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This has changed a lot in recent years
Jacqueline Woodson
Han Kang
Yaa Gyasi

Read More:
Valérie Perrin
Percival Everett
R.F. Kuang

Start Reading:
George Eliot
Fonda Lee
and I guess Emily Henry since I randomly bought 2 of her books at some point.

I picked up a used copy to see what the hype was. While the issues around cancel culture and cultural appropriation were timely, I found the protagonist and voice unlikeable from the start (and also saw the ending coming fairly early). I‘m probably in the minority here.

I loved the first third of this book and was angry at myself for being so late to the game (it‘s been on my tbr list forever ever). The last 25% had me thinking that it ought to have ended sooner. I get that she wanted to wrap a loose thread, but I think it could have been left loose because it lost its believability for me by tying it up. Still a pick, still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
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#boleybooks #yellowface #rfkuang #bookbeast #bookbuds #bookchat #libby

This book is perfectly written with an unreliable narrator and the writing is absolutely uncanny, witty, and disturbing. I was totally sucked in for most of the story, finishing it in a few days. Towards the end, the plot dragged a little bit to me, but overall it was an amazing book.

#HauntedShelf
@PuddleJumper @Jadams89 #FrightClub
#BookRecommendations
#yellow #morallydubious

I'm counting this one for two. Kuang raises many questions and concerns regarding the publishing industry, but the one that encapsulates the novel in my mind is the undeniable fact that Juniper “Song“ Hayward knowingly stole her frenemy's ideas. A fast and fiery read.
+61 points

Just… no. I get it. The publishing industry sucks. But this story, which had so much promise and so many interesting ideas, felt too much like a whoa-is-me semi-autobiographical editorial that I‘m frustrated I spent time finishing it. And the ending was just not what it could have been. Sad waste of good publishing space.

June Hayward, a struggling novelist, takes advantage of the sudden death of her very successful friend Athena Liu to steal an unpublished manuscript. As June narrates the story of her rise to fame, it is clear her self-absorption and hubris will lead to disaster. The true feat of this gripping novel is that the author manages to humanize June, despite her many, many flaws, while Athena remains a mystery, seen only through the eyes of others.

I‘m bailing on this book. Made it half way through and just can‘t go on anymore. This book is like talking to one of your long winded friends on the phone where you can put the phone down, walk away for 10 minutes, and not miss a thing. Oh, and if you don‘t vote Democrat you‘re a facist and a racist. The MC is very unlikable and the whole social media basis of the book just makes me hate social media even more. I‘m out on this one ☝️ #hailthebail

#AboutABook Day 28: A book #YouveReread with my college kid last year when we decided to include this in our summer book club of two for our usual read-aloud. It was hilarious.

There‘s some interesting things in here about racism in the publishing industry, but for me, the main character is too unlikeable, and the message of the book thrust too much in the reader‘s face, for me to enjoy the novel. I prefer something a little more subtle.

It‘s times like these I wish I was in a book club! At first I really struggled, the main character is vile, I found it uncomfortable to read, wondered what the writer was trying to do but it‘s such a clever book, so much to unpack! gave an insight and appreciation to the publishing industry which I had never thought of. Highlighting the toxicity of social media. Its apparent Jealousy , judgemental awful human traits I struggle reading about 😅

For the longest time, I had no intentions of reading this one. After seeing people read and love this book for about six months, I decided I would see what all the hype was about. I put the audiobook on hold with my local library and waited another eight months for my chance. I enjoyed this story and am glad I read it. If I hadn‘t read it, I think I would have been okay, too.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/yellowface

Audiobook on sale today on Audible

I read this for my IRL book club. We also read The Plot this year, which is unfortunate because they‘re very similar. Yellowface is definitely more layered. I think it‘s a better book. When comparing the quality of the writing, however, I‘m not sure that Kuang‘s text is any stronger. 👇🏻

I am still in the middle of this one for #AuthorAMonth. I find this a difficult read to get through. It isn't bad. I think I just find it uncomfortable, which makes it less enjoyable for me. @Soubhiville

when i say i DEVOURED this. the way i was mad throughout the whole book because of june and was PRAYING FOR HER DOWNFALL, listen its because of the shtty things she did and the way shes trying to justify it like-?? there was just one off that i'm like oh that's random? why is this being shoved in? i thought this was just literary satire, but why is there horror now with that ghost

I have not thoroughly hated a MC in a looooong time. What a book.

I despise the main character in this book (and that is probably an understatement) but the fact that the author could make me despise a character so much speaks to the writing. You are pulled into the story from the first page, and although you know it's only going to get worse, you can't put the book down. While I understand where the ending comes from, I think there could have been a better ending for the character.

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

I don‘t know if my expectations were too high or it was the fact I read this while I bed with pneumonia (yes 2024 really hates me) but this didn‘t fully work for me. June is deliciously unlikeable and Kuang managed to create tension even when I wasn‘t fully invested. Glad I finally read it but I appreciated it more than I liked it. #autheramonth

Rainy day at the cottage today so there will be reading, board games and colouring with the kiddos today. Going to jump in on #AuthorAMonth with the tagged book. While I saw this book pop up everywhere for a few months, I have no idea what it is about...which is kind of fun sometimes!

#RainyDay #Cottage #LakeSideReading

“Reading lets us live in someone else‘s shoes. Literature builds bridges; it makes our world larger, not smaller.”

#CoverLove #Yellow
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

#CoverLove #yellow
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @eggs

The tagged was a compulsively quick read - the story spirals so quickly, it‘s tough to put down.

