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moonytoast's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
the heist society books walked so this book could... idk
changing this from 3 stars because i do feel that the characters feel more flat than i would have liked; they feel like the beginnings of an exercise in good character work but ultimately fall short of being genuinely dynamic in a way that probably would've elevated this book... given the lack of actual focus on the heist as a story element (meaning the heist operates less as the main focus and more how the characters internally navigate being a chinese-american and how they relate to china as a member of the diaspora). i don't hate the writing style, but there were moments that felt a bit too repetitive in the way they were trying to communicate certain things about certain characters or overall themes that could have been cut to avoid that problem.
also: not sure how i feel about the way that the author treats irene's sapphic identity. it's never touched on beyond her hate-to-love relationship with alex and daniel commenting on the fact that he's seen irene kiss girls, seeming to skirt up to the line of irene being a lesbian without ever actually making that clear. this isn't necessarily a critique, but it does perhaps fall into the problem of authors who aren't willing to use the word 'lesbian' when writing or discussing sapphic characters that don't have any attraction to men.
changing this from 3 stars because i do feel that the characters feel more flat than i would have liked; they feel like the beginnings of an exercise in good character work but ultimately fall short of being genuinely dynamic in a way that probably would've elevated this book... given the lack of actual focus on the heist as a story element (meaning the heist operates less as the main focus and more how the characters internally navigate being a chinese-american and how they relate to china as a member of the diaspora). i don't hate the writing style, but there were moments that felt a bit too repetitive in the way they were trying to communicate certain things about certain characters or overall themes that could have been cut to avoid that problem.
also: not sure how i feel about the way that the author treats irene's sapphic identity. it's never touched on beyond her hate-to-love relationship with alex and daniel commenting on the fact that he's seen irene kiss girls, seeming to skirt up to the line of irene being a lesbian without ever actually making that clear. this isn't necessarily a critique, but it does perhaps fall into the problem of authors who aren't willing to use the word 'lesbian' when writing or discussing sapphic characters that don't have any attraction to men.
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation and Xenophobia
venetiana's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
5.0
this is my new favourite book. it is EXCELLENT. who needs heist movies when this book exists!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Vomit
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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? No
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Five friends—Will, the leader; his sister Irene, the con artist; Daniel, the future doctor with the precise hands of a thief; Alex, the (sort-of) hacker; and Lily, the getaway driver—form a heist crew to attempt to steal back priceless Chinese art once stolen from the Old Summer Palace. What follows is part coming-of-age story of identity and belonging and part heist novel.
My main thought the entire time I was reading was “I hope they turn this into a Netflix series” and it turns out they ARE, so first let me say how excited I am for that—while this book was fantastic, I am so excited to see these lush art vibes, captivating family dynamics, and sizzling romantic moments play out on-screen.
That said, let me repeat: the book. is. fantastic. It was a bit slower than I anticipated, with a fair amount of introspection from all the characters, but the commentary on identity and belonging and figuring out who you are as a young adult and almost-college-graduate is sheer perfection. I’m not a first generation immigrant, but can only imagine the added layer of meaning this book would have for me if I were. As it was, I still felt seen and understood in a way that happens only on the rarest of occasions.
If you want a rollicking nonstop action heist story, be warned that this isn’t it. But if you want a brilliantly written and highly relatable story with smart and well-developed characters, reflecting about politics, power, and the importance of art? Go grab this one now.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: immigrant narratives; the intersection of politics and art; lush artsy settings.
CW: Racism/colonialism.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Five friends—Will, the leader; his sister Irene, the con artist; Daniel, the future doctor with the precise hands of a thief; Alex, the (sort-of) hacker; and Lily, the getaway driver—form a heist crew to attempt to steal back priceless Chinese art once stolen from the Old Summer Palace. What follows is part coming-of-age story of identity and belonging and part heist novel.
My main thought the entire time I was reading was “I hope they turn this into a Netflix series” and it turns out they ARE, so first let me say how excited I am for that—while this book was fantastic, I am so excited to see these lush art vibes, captivating family dynamics, and sizzling romantic moments play out on-screen.
That said, let me repeat: the book. is. fantastic. It was a bit slower than I anticipated, with a fair amount of introspection from all the characters, but the commentary on identity and belonging and figuring out who you are as a young adult and almost-college-graduate is sheer perfection. I’m not a first generation immigrant, but can only imagine the added layer of meaning this book would have for me if I were. As it was, I still felt seen and understood in a way that happens only on the rarest of occasions.
If you want a rollicking nonstop action heist story, be warned that this isn’t it. But if you want a brilliantly written and highly relatable story with smart and well-developed characters, reflecting about politics, power, and the importance of art? Go grab this one now.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: immigrant narratives; the intersection of politics and art; lush artsy settings.
