Athena Liu and June Hayward attended Yale together and debuted in publishing the same year. But as Athena becomes the rising star in literature, June struggles with her career as a writer. So when Athena dies in an accident, June steals her friend's newly-finished book, The Last Front, a story about Chinese laborers during WWI. June pours her heart and soul into editing and even accepts to rebrand as Juniper Song, just so this history gets told. But emerging evidence threatens to bring her stolen success down, and June discovers how far she'll go to protect her secret.

YELLOWFACE is an unputdownable & entertaining read wildly different from Kuang's previous genres of historical fantasy. It's a thought-provoking and meta-narrative that dives deep into the complexities of identity, publishing, and the nuanced discussion surrounding cultural appropriation.

One of the standout aspects of YELLOWFACE is its exploration of publishing and the issue of whitewashing works by/about people of color. Kuang brilliantly shows this through June's editing of The Last Front, when she makes decisions to make the story more "commercial/accessible" and less "like a chore to read." We all know this is just code for "make it such that white people don't have to Google anything." Reading about this process through a team of white editors & publicists in YELLOWFACE is incredibly meta.

As an Asian author who found success early on, Kuang's writing as a white woman who perceives herself as an ally in YELLOWFACE is another intriguing perspective. In a recent interview, Kuang mentioned why writing from June's POV was so easy. "We all know June. She's not one particular person, but she's the condensed point of all of this negative energy that I've experienced through publishing. She's all the white paranoias, and suspicions, and jealousies, and arrogance that I've dealt with. I know that voice because I hear it constantly. I hear it so much that in a way I've internalized it and it becomes my own worst critic."

This exploration sheds light on the power dynamics within the publishing industry and encourages me to examine the stories that have dominated the market more critically. It's also enraging to see how a talented & prolific writer like Kuang still deals with bullsh*t of undermining her skills and belittling her success. To all the Junes out there, stfu. Our story is not yours to tell, edit, package, or market. And to Rebecca & all the BIPOC writers out there, do your worst