⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4)

Yellow Face by R.F. Kuang 

Genre: Contemporary Literature

Format: ebook borrowed from Libby

Published: May 25, 2023

Soundtrack:  As It Was – Harry Styles

Despite (Chinese American) Athena having significantly more success and fame than June (white American), Athena remains one of June’s only writer friends. When Athena dies in a choking incident, June steals Athena’s manuscript on WWI Chinese soldiers and edits and promotes the manuscript as her own.  What follows is an insider’s look into the publishing industry from the timelines of the manuscript to the published book to the use of social media and celebrity for book marketing. Suddenly experiencing overnight success, June also faces harsh criticism for using an “own voices” story and her efforts and those of her publisher to erase her whiteness to sell more books.  Through June’s point of view, we listen to her worry and then become angry over the constant (justifiable) criticism, and honestly, as the book’s end, I found myself both sympathetic and utterly annoyed by June (which feels to be the author’s point).  

Kuang’s writing is detailed, and times quite dark as she takes June on a journey from literary nonbody to best-selling author; using the characters of June and Athena and snippets of social media to tell the tale. At times, the pacing of this book was undulating from fast to slow, but overall, I read this quickly as I was desperate to see how June’s career progressed. Much of this book reflects on whether a white author can write a story (or even characters) that are not white. Kuang points out how “diverse” subjects and authors are marketed as unique to sell more books. June’s book is popular despite the critiques, and a scene I have seen of books play out in real life (for example, a popular sports romance series from TikTok).  From the discussion on how social media sells books to how the publishing industry has already selected what will be a best seller long before books make it to market, Kuang gave details on the “dirty” side of publishing. As someone who spends lots of time engaged on book-related social media, I loved the critique I believe Kuang was trying to get across. 

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book and think it would make an excellent book club pick. Have you read Yellowface? If not, have you read and enjoyed a book that faced lots of criticism?

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