After the last two reads which left me a bit disappointed, I was looking for something that will really pull me in. Yellowface had been on my radar for quite some time, and I’m happy to say it delivered exactly what I was hoping for. I finished the book in two days.
The story follows June, a young writer who steals a manuscript from her deceased friend and publishes it under her own name. It’s not just the plagiarism that is shocking, leaving you anticipating the inevitable exposure of her fraud. The true irony lies in the fact that the novel that brings June the success she so desperately craves is about an obscure part of Chinese history - yet while her late friend, whose work she stole, was of Chinese descent, June is not. This leads to a 'creative adjustment' in how she presents herself, subtly misleading readers about her background. The illusion starts to crack when she’s directly asked if she is Chinese or when she finds herself uncomfortably out of place among members of the Chinese diaspora.
The story is driven by a desire for success, exploring both the publishing industry, its cliches and sins. It fuelled by the fast-moving world of online attention. It dives into the pressures of staying relevant - where reviews, reposts, likes, and trending topics can make or break a career overnight. It touches on the influencer-driven culture, where starting controversy matters as much as the work itself, and staying connected is a constant struggle. As June’s career plummets, she becomes fixated on making a comeback, desperate to hold onto a world that’s already moving on without her.