Character-driven books should be done like this!
A heist to steal back what has been stolen from your country, a group of college/university students with the determination and devotion to pull off the impossible!

Lily and Daniel were by far my favourites!

The risk of following dreams was too much for many of these characters, yet a heist to retrieve Chinese artefacts is a risk worth taking, almost like the stolen dreams of a country need to be returned home before they can pursue their own goals.

I loved how the characters have the echo of similar aches (leaving their country or working for a better future compared to their parents), each fell on different paths yet ended up together, and their voices and choices were so similar and different; it made it so captivating and understandable! The group's dynamic was also so realistic; Daniel glued them together, and without him, the glue fell apart as it was the connection part, and they had to work together and learn about each other to get by without him.

I'm glad I didn't let the ratings or reviews sway me, because I really enjoyed this book! The characters were really well developed, and they instantly hooked me in. I switched between reading and listening to the audiobook, and both were easy to digest! I will say this wasn't a fast-paced read, and it's going to move at a slower pace. I didn't mind that at all, and I'm sure that's why people are giving it a low rating.

If you're a fan of the Goldfinch, I think you'll like this book! I also can't believe this is the author's debut, I will definitely be keeping my eye out for Grace D. Li's next release. Oh and I think this would make a great movie!

The premise of this boon drew me in and kept me going through a story that was sadly not for me. While the topics at hand were explored in a lyrical way I was not enjoying the story and found myself getting bored throughout. The characters were not very interesting and they made me feel even more uninterested in the story.

What an enjoyable little heist story. It's not like anything I've read recently so it really stood out! I liked the cast of characters and seeing their relationships change throughout the story.

“What’s wrong with wanting everything?”

⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to Tiny Reparations Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

content warnings: death of a family member, parental death/grief, racism, colonization

Portrait of the Thief follows five young adults, each with unique ties to one another, who wind up in the midst of a grand heist to steal back a set of Chinese sculptures for a Chinese benefactor. Can a perfect art student, his enchanting sister, his childhood friend/lockpicker, his sister's roommate/casual street racer, and his software engineer friend manage to pull off the impossible?

I first discovered this book as a story compared to Ocean's Eleven and was thrilled to see what seemed like a heist book with found family vibes. I then gave in and requested this book after it was chosen as the book club pick in the Shelf This! Book Club.

The author did a superb job in overall writing skill! There were many great quotes, thought-provoking content, and multi-faceted characters. She did a tremendous job with the dynamics in this inner circle of friends/acquaintances/enemies as well. I think Lily was my favorite character, but it was a difficult choice as I could relate to all five of them for different reasons (maybe Irene the most). The chemistry between characters on both a platonic and romantic level was great.

My only main complaint (this may be my own misinterpretation as I can't remember the ways this book was marketed half a year ago) was that I was under the impression that this was a high-stakes heist novel. In reality, the actual heist parts are mostly glossed over. If you go into this story expecting something high-stakes and action-packed, I think you will be disappointed. This felt more like watching a docuseries on the behind-the-scenes "Making of a Heist" showing what happens before, after, and in between.

If you are someone who cares more about characters than the plot, this may be for you! From dealing with the loss of family members, figuring out one's identity, trying to understand the definition of home, battling anticipation and fear of the future and unknown, and deciding whether to follow the expectations set for us instead of our own desires, this book felt perfect for 20-something-year-olds. I'd like to give high praise for this being one of the few books I've managed to get my hands on in the past few years that wasn't only about sixteen-year-olds or middle-aged characters. That was a delight!

I would definitely be willing to try another book by Grace D. Li in any genre!

So odd, it doesn't work.

The writing was not my jam. Descriptions like a movie script. Very little character motivation. The reason each character signs on for the art heist doesn't make sense (they're more American than Chinese, so why??).

But mostly I hated the writing. It was stilted and all surface. Fake drama added for no reason. Characters I never cared for or had odd motivations. Meh.

