Review by watermelleon - Yellowface [Abridged]

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

*Review based on the abridged audiobook from radio 4 *

Good bits:

An excellent deconstruction of key systemic issues within the publishing industry!
A very bold choice was made to use an unreliable and unlikeable narrator. I absolutely hated the protagonist and it was used sucessfully as a vehicle for suspense and the thriller elements of the book. Seen other opinions on this, but it worked for me!
A great summary of the alt right pipeline, how it works, and examples of the tiny grains (and buckets) of enabling sand that eventually pool into a beach of ideology.
Easily the scariest book i have read in a while for mirroring reality so well - the protagonist reminded me of multiple key figures that opperate in a similar way in the news currently.

The questionable bits:

The book began to feel a bit long and samey in parts, and I wonder if in the full version there may be some reading fatigue as a result?
While some excellent ideas are discussed, im not fully convinced that yellowface gives the reader enough to learn and change their own perspectives. I worry that only those with understanding of the key issues will get everything going on in a "yes, this reflects real life as i understand it" way, over a "now i understand issues such as cultural appropriation and how i am a part of the problem a bit easier" way. While books dont always need to be an education, i fear that those who need it most will miss the important nuances without this context, or fail to finish it completely.
Not sure where im sat on
the character of candice and where she ends up. What started as a promising character possibly falls a bit flat in the name of vengeance. This is okay in some instances, but i personally initally read candice as a non-white character which created a bitter taste in it falling the way it did.
Sometimes i felt the author's opinion voice teetering the line of being too strong, putting it in danger of becoming a brash ideology piece(thinking about pullman as a good example of this). Which is a shame, because the points are overall good, but fell on the page too strongly at times which ,ay be offputting to some.

Content Warnings