Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

23 reviews

lilacfoxes's review

dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Want to rate somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Part of me did really enjoy the “horror” aspects of June seeing Athena’s ghost but I did get a little bored of it. I guessed that Candice would seek revenge immediately, not necessarily a criticism but I would like it to have turned out to be someone random and that June is making it up in her head like the Diana scene. Not sure if I’ll re-read but I did enjoy seeing the complex relationship between Athena and June become more clear throughout the novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Misogyny, Stalking, and Mental illness

Minor: Eating disorder

seamoonstone's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Minor: Eating disorder

amandaboyer's review

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Grief, Hate crime, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Racism, and Death of parent

britbreeze's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Minor: Rape, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Mental illness

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a narrative about personal jealousy, racism in publishing and interrogating race politics 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Murder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Eating disorder, Medical content, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, War, Drug use, Grief, Biphobia, Classism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Rape

The entire narrative of this book is about a White American woman excusing and justifying her actions against a college friend and writer colleague who is Chinese American plus the varying moods and swings in action to conceal what she is doing. We are in the mind of the white woman character the whole time and it’s intentionally uncomfortable to be in this character’s head. Pace yourself if you need to though this novel isn’t that long.

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Body horror, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Death, Racism, Sexism, Cursing, Grief, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Genocide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Bullying, and Homophobia

thereader's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An interesting page turner with insights into the publishing industry. 

I think it is a meditation on loneliness more than strictly diversity in the publishing industry.  The main character was not even close to redemption by the end but still wanted to keep following her,  great writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Eating disorder

threeundertwopnw's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The ending was a bit disappointing. Reading this book gave me anxiety in the same way The Talented Mr Ripley did. A hilarious and sad satire of the publishing industry and the brutality of social media. The main character is simply the worst. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, Racism, Rape, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Death, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders

emily_journals's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really liked and appreciated the themes explored in this book, but the execution and construction fell somewhat flat for me. I still overall enjoyed the reading experience, but there were a few elements I wish has been fine tuned a little more. 

The main thing I had an issue with was the pacing. There was a good chunk in the middle of the book that I was getting bored and finding my mind wandering as we're waiting for the next plot point to come and I wish some of the rambling that the main character does on the same points over and over again had been trimmed a little more. Then the ending felt really rushed to me and some of the character choices in the climax and end of the book felt really rushed and unexplained, so I think some of the middle could have been trimmed and the end could've been expanded a bit to make the pacing more consistent throughout the whole book without risking the book getting too long. 

What really shines through in this book is the character work. Kuang does such a masterful job of creating such hate-able and authentic characters. Kuang does a really good job of especially highlighting how awful and racist June is, but writing June's internal monologue in a way that she almost convinces you June might be doing this all unintentionally. This book is also such an insightful look into and criticism on the publishing industry and what a dumpster fire it is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Toxic friendship

46jjsg's review

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I would rate this 4.5/5 simply because although I liked this book and would recommend it to others- I will admit it did lag in the middle (refer to: June’s doom scrolling). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Death, Violence, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, and Rape