What's Yappening?

Somewhat ambitiously, I set myself two New Year resolutions for 2025:

1️⃣ Write more blogs than last year.

2️⃣ Read more books.

The wording was purposely ambiguous, as I wanted it to be achievable without setting a specific amount—and achievable it was! As of when this is posted, I have read 10 books this year, and compared to my usual 1-2 a year, I’ve definitely improved.

What has really helped push me so far has been the community favourites challenges on goodreads.com, where you can find a new book to read that falls under the recommended genre.

The first of these challenges is listed as Buzzy Books, and includes the users of Goodreads’ most-read books of last year. Right at the very top of this list was a book called Yellowface by author R. F. Kuang, and this was my first pick.

Before we go any further, I would recommend going into this book with as little knowledge of the plot as you can. Trust me, it will be worth it because the surprises will hit much harder when you don’t know they’re coming.

About the book

Yellowface is a story unlike any I had read before. It’s a satirical fiction diving into the world of publishing, social media, cultural appropriation, and just how far ambition can push you.

When struggling author June Hayward makes an impulsive decision after the passing of her friend and bestselling author, Athena Lieu, June finds herself in the middle of an ethical storm.

That’s right, June has done the unthinkable. She’s stolen Athena’s final manuscript, a novel Athena was planning to release very soon detailing stories about the conditions of Chinese labour camps during World War I, and is planning to pass it as her own.

My thoughts

I went into this book completely blind, with only the knowledge that the book was popular. Hell, I didn’t even know Athena was going to die, that’s how little I knew, despite that being right there in the blurb. I also had never read Kuang’s previous work and really had no idea about her capabilities—but gosh is she good.

Kuang really said: The scariest villain of 2023 will be an entitled white woman. I found the character of June Hayward (aforementioned white woman) very interesting as I read along, realising she’s an unreliable narrator.

At first, you can empathise with her, thinking things like maybe she’s really struggling with the passing of her friend, maybe it really is too complicated to get two publications to agree on authorship, especially when it becomes obvious June has anxiety to the point of obsessive thoughts. But then you continue reading the book and you’re like “GIRL, PUT THE PHONE DOWN!”

Just when you think the drama couldn’t get any worse (or better, if you’re into that), just when you think June has finally calmed down, something else is revealed! Reading this book truly felt like a car crash you couldn’t look away from, only this wasn’t a singular crash; this was a pileup. More cars just keep hitting each other. It was a lot of fun to read this all play out, to know that when June makes another mistake, another shit storm would be coming her way, because she does ultimately deserve it.

Kuang comments on the role of social media in ethical dilemmas (especially Twitter) throughout the novel, while also giving audiences insight into the workings of publications, and how the publishing process works and sometimes doesn’t work for authors. It also showed audiences how willing companies are to work with someone until they’re deemed dead weight socially.

As for the Twitter commentary, if you’ve ever witnessed someone being cancelled on social media, you know just how realistic the reactions are from the fictional audience in Yellowface, and I found that quite amusing. When June began receiving death threats, I found myself thinking, yep, sounds just like Twitter.

The biggest weakness this novel has, in my opinion, is its ending. The book seemed to be ramping up to this explosive ending, but unfortunately, that’s not what audiences get. The finale just reveals the person tormenting June through the book’s second half as someone I felt did not bring much to the story. This character did have their place in the book and had an important role to play as being another example of a casualty in June’s selfishness, but it just felt like it wasn’t enough of a motive to satisfy me at the end.

I had also seen criticism on how the book doesn’t seem to conclude completely, as it does not feature an epilogue, but this didn’t bother me. I read this as June will not stop her dramas because she truly felt that she deserved to be redeemed in the public eye, until perhaps she physically could not continue to do so. This also reflects real life in how there will always be another scandal shared on social media that often results in an uproar and cancellation of the person involved (which, don’t get me wrong, can be completely deserved).

The verdict

After finishing Yellowface myself, I can definitely see why it was so popular last year. The drama is addicting, and because its fictional, you don’t feel as guilty for indulging in it. I cannot remember the last time I finished a novel within a week, but that’s just how compelling and fast-paced Kuang’s writing is throughout.

Despite the ending being weaker than I anticipated, it’s still a book I’d recommend—especially to those that are a sucker for gossip. This is likely a story you’ll enjoy the ride of but not want to get on again, because you’ll lose the thrill a second time. And that’s okay, because the first time is good enough!

Unpack the story together

If this is a book you’re thinking about sharing with your book club, here are some great questions to get the discussion moving:

1. Could you relate to June? Why or why not?
2. Do you believe June and Athena were really friends?
3. Should authors be able to write a story on a background that they’re not a part of?
4. Do you believe June’s actions were justified throughout the book? Did your belief change along the way?
5. What do you think R. F. Kuang was trying to say with Yellowface?

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