Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang (colour may vary) Paperback – 9 May 2024

This book is absolutely "Clever and Witty" as many have described it. I'm not sure I would go as far as to say it's "hilarious" though. The massive amount of cringing and wincing I was doing throughout meant I barely raised an eyebrow to the wit, let alone laughed. However I was gripped by the narcissistic, warped protagonist. There isn't one single redeeming or wholesome character in the book, which combined with the authors smart, satirical portrayal of social media and the publishing industry, utterly exhausted me. The story is gripping and very close to the knuckle. From the reviews I know some found the decisions made by "June" too far fetched. For me personally, I found them frighteningly close to the truth. A bit like an episode of Black Mirror, dystopian but not as far fetched as we would like to think. Great book.

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?

I really enjoyed this book. I found it fascinating, I was drawn in from the beginning. June was a terrible person but I still found myself invested in her story, I couldn't decide if I wanted her to get found out or not as the more that was revealed about Athena the more I disliked her too! I felt June's loneliness and although that didn't allow her to steal someone's work I could see the reasons she did it at the beginning. The end was a little too much for me and I was left wanting to know what happened to June and whether she had been able to salvage anything from the mess she created. I really wanted a proper resolution for her character whether that was good or bad!The Insight into the publishing world was really interesting and I loved watching the process of bringing the book to life.3.5 stars for me just because I felt the end didn't quite complete the book.⭐⭐⭐💫

A biting exploration of identity, privilege, and the complexities of cultural appropriation.Kuang’s sharp prose and keen psychological insight make Yellowface both compelling and unsettling. The characters are morally grey, and the story offers no easy answers, just a gripping exploration of identity, privilege, and exploitation. Yellowface is provocative and intelligent cementing Kuang’s reputation as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary fiction. It is also, sadly, predictable.

This is an amazingly written book I could not put down. The protagonist takes us on a journey of many feelings, from pity to empathy to anger and all other human emotions possible. The reader can then form their own opinions and shift their point of view as the story unfolds to an ending that is just as engaging as the beginning of the book. I will be reading more work from this author!

Yellowface starts well with a gripping scene and some barbed insights into publishing and social media. But it suffers a serious dip in the second half with increasingly stupid plot development and an unsatisfactory conclusion. The absence of sympathetic (or even credible) characters doesn't help. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could. Not recommended.