Book Review Yellow Face by R.F. Kuang

One of the books I finished this month was Yellowface. I read the e-book and finished it in less than 24 hours. Yes, I stayed up late because guys this is a great read with dark comedy and social commentary. It's still fresh in my mind.

Before diving into the review, let’s unpack the title, Yellowface. While it’s not a slur, the term carries a heavy historical weight. In Hollywood’s bygone, “yellowface” indicated the practice of white actors portraying East Asian characters by altering their appearance with makeup to mimic East Asian features

This was often done in caricatured, stereotypical ways that reinforced harmful perceptions.

One infamous example is Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. His exaggerated accent, buck teeth, and offensive mannerisms epitomize the reductive way East Asians were depicted in American media for decades.

This practice wasn’t limited to film—it’s a reflection of broader issues in Western entertainment and literature.East Asian characters were often written from the perspective of white creators, who projected their own biases and misconceptions instead of offering realistic, authentic representations.

In R.F. Kuang’s novel, the title Yellowface acts as both a critique and a mirror, highlighting how these outdated practices still manifest in subtler, more insidious ways today.

So, what is this novel about? June Hayward and Athena Liu are both writers. Athena, of Asian descent, turns out to be more famous. Meanwhile, June thinks no one will be interested in her work, an ordinary white girl. When Athena suddenly dies, June steals Athena's manuscript and passes it off as her own.

The publisher creates a new image for June, complete with an ambiguous photo of her ethnicity. Unexpectedly, the book is a huge success. However, June can't escape Athena's shadow, and evidence emerges, threatening June's success. As she races to cover up her secret, June learns how far she is willing to go to defend what she believes she deserves.

Yellowface tickles the publishing industry which, like any other industry, is quite dangerous if we get too carried away.

Written in the first person, the novel is full of sarcastic jokes, there are no truly good characters, and this novel also provides quite a critique of diversity. Yes, June did steal the script out of envy but I screamed yes, here we go June Hayward, our messy queen.

I'm also think June is an example of white privilege because can you imagine black woman or woman in colour get away with it? Yes, they wouldn’t but that's scary part of reality, June can write an get away with it, publisher let it go, until final act.

We complain a lot about the lack of writers of colour without realizing that publishers or decision makers have been indoctrinated with racism without us.

As an Asian and also a minority in the country, there are not many presentations that are appropriate because the majority determines what diversity is.

Like real life, the characters in this novel are also quite clear, they don't care about the representation of talented non-white writers unless they include the name of the author who is checked. How annoying and terrible, right?

We will feel the emotional turmoil that June experiences and feels regarding her introduction and friendship with Athena. And, feel the things that frustrate her regarding her dream of becoming a writer.

I'm not considered myself as a writer but I bet it was so hard for publishing your work and never get applauded for it. Seriously, publishing industry is the real villain.

I think this book is in line with the current situation where the internet and majority people are quite obsessed with diversity without caring about the community being hurt.

This book is really cool and also a book about loneliness, and many things that resonate with our daily lives. Take example loneliness theme discussed in last passage I find resonate with myself lately:

    "....They’ll publish a contrarian review, because editors who want clickbait always solicit contrarian reviews. What if we got it all wrong? And that’s all it takes to sow doubt. The netizens who love to argue for the sake of arguing will look for the holes in Candice’s story. The character assassinations will begin. "

This quote captures not only the toxicity of online discourse but also the vulnerability of putting your work—or yourself—into the world.

The satire is sharp, but the book also has a sense of humor that makes it impossible to put down. There are no perfect characters here, only a parade of morally ambiguous ones whose actions provoke anger and empathy.

Kuang’s writing is sharp and immersive, pulling you into June’s tangled web of lies and guilt. Despite her despicable actions, you can’t help but feel her desperation and understand her need to be seen and valued—a testament to Kuang’s skill as a storyteller

Yellowface is a rollercoaster of a novel—funny, dark, and thought-provoking. It’s a book about the loneliness of ambition, the cost of success, and the tangled intersections of race and identity in art.

If you’re looking for a page-turner with depth and wit, this is it. And with a movie adaptation on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to dive in.