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jzmiao 's review for:
Portrait of a Thief
by Grace D. Li
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.