CW: Racism/colonialism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
Thanks to Tiny Reparations Books for the free copy of this book.
- PORTRAIT OF A THIEF is a cinematic meditation on colonialism, the Chinese diaspora, art history, and rewriting history from the view of the oppressed. You can absolutely already see the movie playing in your head as you read.
- It's much more of a character study than you might expect from a heist novel, but there are still plenty of heart-pounding passages amid the exploration of the team members' motivations and histories.
- Some of the ruminations become a bit repetitive in the last third, but the ending is more than worth sticking around for.
- PORTRAIT OF A THIEF is a cinematic meditation on colonialism, the Chinese diaspora, art history, and rewriting history from the view of the oppressed. You can absolutely already see the movie playing in your head as you read.
- It's much more of a character study than you might expect from a heist novel, but there are still plenty of heart-pounding passages amid the exploration of the team members' motivations and histories.
- Some of the ruminations become a bit repetitive in the last third, but the ending is more than worth sticking around for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Racism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
PORTRAIT OF A THIEF is engrossing from the first page, featuring five young Chinese Americans hired to steal back Chinese art in Western museums. If you've been looking for a character-driven heist novel, don't miss this one.
The tone is generally contemplative, as the motivations for every move are just as important as the action itself. Occasionally the narrative plays around with time as one chapter might actually take place before the chapter it followed in the book. It’s clear when this happens. It’s used just often enough to be a feature of the storytelling, while being infrequent so that the book is linear overall.
Will is the logistical center of the group since he was the one hired to make the heist happen, but all five of the main characters have similar importance in the narrative. The style of rotating third-person narrators mean that not only do we get what each character thinks as the story progresses, but also we get what they think about each other in various combinations and circumstances. Will chose this crew, and so they all know him while having various levels of connection (or even no connection at first) to everyone else. Irene is his sister, Lily is her friend, Alex and Will briefly dated, and Daniel is Will’s friend. Just as important (or perhaps more) than these interpersonal connections is each of their relationships with China and their identities as Chinese Americans.
The worldbuilding is gradual, beginning with enough information to establish an approximate decade, then eventually dialing in on a one-to-two-year range for its start. Where it shines is in the complicated web of feelings that each person has about their positionality with regards to the United States and China, what that looks like and what it means for them individually and in relation to their families. Whether they think of themselves as Chinese Americans, as Americans, as Chinese, or some more nuanced blend of these... all of that combines to affect how they move through the world and, importantly for this heist story, how they move through Western museums holding (looted/stolen) Chinese artifacts and art.
I enjoyed the heists, but at times the actual heists are secondary to the process of each of the crew figuring out their feeling about themselves and each other. Even the attempt is transformational, and I love how the overall aim of the heists is handled.
PORTRAIT OF A THIEF is engrossing from the first page, featuring five young Chinese Americans hired to steal back Chinese art in Western museums. If you've been looking for a character-driven heist novel, don't miss this one.
The tone is generally contemplative, as the motivations for every move are just as important as the action itself. Occasionally the narrative plays around with time as one chapter might actually take place before the chapter it followed in the book. It’s clear when this happens. It’s used just often enough to be a feature of the storytelling, while being infrequent so that the book is linear overall.
Will is the logistical center of the group since he was the one hired to make the heist happen, but all five of the main characters have similar importance in the narrative. The style of rotating third-person narrators mean that not only do we get what each character thinks as the story progresses, but also we get what they think about each other in various combinations and circumstances. Will chose this crew, and so they all know him while having various levels of connection (or even no connection at first) to everyone else. Irene is his sister, Lily is her friend, Alex and Will briefly dated, and Daniel is Will’s friend. Just as important (or perhaps more) than these interpersonal connections is each of their relationships with China and their identities as Chinese Americans.
The worldbuilding is gradual, beginning with enough information to establish an approximate decade, then eventually dialing in on a one-to-two-year range for its start. Where it shines is in the complicated web of feelings that each person has about their positionality with regards to the United States and China, what that looks like and what it means for them individually and in relation to their families. Whether they think of themselves as Chinese Americans, as Americans, as Chinese, or some more nuanced blend of these... all of that combines to affect how they move through the world and, importantly for this heist story, how they move through Western museums holding (looted/stolen) Chinese artifacts and art.
I enjoyed the heists, but at times the actual heists are secondary to the process of each of the crew figuring out their feeling about themselves and each other. Even the attempt is transformational, and I love how the overall aim of the heists is handled.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Domestic abuse
TW for COVID pandemic (backstory).knlipke's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
slow-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
Baby driver x Chinese art/culture
Portrait of a Thief is a wonderful novel about 5 college students who are offered a huge task… one that involves 50 million dollars: they have to steal Chinese art that has been away from the home country for hundreds of years. Will they be able to pull off stealing from art museums 5 times over?
