Yellowface: A Reese's Book Club Pick

My main thought after finishing this book was: how far will we go to make ourselves look better? June was playing the victim card while being so in the wrong and knowing she was in the wrong just so people would like her. I know nothing about the publishing world so that part didn’t hit as strong for me other than how, just the world works with racism, white people have more opportunities and get forgiven more over the “lesser” POC who often get pigeonholed into one corner and can only be one thing. I hate that I sympathized with June of watching her friend get everything she wanted and being so jealous while also pretending to support her. It’s hard to watch someone have all the things you dreamed of. This is the first book I’ve read that makes you face the things you try to ignore just to get through life and brought out a lot of questions for me and put light to things and I don’t even feel like I have the ability to review this book with all the complexities but this book will definitely be on my mind constantly.

Can you really be an author if you never find your own voice? And who is “allowed” to tell a story? Aren’t you an even better author if you can tell a compelling story that isn’t from an experience you had? Do we have to like a person to like their art? These are just a few of the questions I had while reading this book. I kind of wanted to find out I was actually reading the book she finally wrote all by herself.

The story is different from other authors books.but its cover a greate story and the way she put everything about racism and the life of a writer is interesting to read and a whole new view

Enthralling Immersive Distinctive Perspective. ABSOLUTELY LOVED the open and unadulterated discourse from BOTH POV regarding: diversity, cultural appropriation and racism. Bonus was a window into the publishing industry and the cutthroat online commentaries that can make/easily break careers. Moreover, the hypersensitive & overly confident egos of all parties/groups/factions, all vying/believing that their online voices were the absolute truth and the most important. May be an 'uncomfortable read' for some, but it is critical to gain perspective on all sides of the issues. The beginning-middle, was unputdownable while the middle-end of the book dragged way too long.

I enjoyed Yellowface more than I expected, considering it's not my normal genre, and I don't normally like the mainstream book-club picks. But this held my attention better than most. I liked the suspense of thinking the other shoe would drop and not knowing when or how. The unexpected connection with the ex-boyfriend was entertaining to me, too. Overall, a 3.5-star read for me.

i was so excited to read this and it lived up to the hype! i love that this book was told in the POV of a white woman but written by an an Asian woman because Kuang was really able to get down to the issues us minorities go through in various industries and life overall. the main character, June, was unhinged at best. she was self loathing and envious but i didn’t hate her because she was kind of relatable. i didn’t predict the ending so it got me good.

Stars: 🌟 🌟🌟🌟Author: R. F. KuangDate(s) Purchased:Kindle (K) – November 24, 2023Paperback (P) – April 10, 2025Amount Paid:K – $3.99P - $23.00K - Page number: 332P - Page number: 352Genre: Literary FictionDate Finished: June 17, 2025Date of Review: June 18, 2025I loved this book. It’s sharp, clever, and so well written. R.F. Kuang pulls no punches—and honestly, I devoured it. The commentary on publishing, privilege, and cultural appropriation was spot on and often uncomfortable in the best way.That said, I hated both main characters. Juniper and Athena are awful - self-absorbed, manipulative, and not even a little bit redeeming. But that’s part of what made the story so fascinating. You’re not meant to root for them, but you do want to see what happens next.It’s the kind of book that stays with you - smart, dark, and surprisingly funny in moments. I highly recommend it if you want something thought-provoking and a little messy.

June Hayward is jealous of Chinese-American author, Athena, who seems to have everything she craves. The story takes a tragic turn when Athena celebrating her Netflix deal chokes to death on a pancake, witnessed only by June. After calling 911 and waiting for the EMTs, June sneaks away with Athena's manuscript, later reworking the novel and passing it off as her own under a slightly Oriental nom de plume, Juniper Song. What follows is a satirical look at the publishing industry and how they treat Asian-American talent and we are also anxious to find out if June/ Juniper will be found out in her ruse. None of the characters are particularly likeable and I found June rather bland, maybe that was the author's intention. RFKuang can certainly write well.

