I have quite literally been stuck on this review for weeks. I decided today to just dive in and give it a go and maybe I can talk myself through the conflicting feelings. I’m sure many of you have at least heard something about this book. It was voted as the Goodreads Choice awards pick for best fiction, and it won by a lot. While I haven’t read all the other choices, I definitely wouldn’t have voted for this one. It follows the story of June Hayward, a white woman whose closest friend (loose term), Athena, dies in an almost comically freak accident right in front of June. Athena Liu was a star in the publishing world. She was adored and lauded as a literary genius. June? Not so much. June, knowing that Athena has not shared any information regarding her new novel with anyone, steals the manuscript and releases it under the racially ambiguous name Juniper Song, and as the success starts rolling in she grapples with guilt and issues of racial identity and public controversy.
I’m going to be 100% real. I did not like this book. I’m not saying it’s not good, but it was the most uncomfortable read I’ve picked up in quite some time. June Hayward, a/k/a Juniper Song, is unbelievably whiny and obtuse. She makes some excellent points about the state of the publishing industry but they are clouded by her sheer unreliability as a narrator. She’s just plain unlikable. She’s supposed to be, of course. The most uncomfortable feeling, however, is that I found myself sort of rooting for her. I didn’t really want her complete ruin, but I was frustrated with the idea that she could never really connect with her own voice and had to keep piggy-backing off Athena’s work. Had Athena been a little more likable, maybe I would have been more in the OFF WITH HER HEAD camp in regards to June. Probably not, because I generally avoid the social media rage machine. However, as more information is revealed about Athena, we see that she’s not exactly innocent of doing wrong unto other authors. She’s fake, opinionated, and severely judgmental.
The most profound theme in this book is the theme of social media and the firestorm that can be spread from one little spark. There need not be truth behind a claim (proven truth, anyway) but complete and utter character assassination can still result. This is a horrifying reality, and that’s one of the reasons this book was so uncomfortable. Is the fame and notoriety even worth it? It’s devastating to see a talented person who could be off creating who is instead pouring all their energy into nasty reviews and worthless opinions of people who simply don’t matter. Frankly, google R.F. Kuang and you’ll find plenty of opinions hurled her way. Anyone who can put on their armor and still march into the chaos that always welcomes the public figure has my respect.
As far as the racial element to this book, I don’t really feel completely comfortable addressing it. Being a white woman, I’m not exactly in the right place to speak to it and I thoroughly own that. I know there will be some people who will automatically throw my opinion out, and that’s ok. It’s only fair considering people of color and LGBTQ+ creators have always come against pushback and undue criticism simply because of who they are. I fully realize there are aspects to this subject that I could never fully understand, and I have nothing but admiration for authors who successfully navigate a more complex and unwelcoming publishing world than I would as a white writer. This is, of course, assuming I had the talent they do and actually get to the whole publishing part of it all.
That being said, I’ve never been in the camp of limiting any writer in what they can and can’t address in their work, and I always hate to see those character assassinations from people who probably didn’t even read a work simply because a writer is creating outside their bubble. Obviously, own voices stories should be given greater deference, but we shouldn’t be prohibiting writers from creating characters who don’t share their own world experiences. Should a writer pretend to be someone they aren’t for the sake of creating content and seeming more credible? Absolutely not. I’m just saying they shouldn’t feel like they have to. Should we not call out stereotypes from ignorant people who didn’t do their research? I’m definitely not saying that either. I’m still going to judge a work based on the quality of care put into it by the author, regardless of their origin and identity. As for me, I wouldn’t feel comfortable writing about experiences which I haven’t deeply immersed myself in prior to creation, deeply enough that I’ve developed a full appreciation and understanding of the subject. Anything less would be disrespectful and irresponsible.
I have to give Kuang credit for pushing me toward consideration of some pretty deep and uncomfortable subjects. That was the point, and she executed it quite well. And I’ve always said I dislike characters that are too perfect. Well, these characters were far from perfect. They had the right amount of complexity and nuance, so much so I’m really glad I don’t actually know any of these people in real life. While I found this book to be a quick read, it wasn’t an easy read. As I read it through audio, I merely felt like I was getting an uncomfortable hours-long lecture from the most annoying and opinionated person in the world. That’s not enjoyable even if there are positives to the book. The action really picked up in the final act, but it really wasn’t enough. Some people relish this experience. I certainly do not and this will not be a book I will reread. I won’t, however, forget it any time soon. Due to its merit and audacity to tackle the tough stuff, I’ll settle on 3 stars, though in enjoyability I would give it a 2.
Published May 15, 2023 by HarperAudio. ISBN 9780063250864. Runtime 8 hrs. 39 mins. Narrated by Helen Laser.