Yellowface - Active Reading Discussion

[John]

This area is for discussion about the February 2024 book selection, Yellowface, while we are reading it.

Please make use of the spoilers function ([spoiler]...[/spoiler] but replace [] with <>) as appropriate to be sure we don't ruin parts of the book for others.

spoiler: (view spoiler)[ It looks like this :) (hide spoiler)]

[Marinka]

Please tell me it gets better… I’m on chapter 8

[Marinka]

I’m on chapter 19 and I’m so annoyed by the main protagonist 😣

[Sue]

@Marinka
I get what you're feeling
I gave it one star, but that is just me
RzF Kuang said in an interview that you are not supposed to like any of the characters
and that Athena was the worst :)

[Michael]

At Chapter 4, page 40.
I don't like Athena or June. And, I think it is pretty clear from the narration that Kuang isn't trying to get readers to like either one. But, I think a good job was done to make June's point of view understood and relatable. I empathize, while I also disagree with her. Author envy/jealousy is a real thing. (view spoiler)[ The right thing to do was to present the novel as a collaboration between the two authors. Instead, June opts to take all the credit, which was wrong. (hide spoiler)]

[Michael]

At Page 105: From reading this I"m getting a lot of info and insights regarding book publishing and promotion, and the politics of it all. Fascinating stuff, at least for me.
Also, I think Kuang may be foreshadowing a future event in the story when (view spoiler)[ June manages to discourage Lei's mother from releasing her notes to the college archives but turns down the chance to receive them herself (for understandable reasons). I have a feeling those notes will turn up later and expose her. (hide spoiler)]

[Michael]

Close but no cigar on my foreshadowing suspicions, although what I suspected would happen did occur - but not in the way I thought it would. (view spoiler)[Geoff, ex-boyfriend of Athena, is another asshole in a book populated with many (hide spoiler)]
On one level, YELLOWFACE is a scathing diatribe regarding the uses and abuses of social media - and how it can wreck careers, reputations, and lives.
Just curious - - - I'm wondering how many members have joined in this group read? I feel kind of lonesome here.

[Marinka]

@Michael, I have read the book and I gave it three stars. I do agree with your statement regarding social media, but that’s something we already know, how much it influences our well being, really., this is a whole separate debate 😊

I feel this book is targeted towards younger readers who are more impressional and sensitive to Social media.
I very much dislike protagonist and thought she was just overly whiny, bitchy, and just annoying.

[John]

Michael wrote: "Close but no cigar on my foreshadowing suspicions, although what I suspected would happen did occur - but not in the way I thought it would. [spoilers removed]
On one level, YELLOWFACE is a scathi..."

I've read this one and the other cub selection in the past 2 weeks but have been traveling for work. Lots of opportunities to read while in transit...not so much opportunity to post. I enjoyed both books. Neither were 5 star for me....but entertaining, Working on full reviews.

[Michael]

Marinka wrote: "@Michael, I have read the book and I gave it three stars. I do agree with your statement regarding social media, but that’s something we already know, how much it influences our well being, really...."
Sure, we all know about social media. But, this novel gets into the specifics of how it relates to authors, book publishers, and promotions - - in detail - - and that is of interest to me.

[Michael]

I'm now at page 223, Chapter 17 - - and what I suspected would happen has - and I don't think it's over yet. Not feeling sorry for June at all, but having been part of writer support groups and writer critique groups I fully understand (view spoiler)[the beating she is taking on the internet, etc. While I empathize with her decisions, she could have avoided all these problems by first getting permission from Aletha's mom to complete her work, and then making it clear that it was a collaboration based on the deceased author's notes. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 1
(view spoiler)[Oh boy!! What a beginning!! I didn't expect this 😂😂😂 I am really loving the start. I can relate to the thought how hard it's to find friends when you're older. And how hard it can be with some people to get close. I was wondering what happens to the script and the last sentence revealed it's faith. Brilliant. I am curious to see what's going to happen next. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 2
(view spoiler)[Things went forward quick. I am unsure what's going to happen next because Jude got the book published already 😃 It was new to me that someone would put their phone to the microwave oven to avoid checking on it all the time xD (hide spoiler)]

[John]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 2
[spoilers removed]"

"Things went forward quick".......

