--- product_id: 514311046 title: "Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang (colour may vary)" price: "10895CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/514311046-yellowface-the-instant-1-sunday-times-bestseller-and-reese-witherspoon store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick Fiction Book of the Year 2024 – British Book Awards Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang (colour may vary) **Price:** 10895CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Steal the spotlight with the book everyone’s whispering about! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang (colour may vary) - **How much does it cost?** 10895CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/514311046-yellowface-the-instant-1-sunday-times-bestseller-and-reese-witherspoon) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Social Media Buzz:** Experience the novel everyone’s debating—perfect for your next book club or coffee break conversation. - • **Critically Acclaimed:** Celebrate a book honored by Foyle’s, Waterstones, and the British Book Awards. - • **Global Bestseller Status:** Join the ranks of readers worldwide hooked on this #1 Sunday Times sensation. - • **Provocative & Unforgettable:** Dive into a sharp, addictive story that challenges cultural appropriation and publishing politics. - • **Complex Characters & Dark Humor:** Engage with a morally tangled protagonist and witty satire that mirror today’s cutthroat creative industries. ## Overview Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is a #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, acclaimed for its sharp satire on publishing, cultural appropriation, and social media outrage. This provocative, addictive novel follows a struggling writer who takes a rival’s manuscript, sparking a gripping tale of ambition, identity, and moral complexity that has captivated readers and critics alike. ## Description The Number One Global Sensation *Foyle’s Fiction Book of the Year* *desertcart Book of the Year* *Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year* *Fiction Book of the Year 2024 – British Book Awards* ‘Addictive’ Grazia ‘Hugely entertaining’ Observer ‘Provocative’ Mail on Sunday THIS IS ONE HELL OF A STORY. IT’S JUST NOT HERS TO TELL. When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity… and takes it. So what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript? So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity? And so what if the first lie is only the beginning… Finally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her… What happens next is entirely everyone else's fault. ‘The book that everyone is talking about’ Glamour ‘Ingenious, astute, hugely entertaining’ David Nicholls ‘Breathtakingly clever on jealousy, talent, success, and who gets to tell which story’ Elizabeth Day ‘Hard to put down. Harder to forget’ Stephen King R.F. Kuang’s book Yellowface was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 04-06-23 R.F. Kuang’s book Yellowface was a #5 New York Times bestseller w/c 04-06-23 R.F. Kuang's book 'Katabasis' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2025-09-01. Review: Amazing uncomfortable book - I enjoyed this a lot. It’s sharp, readable and uncomfortable in a way that made me want to keep going even when I was slightly horrified by everyone involved. The premise is such a good one. A struggling writer takes another writer’s manuscript after her death and then convinces herself, with increasingly impressive mental gymnastics, that what she’s doing is somehow reasonable. What I liked is that the book doesn’t make it too easy. June is awful, obviously, but she’s also insecure, ambitious, jealous and desperate in ways that feel recognisably human. Not likeable, but very readable. I thought the satire of publishing was one of the strongest parts. The book is very good on who gets praised, who gets doubted, who gets marketed, and how quickly people can turn moral outrage into content. It also captures that horrible online pile-on energy where everyone is performing certainty and nobody is having a normal one. Quite stressful, but in a very accurate way. It’s not a subtle book, but I don’t think it’s trying to be. It’s more of a fast, spiky, slightly queasy read about appropriation, ambition, racism, envy and the stories people tell themselves so they can sleep at night. I liked that it didn’t let anyone off particularly easily. I didn’t love every single part of it, and at times it felt a bit more pointed than nuanced, but I was never bored. It’s one of those books where you keep thinking “surely she cannot make this worse” and then she absolutely does. Very readable, very uncomfortable and much cleverer than a simple publishing scandal story. I can see why it got so much attention. Review: Scarily plausible - are you sure you want to be a writer? - I can see why this has been a book that has divided readers. I think, if you work in or around the publishing industry, you will appreciate some elements of the story more than this who remain blissfully unaware on the outside of all that goes on. Then again, if you pay even the remotest bit of attention to what goes on in the sordid world of social media then you can perhaps understand many elements of this story. After all there have been many careers made, and ruined, at the hands of social media keyboard warriors, and so many aspects of this story, so many of the key themes, are fresh, current and, for some, still very raw. You don't need to be in publishing to recognise dogpiling when you see it, or to understand the negative side of 'fame'. Or maybe, in this case, infamy. For me, kind of on the outside as a reader, but not entirely, I really enjoyed this book. Understood