Breakaway Books

Authored by R. F. Kuang; Published 2023; Thriller

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️

I blazed through Yellowface, feeling like I was teetering on the edge of a cliff, apt to fall at any moment. It is a masterwork of a psychological thriller—so tense that it was difficult to read at moments.

Yellowface is the story of June Hayward, a struggling author who witnesses the death of her successful friend and fellow author Athena Lu by choking. In the immediate aftermath, Hayward fatefully chooses to steal Lu’s latest manuscript and gains the fame, glory and guilt that come along with it. It’s a cynical glimpse into the publishing world, but as an outsider, I found it largely enjoyable to observe.

The author masterfully describes June’s descent from garden-variety anxiety at the thought of being caught to a type of paranoid delusion. As an anxious person myself, I squirmed at watching this transition happened—never being able to leave a worry well enough alone, isolating oneself with one’s thoughts, the horrific amplifying effect of social media. The narrative was propelled forward with such strong tension (Will June get caught??) that I could hardly keep myself from racing through it. The confessional style of the novel makes it a breeze to read, and the occasional glimpses into June’s (normal) family’s lives are a striking contrast that illuminates just how much June is mired in a world controlled by Twitter cancel culture. This is a woman who needs to touch grass.

It’s hard not to enjoy the peeks into the glitz and glam of the successful author’s life, but the hunger for fame that got June there is, at times, difficult to comprehend. Nothing is enough for her, which I imagine is a common trait among truly successful writers. Equally tough to envision, but seemingly accurate, are the descriptions of the brutal online trolls. While I can’t say that I fully sympathized with or liked June, especially by the end when she is fully wrapped in delusion, I certainly loved the story she told.

Yellowface is a great psychological thriller. As long as you haven’t been too scarred by social media and you’re not wracked by guilt yourself, you’ll love it!