Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang is a new novel about a young white writer, June Hayward, who
usurps a draft novel named The Last Front from a suddenly deceased
friend, Athena Liu. June edits the novel and publishes it, using Juniper Song
(her middle name) as a nom de plume. Eventually, Twitter and social media
explode with charges of plagiarism and June struggles to deal with the
consequences. She is an amazing “spin doctor” and creatively shifts the story
around repeatedly, believing “The truth is fluid. There is always another way
to spin the story, another wrench to throw in the narrative.” However, June is
not a likeable character and it was very difficult to feel sympathy for her. Kuang’s
writing, though, is excellent, particularly as she satirizes the publishing
industry, which can feel disturbing. For example, June says, “‘Quirky, aloof,
and erudite’ is Athena’s brand. ‘Commercial, compulsively readable, yet still
exquisitely literary,’ I’ve decided, will be mine.” Or “Author efforts have
nothing to do with a book’s success. Bestsellers are chosen. Nothing you do
matters. You just get to enjoy the perks along the way.” YELLOWFACE appears on the LibraryReads list for May 2023 and
received starred reviews (which “don’t actually mean anything … but artificial
hype is still hype,” per June) from Booklist and Publishers Weekly.
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