I really enjoyed this book... but it took me a second to adjust my expectations. If you, like me, are expecting a fast-paced, twisty-turny, ingenious heist book, then this isn't the book for you. However, if you're looking for an overall good read that is more about character development with the backdrop of a heist, then this is perfect. It's imaginative and the historical relevance really helps bring it to life. Li's writing style is lyrical and smooth, making each page practically turn itself despite not being a typical heist page-turner.

The Asian heist novel we deserve! The author handled this literary masterpiece deftly, with a sleight of hand so subtle it left me surprised and hungry for more.

“Portrait of a Thief” is easy to love. Even in moments of calm, each page harbors a unique thrill which urges readers onto the next. Grace D. Li’s writing is a pristine blend of dramatic and artistic.

The author’s talent for world building is incomparable. No one will finish this book without Beijing on their travel bucket list. Readers can trust to be completely immersed in the setting from the snow banks of New York City to the exquisite Parisian sunsets. Brilliant sensory details capture beauty in even the littlest of details.

Li’s words appeal to all, but they speak to the souls of those in the Asian diaspora in particular. She expertly portrays the push and pull of displacement and longing through empathetic storytelling. The multiple characters, each with different takes on their identities, act as puzzle pieces to form a reaffirming harmony of Asian American experiences.

“Portrait of a Thief” is bold and enticing, and redefines what it means to be a good author. Grace D. Li surely has a bright future ahead of her.

I have a lot of complicated feelings about this book, I think in large part because I went into it thinking it was going to be a heist novel / thriller. And it's really not that. Yes, the main characters are all planning a heist together and we do get to see them performing various parts of a heist, but it's much more of a character driven story dealing with the intricacies of their relationships with one another and their complicated feelings about what they're doing and why they're doing it (ie stealing back stolen Chinese art from Western institutions). Because I was expecting something fast paced, I didn't enjoy the story very much, but I think that's on me for not understanding what the book was from the start. Portrait of a Thief is a characters study about dual identities and diaspora and imperialism. Go into it with that expectation and I think you'll be able to enjoy it much more than I did.

Sadly, I did not mesh with this book. I was expecting a fun heist novel with lots of art history, but I really only got chaos and an unexciting storyline. I am not sure if I truly like heist novels, as I haven't read too many in the past, but this one might have turned me off of the idea of a heist.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but halfway through, I had to DNF it before it put me into a reading slump. It was slow yet so chaotic and I don't think I quite understood the point of the novel.

Gotta love a good art heist reminiscent of the the Oceans franchise. Throw in a discourse on the repatriation of stolen cultural art, the significance of cultural identity of Asian-American youth living through the ramifications of the diaspora, and brilliantly flawed characters? It's a win for me!

The art heist is not the center of the plot, but it does lend a bit of action and excitement to an otherwise very character-driven narrative. The crimes themselves require some suspension of disbelief, but I didn't mind that in the least. I was drawn in by the characters, their diverse experiences, and their relationships with each other.

I'm so impressed with Grace's debut, and can't wait to see what she will write in the future!

Portrait of a Thief was an incredible read. It's a story about unlikely allies slash friends that brought together because of things that happened to them. It's such a good criticism of western imperialsms and other things that tailed it in this case, stolen things from (mainly) third world countries that were former colonies of western world. This book was a delight; whether you're reading it for the theme or for the ensemble casts of twenty somethings aged college children turned found family that sure left you wanting one yourself. A solid 4 stars from me!

Portrait of a Thief sounded good in theory. It's like those tweets where Asian and other POC were dreaming about taking back what the West stole and were proudly displaying in their museums. But this book fell flat. The characters weren't engaging and only the thought of mild excitement about the heist part of the book convinced me to continue.

I was really excited and looking forward to reading this book, however upon finishing it, I feel really torn. On one hand, I really enjoyed and appreciated the significance that the discussion of diaspora had throughout the entire book and it's a discussion I've been really yearning for more in my adulthood. With that being said, I think the way this book was marketed as a "heist" was a real hinderance because it didn't feel like the forefront of the book and honestly felt very lacking. It left much to be desired in terms of what was promised going into the book, however the discussions that took place throughout the book were very impactful and much needed.

