R.F. Kuang continues to amaze me with her storytelling. This book is sharp and darkly funny, but also uncomfortable in a way that makes you think. It dives deep into race, identity, and the publishing world with brutal honesty and clever satire. Kuang has a real talent for writing characters you love to hate, and June Hayward is the perfect example. She is arrogant, entitled, and completely shameless, which made me frustrated at every turn. But that is what made her so interesting. I was fully invested in watching her unravel and face the consequences of her actions.