June and Athena went to college together. Both wanted to become writers. Athena becomes a best seller, while June doesn’t. Then one night of drinking and Athena is gone. June has Athena last manuscript and decided to publish it under her name. June get a lot of heat from it. Does the truth come out? I have to say this book 📕 was very good and informative. To me it seems June was all about getting attention. But not knowing to much about Athena and if she was the same way. But when June did it again with the second book 📕 I couldn’t believe. But I did keep an eye out for the publisher that got fire. I knew she wouldn’t keep quiet. 🤫 Then when they wanted another book 📕 and she was having a hard time with. I wonder 💭 maybe 🤔 that why her first book 📕 didn’t do good. But that ending was everything.

My favorite novel involving plagiarism is Old School by Tobias Wolff, which took place long before social media became a thing. This book has a lot in common with The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, which did involve online harassment, and in both cases the character being harassed is guilty of plagiarism. The Korelitz book is more of a mystery, but I think I would have appreciated this book more if it were not so similar. In this book, June, a mediocre writer, steals the book draft of her dead friend, Athena, who is a celebrated Asian-American author. June is vilified not only because she is suspected of plagiarism but also because, as a white woman, the resulting book about the Chinese Labour Corps in WWI is considered “inauthentic.” Kuang gives a nod here to American Dirt, which was similarly criticized. How much of June’s novel is her own work is not really clear, but the fact that she stole the idea and the plot causes her to vacillate between mind-numbing guilt and brazen indignation toward her accusers. June rationalizes her actions in every way possible, even viewing the stolen novel as payback to Athena for stealing June’s personal story about a possible rape. I enjoyed this book very much for the most part, but June’s constant hand-wringing and obsession with public perception of her book became tedious at times. She occasionally falls into a state of deep depression but cannot stop herself from reading the online allegations and negative reviews. Rarely, though, does she consider coming clean about the origins of the book. Once the lie is out there, she can’t unsay it and chooses instead to dig in her heels.

The irony of writing a review for this book is not lost on me. I had been wanting to read this book when it was first was released, but I ended up being too busy to get around to it. Honestly, when it came out, I probably would have had the time to read it. R.F. Kuang's writing is once again something that mesmerizes me.Yellowface was a fast read. Kuang blended suspense well with her commentary on racism, institutionalized issues within the publishing communities, and cancel culture. June Hayward was a character that you love to hate and hate to love. She is complex but ultimately has some of the most upsetting, but genuine actions and reactions. June, despite trying her best to integrate herself as an AAPI ally, always seems to fall short in the eyes of the internet (and, depending on your perspective, Yellowface 's readers). Her actions throughout the book are a combination of "That makes sense." and "What the actual hell? Why would you do that?" June is, like most of Kuang's characters, painfully human.Kuang refers to this book as "the roiling schadenfreude of watching a Twitter meltdown", and I could not agree more. There were times I had to stop myself and try to think if this had actually happened on Twitter. Every interaction in this book feels alive. It feels like you're watching this happen in front of you, refreshing the Twitter feed for the latest piece of hot gossip. It's fascinating being with the "Cancelled" and seeing their interactions to being "Cancelled". Yellowface had me questioning where my stances are regarding who can or cannot write what. It is one of those books meant to challenge and to give you an opportunity to look at a reality of a world often shrouded away by mystique and consumerism.The one thing I believe that Yellowface struggled a bit with is the usage of mouthpieces. Outside of June, the rest of the characters mentioned in this book fell flat. They were merely the personification of their internet sect. This book was very much so spelled out for you. A lot of that is due to June living the experience and literally spelling out what is happening, and why she has issues with the "Twitterati". While sometimes, it is necessary to be heavy-handed with what is happening, sometimes it's good to leave some subtext.Despite these critiques, I found myself enjoying Yellowface immensely. This book was witty and uncomfortable. It was a prosed trainwreck I could not pull my eyes away from. I loved every minute of it.(And, if you're someone who is on "BookTok" I'm sure you've heard of the white author on Twitter who was masquerading as an "Asian" Author named, Kim Chi.)

