a sorry tale that escalates beyond anything June could ever have foreseen. The opening of this book is slower in pace as the characters and the central thread of the story is established. If you come expecting big thrills and high stakes tension, you'll be bitterly disappointed. If anything the book initially mirrors the slow and painstaking process of creating that perfect story to begin with. The story is told from June's perspective, so from the outset we get a very skewed view of events, everything geared towards her own justification for her actions and that mental back and forth between the rights and wrongs of her decisions really has an alarming feeling of authenticity. A moral dilemma indeed, but the promise, and presence, of a healthy advance soon provides a balm to sooth June's conscience. I can't say I liked June - I didn't much like any of the characters to be honest with you, other than probably Athena's mother. But it's not important for this book to succeed that we like any of them. In fact, it feels almost the direct opposite is true. The story that June 'enhances' is one that Athena was ethically well placed to write, one to which June has little to no connection - the story of Chinese labourers used for the war effort. It opens up discussion and consideration, not only in the book but on a wider scales, about cultural appropriation. Is it okay for a white American woman to write a book about Chinese immigrants as long as the portrayal is sympathetic and authentic, or is it simply exploitation and something that Chinese-American readers can feel rightfully outraged about. Of course, June, and her publisher, would argue the former, but the use of an ethnically ambiguous name somewhat muddies the waters, allowing readers to make assumptions about the author that may not be true. And there are other elements that June allows to happen that start to create conflict in an already contentious situation. Plagiarism, or manuscript theft, aside, This is a very complex situation, not helped by June's defensiveness, something else that creates a rift that may yet prove to be her undoing. So many elements of this book - the cultural appropriation argument is just a drop in the ocean - ring true. The dogpiling on social media, the needs of certain characters to rip apart June for nothing more than their own smug satisfaction, felt almost uncomfortably true to life. I've seen it myself - active campaigns against a particular author or celebrity because they shared an opinion that differs from someone else's. There is, at the end of the day, no defending June's initial actions, but there is no defending the campaign against her either. The author's exploration of the impact of social media on mental health, that constant nagging need to see what is being said about you despite knowing that it will not be good for your soul, is so en-pointe that I'm sure for many author's it will cut to the bone. If the 'antagonist' (and there is a very loosely defined antagonist in this book) could claim their actions are coming entirely from the moral high ground then I might have felt more sympathy for them. But they weren't and I didn't. They acted in a way as indefensible as June. In fact, I kind of despised them a little. More than a little. Quite a lot actually. There is a comedic element to this story too, and for anyone in the know you will find yourself smiling a grudging smile. References to an author's nemesis "GoodReads" made me chuckle. It does have a reputation as being a cesspit for reviewers who have no filter and who delight in slamming books for nothing more than their satisfaction. It's a site where you can even leave a one star review for a book that isn't even available in proof form, which some folks seem to delight in doing. I know - call me a hypocrite - I post there too, but largely as a way to counter the negativity with a little bit of light. But, debates about review sites aside, there are many other moments which made me smile. Many folks would be forgiven for thinking that authors are loaded, living the dream on yacht's and in luxury apartments around the globe. The height of June's ambition from spending her royalties is being able to afford an Ikea sofa to match the rest of her recently acquired Ikea furniture. I'm saying nothing more ... Funny yet sometimes dark, this is a fresh, beautifully written foray into the mind of a very troubled, young, author. I really enjoyed this book. I can see why many authors enjoyed this too. Maybe it is a little bit conflated, with tongue in cheek exaggeration, but there is so much of this book that feels scarily authentic that there's a danger Rebecca Kuang will have people thinking twice about pursuing a career as an author. Or maybe that was the point. After all, less competition can only be a good things for sales, right?

It's an okay novel. It got more hype than the writing deserves. I read it through and I get the point. But honestly, it is quite a straightforward story and drags a bit

I had seen this book everywhere. It’s pretty distinctive with its bright yellow cover, controversial title and huge publicity campaign. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a good book (I had never read any Rebecca F. Kuang work before) or whether it was all just hype but I grabbed a Kindle copy on the Amazon Black Friday sale for 99p. The main character is June Hayward. June is a struggling author, her only book had a mediocre reception, and she cannot seem to find that next big story that will see her gain the adoration she feels she deserves. June is best friends with fellow author Athena Liu. Athena’s books are much more successful and June is jealous and feels like she’s living in Athena’s shadow. When Athena dies, June is left in possession of the only copy of Athena's very final and very brilliant manuscript. No one has previously read this manuscript so the temptation for June to pass this off as her own work is strong. I did no research before starting this book so I didn’t realise how it has split reviewers. It does seem that you either love or hate this book. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. June is a great character; she is jealous, racist, petty, scared, strong, confident and miserable and we get to follow her entertaining downward spiral. I watched with horror at some of the things she did or said, she was like a horrific event that I couldn’t look away from. I also really enjoyed the other characters in the book, they all had their role to play and usually with their own motives. Although I don’t usually like books about books, I thought the storyline was original and interesting and I actually enjoyed learning a bit more about the publishing industry. There are so many themes in this book, some obvious and some less so and Kuang makes us sit with our discomfort through an excellent choice of an unreliable narrator and forces us to confront our own opinions on the matters. This book moves at a slow pace as the characters and the central thread of the story is established so if you come expecting big thrills and high stakes tension, you'll be disappointed but I appreciated the approach. I did predict the ending but this didn’t take any enjoyment away from the book for me. I didn’t know how I should feel about June at any given time and this kept me on my toes and kept me thinking about the book and its themes when I wasn’t reading it. Overall, although controversial, I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it made me think and feel and I enjoyed the storyline and characters. I’ll check out more of Kuang’s work.

