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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
The writing was beautiful and ethereal enough and I enjoyed the characters so much that it made it easy to overlook the paper-thin heist logistics.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
I loved these kids trying to pull off a heist and all the art history with dilemmas laced through. I loved it.
Such a good fun heist novel. Enjoyed the premise of returning ancient, stolen art to its native country. The growth of the characters, and building the team, is also fun
Five college students, five ancient works of art, two countries. A diaspora of longing between them.
Will Chen recruits his friends to do the impossible: a series of art heists to return stolen art to China - five of the zodiac heads from the Old Summer Palace. Irene, the con artist. Daniel, the lock pick. Alex, the hacker. Lily, the getaway driver. Fifty million dollars is on the line - but so is history, belonging, art, and power.
Will, Irene, Daniel, Alex, and Lily. A heist crew. College students, except for Alex who left MIT early for a job in Silicon Valley. They each have the entire world at their fingertips, and the weight of their families’ pasts and futures. Choosing a path forward seems so impossible that of course they can pull off these heists. But in the end, what is it that they’re really trying to steal?
“What’s wrong with wanting everything? Nothing, as long as you know how to get it.”
Will Chen recruits his friends to do the impossible: a series of art heists to return stolen art to China - five of the zodiac heads from the Old Summer Palace. Irene, the con artist. Daniel, the lock pick. Alex, the hacker. Lily, the getaway driver. Fifty million dollars is on the line - but so is history, belonging, art, and power.
Will, Irene, Daniel, Alex, and Lily. A heist crew. College students, except for Alex who left MIT early for a job in Silicon Valley. They each have the entire world at their fingertips, and the weight of their families’ pasts and futures. Choosing a path forward seems so impossible that of course they can pull off these heists. But in the end, what is it that they’re really trying to steal?
“What’s wrong with wanting everything? Nothing, as long as you know how to get it.”
Portrait of a Thief was genuinely such a cool book. i love me a good heist and a character-driven story and this novel definitely delivered. i particularly enjoy this book as an artist, knowing a lot about the pieces these kids are out to steal. that being said, the Art History nerd in me is so so happy.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Wow, the layers to this book and the experience reading it is literally impossible to put into words. I'm always a fan of a good ol' heist and the characters involved in this story were so unique and intriguing while still working wonderfully together as a group.
3.5 / I finished this book in a day and it was one of my anticipated reads for the year. I really appreciated the short chapters and the variations of POV between the five characters, along with the emphasis on imperialism and colonialism and the impact it has on countries. It also gives a good analysis of the diaspora and immigration. I think some of the plot lacked details, and many of the characters just felt flat to me? I really enjoyed the premise though, and I’m a sucker for a good heist novel and a found family.
what this book does well, it does really well. i thought it was one of the better representations of chinese american diaspora that i’ve read. the nuances felt deeper than just tiger mom rah good grades sad. the conflicts and push and pull that the characters experienced felt real.
that said, the biggest let down of the book for me was the writing style. many phrases and sentence structures were overused and i’m surprised an editor didn’t pare some of them down. i also felt that the 5 POV’s weren’t distinguished enough in style and tone, we were given reminders of who was speaking based on their cliche roles in the heist—getaway driver, femme fatale, ringleader, etc.
i almost wish the author just decided to write a book about 5 young people trying to navigate their identities and place in the world. i don’t think the premise of elaborate art heists (which required a huge suspension of disbelief) served the story all that well.
that said, the biggest let down of the book for me was the writing style. many phrases and sentence structures were overused and i’m surprised an editor didn’t pare some of them down. i also felt that the 5 POV’s weren’t distinguished enough in style and tone, we were given reminders of who was speaking based on their cliche roles in the heist—getaway driver, femme fatale, ringleader, etc.
i almost wish the author just decided to write a book about 5 young people trying to navigate their identities and place in the world. i don’t think the premise of elaborate art heists (which required a huge suspension of disbelief) served the story all that well.