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ukponge's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Infidelity
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
My one issue is that I don't understand how they made any money from the central scam of the book... how is it profitable to return an exact dupe and then sell the real handbag online and retail? It might be less risky but you're not making any additional money. Honestly, I mostly overlooked this detail because the storytelling was engaging and I was along for the ride!
Graphic: Xenophobia and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Terminal illness
wngwendy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Gaslighting and Xenophobia
krys_kilz's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
It was difficult to read about Ava's autistic coded son, Henri, at times. I don't think Chen handled it poorly, but the ableism from family members and the lack of support was hard to witness as an autistic person.
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Death of parent and Medical content
vaniavela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Through this book we not only get an interesting premise, but insight into complex issues such as family expectations, consumerism, and labor exploitation.
Unfortunately it was a bit difficult to read because there were no quotation marks through most of the book. Being honest, I don't like that style of writing, especially since there is a lot of talking and no action.
Overall it was a great book, but I'm hoping for better!
tw: toxic friendship, toxic relationship, xenophobia, racism, alcoholism, medical content.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Medical content, Racism, and Alcoholism
ambaright's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don’t want to spoil the book so I won’t say much, but the point of view used throughout the book is different than what I have read before and really does put you in the middle of the schemes. While most novels show positive character progression, Kristin Chen strays from this trend by revealing the dark side of counterfeiting and the impact it has on peoples lives, and the powerful hold money and control has on individuals. Ava and Winnie are both mischievous in their own way, but equally badass woman who demand more for their life.
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
kirstym25's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
erinmjustice's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Medical content, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness and Ableism
izwit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Most of the story is written as a conversation between Ava and a police detective, as she recounts how she got involved with the counterfeit scheme. I liked this narrative device and I think it served the story well, but I think the story would work better as a movie. Especially with the handbags—because honestly I am not a handbag person and had no idea what these bags were supposed to look like haha.
Even though the ending left me unsure how I feel about Ava and Winnie, they both still get nice development and complexity throughout the story and I appreciated that. I would actually say the characters are a little stronger than the plot here.
Anyways, it was an enjoyable listen and I'd definitely recommend the audiobook route for this one!
Thank you to Libro.fm, HarperAudio, and the author for my ALC!
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, and Terminal illness