Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

Fiction Winner



Yellowface

Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody.

White lies
When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.

Dark humour
But as evidence threatens June’s stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

Deadly consequences…
What happens next is entirely everyone else’s fault.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.


Discussion Questions for Yellowface behind the spoilers
(view spoiler)[
- What was your overall impression of June? Why do you think the author chose to stay in her perspective for the entire novel?

- Were June and Athena ever really friends? If June held such contempt for Athena, why did she always agree to spend time with her?

- What were your thoughts when June witnesses Athena choke to death on a pancake? Could June have done more to intervene?

- Why did June steal her manuscript?

- June gives herself excuses for everything. For instance, in her perspective, Athena’s success is only due to her race. And when June steals her manuscript, she tells herself it isn’t necessarily stealing as she made her own edits to the book. What does these delusions say about June’s mental state and perspective on life?

June is full of micro aggressions toward the Asian community, especially any time she is questioned for covering Chinese history as a White woman with no prior connection or shown previous interest in the time period. What do you feel the author was trying to convey with June’s attitude and reactions?

- The publisher decides that June should now go by Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo. What are your thoughts about this and what does this say about the publishing industry?

- This provided such a look into the publishing world—including the efforts it takes to help a book become a bestseller. Why do you feel some books are pushed more in the public eye than others? What are some of the qualities that makes a book a bestseller—it it simply better marketing or it is more complicated than that?

- Another aspect of the novel is the pitfalls of social media, especially Twitter and Instagram. When June starts to face criticism, she spends her time reading the negative comments more than positive ones. Why do you think people like June are so obsessed with social media? Do you feel social media will always be around or do think society may one day reject it?

- When trying to write her next novel, June comes up blank. Until she finds ideas from Athena, and she steals from her again. Why was June so addicted to stealing from Athena?

- What were your thoughts on Athena as a whole?

- What was your impression of the climax, including the reveal that the former literary assistant Candace recorded June’s confession about stealing Athena’s work?

- What happens next for June? Will she ever stop her manic obsession with literary success?

- What do you think was the goal of the author with writing Yellowface?
(hide spoiler)]

I hated the way this book ended.

Faith wrote: "I hated the way this book ended."

Same! (view spoiler)[ It's like... bad people can still keep doing bad things. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

Unfortunately realistic though. (view spoiler)[How many people do we see online getting 'cancelled' for horrendous things only to see them pop up after the big storm has calmed and just carry on? Happens all the time. (hide spoiler)]

Currently, reading Chapter 4 - June is disgusting, and I am on the verge of calling this a DNF!

Nyssa wrote: "Currently, reading Chapter 4 - June is disgusting, and I am on the verge of calling this a DNF!"

Lol yeah she really is meant to be disgusting. She's either a character you love to hate, or just plain hate.

Bana AZ wrote: "Lol yeah she really is meant to be disgusting. She's either a character you love to hate, or just plain hate."

I'm torn between trying to rush through it, reading it in bite-sized pieces, and deleting it from my Kindle as though it was never there.

The story is intriguing. I want to know what happens to her, but I seriously can not stand her.

Nyssa, it sounds like June really hit a nerve! I am just about to start this one but you have me scared. lol Plus, it looks like no one liked the ending. But I am determined to read the (100) Choice Awards books and this is one on my list and that I have, so wish me luck that I don't want to DNF it too!

Vicki wrote: "Nyssa, it sounds like June really hit a nerve! I am just about to start this one but you have me scared. lol Plus, it looks like no one liked the ending. But I am determined to read the (100) Choic..."

It's a very polarising book but there are plenty of people out there that love it.
(I myself are not in the love camp but I enjoyed it, particularly what discussions came from it when I was buddy reading and appreciate what it was saying)

Just go in accepting you're going to hate the main character and the likelihood of liking it will increase.

On chapter seven, I understand why people hate June but the storyline is intriguing. I will finish this one.

Vicki wrote: "Nyssa, it sounds like June really hit a nerve! I am just about to start this one but you have me scared. lol Plus, it looks like no one liked the ending. But I am determined to read the (100) Choic..."

She did! LOL But I’m not giving up on the story.
I’m focused on another book at the moment but will return to this when I’m done.

I'm going to respond to some of the spoiler questions here, based on my reading through Ch. 5, pg. 77.

(view spoiler)[
- What was your overall impression of June? Ugh...totally agree with others. She's awful for how she pretty much only cares about herself. She's very self-centered.
Why do you think the author chose to stay in her perspective for the entire novel? Not sure at this point, unless it's to have readers focus on how completely immersed someone can be on "success".

