Yellowface Book Club Guide - Review, Questions, & Activities

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Get this book review and book club guide for Yellowface, R. F. Kuang’s bitingly satirical novel that skewers the publishing world. Find out why book clubs are devouring every word of this novel!

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Juniper Song is not (technically) the author of the blockbuster new book that bears her name.

She’s not (technically) trying to pass herself off as Asian-American:

Juniper Song is her name (technically), though the world has always known her as June Hayward.
She (technically) just looks really tan in her author photo, not Asian.
It’s (technically) not her fault everyone makes their own assumptions.
And (technically) she’s certainly not a thief. Well, not according to her account of how events unfolded…

Mockup of the Yellowface Book Club Kit with the cover page, title page, bookmarks, a discussion question page, an activity page.

This post provides everything you need for a great book club meeting. But if you really want to take your fun off the page, make sure you grab the done-for-you Yellowface Book Club Kit!

But First…Is Yellowface a Book for You?

Just the facts.

Title, author, and publication date: Yellowface, by R. F. Kuang, May 2023
Genre: Literary/contemporary fiction, satire
Summary in a Sentence (or two!): June Hayward and Athena Liu have known each other since their first year in Ivy League undergrad, both on their way to the great literary success of their dreams. Years later, they both live in the Washington DC area, but only one of them is a darling of the publishing world. According to June, Athena has it all — money, fame, one bestselling novel after another — not because Athena is a much better writer than June, but because June is a “brown-haired, brown-eyed white girl from Philly.” But then Athena dies in a freak accident, and June leaves the scene with Athena’s unpublished manuscript. June is only doing Athena and the world a favor by finishing the book. Right?

I know you won’t believe me, but there was never a moment when I thought to myself, I’m going to take this and make it mine. It’s not like I sat down and hatched up some evil plan to profit off my dead friend’s work. No, seriously—it felt natural, like this was my calling, like it was divinely ordained. Once I got started, it felt like it was the most obvious thing in the world that I should complete, then polish Athena’s story.
And then—who knows? Maybe I could get it published for her, too.
June, YELLOWFACE BY R.F. KUANG

Take Note: Points to Consider Before Reading Yellowface.

Some readers know the type of books they always like, and more importantly, exactly the type of books they don’t enjoy. If you are that reader, these tidbits will be helpful.

Possible triggers: Most novels have a few topics a reader may wish to avoid, and this book is no exception. The possible triggers I noted were racism, cyberbullying, and struggles with anxiety.
Stylistic choices: Be forewarned, there are no likable characters in this book! No surprise, given it is satire. A cast of unlikables is usually a hard no for me, but in this instance, it sure does work!

SATIRE: One of literature’s oldest genres, satire uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize something or someone’s foolishness or vices. In Yellowface, R. F. Kuang is pointing her satirical sword straight at the heart of the publishing industry and its varied moving parts. As the reader, you are not likely to make many friends in this novel, but you will get an insightful look at the not-always-pleasant machinations of the book world!

You might like Yellowface if…

Recommendations for “similar reads” can be tricky because different readers like different books for different reasons. However, you may appreciate Yellowface if you enjoyed:

Babel by R.F. Kuang – One of R.F. Kuang’s most popular books, this is a mixture of dark academia and historical fantasy.
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendriks and Sarah Pekkanen – Like Yellowface, this book is also set in Washington DC. This one is full of highly fallible central characters. A therapist creates enemies when she reaches beyond professional ethics to get results for the couples she counsels, but are those enemies deadly?
The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick – Her task is to finish the manuscript of a late author. But at what personal cost?
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz – An arrogant student, a stuck professor, and a story that is too good not to be told. More dark academia, more publishing world theft…but who is the real thief?
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris – Threats, manipulation, deliberate professional disregard…this “daring and darkly funny” book takes another jab at the cut-throat inner workings of the publishing industry.

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Yellowface: The Story’s (Back) Story

In an interview with the LA Times, R. F. Kuang said that the idea for this book “plopped fully formed into her head” one morning in 2021. Trying to reframe itself in light of recent scandals, particularly around marginalized authors and cultural appropriation, the publishing world was having lots of conversations, making many promises, but not producing any real change. Her cynicism resulted in the book you now hold in your hand.

According to Kuang, Yellowface was based on actual events in the book world, and the number of real-life “Junes” (and their actions!) far exceed what we see in the book. Rather horrifying, isn’t it?

Oh, and that cover — the way it made you feel a bit uneasy with its stereotypical slanted eyes and bold yellow — yes, that was on purpose. As was everything else in the novel that made you squirm. Kuang knew exactly what she was doing!

