Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is full of lies and half truths, and I’m not sure we know which is which, even at the end. This is a classic, unreliable narrator, and she is not charming.
June Hayward is envious of her more successful author friend Athena Liu. When Athena unexpectedly dies, June finds Athena’s unpublished manuscript in her hot little hands. June is our narrator, and she wants us to believe that she had good intentions, but I’m not sure.
Anyway, June’s version of Athena’s unpublished work is a runaway success story. I loved all the inside-publishing stories with the gossip, snark, and crazy deadlines. And I especially enjoyed the struggles June and her publishers face in terms of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation. I think in novel form, some readers may feel more confident examining these issues.
If you liked, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green then this novel also tackles the highs and lows of social media fame and how friendships are formed and lost when celebrity status is up for grabs.