This is one of those rare books that couldn’t be any more perfect!

June Hayward was the unfortunate witness to her frenemy's death, the famed author Athena Liu. After the unfortunate event, June reads Athena's latest first draft. And publishes it.

What I enjoyed about this book is that the narrator was incredibly convincing. She's a person that commits the most unethical thing an author can commit, but she has her reasons. And she suffers the consequences. June will have to navigate her guilty-conscience in an emotional rollercoaster in the Asian American community, all while dodging cyber bullies who question her own credibility. It's like a wild ride of drama and humor, with June striking the perfect balance between being sympathetic and completely irredeemable.

Read this if you like Wonder Boys.

Read this if you like Book Lovers.

Read this if you like Everything's Fine.

Read this if you ever had any interest in writing books! ( )

This was an absolutely bonkers read. The narrator/main character is intentionally unlikeable and WHEWWWWWW R. F. Kuang did a good job with it. There were so many moments that the secondhand embarrassment/cringe was so overwhelming that I needed to set the book down for a few minutes. It did start to feel long as I was getting past the halfway point. Like, we probably could have started wrapping things up a little sooner.

What I liked:
• It was kind of fun/different to be actively rooting for the downfall of the main character the entire time. The downside to this is it takes a long time, and even then, she doesn’t learn from it/change/at the very least STOP.
• The pacing was really fast (for most of the book). And I was constantly curious what would happen next and how the story would end, so I read the book pretty fast.
• I had a good time reading this book, even if the characters/plot made me want to pull my hair out more than once.

What I didn't like:
• I mentioned this above, but I was hoping that June would learn something from her experiences, but ??? Here we are. I guess it’s more realistic for people to double-down. ( )

I devoured it in a single day! Refreshingly simple narration and casual language that holds your attention from start to finish. Kuang perfectly crafts each character with such realistic flaws that you’re left unsure how to feel about any of them.

The protagonist and narrator, June, epitomizes this complexity. Despite her numerous morally questionable actions, a small part of me couldn’t help but hope she gets away with her transgressions, simply because she resonated with me on a human level—a connection that’s both unsettling and also a testament to how well Kuang created her.

The last couple chapters left a strong impression on me—June remains trapped in her victimhood, never truly learning from her experiences. This lack of growth feels all too real, reinforcing the novel’s themes. Her subtle yet telling racist remarks—like complaining that Asian food is too oily and unhealthy while indulging in greasy comfort foods like pizza and doughnuts—and her frequent surprise at older Asian immigrants’ fluency in English without grammatical errors, as well as her confusing Diana with Athena despite their clear differences, all reveal her thinly veiled racism.

In the end, it’s striking how little June evolves. Instead of reflecting on her actions or offering any genuine apology, she doubles down, trying to figure out how to manipulate her exposure to her own advantage. It’s a bold, unflinching conclusion, and realistically, the only one possible. ( )

Yellowface is a must-read for anyone seeking a blend of engaging storytelling and meaningful discourse. ( )

okay, so far this is my favorite read in 2024.

This is the most millennial book ( )