It's a commentary on everything that could be wrong with publishing, and how it got to be that way. Long story short: Publishing is really only interested in making money, despite claims to be more diverse and inclusive that are really only performative.This story is told by June, a white woman who had one book published that didn't get the sales she'd hoped for, and centers around her friend(?) Athena, an Asian woman who has found much success in her writing career. They went to school together and I really felt for June at the beginning, when she jealously watched Athena's star rise while hers went nowhere fast. But that's about where my sympathy ends for June. (Except for a reveal later that claims Athena stole a traumatic experience from June's life to write about.) June is just a mess and keeps digging herself in deeper and I found myself cringing for most of the book.So Athena dies, choking on a pancake in her apartment as June looks on. June calls for help, but Athena is already gone by the time they arrive. While in Athena's apartment, June finds Athena's latest secret manuscript (that Athena has conveniently not shown anyone or told anyone what it's about) and she takes it home, does some research and revising, and sends it in to her agent as her own work. June justifies this by telling herself that she's getting Athena's final masterpiece out into the world, in a much more polished form, and that's better than it never getting published at all, or getting published in its rough draft state. Now, if June had any kind of conscience, she'd tell her agent and Athena's that she revised what Athena had already written and the manuscript would have both June's and Athena's names attached. That would be the right thing to do. But June sees this as her only opportunity to grab some of the spotlight Athena was used to getting. So she tries to pass off a manuscript about Chinese laborers in World War I as her own work. And she gets away with it!Her agent and publisher suspect this might not be the best thing to do, allowing a white woman to get accolades for a topic she has no relation to, but they let it go because it's going to make them all a lot of money. They have June use her full first name and middle name, Juniper Song, because it sounds more Asian, and they have her take new author photos that make her ethnicity seem ambiguous. They are complicit in all of this and take June's denial of wrongdoing at face value. Of course, there are some folks out there who try to call June on her BS, but June defends herself at every turn, refusing to back down and admit the truth, and beginning to believe the lies herself. All of this messes with her mental health, but she can't stop. She pokes the bear by responding to Twitter comments and bending the truth to make herself seem innocent. And then she does it all over again with her next manuscript!The story is basically about June doing crappy thing after crappy thing and managing to get away with it, even when she's called out. She finds justification for herself at every turn and she never learns her lesson. Because she got away with it once, why not continue doing what works? Anything to stay relevant. The lengths people will go to for attention is astounding. But that's exactly what YELLOWFACE is commenting on, especially with the social media aspect. As someone who follows the discourse, a lot of that rang true in this book for me and I couldn't stop myself from wanting to read more. It remains addictive. But yikes! I would hope I'd have more sense than June did when entering the world of publishing.

The best thing I can say about this book is that it kept you turning the page if only to see if there could possibly be any denouement in this book that might justify all the noise. And I had to finish it for our community book club.It would be hard to put into one review how many things I disliked about this book.First, how dare she, an Asian woman, "appropriate" the experience of white writers, satire or not, and presume to know what that experience might be like. Her whole novel is based upon a white woman coopting an Asian woman's words and exploring whether or not a white woman can write from the pov of a minority--and we are to conclude, I thin, that she cannot --all while she herself is doing just that. And mind you, I don't even agree with that for the most part--writers have to be able to write from the point of view of other races and sexes, or all writing becomes nothing more than a diary --this whole thing is ludicrous anyway as her character correctly points out. The problem is this character is so loathsome that the reader discounts any declaration of truth she utters.Of course, just like white people can't be discriminated against because they are "oppressors," they also can't have their culture "appropriated" because they have none in the eyes of leftists.Imagine what the critics would do with this if a white person wrote it and this narrator was Asian or black. But there I go again, thinking white people have a culture or a point of view.(As a quick aside, let me clue you in, R.F., you can get cancelled for much less than sexual harassment or racial comments--you can be worked out of an adjunct queue and excommunicated by your publisher simply for wanting a university to take NO political position or for insisting on open debate in classrooms--or for differing opinions--ask JK Rowling or even your hero--and mine--Margaret Atwood who signed an open letter to the Atlantic about the lack of open debate in our universities). This reads nearly like par-- for the- course fairly prosaic left-wing propaganda.)This isn't interesting satire--there was nothing funny about it --and it's high school melodrama with a bit more sophisticated vocabulary--it reads like the young people she criticizes for having nothing to write about. Despite the author's knowledge of the publishing world which I grant you is extensive, and in spite of her being familiar with all the usual jargon one absorbs coming through the typical MFA program these days, June, the main character is a one-dimensional caricature white plagiarizing villain. She has absolutely no redeeming characteristics. No friends, no love interests, no family. And she is UNCHANGED at the end, a flar in itself in a traditional novel. She is Utterly unreliable (and yet there ARE no reliable characters in this novel at all--not one). She is nothing more than a vehicle for the author to (I presume) take pot shots at white authors and their whining about lack of publishing opportunities since they are not "diverse" enough. And, in the end, it seems, to validate this idea that people must write only from their own race (something she clearly transgresses).If that is supposed to be part of the "satire," it fails miserably. And if she legitimately meant to make a case for some of this reverse discrimination, it also fails due to the unreliability of this narrator.It's so shallow that not a single character in this book is well rounded or developed. There is no complexity in these characters or honesty, compassion or redemption at all in this novel, no "reality" and most insulting of all, Miss Kuang has no idea what it's like to try to publish as a white libertarian woman in a field-- especially university presses-- dominated by leftists.Which perhaps might be the only redeeming nugget one gleans from this work--the disaster that is the publishing industry.Also insulting is that since publishing and the entertainment industry in general has always been dominated by liberals, people of all political persuasions are exposed to liberal thought almost constantly--yet her character takes patronizing pot shots at "Republican women" who she assumes can broaden their horizons reading about Chinese laborers (when the reverse is more likely true--liberal educated women likely read nothing remotely outside of their echo chamber.)Finally, this narrator never has a single moment where she realizes that she has given up her voice, her authenticity, her whole life-- for a meaningless lifestyle. She is only upset she has been caught. There is never a moment where this character has any kind of verisimilitude, and therefore never a moment where the reader can empathize or see themselves in such a person.So much important subject matter to delve into and this is what she does with it.But where to begin.

