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Quick answer: If you loved Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, try The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews, Erasure by Percival Everett, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, Bunny by Mona Awad and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith.
Yellowface follows June Hayward, a struggling white writer who steals the unfinished manuscript of her famous Chinese American friend, Athena Liu, after Athena’s sudden death. June publishes it under an ambiguous pen name and becomes a bestseller, until the internet starts asking questions. It’s a dark satire of publishing, social media and race, narrated by someone you love to hate. The picks below share its biting humor, literary settings and unreliable narrators. All are adult fiction.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Yellowface
Readers love Yellowface because June is such a fascinating liar. R.F. Kuang lets her justify every terrible decision, so you’re both appalled and oddly sympathetic. The book skewers publishing, from diversity marketing to Twitter pile-ons and bestseller lists, with insider sharpness. It’s also fast and suspenseful, almost a thriller, as June’s lie threatens to unravel. It sparked plenty of debate about who gets to tell which stories, making it a great book club pick.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Yellowface: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Plot | Jean Hanff Korelitz | Thriller | Stolen stories |
| Who Is Maud Dixon? | Alexandra Andrews | Thriller | Literary identity theft |
| Erasure | Percival Everett | Satire | Race and publishing |
| The Other Black Girl | Zakiya Dalila Harris | Thriller | Publishing workplaces |
| Bunny | Mona Awad | Dark comedy | Writing programs |
| The Talented Mr. Ripley | Patricia Highsmith | Classic thriller | Charming liars |
| Trust | Hernan Diaz | Literary fiction | Who controls the story |
| My Year of Rest and Relaxation | Ottessa Moshfegh | Literary fiction | Unlikable narrators |
| The Secret History | Donna Tartt | Literary thriller | Academic obsession |
| Notes on a Scandal | Zoë Heller | Literary fiction | Manipulative narrators |
| Such a Fun Age | Kiley Reid | Literary fiction | Social satire |
| The Rachel Incident | Caroline O’Donoghue | Fiction | Messy narrators |
| Babel | R.F. Kuang | Fantasy | More R.F. Kuang |
| Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow | Gabrielle Zevin | Literary fiction | Creative partnerships |
| Self Care | Leigh Stein | Satire | Social media culture |
1. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
A failed novelist steals a plot from a dead former student and writes a bestseller. Then he starts getting threatening messages.
2. Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
An aspiring writer becomes the assistant to a mysterious bestselling author and sees a chance to take her place.
3. Erasure by Percival Everett
A frustrated Black novelist writes an over-the-top parody of stereotypes under a pen name, and it becomes a hit. It inspired the film American Fiction.
4. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Nella, the only Black employee at a publishing house, is unsettled when another Black woman joins. It’s satire with a creepy twist.
5. Bunny by Mona Awad
A scholarship student in an MFA program is drawn into a strange clique of rich girls. It’s surreal and wicked.
6. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Tom Ripley steals another man’s life in 1950s Italy. It’s the original unreliable antihero.
7. Trust by Hernan Diaz
Four accounts of a New York financier and his wife contradict each other. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
8. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
A wealthy young woman tries to sleep for a year in 2000 New York. It’s darkly funny.
9. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of classics students commit a murder. It’s told by an outsider desperate to belong.
10. Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller
A lonely teacher narrates her colleague’s affair with a student and her own obsession. It’s sharp and unsettling.
11. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A Black babysitter and her well-meaning white employer collide. It’s funny and pointed about race.
12. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
A student in Cork falls for her married professor and gets tangled in a mess. It’s funny and sharp.
13. Babel by R.F. Kuang
Students at an Oxford translation institute fuel the British Empire with magic. It’s ambitious and angry.
14. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Two friends build video games over decades. It explores creativity, credit and friendship.
15. Self Care by Leigh Stein
Two founders of a wellness start-up face scandal. It mocks influencer culture.
How to Pick Your Next Read After Yellowface
- Want stolen stories? The Plot and Who Is Maud Dixon?
- Want publishing satire? Erasure and The Other Black Girl.
- Want unlikable narrators? The Talented Mr. Ripley and My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
- Want dark academia? The Secret History and Bunny.
- Want more Kuang? Babel.
- Great for book clubs. Yellowface, Erasure and Trust spark big debates.
Why Publishing Satires Are So Popular
Novels about writers and publishing have become a genre of their own. They let readers peek behind the scenes of an industry that shapes what we read, and they often raise big questions about ambition, originality and who profits from stories. Yellowface, Erasure and The Other Black Girl also take on race and representation in publishing. If you enjoy these, look for interviews with the authors, many of whom have worked in or around the industry they satirize.
Related: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow book club discussion questions and best literary fiction books for book clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like Yellowface?
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is the closest match, followed by Who Is Maud Dixon? and Erasure.
Is Yellowface a thriller?
It’s a satire with thriller pacing, as June tries to keep her lie from unraveling.
Is Yellowface good for book clubs?
Yes. It sparks debate about race, publishing and who owns a story.