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Yellowface: Psychology Of A Literary Thief


Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang is a satirical novel, about June Hayward (Juniper Song) who steals her frenemy Athena Liu’s manuscript after her death and releases it as her own. She edits the script, sends it to publishers as her own and goes on to become a bestseller. As she tries to protect her secret, she goes farther than she ever thought she would.

I found the story engaging enough, but the conclusion didn't quite work for me. We are used to dramatic ending but here it was pretty much how life is – regular, plain vanilla. Never mind!

Kuang is an award-winning author. This was my first book by Kuang and it was so well marketed, I had to pick up and read what it was about. I realized the book itself mirrored the very things I mentioned in the previous sentence, as it was about publishing industry, marketing, how readers were buying more books because of certain controversy.

What kept me hooked till the end?

The plot touches upon some very relevant contemporary issues such as racism and internet trolling, and its impact on June’s mental and physical wellbeing. Whether it’s guilt, insecurity, fear, shame, or even seeing Athena’s ghosts.

As a student of psychology, I was quite intrigued by:

  • June's psyche and the way she convinces herself that her wrongs are justified 
  • Her guilt after the deed is done 
  • Loneliness she suffers as she cannot share her secret with anyone else 
  • The dark side of insecurity and jealousy  
  • What the fear of being shamed on the internet does to her 
  • A family that doesn’t understand her.    

Yellowface is a worthwhile read if you're curious about the publishing industry, and more importantly, the mind of someone trying to justify a wrongdoing.

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