Yellowface || Writing: Your Death and Redemption

I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of having a good opening line. Don’t quote me on it, because I doubt I have the right numbers, but I’m sure at least forty percent of people who open a book decide whether or not they’re going to read that book by that beginning line or paragraph. I was looking for recommendations and I hoped that the next book I’d pick up wouldn’t plunge me into a slump. I started with a romance book by an author I adore, but I soon dropped it cause I didn’t feel that spark.

I don’t know how or why but I picked up this book and immediately knew it would be that book for me.

Just look at that beauty. I was sold immediately because there was someone dying and we were about to work our way towards knowing this person who died, and what happened leading up to the day she died. I was hooked, and even with all the emotional dilemma I was facing, I managed to finish this book in two days. I know, it’s small enough to be the kind of book I’d finish in two sittings tops, but this is a big deal that I could finish this book with all I had going on, trust me. And it was small. Just about 300 pages. Not too small to be left unsatisfied, and not too voluminous for me to lose interest. Just right.

So, let’s get into this book, properly.

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Juniper Song Hayward is a writer, a writer who has always loved herself and believed in her talent as a writer. Until she got to college and met the amazing Athena Liu. Athena is everything June wants to be, but with a twist, because Juniper Song is sickeningly envious of Athena. Starting on sort of the same foot, but now Athena has become the writer. The successful freshman whose publishing debut was more than a success, and has had never-ending bestsellers since then. But then on the night that Athena dies, June realizes that everything is about to change for her. Whether it’s for the best or for the worst is left for you, the reader, to decide.

It’s as I wrote this that I remember that I saw a review by @teknon on this book. Please correct me if I’m wrong, love. I never got a chance to read that review, but I’ll do so just after publishing this, so I won’t be influenced in judgement. I loved this book, without words. Sure, things started spiralling out of my control from the very first page, and for a reader who likes having the storyline within some modicum of her control, I wouldn’t say it sat too well with me, but it did feed my adrenaline towards wondering what would happen next at every turn.

I desperately wanted to be on the side of my protagonist, and I questioned a lot of her decisions, but I resonated a lot with her thought process, howbeit silly at some instances. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, not a renowned one by any means, but a writer nonetheless.

And I know how it feels to constantly feel like you’re not enough. Trying to measure up to that other writer who everyone adores. Trying to let your story live up to the expectations your readers have od you. I’ve seen so many amazing writers here on Hive who constantly have me wondering, “Can I be that good?” “Can one be that awestruck at my writing, just like I am reading this?”

So, it’s safe to say that I got Juniper’s point of view. More than we want to be liked, as writers, we want our works to be liked. Adored by all. But it may also be this singular fact which kills us and spurs us to make impulsive and drastic decisions.

I saw the villain a long mile off, and expected the climax the book got. There were too many hints left lying about. That wasn't nice, but we take what we can get, right? The ending of this book wasn’t what I expected. But again, I should have expected it not to be conventional or the regular, happy ever after. I saw it coming. But what I loved, was the silver lining. The hope for not good things to come exactly, but things to come. I just hate when authors leave the readers so sad and questioning why the picked up the book in the first place. Putting it in apt words, the ending to this just-short-of-a-masterpiece, was just right.

I recommend “Yellowface” by all counts. Never read any other books by the author. But she didn’t do badly with this one. A good 4.1/5 stars for me.

Jhymi🖤

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