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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Torn on this one - I thought it was a great idea and had some very important and touching things to say but the plot was predictable - all the beats we're basically ready-made for a Netflix movie. The author also kept reusing the same descriptions over and over again, and the voices of the characters were too similar to make them feel totally real. A good easy read but could have been a lot more.
I had mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it were fun—who doesn’t love a good heist? However here the author tried to tell two stories at once—one about a heist, the second about the children of immigrants—and both felt a little thin. I would have liked either on its own but by smooshing them together both got short shrift.
I was also a little confused by the idealization of China. The young people at the center of this book are all exceptionally bright, but not a single one examines or grapples with the broader picture of China—the human rights abuses, or its own imperialist history—it is simply the wronged party and the longed for lost homeland.
There were also some technical things in this book that I found irksome. The author reused a lot of phrases/words/ideas throughout the book and I found it distracting. She used “it happened liked this” or “here’s what happened” a lot. One example: “This is what Will knew.” When it could have just been “Will knew.” Sometimes this kind of repetition works when it’s a callback to something that happened earlier, but here it didn’t feel intentional. She also paired her descriptors so it was almost always “rain and possibility,” “color and morning light,” “salt and fast-food,” “light and heady promise.” I honestly might not have noticed if I was reading the book instead of listening to it, but the way the narrator read it made it very obvious and I ended up rolling my eyes whenever I heard the word “and.” I also recognize this is a personal preference thing—other people might like it.
Overall, I mostly enjoyed it. And I think the author is an impressive woman. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
I was also a little confused by the idealization of China. The young people at the center of this book are all exceptionally bright, but not a single one examines or grapples with the broader picture of China—the human rights abuses, or its own imperialist history—it is simply the wronged party and the longed for lost homeland.
There were also some technical things in this book that I found irksome. The author reused a lot of phrases/words/ideas throughout the book and I found it distracting. She used “it happened liked this” or “here’s what happened” a lot. One example: “This is what Will knew.” When it could have just been “Will knew.” Sometimes this kind of repetition works when it’s a callback to something that happened earlier, but here it didn’t feel intentional. She also paired her descriptors so it was almost always “rain and possibility,” “color and morning light,” “salt and fast-food,” “light and heady promise.” I honestly might not have noticed if I was reading the book instead of listening to it, but the way the narrator read it made it very obvious and I ended up rolling my eyes whenever I heard the word “and.” I also recognize this is a personal preference thing—other people might like it.
Overall, I mostly enjoyed it. And I think the author is an impressive woman. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
I just think I should have won someone else's car in a street race by now
adventurous
informative
inspiring
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:
Complicated
A great book about diaspora, with interesting characters. I had expected it to be more of a heist novel, but I wasn't disappointed in what we got instead. The ending left me feeling satisfied.
Imagine 5 incredible characters trying to plan a heist of Chinese art pieces all over the world. What a great idea.
Then also imagine the story not really going anywhere and being stuck on the 5 trying to find their identity. Are we American? Are we Chinese? Maybe this heist will change our future and the way we feel about belonging? Maybe this heist can make our parents proud of us.
I am disappointed that the story didn’t really develop. No action, no excitement, just individual conflicts. Very repetitive..just a bit of a let down
Then also imagine the story not really going anywhere and being stuck on the 5 trying to find their identity. Are we American? Are we Chinese? Maybe this heist will change our future and the way we feel about belonging? Maybe this heist can make our parents proud of us.
I am disappointed that the story didn’t really develop. No action, no excitement, just individual conflicts. Very repetitive..just a bit of a let down
2nd read: Mar 5, 2023
One year later, I still adore Li's writing, the way she interwove the characters' relationships with each other. These five college students, with bright futures await, joined the heist because of art (Will), because of family (Irene), because of friendship (Daniel), for a purpose (Alex), and for something more (Lily). In the end, they forged a future for themselves. New relationships were formed, and old relationships mended.
(Also, I don't remember loving Irene as much as I do now the first time I read it, but she's such an awesome character.)
1st read: Feb 20, 2022
I love this book with my whole heart.
Prior to reading Portrait of a Thief, I had heard other readers rave about Li’s writing. But no amount of praise had prepared me for this level of gorgeousness.
Li writes in a way that makes my heart weep, the sheer power and rhythm and emotions her sentences carry. She captured the yearnings of the future, relationships, and connections with a familiar land that is too far away in the best way possible.
I love everything about the crew: Will, Irene, Alex, Lily, Daniel. The story hits all the diasporic feels of sometimes belonging in two places, sometimes neither, like you are not enough for the land even though you are. The five of them are strong yet vulnerable, ambitious in life, and carry the heavy weight of familial expectations as first- and second-generation immigrants. A full cast of Chinese Americans, each with their own complexities and dreams. And, of course, I loved seeing the sapphics living their best lives, the first time I saw two diasporic queer Asians falling for each other in fiction. I thought about the cast every waking hour days after finishing, and even now, as I write the review weeks later, trying and failing to do this book justice, my heart still aches for them. I don’t often fall for fictional characters, but Li has made me love all five of the crew.
