hmetwade's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content, Death of parent, Stalking, Chronic illness, Classism, and Terminal illness
jbpalumbo's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
An exceptionally clever exploration of the myth of the model minority and the American dream. I hope Ms. Chen gets a wonderful movie deal out of this (and that they do it well).
In addition to the content warnings, there are some passing descriptions of abusive labor conditions and post-op (elective) surgery recovery. And Ms. Chen’s research regarding US immigration law left a little to be desired.
In addition to the content warnings, there are some passing descriptions of abusive labor conditions and post-op (elective) surgery recovery. And Ms. Chen’s research regarding US immigration law left a little to be desired.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, and Death of parent
siobhanward's review
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? Yes
3.5
Reese's Book Club Pick 61/68
This was a fun read. Has it been done before? Yeah, probably, but I haven't read anything on the topic. Ava and Winnie were both incredibly frustrating but I couldn't bring myself to hate them. Honestly, Winnie was by far the more interesting character and I would have loved to have spent time inside her POV, rather than Ava's.
The characters felt well developed and the secondary plot about Ava's dissatisfaction with her personal life was well done. Overall, this was an interesting read that kept me engaged - who knew there was so much depth to the world of counterfeit handbags?
This was a fun read. Has it been done before? Yeah, probably, but I haven't read anything on the topic. Ava and Winnie were both incredibly frustrating but I couldn't bring myself to hate them. Honestly, Winnie was by far the more interesting character and I would have loved to have spent time inside her POV, rather than Ava's.
The characters felt well developed and the secondary plot about Ava's dissatisfaction with her personal life was well done. Overall, this was an interesting read that kept me engaged - who knew there was so much depth to the world of counterfeit handbags?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Racial slurs and Terminal illness
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
One of my favorite audiobooks of the year! This book was so entertaining; the characters were fun and morally gray, and I love a good "listen as I tell my side of the story, Detective" framing. Ava was sometimes frustrating but you had to respect her hustle, and I loved how the dynamic between Ava and Winnie evolved as time went on. Since the focus was mainly on these two women, they were solidly fleshed-out and I could relate to different elements of their lives and histories without supporting all of their decisions. There was a twist right at the point where the story starts to lag, so that was perfectly timed.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Terminal illness
just_one_more_paige's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
3.0
The combination of this cover and the vibes of the book made me think this was going to be a cross between Portrait of a Thief and the Crazy Rich Asians series, both of which I found pretty entertaining, solid reads, so I had this one on my shortlist when I was next looking for a lighter/fun type read. And with a lot of driving for work to close out the year, and access to the ALC for this from Libro.fm, the time for a "keeps your attention and doesn't require too much mental investment" read was nigh.
Ava Wong is a little stuck in life right now, having taken a long break from her high key job as a lawyer to raise her young son, who is struggling through a period of major temper tantrums, while her husband works long hours as a surgeon. When an old college friend, Winnie Fang re-enters her life, with a proposition to get involved in her luxury handbags counterfeit scheme. Winnie is looking for help from someone like Ava, who can travel back and forth to China with her US-passport and fly under the radar. Though Ava originally balks at the illegal activity, she finds herself in a tough spot and ends up taking the plunge. This partnership takes some major leaps, unexpected turns, and offers some comically insightful commentary on the production and economics of these designer handbags and the way Asian/Asian-American women are viewed in the world.
Well, this was the entertaining read I was looking for! I personally have no earthly idea about luxury handbags or any other designer sh*t , so all of the details and specifics about the products themselves went mostly over my head. I just accepted it as "that's fancy, got it" and moved on. Haha. That being said, that did nothing to dampen my overall enjoyment of the read. It opened with Ava essentially giving evidence to, being interviewed by, detectives about Winnie (who seems to have fled the country) about how she got trapped in this scheme (listening to her describe it is like watching a "can't tear your eyes away" accident situation) - getting in over her head and not knowing how to get out without damaging her family. An interesting narrative device, to be sure.
The way Ava tells it in this first part, this is a manipulative (charming and ruthless) level of “friendship,” in the vein of Wahala and Tangerine. There is also a definite vibe, throughout, that Ava's narration is not entirely reliable...and I do love an unreliable narrator, so I was very interested to see where that vibe went. And then we get to part two, which flips everything Ava was saying on its head (as I was hoping!). It's cunning and creative and takes advantage of so many widely held (in the Western world) Asian/Asian-American women stereotypes, reclaiming them for their own benefit. I don't want to say too much, so as not to give away the "twist," as it were. But suffice it to say that I was here for it, this take on the glorified "mobster" mentality/stereotype with a wry and feminine twist, was a great vibe.
There was also some present, if light, recognition of the dark side of these luxury items, highlighting the horrific working conditions of the international factories where these handbags are made. I actually really appreciated the interrogation of what makes one of these bags "authentic" versus "fake," if both are being produced in side-by-side factories owned by the same conglomerates. And the mark-ups?! Unbelievable. For essentially the exact same product! Anyways, like I said, not a super deep look at these issues, but a recognition and awareness of their presence/role in the industry at least. There was also a look at the ridiculous expectations on parents of young children, and the anxiety-producing competitiveness for kids as young as pe-school aged - yeeeeesh, count that among the many reasons I don't plan to parent. It was horrible to read about.
If you're looking for something not too deep, fairly fun, a bit unexpected, with a snarky "darker side of feminism" vibe that gives a truly diverting reading experience, this is a solid choice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Classism, Toxic friendship, and Terminal illness
kathyf1687's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
cassielaj's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Counterfeit is a TRIP. The framing of Ava’s story as an interview with a detective is genius, and the twist was employed at just the right moment to throw everything into perspective. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole book and loved Ava and Winnie’s scheming. The way Chen reframes the traditional “American dream” narrative and questions the “model minority” trope is smart, hilarious, and totally enthralling.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Terminal illness and Death of parent
anntharai's review against another edition
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I read this on a recommendation and without reading the blurb and I’m so glad I did. It was genuinely funny and interesting, and I definitely thought it was going to end a lot darker than it did.
Though I did have to look up a lot of the bags to understand some of the designer humour 😂.
I liked the structure and the style, plus the narrator Catherine Ho did a phenomenal job.
Spoiler
I thought there was going to be a time shift twist or some heavy foreshadowing payoff - the plane Winnie gets on was going to be the one that crashed in Ava’s testimony/another plane with the same counterfeit part issue. If this was intentional from the author bravo it worked, if not maybe I’m a bit grim hahah)Though I did have to look up a lot of the bags to understand some of the designer humour 😂.
I liked the structure and the style, plus the narrator Catherine Ho did a phenomenal job.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Grief, Terminal illness, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Minor: Ableism
kimveach's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.75
I was somewhat bored by the first part of the book and even considered not finishing it. Once the twist showed up, then I couldn't finish fast enough. I also loved learning about the various scams of designer handbags.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Terminal illness