- Were June and Athena ever really friends? Sadly, no. I'm not sure June knows how to be a friend to anyone.
If June held such contempt for Athena, why did she always agree to spend time with her? I think that Athena simply served a purpose for June.

- What were your thoughts when June witnesses Athena choke to death on a pancake? I thought it was awful! I can't imagine seeing anyone choke to death and you be the only one there.
Could June have done more to intervene? I don't really think so. I thought from her comments on her 911 call that she seemed like she really wanted to get help for her. I don't think (I hope) that she wanted to let her die.

- Why did June steal her manuscript? Jeez, I don't know how anyone could go to that extreme. I'm sure we've all experienced jealousy and wishing we had x, y, or z that another person does. But it takes a "special kind of person" to go to that extent. You'd have to be looking over your shoulder all the time! I assume that success and having that kind of popularity among the book world meant so much to her to go to such extremes. She had no confidence in her own ability to make it. Rather sad! (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 12 / 52%

(view spoiler)[Well, we knew that was going to happen. Whoever @AthenaLiusGhost is, and whether or not that person knows something or not, it's definitely gotten under June's skin. Everyone who looks at her sideways now, June will worry that they know something. What's weird to me is she's afraid of people finding out, but at the same time she's upset that others will ruin "her" career. I feel like whatever career she has is not hers. I'm curious to know what ends up happening and whether or not she gets found out for sure and has to suffer any consequences other than humiliation and embarrassment for what she's done

It's fun to see Goodreads and Choice Awards Winner mentioned a few times. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 17 or 75%

(view spoiler)[I don't know how June has managed to continue to dupe people the way she has. At least she realized she was believing her own lies, which I've seen happen in real life.

I think Geoff probably did know about some of Athena's writing. It would be highly unusual for there to really be no one who knew anything. And her mother, too...does she know deep in her heart that June somehow stole her daughter's ideas at the very least?

It feels like her career/following is definitely going downhill. I think too many people are suspicious of how she got her book and if it's really stolen from Athena. It also seems like Athena wasn't totally honest, either. (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[I see why people hated the ending and June, but even though I didn't like what June did and all her lies and deceit, etc. I was into the storyline. I suspected Candice long ago, but kind of lost sight of her once she "got another job" elsewhere. But it all made sense to me in the end. (hide spoiler)]

Vicki wrote: "Finished

[spoilers removed]"

I also finished tonight, and I ditto your comments.

I borrowed the audiobook on Everand and am currently on chapter 5

Through 5 HOLY MOLY chapters! WOW!

I can see why some people can't finish this one, the MC isn't the most lovable! lol

(view spoiler)[ OMG! I can't believe she stole her manuscript! And then thought SHE DID SO MUCH BECAUSE SHE EDITED IT!!! OMG

She really is rough to be in her POV. She never treated Athena well. She was just awful where it seemed like Athena treated her more like a friend. I can't believe she was so unfazed after she died! RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER!?

I hope she gets caught. I hope she's outed for all she's done here.
but I worry that people hate the ending. *sigh* I hope she lives her life with a stomachache because she's always stressing over getting caught! (hide spoiler)]

Through 12 chapters

ooooh man (view spoiler)[ so I wonder if the mother finally let someone read the journals. That would be the proof, right? and it's definitely going to show the notes from Athena

But I could also see her publishing house shutting it down. Demanding proof or to stop passing the rumors. I'm shocked they are just letting it play out, and letting her sit on panels.

and Ugh. she is just awful. It's so painful to read all the awful things she thinks and the way she justifies taking another person's work.

I loved the comments about Goodreads and the reviews (don't read them, they aren't for authors!) lol (hide spoiler)]

through Chapter 17

(view spoiler)[ wow, more twists and turns. I'm glad she finally got caught, but I'm amazed it didn't totally get her canceled

and I'm shocked she feels that stories are beneath her. wow! has she gotten big for her britches

it was equally awful that Athena published her story like that, especially one so sad and personal
but taking her stories like that. Yikes, returning the theft was equally wrong (hide spoiler)]

I'm done too!!

wow (view spoiler)[ I agree, I was hooked. I honestly had no idea who it was. I kept thinking someone would talk the mom into letting them see the moleskin journals and June would be done

Candice. I never guessed - but man, they were both ruthless and brutal. the whole situation was ugly but it was all created by June

I kept wondering if the book we were reading was going to be the last book June published (or the most recent one) confessing everything she'd done - but that wasn't the twist.

and I like that Athena wasn't perfect. It didn't make it right, what June did, and even more so that you don't get to steal someone's work just because you don't think they were a good person.