I appreciated the way Kuang tackled so many issues in this book:

Tokenism. With the demand for more diverse and marginalized voices in literature, many minority writers sometimes feel like they are a publisher’s “token” voice. We are meant to ponder if Athena was the publisher’s choice to “tick the Asian writer box.”
Racism and Reverse Racism. Yellowface brilliantly spotlights two sides of the same coin: a lack of publishing opportunities for diverse authors, and as a byproduct of the attempt to remedy that lack, a perceived consequence of reverse discrimination against authors who are “not diverse enough.”
Cancel Culture. Oh, did Kuang ever show us through Book Twitter how easily this can happen!
Whitewashing. Even when publishing houses are getting authentic stories from diverse authors, they often require some parts be “made more accessible for a ‘broader’ audience.” There’s a term for this: whitewashing. In Yellowface, we see the editor asking for this, and June (err…Juniper Song) is applauded for “killing her darlings.” (Wow… how much of this happens that we don’t realize??) While I’ve always known “whitewashing” was a thing, this book really made me think about that frustrating practice. From my tiny place in this corner of the vast internet, I’m asking publishers to stop this. I actually want to know the “offensive” parts.
“Own Voices” and cultural appropriation. The “Own Voices” label was a boon to marginalized authors, and it is still important. It brings attention to the lack of and need for more diverse authors writing about their own lived experiences. Paradoxically, it also places unintentional constraints on those authors, and has been “weaponized” in many ways in the publishing industry. The idea that the author and their protagonist must share a marginalized identity is vague enough to create unfair expectations. Consider some of the ways the “Own Voices” designation can be a double edged sword:

If a black author writes about a disabled black protagonist, must that black author also be disabled? If they are, must they reveal that to the world to better market their book? No author should be pressured, either by the publishing industry or readers, to share private information in order to be successful.

Should an author with a marginalized identity only be published if they write from that perspective? Conversely, if a marginalized writer can write from a non-marginalized perspective, why is it wrong for a “June” to write from a marginalized perspective…

Ugh, and the circle goes ’round!

**Now…Was Yellowface For Me?**

R. F. Kuang lands one searing blow after another in this biting satire aimed squarely at the publishing industry. Everything is fair game: racism in publishing, who is allowed to tell which stories, cancel culture, and of course, Book Twitter (or do we have to call it “Book X” now that “Twitter” no longer exists??).

As I mentioned earlier, I am not a fan of books with no likable characters — I mean, if I’m investing that much of my time, I want to walk away with at least one friend, am I right? I almost passed on this book for that simple reason.

However…

Kuang pulled off a brilliant hat trick: she made you (almost) want to see the bad-girl protagonist win. Almost, but not quite. And she made a darkly humorous and entertaining story out of some most certainly non-humorous actual shenanigans. The peek behind the publishing curtain may just change the way I choose some of my future reads!

So all in all, Yellowface may not be my favorite book ever, but yes, I am very glad I read it!

The novel Yellowface on a background photo of The Exorcist Stairs in Georgetown.

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Book Club Discussion Questions for Yellowface

“I am ethically troubled that I can only tell this story because my parents and grandparents lived through it. And sometimes it does feel that I’m exploiting that pain for my profit.”
Athena, Yellowface

An essential element of a good story is conflict — often the tougher the pain, the better the story. But what are the ethical implications for writing a book about someone else’s very real horrible experience with the express hope of publishing a book and making money? Does it make a difference if you have that person’s permission, or is it still “profiting off of someone else’s pain”?
Have you ever thought about how the publishing industry works regarding the authors they choose to publish? Specifically, do think factors such as an author’s racial or religious diversity, physical characteristics, education, sexual orientation, etc., play as much of a role in getting their work published as their writing craft does?
Before reading this book, how aware were you of the various inequities in the industry? Do you think it is fair to say that there is reverse racism in publishing?
June says for writers, jealousy is more like fear – not being able to achieve what her fellow writers have, and that she is “not, and never will be, enough.” How do you define jealousy in your “professional” life?
Do you think it is okay for authors to write about “non-lived experiences,” i.e., writing about the experiences of a protagonist who is different from them in race, religion, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, etc.? Does research alone and the hard work invested in writing the book give one the right to publish the story?
“Athena Liu vs. June Hayward vs. Juniper Song.” How much power is there in a person’s name? Do you think that the sound of a person’s name affords them better initial reactions from strangers, more opportunities, or other benefits?
This book contained many insights into publishers’ efforts to market a bestseller. Did any of it surprise you? How do you think those efforts affect the “Most Anticipated Books” of the year lists, and consequently consumer demand?
As a follow-up to the previous question: Do very “hyped” books often disappoint you? Share which books you read that did not live up to the hype. Why do you think the book made the list of anticipated releases? Did reading Yellowface give you any insight into why the book may have received so much pre-publication fanfare?
Talk about the cover. How did it make you feel? Why?

Have Even More Fun With Your Book Club and Yellowface!

Now that you’ve decided this blockbuster is your next book club read, let’s take things up a notch! But wait…that sounds overwhelming and you just don’t have the bandwidth? Don’t worry, I’ve got you!

Say hello to the Yellowface Book Club Kit, your done-for-you solution for creating an engaging and fun book club experience — the EASY way! Think discussion prompts, book-themed literary field trips, and more! Make your Yellowface book club meeting epic, without the stress and overwhelm! Click here for an automatic 20% off your book club kit and get reading to take your fun off the page!

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Yellowface: A Searing Spotlight on Publishing & Book Clubs Love It! Review & Guide