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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Painfully redundant and Li spent too much time on generic scene-setting or poetic feels-y language and not nearly enough on plot, but this book's concept is exciting and sparks an interesting conversation of who art belongs to. Bonus points for queer, female, and POC voices, but those bonus points are negated by generally pretty flat characters lol.
I still think it's worth the read if you want something that is easy and interesting and shows authentic representation.
I still think it's worth the read if you want something that is easy and interesting and shows authentic representation.
This was one of my most anticipated books this year but i honestly thought it was just okay. nothing too crazy.
Wildly unrealistic plot with repetitive writing style. I understand the angle the author was trying to get here—heist narrative with reflections on art, colonialism, diaspora/belonging—but I don’t think it quite worked, the characters half fleshed out.
Too much repetition, too much introspection, NOT ENOUGH HEIST.
I’m sorry but college kids are not this philosophical. Only finished because I wanted to see how/if they could pull it off.
Also too many unrealistic plots. You’re telling me the FBI is just going to “give up” on a case like this? No way.
I’m sorry but college kids are not this philosophical. Only finished because I wanted to see how/if they could pull it off.
Also too many unrealistic plots. You’re telling me the FBI is just going to “give up” on a case like this? No way.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5/5
a found family heist. must i say more.
i wasn’t expecting much when i randomly picked this up in a chapters. normally i’m one to get books i have been recommended online, but i read this synopsis and i had to buy it. and oh my goddddd i haven’t read a stand-alone that has completely overwhelmed me like this in too long.
this book was beautiful. the writing, the plot, the characters. everything was so so so impeccable.
this book is about five chinese american university students who find themselves hired to steal back five chinese sculptures in a series on art heists across the world.
each one the these characters matches a specific ‘heist’ archetype:
“ A leader. Will had spent so many years studying art and how it changed hands. His whole life— it had brought him here.
A con artist. His sister, her smile in the dark. Irene was a public policy major, had always understood people and what they wanted. She could shape the world to her will.
A thief. Daniel would be a surgeon someday, had always known how to break things open, put them back together exactly as they were.
A hacker. Alex, who had left MIT for Silicon Valley, who had never found a problem she couldn’t solve.
And finally, a getaway driver. When Lily drove, nothing could touch her if she did not want it to.”
however, at its heart, this novel is a story about reclaiming what was lost, whether that be in chinese art stolen in western colonization or the asian-american identity that has been erased by diaspora and the pressure of inadequacy and failure that comes along with it.
this book has the perspective of all five characters and somehow, in only 380 pages, managed to capture each and every one of them. i don’t know how it was done but i left this book KNOWING these characters, their lives, their motives. and every character has a relationship with another, something that is so difficult to achieve in a book with so many of protagonists.
and the couples <333333
anyways, here is what i have discovered in my reading:
EACH CHARACTER AS TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS
will - peace
“would it be enough if i could never give you peace”
irene - mirrorball
“i can change everything about me to fit in, you are not like the regulars, the masquerade revellers, drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten”
daniel - marjorie
“what died didn’t stay dead, what died didn’t stay dead, you’re alive you’re alive in my head”
alex - this is me trying
“i’ve been having a hard time adjusting, i had the shiniest wheels now they’re rusting”
lily - getaway car
“driving the getaway car, we were flying but we’d never get far, don’t pretend it’s such a mystery, think about the place where you first met me”
that’s all thank you, please read this book <3
a found family heist. must i say more.
i wasn’t expecting much when i randomly picked this up in a chapters. normally i’m one to get books i have been recommended online, but i read this synopsis and i had to buy it. and oh my goddddd i haven’t read a stand-alone that has completely overwhelmed me like this in too long.
this book was beautiful. the writing, the plot, the characters. everything was so so so impeccable.
this book is about five chinese american university students who find themselves hired to steal back five chinese sculptures in a series on art heists across the world.
each one the these characters matches a specific ‘heist’ archetype:
“ A leader. Will had spent so many years studying art and how it changed hands. His whole life— it had brought him here.
A con artist. His sister, her smile in the dark. Irene was a public policy major, had always understood people and what they wanted. She could shape the world to her will.
A thief. Daniel would be a surgeon someday, had always known how to break things open, put them back together exactly as they were.
A hacker. Alex, who had left MIT for Silicon Valley, who had never found a problem she couldn’t solve.