Admittedly, I kept waiting for a *why* June acted this way. My brain needed a reason why, even if it was ridiculous or left-field. Clues were only hinted at though - ultimately, June is who she is, the reader can draw their own conclusion.

Wild. Unnerving. Biting. Looking forward to reading more of Kuang‘s work. ✨ #AuthorAMonth

This is a GREAT beach read, fast-paced and easy to read. I hated the entitled, self-centered unreliable narrator and enjoyed rooting for her downfall. The critiques of the racist, toxic publishing industry and online book world (Twitter, etc.) added something deeper to the book, although part of me wishes the book were far more complex - maybe with multiple versions of the narrative like Hernan Diaz's Trust. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #AuthorAMonth #AAM @Soubhiville

June‘s descent is swift & brutal. Her narcissism is so petty but also so achingly common? The 1-star on GR debate is a nuanced thing but authors getting territorial about it? A whole new level of kill your darlings & power tripping. #AuthorAMonth

This book had so much hype for an ending that I just did not care about

#AAM When I read Babel last year I thought it was a captivating and original fantasy story, but the themes behind it seemed incredibly heavy handed, and as the conclusion approached it began to seem more and predictable. Overall I feel really disappointed when I think back on it, so I was reluctant to start this one. Surprisingly, I had a hard time putting this down and listened to it in one day. I found it much more nuanced than Babel, 👇🏼

Junie Hayward aka Juniper Song is one character I would have loved to reach out and give her a good shake. She is accused of taking the work of another young writer and has it published after much rewriting. She certainly needed someone to give her some very stern advice. I enjoyed the book. R F Kuang certainly wrote a novel worth reading. 4/5

June is wrapped! Unintentionally read a lot of pink covers this past month 🤷🏻‍♀️💖

Quite fast read. Despite that the plots sometimes make me feel like I‘m watching “Gossip Girl” all over, the book does offer some serious thoughts provoking on the issues of representation and cultural appropriation. It also teeters on the brink of satire for the harsh reality of the entertainment industry and who gets/owns to voice their version of the storytelling.

Aiming to finish my current read this weekend so I can dive into this during the holiday week for #AuthorAMonth. I have another title lined up for this author too - Babel - but didn‘t realize it was 500+ pages. Gulp. Gonna be carrying that 🧱 back & forth on the train for a bit. 😂 🤷🏻‍♀️

⭐ 4.5 STARS ⭐

Heard mixed reviews on this, but I really enjoyed the #audiobook. Loved the concept, but will say the main character did stress me out a bit. 😫😆

Huh. I‘m somewhere in chapter 5 and slowly losing interest.
I had pretty high expectations going in and maybe that‘s the problem. I‘m just not getting into it 🤔
I find it impossible to identify with the MC. She‘s making terrible choices. Just wow 😮

Final May #Bookspin board. I finished 9 books in May, including my #Doublespin (Educated). I DNF‘d Yellowface at about 30% because I couldn‘t force myself to listen to the insufferable and un-self aware main character narration any longer.

Sadly this was not for me. I didn‘t like the writing from the start and after 58p (chap 5) that hadn‘t changed. I‘ve read too many good books lately that has pulled me in from the start, to have the patience to see if this was going to change.

So good, I loved every bit of this despite the toe-curling, car-crash in slow motion. You will love to hate June and her petulant indignation at what befalls her. The author wrote June so well, and forces discomfort in the reader. Funny, gossipy, snarky and very knowing; great fun yet dealing with serious and very current issues including cultural appropriation, own voices and who gets to tell a story.

excited for this and i am glad its virtual #libraryevent #aapimonth

I've heard so much about this! 🎧

Self-care consists of writing letters to all of my bookish friends! I‘m behind…but excited and looking forward to a post office run.

This story was deliciously wicked! The narrator was quite adept at making excuses for her insane behavior and I was honestly gobsmacked at some of the rationale she used…it would have been comical at times if it wasn‘t so horrible. It was also really interesting getting an inside look at the publishing industry and the hypocrisy within it. I‘ve never read anything quite like it and I devoured it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

I loved this book! It‘s our first book club read and I can‘t wait to discuss. It was like watching a car accident - cringey but in a highly readable way! (21)
⭐️ : 4/5

Well written and attention catching. I love books about controversial topics and this one was awesome. I loved to hate the narrator all the away through. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading at the track meet. This book is sooo cringy 😣

This was like watching a car crash. I couldn‘t look away. Almost every character involved was self-serving and driven by an absolute narcissistic desire for success, but the author was so good and you are so invested in what happens next. The whole plot is really digging at a deeper issue of cultural history and authorship. The ever present threat of social media‘s ire gave it and added weight. Lived up to the hype for me.

I‘ve seen this book recommended in many forums, & have been wanting to read it. It drew me in from the start. If you‘ve read it, you know what I mean. I wish the entire book had been as good as the beginning.It‘s definitely a quick read. I can‘t say that any of the characters were likable,nor I don‘t think they were supposed to be.It‘s hard to believe that this is the same author that wrote Babel. The 2 books were so different.

Yellowface addresses many controversial topics of the publishing industry. Who has the right to tell minority stories? How thin is the line between inspired story telling and intellectual theft? Is cancel culture harmful and abusive or effective and just? It certainly made me question my own thoughts and opinions on the subjects! 4/5

This book reads like a dream, a thriller dream and it isn‘t. First chapter, main character‘s college friend dies “In a weird tragic way” who also was a successful writer. Then the “protagonist” who also is a writer, does the unthinkable. We will leave it at that. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️