The Plot tells the story of Jake, a writer facing failure, who steals the brilliant premise of a novel from a deceased former student. Success soon brings him widespread acclaim, but also envy, suspicion, and paranoia when anonymous messages accuse him of plagiarism.
Korelitz explores the risks and ethics surrounding storytelling and originality in the literary world.
With clever suspense, The Plot offers a sharp commentary on ambition, authenticity, and how the publishing industry handles questions around authorship, very much reminiscent of the thematic concerns in Yellowface.
Set in a prestigious publishing house, The Other Black Girl revolves around Nella, the only Black employee in her office—until Hazel arrives. Their initial solidarity turns uneasy when Nella receives mysterious threats, making her wonder whether Hazel is friend or foe.
Through chilling satire and an edge of thriller tension, Harris uncovers uncomfortable truths about office politics, racial dynamics, and performative diversity initiatives.
Like Yellowface, this novel critiques the industry's tokenism and its superficial ideals, adding a suspenseful twist that keeps readers thoroughly engrossed.
In Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid introduces readers to Emira, a young Black babysitter wrongly accused of kidnapping the white child she cares for. The controversy triggers awkwardly performative responses from her employer Alix, sparking tension and misunderstandings.
Through sharp insight and humor, Reid examines privilege, race, and transactional relationships.
Similar to Yellowface, the novel carefully dissects performative allyship, authenticity, and how social media shapes identities and controversies, making a compelling commentary on modern racial dynamics and the societal obsession with appearances.
Adichie's Americanah captures themes of identity, belonging, and race through the lives of Ifemelu and Obinze, lovers who migrate from Nigeria.
While Obinze navigates challenges undocumented in the UK, Ifemelu rises to prominence in America through a blog about race and identity.
Adichie's depiction of blogging and online discourse parallels Yellowface in how it critiques the public performance of identity politics and the nuances of cultural authenticity.
Richly observant, Americanah offers readers a thoughtful exploration of racial experiences and cultural contrasts across continents.
Tom Ripley, Highsmith's classic sociopathic anti-hero, charms and deceives his way into assuming another man's luxurious lifestyle. Identity theft quickly spirals into psychological unraveling, producing intense tension and suspense.
Highsmith explores themes like obsession, deception, and the seductive nature of privilege, which align closely with Yellowface and its focus on identity appropriation.
With its dark wit and tight plotting, The Talented Mr. Ripley remains timeless in examining how desperation and envy lead individuals into morally dubious territory, echoing elements of Kuang's explorations.
In Moshfegh's dark, satirical novel, an unnamed protagonist decides to sleep her way through an entire year, aided by questionable medication prescribed without oversight. Her extreme withdrawal from reality critiques contemporary alienation, privilege, and superficiality.
The protagonist is deeply flawed and passive, symptomatic of modern society’s emptiness.
This portrayal shares thematic resonance with Yellowface, notably its examination of entitlement, ambition, and the highly artificial nature of identity and image in privileged spaces, depicted through biting humor and unsettling scenarios.
Oyler's debut novel introduces a protagonist who uncovers that her boyfriend secretly runs online conspiracy theorist accounts. Following his death, she delves deeper into online performance, questioning authenticity, deception, and identity manipulation.
Fake Accounts cleverly captures the hollowness attached to carefully constructed online personas that permeate modern life.
Like Yellowface, the novel provides a caustic critique of online discourse, social media culture, and how constructed narratives of identity shape perceptions and interactions in the digital age.
Alam's suspenseful novel begins with a white family renting a luxurious vacation home from a Black couple. When unexplained chaos overtakes the outside world, tensions rooted in race and class unexpectedly surface.
Alam skillfully generates anxiety and ambiguity, brilliantly dissecting subtle power dynamics and privilege hidden beneath everyday interactions.
Leave the World Behind, while tackling different circumstances, echoes Yellowface in revealing deep-seated biases and uncomfortable truths lurking beneath polished surfaces, offering a deeply relatable yet unnerving narrative.
Samuel Andresen-Anderson, a frustrated writer accused of plagiarism, reconnects with his estranged activist mother, uncovering secrets from her past that involve media, protest, and self-invention.
Through intricate narrative structure, Hill investigates themes of authenticity, storytelling, and reputation. This sprawling novel explores how personal narratives can mask truths to serve ambition and public perception.
Like Kuang’s Yellowface, The Nix cleverly critiques media celebrity, truth manipulation, and identity constructed through stories we tell and curate in public view.
Set within a competitive high school drama program, Choi's Trust Exercise explores shifting dynamics between teachers and students. As events unfold, readers experience vastly differing perspectives that challenge assumptions of truth and memory.
Choi maintains tension by questioning narrative reliability and control throughout. Themes of power imbalance and narrative manipulation parallel the unreliability and psychological suspense central to Yellowface.
Choi invites readers to question who tells the truth, who profits from the narrative, and whose voice ultimately determines the story.
Arthur Less, a novelist struggling through a midlife crisis, embarks on a comedic global journey to avoid attending the wedding of a former boyfriend. Amid the humor and heartache, Greer presents a witty satire of the literary world's absurdities, ageism, and insecurities.
While lighter in tone, Less shares the pointed critique of ambition and anxiety over literary success found in Kuang’s Yellowface. It's a humorous yet poignant look at the personal insecurities and absurdities underlying the seemingly glamourous literary community.
In her ambitious historical fantasy, Kuang explores colonialism, academia, and linguistic power set within a fictional Oxford university. Languages become a tool of control used by those in power, while students grapple with issues of identity, privilege, and resistance.
Like Yellowface, Kuang offers a sharp, critical analysis of institutions and cultural exploitation, although within a different genre.
With elements of fantasy woven intricately with historical critique, Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence complements Yellowface in challenging established norms surrounding language, culture, and authority.
Material World offers a sharp satire focused on the tech and startup industries, highlighting corporate exploitation, greed, and fabricated promises. Within a sleek corporate façade, manipulations and hollow ideals become obvious under scrutiny.
Readers witness the superficiality of corporate image-making comparable to publishing identities and author branding in Yellowface.
Though set in a different industry, Lambert’s satire targets similarly dangerous ideals around superficial marketing, ambition, and ruthless competition, making it a great parallel read.
Bella Mackie introduces a protagonist methodically pursuing dark revenge against estranged wealthy relatives. This dark comedy blends satire with observations of privilege, resentment, and family dynamics, building towards intriguing moral ambiguity.
Its humorous yet unsettling tone and focus on revenge, image, and a ruthless pursuit of objectives call attention to themes explored in Yellowface.
Mackie’s story of determined vengeance echoes Kuang’s exploration of ambition, morality, and individuals’ willingness to abandon ethics to achieve personal aims.
Grenville's novel portrays flawed characters in a small Australian town who conceal vulnerabilities beneath carefully constructed images.
Through subtle comedy and insight, Grenville examines authenticity, façade, and genuine connection between people projecting false fronts to others and themselves.
Despite its quieter, character-driven approach, The Idea of Perfection resonates with Yellowface in its sharp understanding of how we present ourselves across backgrounds.
Grenville's thoughtful observations invite consideration into how much of identity is genuine and how much is performative, an ideal complement to Kuang’s compelling themes.