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A review by samisbookshelf
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
“What’s wrong with wanting everything?
Nothing, as long as you know how to get it.”
10/14/2021 I GOT AN ARC LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!
Grace Li said I might've been the first person to get an ARC dfbdsjffddjk. I'm literally so stoked to see Asian Americans steal back pieces of their culture from the whites.
10/15/2021
Holy shit I finished. First and foremost, huge thank you to Dutton Books for the eARC of Portrait of a Thief in exchange for an honest review!
Portrait of a Thief follows a group of 5 college students who get the opportunity of a lifetime: steal back 5 Chinese sculptures in exchange for 10 million dollars each.
Not only did the heists of the sculptures have me at the edge of my seat, but the heists were realistic, something you don't often seen in fictional media. And while, yes, the heists are the main premise of the book, Portrait of a Thief is so much more than that. Portrait of a Thief closely examines ideas of colonialism, immigration, and identity.
While I personally cannot speak to the Chinese and Chinese American representation in this book, I can say that many of the themes of immigration that were brought up in relation to the Chinese American identity were as familiar to me as the back of my hands. The unbelonging and isolation of being an Asian American, the rage at the culture of my ancestors being stolen form the Motherland, and the disconnect that often occurs between immigrant parents and their American born children.
The focal point of the novel, the art and Western thievery, is so delicately written about an intricately woven into the story. Will's steadfast belief that all art belongs to those who created it is something that will touch the hearts of anyone who hails from a country that has been colonized by the West.
Beautifully written, Portrait of a Thief is filled with twists and turns, highs and lows, and love and hate. Grace Li writes a fantastically structured novel that will leave your heart racing, your eyes mistry, and your heart full. This was an absolutely stunning debut novel and I can’t wait to see Grace’s success unfold in the coming years.
Nothing, as long as you know how to get it.”
10/14/2021 I GOT AN ARC LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!
Grace Li said I might've been the first person to get an ARC dfbdsjffddjk. I'm literally so stoked to see Asian Americans steal back pieces of their culture from the whites.
10/15/2021
Holy shit I finished. First and foremost, huge thank you to Dutton Books for the eARC of Portrait of a Thief in exchange for an honest review!
Portrait of a Thief follows a group of 5 college students who get the opportunity of a lifetime: steal back 5 Chinese sculptures in exchange for 10 million dollars each.
Not only did the heists of the sculptures have me at the edge of my seat, but the heists were realistic, something you don't often seen in fictional media. And while, yes, the heists are the main premise of the book, Portrait of a Thief is so much more than that. Portrait of a Thief closely examines ideas of colonialism, immigration, and identity.
While I personally cannot speak to the Chinese and Chinese American representation in this book, I can say that many of the themes of immigration that were brought up in relation to the Chinese American identity were as familiar to me as the back of my hands. The unbelonging and isolation of being an Asian American, the rage at the culture of my ancestors being stolen form the Motherland, and the disconnect that often occurs between immigrant parents and their American born children.
The focal point of the novel, the art and Western thievery, is so delicately written about an intricately woven into the story. Will's steadfast belief that all art belongs to those who created it is something that will touch the hearts of anyone who hails from a country that has been colonized by the West.
Beautifully written, Portrait of a Thief is filled with twists and turns, highs and lows, and love and hate. Grace Li writes a fantastically structured novel that will leave your heart racing, your eyes mistry, and your heart full. This was an absolutely stunning debut novel and I can’t wait to see Grace’s success unfold in the coming years.