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brischubert 's review for:
Portrait of a Thief
by Grace D. Li
This novel is about a group of college students who are asked to complete a heist to take back Chinese art that was stolen or taken from colonization from famous museums around the world—and promised a lot (!!) of money in return. The group is led by Will Chen, a Chinese American art history student who is grappling with his identity, his art and his dreams for the future.
I found the book to be an incredibly interesting concept. I loved the exploration of who owns art, what colonization means for art and how museums are dealing with these conversations. I thought the characters were very well-developed, and I liked getting to know them all throughout.
However, I did feel like the book, especially for one about heists, dragged at times. There was a lot of internal dialogues and glimpses into the thoughts for all the characters, and while it was sometimes interesting, there were other parts that felt long. Some of the characters’ inner struggles were repeated over and over, and I wish it could’ve been just a little less.
All in all, I loved the overall plot and the characters, I just felt it dragged here and there. I know this is being developed for a tv show, and I think it will adapt fantastically for the screen.
I found the book to be an incredibly interesting concept. I loved the exploration of who owns art, what colonization means for art and how museums are dealing with these conversations. I thought the characters were very well-developed, and I liked getting to know them all throughout.
However, I did feel like the book, especially for one about heists, dragged at times. There was a lot of internal dialogues and glimpses into the thoughts for all the characters, and while it was sometimes interesting, there were other parts that felt long. Some of the characters’ inner struggles were repeated over and over, and I wish it could’ve been just a little less.
All in all, I loved the overall plot and the characters, I just felt it dragged here and there. I know this is being developed for a tv show, and I think it will adapt fantastically for the screen.