And finally, a getaway driver. When Lily drove, nothing could touch her if she did not want it to.”
however, at its heart, this novel is a story about reclaiming what was lost, whether that be in chinese art stolen in western colonization or the asian-american identity that has been erased by diaspora and the pressure of inadequacy and failure that comes along with it.
this book has the perspective of all five characters and somehow, in only 380 pages, managed to capture each and every one of them. i don’t know how it was done but i left this book KNOWING these characters, their lives, their motives. and every character has a relationship with another, something that is so difficult to achieve in a book with so many of protagonists.
and the couples <333333
anyways, here is what i have discovered in my reading:
EACH CHARACTER AS TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS
will - peace
“would it be enough if i could never give you peace”
irene - mirrorball
“i can change everything about me to fit in, you are not like the regulars, the masquerade revellers, drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten”
daniel - marjorie
“what died didn’t stay dead, what died didn’t stay dead, you’re alive you’re alive in my head”
alex - this is me trying
“i’ve been having a hard time adjusting, i had the shiniest wheels now they’re rusting”
lily - getaway car
“driving the getaway car, we were flying but we’d never get far, don’t pretend it’s such a mystery, think about the place where you first met me”
that’s all thank you, please read this book <3
If you go into this expecting a traditional heist story, you'd be disappointed. This is more about five young Chinese-Americans who are in between the land their parents (and in some cases, they) lived in and their new homeland, the US. They're tasked by a mysterious and rich benefactor from China to steal back historical art pieces that Western Art Galleries have stolen.
The character arcs of all the characters were the most interesting thing in this book to me. Their dynamics, their histories, and their interactions as they become friends and a group of art thieves. If you enjoy interesting characters and complicated diasporas, you'll enjoy this book. If you want a straight-up action-oriented heist book, this is probably not one you'll enjoy.
The character arcs of all the characters were the most interesting thing in this book to me. Their dynamics, their histories, and their interactions as they become friends and a group of art thieves. If you enjoy interesting characters and complicated diasporas, you'll enjoy this book. If you want a straight-up action-oriented heist book, this is probably not one you'll enjoy.
3.5/4 stars. Overall, I really liked this book. The synopsis alone had me hooked, but ultimately I think it didn't reach its full potential. I had to really overlook a lot of the inconsistencies and silliness to go along with the story. The tone would go back and forth between a fun heist and a serious critique of Western colonialism and imperialism; it didn't always flow smoothly.
The characters were intriguing, but I would have liked more depth to them. I loved that they were all first generation children of Chinese immigrants in America, and I really wanted more of that theme. I thought the strongest storyline was with Daniel and his relationship with his father.
I do think this was an interesting debut from Grace D. Li. Her writing was very engaging. I will definitely check out her future work.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!
The characters were intriguing, but I would have liked more depth to them. I loved that they were all first generation children of Chinese immigrants in America, and I really wanted more of that theme. I thought the strongest storyline was with Daniel and his relationship with his father.
I do think this was an interesting debut from Grace D. Li. Her writing was very engaging. I will definitely check out her future work.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!
I loved the first half of this book and while I still enjoyed the second it was a bit of a letdown- I was a huge fan of how each character’s relationship with their parents, heritage, and China affected their motivations, but I felt the end was a bit of a cop out for the heists I was expecting & looking forward to.
The plot and characters kept getting less and less believable, and the book suffers from that. Our software engineer is magically an expert hacker for everything that comes her way? The FBI dismisses them because of their connections? The siblings have no skills besides being charming and smart and that makes them amazing con artists and heist planners? One character stole something as a preteen and now he’s the professional thief for the group? Our street racer knows how to buy and repair a car in a foreign country well enough to win races?
I ADORE Ocean’s Eleven and loved the callbacks to the movie, but this didn’t quite hit it for me.
The plot and characters kept getting less and less believable, and the book suffers from that. Our software engineer is magically an expert hacker for everything that comes her way? The FBI dismisses them because of their connections? The siblings have no skills besides being charming and smart and that makes them amazing con artists and heist planners? One character stole something as a preteen and now he’s the professional thief for the group? Our street racer knows how to buy and repair a car in a foreign country well enough to win races?
I ADORE Ocean’s Eleven and loved the callbacks to the movie, but this didn’t quite hit it for me.