Book Review: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
One of the most eagerly awaited books of the year, read my honest review of Yellowface by R. F. Kuang.
Ladies Who Lit enjoyed Yellowface as our August 2023 Book Club read.
Yellowface follows the story of Juniper, a struggling writer looking to catch a break in the publishing world. Juniper’s ‘friend’ Athena is having an entirely different experience and seems to be jumping from success to success. In an absurd turn of events, Juniper witnesses Athena Liu die in a freak accident, and in a moment of madness, Juniper steals Athena’s manuscript and publishes it as her own. What follows is a chaotic story within the publishing world and a trial by social media. This is a story of racism, plagiarism and serious secondhand cringe and embarrassment in the best way possible.
Despite seeing countless criticisms of this book, I couldn’t disagree more. Never have I met a character that I love to hate more than Juniper, and this is intentional through Rebecca Kuang’s writing. Whilst I think as readers we are usually led to side with the protagonist, Kuang flips this notion on its head and leaves us a fantastic look into the mind of the worst kind of person.
Juniper is unhinged to the point where she believes her own lies and rearranges reality with a series of nonsensical decisions. The legitimacy of Juniper’s voice is a testament to Kuang’s writing. Hat’s off to her! Whether you like this book or not, it’s one you can’t look away from and the writing will sweep you up into the controversy. The themes of social media scandal are throughout, and the book feels very of the time. It’s a stark reminder for all that there is a person who reads those comments about themselves, and the impact hate comments can have is huge.
The storyline following a writer’s experience within the publishing industry is incredibly eye-opening, thought-provoking and immersive. It’s an excellent look into how deep-rooted racism is, not just within the publishing industry and Kuang writes it in a way that you can’t ignore.
A fantastic choice for a book club read as this book sparks plenty of discussions and will certainly get your members talking!
Photo Gallery
Your Membership, Your Way
Two ways to join, same full access to the catch-ups, the chaos, and the community. So pick your pace—just don’t ghost us halfway. Go monthly for the slow burn or pay the total up-front and save a little, but once you’re in, you’re in. This membership is a 12-month commitment…no plot twists or mid-season exits!
Monthly Installments £7/month (12-mo. commitment)
Pay in Full £79.80/year (save 5%)
Still have questions? Here are the T&C's
.jpeg)
What our guests are saying about their stay
Pure magic! From the moment we arrived at the most breathtaking villa nestled in the rolling Tuscan hills, Meagan made sure every detail felt like it had been curated straight out of an Italian dream.
I attended the February Caribbean reading retreat and wish I could rate it higher than 5 stars! This was the best vacation I could have imagined. Not only was the resort amazing, the conversation and the ladies could not have been better.
I had such a lovely time on my retreat to Sicily. Megan is an amazing host who really looked after all of the group and made the trip feel like a fab holiday with friends. I went alone and everyone was lovely - I will happily book again next year. Book! You won't regret it.