Ever since this book was announced, I had heard nothing but rave reviews and anticipation for this novel. After writing the highly successful Poppy Wars series and Babel, this is R.F. Kuang’s first contemporary fiction novel. Once I read the summary, I could not wait to read this book. And once I bought a copy, I devoured this book in three days.
This is one of the most unique and timely novels I have read, discussing everything from the business of book publishing to the responsibility of storytellers. I already know this book will be in my top ten books of 2023.
Summary
Athena Liu is what every writer aspires to be: a bestselling author with plenty of adoring fans. Her novels are published to critical acclaim, as she is hailed as one of the freshest voices of her generation. Athena has everything June Hayward wants. So when Athena dies in an accident with June as the only witness, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s completed manuscript and passes it off as her own.
With some edits, changing her author name from June Hayward to Juniper Song, and choosing an author photo that makes her look vaguely Asian, her novel The Last Front, about Chinese laborers in WWI, skyrockets to the top of the bestseller list. But as June attempts to keep this a secret, she learns that those that died don’t always stay dead.
Review
This novel is a masterclass in how to write unreliable narrators that make you question the entire story. I read this book wondering if June was telling the truth, outright lying, or warping reality to make her seem like the victim. June’s narrative voice is so distinct that I could imagine the exact type of person June is: snarky, deeply insecure, and always playing the victim. June’s explanations of her terrible actions were often so convincing that I would start agreeing with her.
June does terrible things with the mentality that she deserves it: she is a good writer who deserves fame and fortune, so why shouldn’t she publish Athena’s manuscript? June epitomizes white privilege in the publishing industry. At one point in the novel, she argues that she is at a disadvantage because publishing houses don’t want to publish books written by white authors anymore. This belief of being “wronged“ leads June to lie, steal, cheat, and push over anyone who gets in her way. By focusing on the single individual with such clarity, Kuang is able to make a larger statement about the role of race in the book publishing industry.
I have read a few reviews that the messages in this novel were a bit heavy-handed, yet I have to disagree. Kuang balances her themes with enough wit, satire, and truthfulness that never feels too didactic.
Yellowface delves into the topics of cultural appropriation, racism in the book publishing industry, and the impact of social media on how we consume and judge media, which is expertly layered. But most importantly, her novel asks who gets to tell which stories, and what responsibility do storytellers have toward their subjects. Kuang gave an interview in The Guardian that provides great context for this conversation.
June’s action of stealing a finished manuscript and passing it off as her own is blatant stealing, and it is easy to deplore June’s arrogance and greed as she steals and lies her way to the top off of Athena’s intellectual property. Yet, Kuang blurs the lines of authority further, questioning when taking inspiration from one person’s story dip into stealing. June frequently describes Athena’s way of crafting stories as stealing: one of her first short stories was a retelling of a traumatic incident that June experienced, with no recognition of June.
Kuang expertly blends all of these themes into a biting satire. There are just so many layers to this narrative that I am not doing justice to in this review. This is a book you could reread over and over again and find new ideas to think about each time.
I feel like I could talk about this book with a friend for hours, but I will leave my review here and urge you to read this book if you haven’t already.
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