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A review by ursa_arlo
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Positives. I have a soft spot for character-driven novels. Every character has their own motivation for taking part in the heist and I enjoy how -by the end of the novel- each character has had a moment of significance with the other characters, making it more believable that they have become each other's ride-or-dies. Daniel's relationship with his dad especially is quite nice; they're two lonely men afraid to be vulnerable with each other. I also enjoyed the yin-and-yang relationship of Will and his sister Irene: Will feels guilty as the only son for not following the beaten path his parents have laid out for him and Irene resents him for it, feeling like Will is still the golden child whilst she follows in her parents' footsteps.
Negatives. I agree with other reviews that this book should not be advertised as a heist novel. You need a large suspension of disbelief to buy that these students could pull off a heist like this. But, the misleading marketing about its content is not the biggest flaw of this book. As someone who decidedly does not have a migration background, I appreciated seeing the perspectives of a bunch of students belonging to the Chinese diaspora in the USA, especially their views on belonging and on ownership of arts. However, as someone with a background in sociology, I also know there is a lot more diversity to be found within this community, both in origins, experiences and feelings towards mainland China. It's good to showcase the cultural recognition the characters find within one another but it would have been even better to include a diverse range of experiences. Right now, this causes the characterization to feel flat.
What bugs me the most is how poorly researched the sections in Europe were. I mean, come on... You can't preach about structural racism and then not bother the check how racism manifests itself in Sweden. Really?! Because no, contrary to the beliefs of this author, white supremacists do not proudly declare themselves to be white supremacists here, and they certainly do not live in separate neighbourhoods where you can easily set their boats on fire. ;)
All in all, I enjoyed this book for its character-driven story. If you can put aside the rational part of your brain for a few hours, this is a fun read.
Quote. "Will thought of China. He thought of Stockholm. The give of them - they were searching for a way home. He didn't know if Mum would understand. The old summer palace, to him, might have just been flames and righteous anger. But Will had looked at the ruins, thought of what was left behind."
Negatives. I agree with other reviews that this book should not be advertised as a heist novel. You need a large suspension of disbelief to buy that these students could pull off a heist like this. But, the misleading marketing about its content is not the biggest flaw of this book. As someone who decidedly does not have a migration background, I appreciated seeing the perspectives of a bunch of students belonging to the Chinese diaspora in the USA, especially their views on belonging and on ownership of arts. However, as someone with a background in sociology, I also know there is a lot more diversity to be found within this community, both in origins, experiences and feelings towards mainland China. It's good to showcase the cultural recognition the characters find within one another but it would have been even better to include a diverse range of experiences. Right now, this causes the characterization to feel flat.
What bugs me the most is how poorly researched the sections in Europe were. I mean, come on... You can't preach about structural racism and then not bother the check how racism manifests itself in Sweden. Really?! Because no, contrary to the beliefs of this author, white supremacists do not proudly declare themselves to be white supremacists here, and they certainly do not live in separate neighbourhoods where you can easily set their boats on fire. ;)
All in all, I enjoyed this book for its character-driven story. If you can put aside the rational part of your brain for a few hours, this is a fun read.
Quote. "Will thought of China. He thought of Stockholm. The give of them - they were searching for a way home. He didn't know if Mum would understand. The old summer palace, to him, might have just been flames and righteous anger. But Will had looked at the ruins, thought of what was left behind."