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Yellowface

 

Yellowface

Written by R.F. Kuang
Originally published in 2023
~320 pages
Rate: 5/5
This is the second book that my book club has decided to read. I finished the book a little bit earlier than our set date because I couldn't put it down.

Yellowface is about two authors who have been best friends since college. One of the authors, Athena, is a successful author. The other author, June, is not so successful. One night when they are spending time together at Athena's apartment she dies. After June gets help, she sneaks Athena's work-in-progress into her bag and later has it published as her own work.

I'm not sure I've ever found a book about a book so captivating before. The book felt sort of like texting your friend about something they did and you're not sure how to tell them that they are in the wrong so you kind of just have to let them figure it out by themselves. It felt casual in the best way possible, because there was still a lot on the line, but obviously as a reader we don't have to deal with any of the repercussions, or do we?

R.F. Kuang gave a lot of insight about the publishing industry, specifically how books make it out into the world. Granted since this is a work of fiction, it might not be entirely accurate. A part from explaining the publishing process, R.F. Kuang also covered racial issues within the publishing market. After reading the entire book, Yellowface feels slightly ironic.

"Every writer I know feels this way about someone else. Writing is such a solitary activity. You have no assurance that what you’re creating has any value, and any indication that you’re behind in the rat race sends you spiraling into the pits of despair. Keep your eyes on your own paper, they say. But that’s hard to do when everyone else’s papers are flapping constantly in your face" (9).

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