I like that we essentially didn't have a single "good" person in the book - I mean, it's not so far from real life, right? just a host of bad guys fighting over the fame, power and money! lol and the basically decent people on the outside watching it all go down. Even the keyboard flamewars were realistic and ugly and . . .Yeah, I like that this put such an ugly spotlight on the literary world. Especially with all the boycotts and current climate (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "I'm done too!!

wow ..."

I think learning about (view spoiler)[Athena's bad side (hide spoiler)] was my favorite part of the book.

(view spoiler)[Knowing how ruthlessly Athena would mine people for their personal stories and use it in her own stories... It makes me just as uncomfortable as the people who lived those stories and found out that they've been used. But it's still not the same as stealing a manuscript! (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "I'm done too!!

wow (view spoiler)"

Learning it was (view spoiler)[Candice (hide spoiler)] wasn't surprising to me, but (view spoiler)[the way she went about her campaign for the truth was brutal! Not that June didn't deserve it! (hide spoiler)]

I agree with your thought on how (view spoiler)[there wasn't a "good" person" in this book. (hide spoiler)] I didn't realize that until you mentioned it.

I really liked this book, but woof, that ending. It just kinda, I don't know, fizzled out? Wasn't satisfying at all.

For the discussion questions:

(view spoiler)[What was your overall impression of June? Why do you think the author chose to stay in her perspective for the entire novel?

June was annoying and let her desire for other people's approval guide her incredibly short-sighted, selfish, and plain stupid decisions. But, maybe it's the contrarian in me or I just like thrillers too much, I was kind of rooting for her in a sick "let the villain win haha!" kind of way. The book might be in her perspective the whole time so that it reads more personal, like a diary?


- Were June and Athena ever really friends? If June held such contempt for Athena, why did she always agree to spend time with her?

I think that at one point they might've been, but June's jealousy soured it with time. They probably continued to hang out because Athena liked having someone around that was in the same business but wasn't competition. And for June it might've been about basking in that proximity to such an effortless cool-girl vibe. She was kind of like the Cady Heron to Athena's Regina George.


- What were your thoughts when June witnesses Athena choke to death on a pancake? Could June have done more to intervene?

June witnessing Athena choke to death was brutal to read. She definitely could've kept trying because it felt like she tried once and was like, "Well, that didn't work. I guess I have to watch her die now."


- Why did June steal her manuscript?

Because she was desperate with low moral standards.


- June gives herself excuses for everything. For instance, in her perspective, Athena’s success is only due to her race. And when June steals her manuscript, she tells herself it isn’t necessarily stealing as she made her own edits to the book. What does these delusions say about June’s mental state and perspective on life?

She's incredibly selfish and I'd bet hasn't had to work incredibly hard for much in her life. She's also unable, or unwilling, to look at herself even somewhat objectively and filters everything through this skewed lens of her artistic ability. Like that meme "I don't care if something good happened to you, it should've happened to me instead."


June is full of micro aggressions toward the Asian community, especially any time she is questioned for covering Chinese history as a White woman with no prior connection or shown previous interest in the time period. What do you feel the author was trying to convey with June’s attitude and reactions?

I get the feeling she was trying to get readers, specifically non-Asian readers, to look at their own biases and examine a time when they might've thought or said something similar.


- The publisher decides that June should now go by Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo. What are your thoughts about this and what does this say about the publishing industry?

I thought it was strange and showed just how much June didn't understand the larger implications of what she was doing. I don't know enough about the publishing industry to comment on it.


- This provided such a look into the publishing world—including the efforts it takes to help a book become a bestseller. Why do you feel some books are pushed more in the public eye than others? What are some of the qualities that makes a book a bestseller—it it simply better marketing or it is more complicated than that?

I think the reasons why some books are pushed more than others really depends. Some might genuinely be because it's a really incredible piece of art, others because it's from an already popular author with guaranteed success or because it's hitting themes that are becoming or already popular (think the wave of YA dystopian novels of the late 00s). A bestseller is almost always marketing.


- Another aspect of the novel is the pitfalls of social media, especially Twitter and Instagram. When June starts to face criticism, she spends her time reading the negative comments more than positive ones. Why do you think people like June are so obsessed with social media? Do you feel social media will always be around or do think society may one day reject it?

Social media is genuinely addictive. It can build you up, make you feel a part of something big or a community. But it is also, more often than not, a cesspool that sucks you in and the negativity can be more interesting than the good parts. Social media is never going away.


- When trying to write her next novel, June comes up blank. Until she finds ideas from Athena, and she steals from her again. Why was June so addicted to stealing from Athena?