As an avid reader, I was drawn to "Yellowface" by its intriguing premise and the buzz surrounding its selection as a Reese's Book Club pick. However, while the novel starts off with a bang, capturing your attention from the very first pages, it ultimately struggles to maintain that momentum, devolving into a rambling narrative that left me questioning the existence of a cohesive plot.The opening chapters are undoubtedly the book's strongest suit, immediately thrusting you into the heart of the story and introducing you to the complex and deeply flawed protagonist, Juniper Song Hayward. R.F. Kuang's writing is sharp and unflinching, offering an unvarnished look at the harsh realities of the entertainment industry and the challenges faced by Asian Americans. The initial setup is compelling, leaving you eager to see where this intriguing tale will lead.Sadly, that early promise dissipates as the narrative progresses, with the pacing becoming increasingly sluggish and repetitive. Scenes and character interactions seem to rehash the same themes and conflicts without advancing the storyline in any meaningful way. As a reader, I found myself growing impatient, constantly hoping for the plot to regain its footing and propel the story forward.While Juniper is intentionally portrayed as an unlikable character, Kuang does an excellent job of capturing her persistent victim mentality, making it challenging to remain invested in her journey. The author excels at crafting a protagonist whose flaws and questionable decisions evoke a range of emotions, and her relentless negativity aligns with the lack of redemption or hope for the character.Despite these shortcomings, "Yellowface" does offer thought-provoking commentary on the issues of representation, cultural appropriation, and the often-harsh realities of the entertainment industry. Kuang's unflinching exploration of these themes is commendable, even if the execution falters at times.Ultimately, "Yellowface" is a novel that promises more than it delivers. While the initial setup is gripping and the themes are relevant and poignant, the narrative loses its way, becoming bogged down in repetition and a protagonist whose flaws overshadow any potential for growth. For readers seeking a tighter, more focused narrative, this book may fall short, but for those willing to overlook its pacing issues, there are still valuable insights to be gleaned from Kuang's uncompromising exploration of the harsh realities faced by writers in the entertainment industry.

I won’t go into what the premise is, you can read the book description for that. I struggled to find a rating that truly fit. First, I must say I really didn’t like ANY character in this book. I really didn’t like the main character, June. I couldn’t feel sorry for her and I couldn’t cheer her on. I couldn’t even paint a visual picture in my mind of what she looked like. Perhaps, Kuang wanted the reader to transpose any white woman’s face onto June because June as a person represented just that, any white woman. Athena, Candace, Diana, etc. were also unlikable! I understand the underlying message, I think. The themes center around racism, who can and can’t tell the story about a culture that isn’t their own, how there are always going to be people who choose a “token” from a diverse culture or underrepresented population and prop them up as a beacon for the sake of DEI. Kuang mentions reverse racism which is something that many of us from American minority populations,especially those of us who are Black, often snicker at. I also think the book explores friendship between women. It questions what friendship means and what it looks like, especially if the dynamics are sprinkled with power, perceived inequality, jealousy, and cultural differences. Are friendships based on things ( in this case writing) we have in common, how long you know each other, common experiences? Kuang’s messages and I believe purpose of writing this novel are clear to me throughout the book. My question throughout the book was, “Does disliking the main character, or all the characters, make the book a bad book?” I do know. It was not a book that I hated or loved, but it was a story I couldn’t abandon. A combination of reading and listening to Yellowface, is how I finished the book. I think it was easier to get through listening. 2.5 is my final rating.

