“Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic.”
Few books made a bigger splash in the world of reading across 2023 than Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. The book follows the story of two women living in Washington D.C., Athena Liu and June Hayward. Already established as a popular writer, when Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her manuscript about Chinese labourers during World War One, and publishes it under her pseudonym ‘Juniper Song’. As evidence emerges threatening to expose her, June discovers how far she is willing to go to protect the success she has stolen, but believes she deserves. As well as being a commentary on tokenistic diversity in the world of publishing, Yellowface explores themes of cultural appropriation, racial identity, as well as friendship and envy. If you loved R.F. Kuang’s viral hit, check out the best books like Yellowface with us at What We Reading!
Disorientation – Elaine Hsieh Chou
First up on our list of books like Yellowface is Elaine Hsieh Chou’s 2022 story, Disorientation. Twenty-nine-year-old Ingrid Yang is a PhD student, finishing her dissertation on the poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never having to read anything ‘Chinese-y’ again. But, after all her effort and research, all she has to show for herself is an addiction to fast food and stomach cramps. That’s when she discovers a curious note in the Chou archives that ends up completely upending her world.
Thanks to the note and her own clumsy exploits, Ingrid finds herself on a roller coaster ride of book burnings, hot-button protests and Yellow Peril propaganda. As she goes, she discovers more about her sheltered life within academia, and her own relationship with herself. The perfect follow-up for anyone looking for another book that taps into an exploration of identity and white institutions, Disorientation is a bighearted satire that aims at privilege and power in America today.
The Plot (The Plot #1) – Jean Hanff Korelitz
For another book like Yellowface that centres around a book too good to steal, and someone stealing it, The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a must-read. The story follows Jacob Finch Bonner, a once-promising young novelist who now spends his days teaching an MFA program and hasn’t published anything in years. When his most arrogant student, Evan, claims to not need his help getting his own story published, Jacob dismisses it as another brash statement. Until he hears the plot.
Surprised by how he never hears about it taking off, Jacob learns that Evan has died, presumably before the book reaches publication. Stealing the idea for himself, Jacob soon becomes one of the literary world’s hottest stars again. Until one email lands in his inbox saying: ‘You are a thief’. As he struggles to understand this antagonist and keep the truth hidden from his fans and publishers, Jacob begins to learn more about who Evan Parker really was, and how he got the idea for his ‘sure-fire’ novel.
Homebodies – Tembe Denton-Hurst
Mickey Hayward might have to endure being overlooked and mistreated, but her flashy media job makes her feel successful and well on her way to fulfilling her dream of writing stories that matter. That is until she learns she is being replaced. Outraged and distraught, she fires back with a scathing letter outlining the racism and sexism she endured as a black female in the media. A letter that is met with overwhelming silence.
Sent hurtling into a spiral of self-doubt, Mickey retreats to her hometown and is pulled in by the lure of the simplicity of her old life. When another media scandal erupts across New York, her letter becomes viral and suddenly everyone wants to hear what she has to say. It’s everything she could have ever wanted, right? Tembe Denton-Hurst’s Homebodies is a 2023 fiction book that is intimate, witty and a powerful meditation on those who struggle to be heard in a society that barely makes room for them.
The Other Black Girl – Zakiya Dalila Harris
Another book similar to Yellowface that intersects race and publishing, The Other Black Girl follows twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers. Tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books, enduring countless microaggressions and isolation, she is overjoyed when Harlem-born Hazel begins working alongside her.
But, just as the pair begin striking up a close connection, a string of uncomfortable events leads to Hazel being elevated up the corporate ladder, and Nella being left in the shadows. Then a note appears on Nella’s desk telling her to ‘LEAVE WAGNER NOW’. Before long, Nella is obsessing over whatever sinister forces are at play in her workspace, realising there is far more at stake than just her career. One of the best books for exploring manipulation and marginalisation in the workplace, The Other Black Girl is a profound piece of social commentary and a suspenseful mystery-thriller.
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I’m Not Done With You Yet – Jesse Q. Sutanto
Having both studied Creative Writing at Oxford, Thaila and Jane had been intensely close. Until one fateful, blood-soaked night. What should have made them inseparable drove them apart completely. Thaila disappeared without a trace, and Jane moved on to becoming a middling writer stuck in a dead-end marriage.
Until one day, when Jane sees Thaila’s name again: at the summit of the New York Times bestselling list. She finds a post on her website touting a book convention in the Big Apple and is determined to go. This time, she won’t lose her again. Jesse Q. Sutanato’s I’m Not Done with You Yet is another 2023 thriller book like Yellowface that also features a toxic friendship between two writers and plenty of mistakes that continue to haunt them.
The Writing Retreat – Julia Bartz
Julia Bartz sets up an addictive closed-door thriller in her 2023 book, The Writing Retreat. Five attendees are selected for a month-long writing retreat in the grand remote estate of Roza Vallo, the infamous queen of feminist horror. For struggling writer Alex, it is the opportunity of a lifetime. The five writers are told they must prepare a novel from scratch, with the best one winning a seven-figure publishing deal.
Then the women begin to die. Trapped, terrified and yet still desperately writing, it soon becomes clear there is much more than a publishing deal at stake inside Blackbriar Estate. In order to save herself, Alex is forced to not only finish her novel but also confront the ghosts from her past. Similar to Yellowface, The Writing Retreat is a literary-based story that explores past mistakes and how they shape one’s identity.
And Then She Fell – Alicia Elliott
From the outside, Alice looks to have everything in perfect order. She’s just given birth to her beautiful baby daughter, Dawn, and her sweet husband Steve, a white academic whose expertise is in her Mohawk culture, is nothing but supportive. Yet, still reeling from the recent loss of her own mother, Alice is struggling to bond with her daughter and suffers from feeling like an imposter in her Toronto neighbourhood where she is the sole indigenous resident. She has one goal left from her old life: writing a modern retelling of the Haudenosaunee creation story.
Then strange things begin to happen. Her neighbours’ passive-aggressive approach begins to resemble something far more threatening, she begins to lose track of time and starts hearing voices in her head. Steve assures her it is all in her head, but, something unshakeable inside her tells her something is very wrong and that her creation story could be the only salvation. Featuring social horror commentaries and paranormal elements, Alicia Elliott’s And Then She Fell is the perfect follow-up book for any readers who love Yellowface!
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
