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“We owe nothing to the dead. Especially when the dead are thieves and liars too”-Juniper Hayward.
Dear Reader, Has a book ever made you feel morbidly fascinated and brilliantly bemused at the same time? If this is a combination of emotions you wish to experience, I strongly recommend YellowFace by Rebecca F. Kuang. Firstly, I unquestionably do not agree with the sentiment iterated above. However, it does effectively capture the utter ruthlessness of our coy and strategic protagonist, Juniper Song Hayward. What can I say about YellowFace? It is a multi-faceted little gem and a narrative of many layers. Certainly not a story to be taken at face value.
This Book Bee will admit that she was reluctantly intrigued by the degree of hype surrounding YellowFace. Not just a global sensation but also, seemingly a local one, with both Waterstones book club and Newry City Library selecting it as their July title. One couldn’t help but wonder if all of this trepidation was possibly nothing more than puffery and propaganda. That was in fact not the case for this written dramedy of sorts.
Whilst Kuang describes the book as ‘a horror about loneliness in a fiercely competitive industry,’ YellowFace also reads as a sharp and comically chaotic statement on racism, social media and cancel culture in general. Juniper(June) Hayward- a struggling writer and self-proclaimed victim of everyone and EVERYTHING- steals the manuscript of her dead ‘friend’, Athena Lui. In doing so June is welcomed into the successful writer’s club, incurring fame, prestige and a hefty pay check. However, June soon discovers that fame is a fickle friend, especially when her identity as a middle-class white woman doesn’t align with the stolen manuscript about Chinese Labour Corps. Amazingly, it isn’t just her propensity to gag at all Chinese food or the decision to relabel herself as ‘Juniper Song’ that alerts audiences to her duplicity. This character leaves constant red flags and emotional carnage in her wake. When the mob decide to come for her, she has left a considerable trail of breadcrumbs for them to follow.
Unlike Waterstones last selection, YellowFace did personally take me a little longer to read. Although it was a funny and artfully constructed satire, I really did need to detox midway through the reading process. June Haywards headspace is a startling and uncomfortable place to live in for 344 pages, even if you do find yourself laughing in shock. The story was effectively thought provoking and wonderfully written. It did (deliberately) lack the relatability, warmth and inspiration that would make it a five-honey pot rating for me. Four out of five honey pots is still a very solid rating though, so please don’t cyberstalk me Juniper.
Indeed, amidst cups of piping hot tea and tasty biscuits, some powerful reactions did spring forth from the Waterstones book circle. Whilst certain participants advocated a strong love of Kuang’s craft, others simply could not get past Junipers vitriol.
“To say this book is so culturally relevant feels reductive, but it is. It’s about the right to tell stories, it is a blazing satire of the co-opting of diverse narratives by white people, something which happens not just in the publishing industry but in the media at large”’-Fiona McCormack.
“I feel the unexpected changes that you just can’t predict make the story more engaging”-Emma Grealish.
“June was completely self-obsessed, manipulative and a liar and a thief of other people’s stories. Would nearly put you off wanting to be a published writer’-Anne MacDonald.
“I’ve never wanted to punch the main character in the face as much as I wanted to punch June”-Milena McArdle.
So, there you have it; lively feedback all-round. If that isn't the sign of an impactful story, what is?
Love it of hate it, this book is difficult to forget. But what are your views on YellowFace, dear reader?
Do you think it lives up to the hype?
