Yellowface by R.F. KuangMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
(4 1/2 stars) June Hayward and Athena Liu are both young
novelists who meet at Yale. They both end up in Washington, D.C. and
become the kind of friends who do things together but are not very
close. I don't think it's a spoiler to indicate that Athena dies in a
freak accident and June steals the manuscript that she has just
completed (this all happens in the first chapter and is included in the
book blurb). June researches and re-writes much of the manuscript,
publishing it as her own without attribution to Athena. The book is
wildly successful, prompting fame, fortune and book tours for June.
This book gives the reader an inside peek at the publishing industry: agents, editors, marketing, and the role of social media. It is incredibly fast paced and quite a page turner. There are twists and turns in June's life after the publication of this book and it shows the life of an author in the spotlight. There are themes of plagiarism, racism, and competition, as well as comparing yourself to others when you are lacking the success you think you deserve. None of the characters are very likable, but that didn't stop me from devouring the book. R.F. Kuang indicated that the book is meant to be read in one sitting, which I agree with. This book is highly recommended!!
It's very interesting that I read this book for one of my book clubs, and read The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz for another one of my book clubs - both book clubs meeting this week! While both discuss plagiarism, one is the theft of an idea (The Plot) and the other is a stolen manuscript (Yellowface). For more information and analysis of Yellowface, read the reviews on Goodreads - they are the most extensive and informative reviews I have ever seen!
Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.
This book gives the reader an inside peek at the publishing industry: agents, editors, marketing, and the role of social media. It is incredibly fast paced and quite a page turner. There are twists and turns in June's life after the publication of this book and it shows the life of an author in the spotlight. There are themes of plagiarism, racism, and competition, as well as comparing yourself to others when you are lacking the success you think you deserve. None of the characters are very likable, but that didn't stop me from devouring the book. R.F. Kuang indicated that the book is meant to be read in one sitting, which I agree with. This book is highly recommended!!
It's very interesting that I read this book for one of my book clubs, and read The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz for another one of my book clubs - both book clubs meeting this week! While both discuss plagiarism, one is the theft of an idea (The Plot) and the other is a stolen manuscript (Yellowface). For more information and analysis of Yellowface, read the reviews on Goodreads - they are the most extensive and informative reviews I have ever seen!
Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.
View all my reviews
