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.