Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Juniper Song is born when her famous author friend, Athena Liu, dies in front of her leaving a newly finished manuscript within reach. Juniper or June Hayward as she was previously known seizes the opportunity to tweak the work and present it as her own to the delight of her agent and publisher. The novel tops the New York Times best seller list and Juniper Song becomes the literary darling she always knew she should be. But as June convinces herself that she is not doing anything wrong by bringing her dead friend’s work to life and by presenting herself falsely to her readers, doubts about Athena’s death emerge making June fearful that her ruse will be exposed. Brilliantly told in first person the reader is privy to all the thoughts that ping around in the brain while navigating social pressures, moral and ethical dilemmas and the current topics that captivate publishing today.

I usually know if I’m going to like a book by page twenty-five but this one gripped me in the first half of the first sentence: “The night I watched Athena Liu die…” And it held onto my heart the whole time. R.F. Kuang does a masterful job of telling a story that writers and readers will find enthralling, horrifying and realistic while employing many of the most relevant topics in the publishing industry inside the plot. I loved Yellowface for its bravery, its edginess, and for the deeply flawed character of June Hayward. The social commentary about social commentary is brilliant and current and a reminder to all of us that things (especially success) aren’t always as they appear.  

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