Reviews

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

peanutbitter97's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I really liked this book but at times the pacing felt a little bit off- the first half felt especially rushed. I loved the concept and the themes of change, coming of age, home, diaspora, etc. were engaging and done well.

heartsdesire's review against another edition

3.0

Was waiting impatiently for this to drop at that time but sadly it doesn't meet my expectation. I feel the book doesn't grip me breathless or simply it doesn't trigger my adrenaline with gripping synopsis put on it.

The reason I can think of is the writer wants to focus more on the values of arts. It triggers me in thinking... Hey, that's right, why can't these arts delivered back to their original country if indeed they were taken at the first place? The answers, as we know, are complicated. I respect the writer to bring up this thought <3 since I can learn more about it.

poetskings's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

eleanorlouise94's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

lillyconklin's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

libraryofdreaming's review against another edition

2.0

I’m sorry to say this book didn’t work for me. I appreciate what the author was going for but I didn’t find it the enjoyable heist/thriller I was looking for. It was very repetitive, the heists unlikely, and I felt like it didn’t go as deep as I was hoping. It may just be the mood I was in while reading but this is a pass for me.

dwinareads's review against another edition

2.0

DNF at 36%. The synopsis was so good but the actual writing left me yawning. The inner monologues didn’t make me care about the characters and the plot simply wasn’t believable. I was bored, which is unfortunate because I really wanted to love this book. Again, I did listen on audiobook and hated the voices, so that may be part of the problem.

g_jain22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

visual_eyes's review against another edition

a resonant message, a brilliant cast. imagery and neat scenes galore, minding a slight lack in technical detail. but ah whats a law abiding author to do? the proverbs really stuck with me, forcing an uprooted plant to grow, something about leaves down a river. each of the five fascinating in their own right, i had a personal investment in deeper characterization for Irene. Con artist is an archetype im beginning to love and i see it beautifully, but i crave more. perhaps this particular novel/storyline doesnt have the space but a spin off indulged would be perfect

cl456's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75