some of what the author was portraying, laughed along in all the right (wrong) places, became infuriated in the right ones too, and recognised this story for what it is. A warts an all portrayal of an industry that is far more complex, and cut throat, than many people might realise. Exaggerated for effect? Possibly. But behind every exaggeration is a seed of truth. For most authors, who don't have legacy backlist and a longstanding reputation and fan base to hang their hat on, you live and die by your last sales total, dropped from the schedule the moment your figures don't meet expectations, or when there is a hint of a scandal that, even by the best spin doctor, cannot be exploited for commercial gain. And that, for most, is a very hard place to exist. This is the story of June Hayward, and author whose only title had a mediocre reception at best, and who is struggling to find that next big story that will see her gain the adoration she feels she deserves. She is best friends with Athena Liu whose fortunes have proven far greater than June's. When a very unfortunate foodie incident (yes really) sees Athena meet a premature end, June is left with a dilemma. She has in her possession the only copy of Athena's very final manuscript. Will she do the right thing and hand it over to Athena's estate? Or will she take advantage of the fact that no-one else knows about the book, and use it to further her own career? Now, if she did the right thing, this would be a very short book. In fairness to her, she does rewrite huge elements of the text, but the core -the inspiration, the tone, the story - still belongs to Athena. When her agent, and a prominent Indie publisher, snap up the book, it's too late to turn back, and what follows is a mixture of karma, pride, arrogance and revenge, a sorry tale that escalates beyond anything June could ever have foreseen. The opening of this book is slower in pace as the characters and the central thread of the story is established. If you come expecting big thrills and high stakes tension, you'll be bitterly disappointed. If anything the book initially mirrors the slow and painstaking process of creating that perfect story to begin with. The story is told from June's perspective, so from the outset we get a very skewed view of events, everything geared towards her own justification for her actions and that mental back and forth between the rights and wrongs of her decisions really has an alarming feeling of authenticity. A moral dilemma indeed, but the promise, and presence, of a healthy advance soon provides a balm to sooth June's conscience. I can't say I liked June - I didn't much like any of the characters to be honest with you, other than probably Athena's mother. But it's not important for this book to succeed that we like any of them. In fact, it feels almost the direct opposite is true. The story that June 'enhances' is one that Athena was ethically well placed to write, one to which June has little to no connection - the story of Chinese labourers used for the war effort. It opens up discussion and consideration, not only in the book but on a wider scales, about cultural appropriation. Is it okay for a white American woman to write a book about Chinese immigrants as long as the portrayal is sympathetic and authentic, or is it simply exploitation and something that Chinese-American readers can feel rightfully outraged about. Of course, June, and her publisher, would argue the former, but the use of an ethnically ambiguous name somewhat muddies the waters, allowing readers to make assumptions about the author that may not be true. And there are other elements that June allows to happen that start to create conflict in an already contentious situation. Plagiarism, or manuscript theft, aside, This is a very complex situation, not helped by June's defensiveness, something else that creates a rift that may yet prove to be her undoing. So many elements of this book - the cultural appropriation argument is just a drop in the ocean - ring true. The dogpiling on social media, the needs of certain characters to rip apart June for nothing more than their own smug satisfaction, felt almost uncomfortably true to life. I've seen it myself - active campaigns against a particular author or celebrity because they shared an opinion that differs from someone else's. There is, at the end of the day, no defending June's initial actions, but there is no defending the campaign against her either. The author's exploration of the impact of social media on mental health, that constant nagging need to see what is being said about you despite knowing that it will not be good for your soul, is so en-pointe that I'm sure for many author's it will cut to the bone. If the 'antagonist' (and there is a very loosely defined antagonist in this book) could claim their actions are coming entirely from the moral high ground then I might have felt more sympathy for them. But they weren't and I didn't. They acted in a way as indefensible as June. In fact, I kind of despised them a little. More than a little. Quite a lot actually. There is a comedic element to this story too, and for anyone in the know you will find yourself smiling a grudging smile. References to an author's nemesis "GoodReads" made me chuckle. It does have a reputation as being a cesspit for reviewers who have no filter and who delight in slamming books for nothing more than their satisfaction. It's a site where you can even leave a one star review for a book that isn't even available in proof form, which some folks seem to delight in doing. I know - call me a hypocrite - I post there too, but largely as a way to counter the negativity with a little bit of light. But, debates about review sites aside, there are many other moments which made me smile. Many folks would be forgiven for thinking that authors are loaded, living the dream on yacht's and in luxury apartments around the globe. The height of June's ambition from spending her royalties is being able to afford an Ikea sofa to match the rest of her recently acquired Ikea furniture. I'm saying nothing more ... Funny yet sometimes dark, this is a fresh, beautifully written foray into the mind of a very troubled, young, author. I really enjoyed this book. I can see why many authors enjoyed this too. Maybe it is a little bit conflated, with tongue in cheek exaggeration, but there is so much of this book that feels scarily authentic that there's a danger Rebecca Kuang will have people thinking twice about pursuing a career as an author. Or maybe that was the point. After all, less competition can only be a good things for sales, right? ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 1,728 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 12 in Satires 14 in Parodies (Books) 42 in Cultural Heritage Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 3.7 out of 5 stars 69,582 Reviews | ## Images ![Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang (colour may vary) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61GKZcxOP7L.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing uncomfortable book *by C***R on 3 June 2026* I enjoyed this a lot. It’s sharp, readable and uncomfortable in a way that made me want to keep going even when I was slightly horrified by everyone involved. The premise is such a good one. A struggling writer takes another writer’s manuscript after her death and then convinces herself, with increasingly impressive mental gymnastics, that what she’s doing is somehow reasonable. What I liked is that the book doesn’t make it too easy. June is awful, obviously, but she’s also insecure, ambitious, jealous and desperate in ways that feel recognisably human. Not likeable, but very readable. I thought the satire of publishing was one of the strongest parts. The book is very good on who gets praised, who gets doubted, who gets marketed, and how quickly people can turn moral outrage into content. It also captures that horrible online pile-on energy where everyone is performing certainty and nobody is having a normal one. Quite stressful, but in a very accurate way. It’s not a subtle book, but I don’t think it’s trying to be. It’s more of a fast, spiky, slightly queasy read about appropriation, ambition, racism, envy and the stories people tell themselves so they can sleep at night. I liked that it didn’t let anyone off particularly easily. I didn’t love every single part of it, and at times it felt a bit more pointed than nuanced, but I was never bored. It’s one of those books where you keep thinking “surely she cannot make this worse” and then she absolutely does. Very readable, very uncomfortable and much cleverer than a simple publishing scandal story. I can see why it got so much attention. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Scarily plausible - are you sure you want to be a writer? *by J***R on 19 November 2023* I can see why this has been a book that has divided readers. I think, if you work in or around the publishing industry, you will appreciate some elements of the story more than this who remain blissfully unaware on the outside of all that goes on. Then again, if you pay even the remotest bit of attention to what goes on in the sordid world of social media then you can perhaps understand many elements of this story. After all there have been many careers made, and ruined, at the hands of social media keyboard warriors, and so many aspects of this story, so many of the key themes, are fresh, current and, for some, still very raw. You don't need to be in publishing to recognise dogpiling when you see it, or to understand the negative side of 'fame'. Or maybe, in this case, infamy. For me, kind of on the outside as a reader, but not entirely, I really enjoyed this book. Understood some of what the author was portraying, laughed along in all the right (wrong) places, became infuriated in the right ones too, and recognised this story for what it is. A warts an all portrayal of an industry that is far more complex, and cut throat, than many people might realise. Exaggerated for effect? Possibly. But behind every exaggeration is a seed of truth. For most authors, who don't have legacy backlist and a longstanding reputation and fan base to hang their hat on, you live and die by your last sales total, dropped from the schedule the moment your figures don't meet expectations, or when there is a hint of a scandal that, even by the best spin doctor, cannot be exploited for commercial gain. And that, for most, is a very hard place to exist. This is the story of June Hayward, and author whose only title had a mediocre reception at best, and who is struggling to find that next big story that will see her gain the adoration she feels she deserves. She is best friends with Athena Liu whose fortunes have proven far greater than June's. When a very unfortunate foodie incident (yes really) sees Athena meet a premature end, June is left with a dilemma. She has in her possession the only copy of Athena's very final manuscript. Will she do the right thing and hand it over to Athena's estate? Or will she take advantage of the fact that no-one else knows about the book, and use it to further her own career? Now, if she did the right thing, this would be a very short book. In fairness to her, she does rewrite huge elements of the text, but the core -the inspiration, the tone, the story - still belongs to Athena. When her agent, and a prominent Indie publisher, snap up the book, it's too late to turn back, and what follows is a mixture of