Because she literally owes all of her success to Athena. When she was writing as herself, with her own ideas, she was never received as well as Athena. Even in college, her writing doesn't win any contests or get chosen for publication. Using Athena's material is pretty much guaranteed to be better than anything she comes up with herself, and she wants that sweet, sweet dopamine hit being successful and popular gets her.


- What were your thoughts on Athena as a whole?

Flawed, but deserved better.


- What was your impression of the climax, including the reveal that the former literary assistant Candace recorded June’s confession about stealing Athena’s work?

June was dumb to go there, dumb to believe those obviously repurposed clips from interviews was Athena's ghost, and dumb to confess when she could've played the whole weepy white woman angle without tanking her career (even more) in the process. But also both Candice and June are vultures.


- What happens next for June? Will she ever stop her manic obsession with literary success?

She will probably start to gain a fandom of fiercely loyal people that love to ironically follow an idiot villain (i.e. Trisha Paytas or Amberlynn Reid). Unless she goes to immense amounts of therapy or changes the fundamental core of who she is, June will stay the exact same.


- What do you think was the goal of the author with writing Yellowface?

I think the author wanted to satirically explore the mind of a white, liberal woman and the politics of social media. I don't have the depth of language necessary to explore that idea in the way it deserves though, so I'll leave it at that.
(hide spoiler)]

Khalena Tate wrote: "I really liked this book, but woof, that ending. It just kinda, I don't know, fizzled out? Wasn't satisfying at all.

For the discussion questions:

What was your overall impression of June? Why do..."

The whole reveal of (view spoiler)[Candice and the clips etc just went too over the top for me. It went from a really thoughtful critical look at current society on publishing and social media to a bit of a farce (hide spoiler)]

What I loved most about this book was the inside look at the publishing industry. Makes you feel for authors.

Vicki wrote: "Nyssa, it sounds like June really hit a nerve! I am just about to start this one but you have me scared. lol Plus, it looks like no one liked the ending. But I am determined to read the (100) Choic..."

I keep seeing this cover. The book is absolutely everywhere right now and like you, I'm also intrigued. I haven't read much about it but it keeps calling out to me. Not sure I will get aound to reading it all this month but I will definitely give the book a try soon.

For some reason, this book wasn't on my to read list, but once I decided to join this group, I listened to the audio book. And I was pretty much hooked from the get-go! I finished it today and will definitely need to mull things over a bit. I felt there was so much in this book. The ending was a bit of let-down, but I still gave this four stars.

I agree with everyone about the ending, thus the 4 stars for me too.

@Georgia: I definitely think you should give it a try. There are few books that I won't try that were GR Choice Awards nominees or winners!

This was a really engrossing read for me, I was so enjoying it until the end - felt a bit lazy or rushed. Such a shame considering the gripping plot of the book.

Loved this book! I would have given it 4.5 IRL, but I like rounding up so I gave it 5! I know, shocker.

It didn’t have as big of a twist as I think my brain was waiting on, but good enough! It could have gone so many ways. It was a weak ending, but it flowed so well and kept me so engaged. I think I was only bored-ish in 2 chapters, which I consider impressive.

I loved that the protagonist / antagonist talked directly to me. I’m sure there’s a name for that, but I don’t know what it is.

And yes. June was an ass, but her behavior only made it that much more believable. Especially since she was constantly able to justify her behavior. Everything about it reeked of very desperate human nature.

The book read quickly and didn’t bog me down with an overuse of extra words. The pages just flew by.

Faith wrote: "What I loved most about this book was the inside look at the publishing industry. Makes you feel for authors."

Agree! This was part of the meat of the book that let my pages turning!

Christi wrote: "Loved this book! I would have given it 4.5 IRL, but I like rounding up so I gave it 5! I know, shocker.

It didn’t have as big of a twist as I think my brain was waiting on, but good enough! It co..."

Second person POV?

Bana AZ wrote: "Christi wrote: "Loved this book! I would have given it 4.5 IRL, but I like rounding up so I gave it 5! I know, shocker.

It didn’t have as big of a twist as I think my brain was waiting on, but go..."

Thank you! I knew there had to be a name for it. I guess that’s my “learn something new everyday” for today! 😁

This took forever to arrive at my library! Picked it up today!

Hope you enjoy!

I found this story very enjoyable! And I felt like I learned a lot about the publishing world, even though this is a fictionalized version🤔. At first I couldn’t believe what June had done to Athena’s novel. It was interesting to read how June justifies everything she did. And then when the publisher’s wanted her to come off as Asian, wow!

There were ups and downs with her character and at times I sympathized with her. Especially with the Twitterverse. That part was just so captivating to read.

Full of dark humor and outrageousness. And realizing that unfortunately people get stuck in category of cliches.