I really loved this story. As a debut novel, Portrait of a Thief is great. The characters were loveable. The plot line is fascinating and a excellent idea. I loved the subtle romance story lines. The story was more about a sense of belonging in your ancestry than art thievery; wanting to create your own story within your history.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The idea story and themes were just amazing the entire time. It moved a little slowly, but I loved persevering, if not for the characters and wanting to know the outcome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing and Racism
sarahmreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Will Chen is a senior art history major at Harvard, and also a witness to an art theft at the place he works. The last thing he expects is for this to spiral into him being chosen to lead a group to steal back five stolen art pieces all across the world and return them to China. The price: 50 million dollars. The Crew: Will, the leader. Lily, the getaway driver. Irene, Will's sister and people expert. Daniel, the insider. Alex, the "hacker." Will they get the job done? Or will they crack under the pressure?
I thought this book was well done. I was hooked from the first heist on, although towards the end between the second and last heist there was a lull where nothing really happens except the characters moping and coping. The stage and the stakes were set pretty early on, which I appreciated. One thing that did bug me, however, was everything but the dialogue. I loved the dialogue, it was great. But there was too little of it for me.
A majority of the story is describing what's happening or reflecting upon the characters' internal dilemmas and thoughts. As a result, a lot of common themes with characters became really repetitive, like Alex and reflecting on the fact that she is "not a hacker" and she'll never be able to leave the shell of the job she's secure under. Because of this, a lot of the impact of the characters' stories became numb, in a way, to the point where I could acknowledge that they feel a certain way, but it never really stuck with me.
The romance was interesting. Do I think the story could have gone without it? Maybe? One romance plotline I loved, the other I was really impartial to and didn't feel that it added to either of their characters. But do I think that the romance was really important to the plot? No, it wasn't.
In terms of the plot itself, I thought it was adequately paced. It took a long time to get to the first heist, and the second went a tad too quickly for me. Although looking back on it, a lot of the build-up to each heist was a tad unbelievable? They each used Zoom to call and even had a groupchat on WhatsApp, but even then how secure are either of those forms? Even when they finish the first heist, they somehow just walk away with the first zodiac head in airport security? I was absolutely baffled when that happened, because with the news dropping the next day there was no way they would have gotten away with that. Even the reveal at the end was shocking because there is no way that the museums would have retaliated like that. I get it leads to a satisfying ending and the start to trying to amend for colonialism and stealing from cultures, but I don't think it would end that satisfactory.
Portrait of a Thief is an intriguing and compelling story about the marginalized voices who are impacted by museum colonialism and what it means to claim something as yours.
I received a copy of this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I thought this book was well done. I was hooked from the first heist on, although towards the end between the second and last heist there was a lull where nothing really happens except the characters moping and coping. The stage and the stakes were set pretty early on, which I appreciated. One thing that did bug me, however, was everything but the dialogue. I loved the dialogue, it was great. But there was too little of it for me.
A majority of the story is describing what's happening or reflecting upon the characters' internal dilemmas and thoughts. As a result, a lot of common themes with characters became really repetitive, like Alex and reflecting on the fact that she is "not a hacker" and she'll never be able to leave the shell of the job she's secure under. Because of this, a lot of the impact of the characters' stories became numb, in a way, to the point where I could acknowledge that they feel a certain way, but it never really stuck with me.
The romance was interesting. Do I think the story could have gone without it? Maybe? One romance plotline I loved, the other I was really impartial to and didn't feel that it added to either of their characters. But do I think that the romance was really important to the plot? No, it wasn't.
In terms of the plot itself, I thought it was adequately paced. It took a long time to get to the first heist, and the second went a tad too quickly for me. Although looking back on it, a lot of the build-up to each heist was a tad unbelievable? They each used Zoom to call and even had a groupchat on WhatsApp, but even then how secure are either of those forms? Even when they finish the first heist, they somehow just walk away with the first zodiac head in airport security? I was absolutely baffled when that happened, because with the news dropping the next day there was no way they would have gotten away with that. Even the reveal at the end was shocking because there is no way that the museums would have retaliated like that. I get it leads to a satisfying ending and the start to trying to amend for colonialism and stealing from cultures, but I don't think it would end that satisfactory.
Portrait of a Thief is an intriguing and compelling story about the marginalized voices who are impacted by museum colonialism and what it means to claim something as yours.
I received a copy of this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Racism
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Racism, and Xenophobia
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