Look, the book is interestingly good. I love that the author tackled plagiarism and how easily it can be protected, if you are a bestselling author. The climax falls short and I feel slighted. It went for teenage drama appeal and I desperately wanted out, but had to commit because it is a book club choice. Yes, I am a sucker for book discussion. So I stayed, but was bored. Her writing style and her ability to capture the psychology of paranoid lying author within the world of publishing was interesting, but it rode out on a theme that goes against my national campaign…victimization. Unfortunately, I can’t check that box, so I couldn’t relate. However, her I found myself thirsty for some ghoulish psychological thriller that she kept building up successfully. I am quite sure Kuang has that writing potential to have taken us on some adult soul tie ghostly alternative. But she kept the ending as safe as it was for the protagonist’s team to disbelieve in her credibility. So, no one got justice nor was any one punished for plagiarism and stealing of the public’s heart, time and resources. The books and manuscripts suggested as the character’s works seemed like great books that should be on shelves. I would have hoped for more respect with a more conclusive ending, but it could have been purposely done to show what Asian women and White women could have in common…that it is hard to discredit their innocence. A damned best plagiarizing seller rode her past any glass ceiling. By the end she graduated with Master in Conceit, Lies and Manipulation.

A brilliantly told first-person narration that touches on writing and book publishing, social media, racism, prejudice, marketing manipulation, and cancel culture in compelling fashion.While there is not a single likable character in the novel, their individual points-of-view are well-detailed and understandable. I disagreed with almost every decision made by June, but her feelings were vividly realized and I began to feel sorry for her.Page 256: "But enter professional publishing, and suddenly writing is a matter of professional jealousies, obscure marketing budgets, and advances that don't measure up to those of your peers. Editors go in and mess around with your words, your vision. Marketing and publicity make you distill hundreds of pages of careful, nuanced reflection into cute, tweet-size talking points. Readers inflict their own expectations, not just on the story, but on your politics, your philosophy, your stance on all things ethical. You, not your writing, become the product . . . . .And once you're writing for the market, it doesn't mater what stories are burning inside you. It matters what audiences want to see, and no one cares about the inner musings of a plain, straight, white girl from Philly. They want the new and exotic, the diverse, and if I want to stay afloat, that's what I have to give them." Well said. Just imagine this: You are a young female college student and aspiring author. You bond with another student with the same interests. She achieves acclaim; you don't. When she unexpectedly dies, you have possession of the first draft of her next novel. You love it. It inspires you. You decide to edit it, add new scenes, and make it your own while retaining your friend's voice.The right step would be to contact her parents and obtain permission to finish her novel, make it a collaboration and share her name in the credits, and share proceeds/royalties with them.That's not what happens here and this novel is about the consequences both positive and negative of June's decision to take full credit.There are a myriad of things that could happen following this, and Kuang deftly gives them all consideration. This is a diatribe and pointed satire on the way the book publishing industry uses marketing and social media, and how internet scrollers and trolls also use and abuse social media to either lift up or slam down on authors. Along with admiration, recognition and respect within author circles there also exists an equal amount of envy, jealously and mean-spirited reactions. I've been a part of both writer support groups and writer critique groups and this part of the novel seems incredibly accurate to me. There's a neat twist to events around page 266 that makes me wonder if Kuang is relating some personal author experiences. You could also imagine her as the narrator even those she has more in common with the deceased author Athena and not narrator June.Page 308: "It all boils down to self-interest. Manipulating the story; gaining the upper hand. Doing whatever it takes. If publishing is rigged, you might as well make sure it's rigged in your favor. I get it. I've done it, too; it's just playing the game. It's how you survive in this industry."