"“Hard to put down, harder to forget.” — Stephen King, #1 New York Times bestselling author

In a gripping and darkly humorous tale, bestselling sensation Juniper Song, as presented by R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel, is not who she claims to be. This chilling and hilariously cutting novel unfolds the unsettling story of June Hayward and Athena Liu, two authors destined for stardom, where white lies, dark humor, and deadly consequences collide.

June Hayward, considered a literary nobody, finds herself overshadowed by the success of her supposed literary twin, Athena Liu—a darling of the literary world. Faced with the dilemma of being perceived as just another storyteller of basic white girl tales, June's life takes a drastic turn when she witnesses Athena's sudden death. In a daring move, she seizes the opportunity and steals Athena's just-completed masterpiece—an experimental novel highlighting the overlooked contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

Unapologetically, June edits Athena's novel and submits it to her agent as her own creation. Under the guise of Juniper Song, complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo, June achieves unexpected success as the New York Times bestseller list embraces her work. With a conviction that the historical narrative deserves to be told, regardless of the storyteller, June basks in her stolen glory.

Yet, as June revels in her newfound success, Athena's lingering shadow threatens to unveil the truth. Emerging evidence jeopardizes June's stolen triumph, compelling her to race against time to safeguard her secret. Yellowface delves into the immersive first-person perspective of June as she grapples with issues of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, all set against the backdrop of the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang's novel is not only timely and razor-sharp but also eminently readable, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the lengths one might go to preserve what they believe they deserve."