Portrait of a Thief is less about thieving and heist and more about big dreams and family, diaspora and colonialism. It made me rethink my relationship with my homeland, my family, myself, and it also showed me what it is like to dream big again and live. The book means more to me than I could have possibly imagined before picking it up, and it is surely something that I would revisit again and again for the years to come.
INITIAL THOUGHTS: nobody talk to me as i sulk in the corner bc i miss the crew too much.
-
a little background
this is the tiger will chen stole before the book started:
(from harvard art museum)
then he casually tossed it to daniel liang...
also, if you don’t know about the 12 zodiac animal heads (in bronze) that used to be in 圓明園 (old summer palace), it might be helpful to google them before reading. :)
the gang <3<3<3:
– will chen (21): harvard art history major
– irene chen (~20): will’s sister, duke public policy major
– alex huang (21): will’s friend who he went on two dates with, mit dropout, silicon valley software engineer
– lily wu (~20): irene’s roommate, duke mechanical engineering major
– daniel liang: the chens’ childhood friend of 10y, immigrated to the us at ~12yo from beijing, premed at ucla
you can read my non-spoilery live tweeting thread here.
content warnings: trespassing, pandemic (covid), alcohol (recreational), past loss of parent, racism
I received an advanced digital copy from Tiny Reparations Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
One year later, I still adore Li's writing, the way she interwove the characters' relationships with each other. These five college students, with bright futures await, joined the heist because of art (Will), because of family (Irene), because of friendship (Daniel), for a purpose (Alex), and for something more (Lily). In the end, they forged a future for themselves. New relationships were formed, and old relationships mended.
(Also, I don't remember loving Irene as much as I do now the first time I read it, but she's such an awesome character.)
1st read: Feb 20, 2022
I love this book with my whole heart.
Prior to reading Portrait of a Thief, I had heard other readers rave about Li’s writing. But no amount of praise had prepared me for this level of gorgeousness.
Li writes in a way that makes my heart weep, the sheer power and rhythm and emotions her sentences carry. She captured the yearnings of the future, relationships, and connections with a familiar land that is too far away in the best way possible.
I love everything about the crew: Will, Irene, Alex, Lily, Daniel. The story hits all the diasporic feels of sometimes belonging in two places, sometimes neither, like you are not enough for the land even though you are. The five of them are strong yet vulnerable, ambitious in life, and carry the heavy weight of familial expectations as first- and second-generation immigrants. A full cast of Chinese Americans, each with their own complexities and dreams. And, of course, I loved seeing the sapphics living their best lives, the first time I saw two diasporic queer Asians falling for each other in fiction. I thought about the cast every waking hour days after finishing, and even now, as I write the review weeks later, trying and failing to do this book justice, my heart still aches for them. I don’t often fall for fictional characters, but Li has made me love all five of the crew.
Portrait of a Thief is less about thieving and heist and more about big dreams and family, diaspora and colonialism. It made me rethink my relationship with my homeland, my family, myself, and it also showed me what it is like to dream big again and live. The book means more to me than I could have possibly imagined before picking it up, and it is surely something that I would revisit again and again for the years to come.
-
a little background
this is the tiger will chen stole before the book started:
(from harvard art museum)
then he casually tossed it to daniel liang...
also, if you don’t know about the 12 zodiac animal heads (in bronze) that used to be in 圓明園 (old summer palace), it might be helpful to google them before reading. :)
the gang <3<3<3:
– will chen (21): harvard art history major
– irene chen (~20): will’s sister, duke public policy major
– alex huang (21): will’s friend who he went on two dates with, mit dropout, silicon valley software engineer
– lily wu (~20): irene’s roommate, duke mechanical engineering major
– daniel liang: the chens’ childhood friend of 10y, immigrated to the us at ~12yo from beijing, premed at ucla
you can read my non-spoilery live tweeting thread here.
content warnings: trespassing, pandemic (covid), alcohol (recreational), past loss of parent, racism
I received an advanced digital copy from Tiny Reparations Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Gorg
This took me a while to read because hardbacks make me SLOW but I adored all the characters and the setting and the real emotion that shows in this book. I felt like I was at each of the museums with the characters, it was almost a visual experience of art but somehow it's just words on a page??? explain
A cheeky enemies to lovers slid in there too which you know we love
my fave character was probs either Lily or Alex but probably mostly Alex because I relate to her solitude and quest for something more!!!! and we stan a nerdy queen. 4 stars!!!!
This took me a while to read because hardbacks make me SLOW but I adored all the characters and the setting and the real emotion that shows in this book. I felt like I was at each of the museums with the characters, it was almost a visual experience of art but somehow it's just words on a page??? explain
A cheeky enemies to lovers slid in there too which you know we love
my fave character was probs either Lily or Alex but probably mostly Alex because I relate to her solitude and quest for something more!!!! and we stan a nerdy queen. 4 stars!!!!
3.7 rounded up. Really strong characters, intricate relationships. Daniel and his father's relationship is probably my favorite I've read in awhile. Wish there was a bit more heist, but loved the moments of action (especially the street-racing bits).