Buckle up :)

[Johanna]

Chapter 3
(view spoiler)[It's always interesting how we can find something that justifies what we're doing, if we just want to find it. I think it's not Athena's writing that made her to get published with a good deal, I think she let Athena's present block everything all those years by thinking about her and how she herself is somehow worse. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 4
(view spoiler)[Oh nooo, she did not!! She really went to meet Athena's mother and made her to destroy Athena's journals. That was a bit too easy, and I felt bad for Athena's mother.

I loved this: “Reading should be an enjoyable experience, not a chore.” (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 5
(view spoiler)[It's sad how true it is: best sellers are chosen. It's the same thing in the music industry. Big publishers have money to make someone popular. I have also seen bots that has been used on GR: accounts that are made to give 5 star rating to some book (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 6
(view spoiler)[Whoooo, what was that?!? I am curious to see if that woman was real or June is starting to lose it. Fun how Kirkus reviews were mentioned "that had been little more than a plot summary." because I have seen those now & then and wondered if they're reviews at all xD I have not understood the concept :D (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 7
(view spoiler)[How people want to be seen with you when you are popular 😑 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 8
(view spoiler)[Haha, how June sees Athena as a liar because she has not lived through war herself xD (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 9
(view spoiler)[It was super embarrassing when she had this book club meeting where people thought she was an Asian too (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10
(view spoiler)[She just sold the rights to Hollywood, she wasn't interested what kind of movie they were doing 😃 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 11
(view spoiler)[Wow, "the ghost" has a Twitter account and things went really crazy! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 12
(view spoiler)[Wow, that panel scene was intense! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 13
(view spoiler)[Well that was quite convenient that she knew this much about HTML 😂 I bet we'll soon know if Athena's ex is the culprit. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 14
(view spoiler)[And everything is calmed now O.O That got solved a bit too easily (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 15
(view spoiler)[Wow, Athena writing a novella based on June's experience felt so wrong. And June used a short chapter of Athena's text in her next novella. I guess she had published it somewhere already and that's how June gets got. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 16
(view spoiler)[Oh nooo, what a mess! She confessed that the first paragraph in her newest novella was Athena's text but the cloud of notebooks is still hovering above her head... (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 17
(view spoiler)[I can't believe that people actually send all those death threats!! That's insane O.O June should start writing again, but it seems hard for her to find inspiration. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Michael wrote: "I'm now at page 223, Chapter 17 - - and what I suspected would happen has - and I don't think it's over yet. Not feeling sorry for June at all, but having been part of writer support groups and wri..."

(view spoiler)[You're right that she can't blame anyone else than herself. This whole book has been like watching a trainwreck but unable to look anywhere else (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 18
(view spoiler)[And now she had to leave again, this time because students were complaining about her 😂 She bullied but still I can agree how "She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding." is a no no 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 19
(view spoiler)[She didn't get that much support from her mother. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 20
(view spoiler)[Is she really going to publish this book?? That's crazy 😂😂 And that account of "ghost" feels creepy 😱 I don't think Athena's ex is the person behind it at this time (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 21
(view spoiler)[We got the confirmation that Geoff isn't the newest troll. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 22
(view spoiler)[I am super excited!! Soon we are going to see who is behind the ghost's account!! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 23
(view spoiler)[Wow. Just... wow. Did June die??!! This was super thrilling scene (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Finished
(view spoiler)[Hahahah. I really enjoyed, June was delightfully twisted person, I enjoyed following her delusional thoughts and plans. The ending was brilliant 😂😂😂 (hide spoiler)]

[John]

Johanna wrote: "Finished
[spoilers removed]"

Glad you liked it. It tends to be a hit or miss book...

Thanks for sharing all your thoughts.

[Kaitlyn]

I'm about half way done. I switched to the audio as I wasn't getting hooked. I am not a huge fan of novels where the narrators are unreliable and hugely unlikeable. But it seems that this author doesn't want us to like any of the characters! This is definitely and interesting read and very relevant with the current cancel culture of twitter and tik tok. This is why I never want to be famous lol

[Julie]

The book was just delivered to my audiobook shelf as I finished one of March’s selections so here we go! I’m 2% in.