karma, pride, arrogance and revenge, a sorry tale that escalates beyond anything June could ever have foreseen. The opening of this book is slower in pace as the characters and the central thread of the story is established. If you come expecting big thrills and high stakes tension, you'll be bitterly disappointed. If anything the book initially mirrors the slow and painstaking process of creating that perfect story to begin with. The story is told from June's perspective, so from the outset we get a very skewed view of events, everything geared towards her own justification for her actions and that mental back and forth between the rights and wrongs of her decisions really has an alarming feeling of authenticity. A moral dilemma indeed, but the promise, and presence, of a healthy advance soon provides a balm to sooth June's conscience. I can't say I liked June - I didn't much like any of the characters to be honest with you, other than probably Athena's mother. But it's not important for this book to succeed that we like any of them. In fact, it feels almost the direct opposite is true. The story that June 'enhances' is one that Athena was ethically well placed to write, one to which June has little to no connection - the story of Chinese labourers used for the war effort. It opens up discussion and consideration, not only in the book but on a wider scales, about cultural appropriation. Is it okay for a white American woman to write a book about Chinese immigrants as long as the portrayal is sympathetic and authentic, or is it simply exploitation and something that Chinese-American readers can feel rightfully outraged about. Of course, June, and her publisher, would argue the former, but the use of an ethnically ambiguous name somewhat muddies the waters, allowing readers to make assumptions about the author that may not be true. And there are other elements that June allows to happen that start to create conflict in an already contentious situation. Plagiarism, or manuscript theft, aside, This is a very complex situation, not helped by June's defensiveness, something else that creates a rift that may yet prove to be her undoing. So many elements of this book - the cultural appropriation argument is just a drop in the ocean - ring true. The dogpiling on social media, the needs of certain characters to rip apart June for nothing more than their own smug satisfaction, felt almost uncomfortably true to life. I've seen it myself - active campaigns against a particular author or celebrity because they shared an opinion that differs from someone else's. There is, at the end of the day, no defending June's initial actions, but there is no defending the campaign against her either. The author's exploration of the impact of social media on mental health, that constant nagging need to see what is being said about you despite knowing that it will not be good for your soul, is so en-pointe that I'm sure for many author's it will cut to the bone. If the 'antagonist' (and there is a very loosely defined antagonist in this book) could claim their actions are coming entirely from the moral high ground then I might have felt more sympathy for them. But they weren't and I didn't. They acted in a way as indefensible as June. In fact, I kind of despised them a little. More than a little. Quite a lot actually. There is a comedic element to this story too, and for anyone in the know you will find yourself smiling a grudging smile. References to an author's nemesis "GoodReads" made me chuckle. It does have a reputation as being a cesspit for reviewers who have no filter and who delight in slamming books for nothing more than their satisfaction. It's a site where you can even leave a one star review for a book that isn't even available in proof form, which some folks seem to delight in doing. I know - call me a hypocrite - I post there too, but largely as a way to counter the negativity with a little bit of light. But, debates about review sites aside, there are many other moments which made me smile. Many folks would be forgiven for thinking that authors are loaded, living the dream on yacht's and in luxury apartments around the globe. The height of June's ambition from spending her royalties is being able to afford an Ikea sofa to match the rest of her recently acquired Ikea furniture. I'm saying nothing more ... Funny yet sometimes dark, this is a fresh, beautifully written foray into the mind of a very troubled, young, author. I really enjoyed this book. I can see why many authors enjoyed this too. Maybe it is a little bit conflated, with tongue in cheek exaggeration, but there is so much of this book that feels scarily authentic that there's a danger Rebecca Kuang will have people thinking twice about pursuing a career as an author. Or maybe that was the point. After all, less competition can only be a good things for sales, right? ### ⭐⭐⭐ Not as good as I thought it would be *by M***N on 2 May 2026* It's an okay novel. It got more hype than the writing deserves. I read it through and I get the point. But honestly, it is quite a straightforward story and drags a bit ## Frequently Bought Together - Yellowface (International Edition) - Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution―An Historic Fantasy of Dark Academia, Perfect for Fans of Historical Fiction and Nineteenth Century England - The Complete Poppy War Trilogy Boxed Set: The Poppy War / The Dragon Republic / The Burning God --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/514311046-yellowface-the-instant-1-sunday-times-bestseller-and-reese-witherspoon](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/514311046-yellowface-the-instant-1-sunday-times-bestseller-and-reese-witherspoon) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-09-11*