Description
June Hayward, a bright but not well-known novelist, goes to the burial of her best friend and writing partner, Athena Liu. She expects to feel sad, but not to have an opportunity. Athena, an Asian-American writer who was very talented but never published, left behind a finished novel that she had put off publishing. June is so jealous of Athena’s skill and scared for her own failing career that she makes a split-second choice that will shape both of their legacies: she “borrows” Athena’s book, changes the author’s name by one letter, and sends it in as her own.
June’s bet pays off in ways she never thought possible. Phoenix Fled, which takes Athena’s honest look at diaspora, trauma, and family, is an instant hit. Critics praise it for its emotional depth, and it was optioned for a movie within weeks. June finally gets the attention she’s been looking for. But being famous has its downsides. Athena’s voice haunts award shows, and her editor Quentin, who is always on the lookout, smells a rat. There are also rumors in the publishing world that the debut novel is just too fantastic to be true.
R.F. Kuang carefully tracks June’s quick rise and her growing paranoia. As June’s fame grows, she does everything she can to keep up the act, including authoring social media postings, avoiding investigative journalists, and even wiping all digital traces of Athena’s real identity. Kuang mixes in chapters from Athena’s original work, showing both the depth of what June has stolen and the subtleties she can’t completely express. This creates a frightening double narrative that demands readers to live in both stolen words and stolen lives.
Yellowface is a harsh criticism of how the publishing industry turns diversity into a product, in addition to being a personal drama. Kuang makes fun of tokenism that pretends to be progress, like diversity mandates that reward appearances over truth, rookie editors who relish headlines but disregard systematic bias, and agents who consider non-white authors as “niche markets” instead of universal voices. We see Athena’s lifetime challenges, like being turned down, being told to create “exotic” stories, and being expected to “represent” her whole community. In contrast, June has no trouble navigating those same institutions once she takes on Athena’s voice.
June’s world is about to fall apart as Athena’s voice becomes too loud to ignore. Academic panels arguing over cultural appropriation, harsh op-eds, and a former assistant threatening to speak out all come together in June’s meticulously planned life. Kuang turns up the heat to a boiling point: a final gala where June has to defend her “authorship,” an internet exposé that might ruin careers, and the moral reckoning that June can no longer ignore.
Kuang asks basic questions in Yellowface: Who owns a story? What is the real cost of success when it is built on erasure? And can anyone ever live with the burden of stolen creativity? The finale of the book is both a legal and moral trial that forces June and the readers to face the destructive power of ambition that isn’t held back by honesty.
Yellowface goes above the usual rules of thrillers and satires to give you an exciting, heart-pounding read that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. Kuang’s writing is both sharp and kind. She breaks down her characters with forensic precision, but she also makes us feel their shame and their need. In the end, Yellowface is a warning for our day of cultural appropriation, social media stunts, and the never-ending quest for fame. It reminds us that a voice stolen can never really be owned, and that the loudest success can also bring the darkest regrets.
About the Author
Rebecca F. Kuang (R.F. Kuang) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Poppy War trilogy and Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence. A graduate of Georgetown University and Cambridge University, she blends rigorous historical research with speculative imagination to explore colonialism, war, and identity. Winner of the Crawford Award and multiple Hugo and Nebula nominations, Kuang lives in New York City and continues to challenge genre boundaries with her incisive storytelling.
Product Details
- Title: Yellowface
- Author: R.F. Kuang
- ISBN-13: 9788379649617
- Publisher: Harper Perennial
- Published: July 11, 2023
- Pages: 352
- Binding: Paperpack
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.