Even though I read YELLOWFACE almost a month ago, I still think about it from time to time. It’s utterly wild and unputdownable that I had to let it sit as soon as I finished it. 

June Hayward is an unsuccessful writer envious of her “best friend” and fellow author, Athena Liu’s thriving career. After witnessing Athena’s sudden death, June steals Athena’s finished manuscript of a historical novel she had been working on about Chinese laborers in World War I. June may not understand the cultural context behind the work, but she takes it upon herself anyway to claim that she wrote it. She reinvents herself from June Hayward to Juniper Song as the book is published and praised. Soon enough however, the backlash begins from accusations of plagiarism to appropriation. Despite it all, June is willing to do whatever it takes to defend the career and success she believes is rightfully hers.

While I was reading Yellowface, I went through a range of emotions. First, I was annoyed at June for her ignorance and how she played herself as a victim. Then I was stunned and irked by how she and her publisher blatantly edited Athena’s novel to make it more streamlined in their view that in turn made certain aspects of it stereotypical. By the end, I was chuckling at the absurdity of June’s actions and thoughts because her self-righteousness and persistence for something she never earned to begin with was ridiculous.

Satires are hard to write and Kuang accomplishes what she wanted to convey as she examines racism, appropriation, while holding up a mirror to some of the problems in the publishing industry and the toxicity of cancel culture. It left a lasting impression on me that as taken aback as I was, it’s not at all new or surprising. Although the story starts to slow down once it hits its peak, I did find it fascinating how June is not the only character at fault, but Athena is as well. It brings in an even bigger exploration about who exactly has the right to tell a story, especially when it’s not theirs to tell. 

There is a lot that can be unpacked from reading Yellowface and it makes me want to read Babel and Disorientation all the more.