I read this having completely forgotten I'd fairly recently also read Babel by the same author. The latter book has a very very clever metaphor for colonisation through the lens of magic wrought be a steampunk victorian empire exploiting translation and translaters and the power of words. And a great plot & character. This novel is less fantasy and more rooted in the real world of celebrity books and their writers, but pivots off of appropriation, literal and figurative, actual and cultural. It would be a spoiler to say exactly how, but the layers of guilt (who is enitled to write a book set in a certain time about a certain people, and who might not be) and authenticity (its fiction, doh!), but also friendships (genuine, or explotative). Very clever stuff (like Babel). On the other hand the author, like one of the protagonists, both is and isn't from the same milieu as the key character in this story either, so (and if this is true, I'm on same side) we assume that the writer believes that the creative process is of course about inhabiting other people's minds, and capturing that for us, the readers, and that journey can be to foreign places and times, otherwise we'd all just be telling stories about ourselves, and that's why social media is largely so banal, since that's what 90% of scribblings there amount to. I'm reminded of a recent story about a K-pop band who got some flak as none of the women singers was Korean. I'm just gonna say that pop music's greatest exponents are people like Abba and Kylie Minogue, so if you're gonna say you have to be australian or swedish to sing pop music, you are going to look pretty silly. Anyhow, the most interesting musing in Yellowface, for me, is right near the end when the idea of tearing down the whole publishng industry and replacing it with something more equitable and less predatory appears, sadly too briefly - what that alternative might be would be really interesting to hear more about. Meanwhile, while there is a very superficial resemblance to The Plot here (which I massively recommend), I really liked this - but here's a thought experiment: What if Juniper Song Hayward was (say) Latina or African American? How would that change your sympathies?

Im going to br honest. The book needs to be cut. Im slogging through endless information that only authors know about and frankly, I can't see anyone beyond the publishing industry would care about. Its thick mud. Im starting to think about abandoning the whole thing. The book June actuslly wrote, we are told was about difficult family relationships stretched across a fantasy frame. Now that could be interesting. But the book she stole sounds pretty niche: a side note in a horrendous war that saw millions dead...and she worries about racism in a time when racism was so accepted the word didnt exist and the upper classes were actually speaking to working class people for just about the first time in history, them being stuck in a trench together for years. But, ok, but I can't see it being so interesting it is a knock out best seller. And how does one author even steal a manuscript from a very well known, top writer? Didn't anyone take one look and say, oi, this sounds like that dead writer? Most of the book is taken up with group chat between publishers, agents, and talks to audiences, awards, and June's narrative within her own head... Im talking myself out of reading the rest of it so ill stop. If you want a good read by a Chinese descended author, try Bat Eater. Now that was a good read.

I saw this book on Reese Witherspoon’s monthly picks and I immediately had to buy it! I love the books she picks 🤩 Also it’s yellow and I’ve developed a strange obsession with yellow books 🤣 And just look how pretty the sleeve and the hardback cover is 🤩 I really enjoyed this book but it did feel like there were 3 separate themes going on that didn’t really mesh together. Firstly, there is the main story which is a disturbing tale of a young unsuccessful author who steals her dead friends work. Told in her sociopathic POV which was disturbing at times and yet impossible to stope reading. It can of gave me YOU vibes 😅 I caught myself agreeing with her too many times and then going WTF she is psycho 🤣 Secondly, was an incredibly accurate depiction of racism and reverse racism was given which I loved! I haven’t read such an accurate description of these theme before. And I applaud the author for being bold enough to be so open about this. Thirdly, an interesting inside look at the book publishing process which was so interesting. I honestly didn’t realise how hard it was to publish a book before 😅 So while I loved all these themes individually, they didn’t mesh that well at all. So I really wouldn’t class this as a thriller at all.. maybe a book with some thriller notes 🤣 But I still think it’s a very unique and interesting book. I highly recommend it if you enjoy any of these themes 😊

When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song. This book is brilliant, it’s witty, humorous, and addictive! The writing is bold and straight to the point. I was laughing at things I should have not have been laughing at, and cringing at awkward moments and this is the beauty of satire. It is also written in first person so I was able to feel close to June’s thoughts. This author is a talented writer! The book takes us through the publishing process from initial idea to publication. I love how the author highlighted the importance of diverse and own voices and the need for sensitivity readers in fiction. Anyone can read this book but I do think it is niche and will truely satisfy writers, book bloggers/avid readers and those working in publishing. Let me tell you about June, I LOVE an unreliable narrator but in short, she is a jealous, calculating racist thief who manages to publish a book she did not write. The book focuses on stories from a Chinese war. It ANGERED me that June did not see the importance of race/culture whilst writing, it was not until she had to promote the book that she realised she was stepping on toes. This is a clear portrayal of racism and privilege in the publishing industry. The book is heavy on social media presence and the realities of online bullying and cancel culture. The constant narratives on how June was feeling and her anxiety at being caught became repetitive after a while, but apart from that this is a concerning story, yet a thrilling and witty read.

Uma boa história de roubo de livros, amizade, mediocridade, merecimento, narcisismo... A autora Juniper acredita piamente que o que fez não é problemático pois mereceu essa chance já que as oportunidades são todas oferecidas às minorias (sic).

I am excited to read it but, I order the first time and the book was in a bad condition then ,I returned and I ask for replacement however, it came the same problem in bad condition because the papers of the book is not good I am confused now I hate the book when it’s not in appropriate way I can’t read it I feel that is something wrong.

I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book. One thing I can say for sure is that it is well written and kind of like a train wreck. I had to keep reading to see what happened next. Juniper Song was a delusional, possibly psychotic, person whose ability to cast herself as the victim was nothing short of legendary. A good perspective of racism in literature and the toxicity of social media keyboard warriors from many different angles. In my humble opinion, of course 💙

The book was packaged nicely and of course it was a nice read