This was a very interesting read, but not one I can say that I recommend to everyone. I loved the conversation about being a part of the diaspora — it’s very important and I can relate — but I don’t know that I loved the execution. I think all in all, like everyone else, my expectations for this story were something else altogether based on the marketing. I unfortunately don’t think it hit the mark, but I will be very interested to read this authors future work!

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

I, like many (I am sure), do love a heist movie. There is something so satisfyingly escapist about them and I revisit classics like Ocean's 11 and The Italian Job any time I'm looking for a comfort watch. Plus, I am a *huge* fan of the entire Fast and Furious franchise, #sorrynotsorry. (Which, after reading the Acknowledgements, it seems I have that in common with the author, so...take that world!) Anyways, the point of all that was, I was very intrigued in this combination heist and "reclaiming from colonist powers" plot and was excited to receive an eARC from NetGalley (which I am only a little late, in consideration of the publication date, in getting to).

Portrait of a Thief follows five Asian and Asian-American college students from across the US, who come together to form a team (bank-rolled by a mysterious nouveau riche Chinese benefactor) to steal back five sculptures, scattered at museums across the globe, that were looted from the old Summer Palace in Beijing years ago. Will Chen leads the group, a senior at Harvard with a passion for art and a view at claiming a place in history for himself. His sister, Irene Chen, is the perfect daughter, a public policy major at Duke who has the personality and charisma to talk anyone into (or out of) anything. Alex Huang dropped out of MIT to work at a company in Silicon Valley to bring more income to her family, joining the team as the "hacker." Lily Wu is a friend of Irene's from Duke, a car racer in her free time who acts as the getaway driver. And last in Daniel Liang, a childhood friend of Will and Irene, pre-med at Stanford, whose father works for the FBI as part of an art crimes division. Together, they battle familial and intergenerational expectations of success, individual life goals of greatness, and the long history of western colonialism and cultural theft.

My first impression, and possibly the strongest overall impression, that I had of this novel was the reflective writing style and (very-not-breakneck) pace of the story. I feel like this is an important place to start because, while it wasn't bad, it was definitely wildly different from the internal expectations I had and I had to adjust to it as a reader. I read "heist" and expected fast moving. But this had a sort of dreamy, spacey quality to the writing. As I got farther into the story, and realized that this actually fit the story really well. Li really nails the "existential dread of getting close to the end of college" feels, that fear of what comes next, mixed with the dread that this is all there is. And with all five of the main characters struggling with their own variations of that, as they decide whether or not to get involved, to take a risk like this with their future ahead of them versus the stagnant ennui of young adulthood, as well as dealing with the complex emotions of being split/not-belonging to two different countries/cultures (who deserves/gets one's allegiance and how does one prove it?), that contemplative and evaluative tone does fit with the reality of these characters. Overall, it's more an artsy, ethereal, philosophical take on a heist, which I started skeptical of, considering the high stakes subject matter, but in the end appreciated as an interesting and unique choice.

Other than that primary point of pacing and stylistic choice, I was, from the start, very much into this story. Honestly, it does seem a little too convenient that all these young people with the exact necessary, specific skills already were acquainted. However, I was totally willing to suspend disbelief to see how it plays out, for entertainment purposes and, a little bit, to watch a fantasy that I'd be way too chicken to ever take a chance on myself, play out. And I know I said the overall pacing was slower than expected, and there was less action than I'd thought (though that makes sense, with college-aged protagonists with somewhat limited financial resources), but the tension in the plot development did build in a tangible way during and after the first heist, as the "waiting for the other shoe to drop and we get caught" feelings start to hit and grow. This is mirrored by the rising burden of expectations the team puts on themselves in finishing and getting away with their mission, the weight of their potential success and the hopes they've each pinned on it, and how it's come to symbolize something greater both culturally and individually. It makes you feel, as the reader, that they are fast approaching precarious levels of risk-taking because they are unwilling to admit defeat, and that's a lot of well-developed literary tension-building.

And then: the ending. I loved it! What a phenomenal "twist" that allowed for everything to be wrapped up with a positive outcome (the one you're cheering for, as the reader), and yet within a more or less believable, realistic way considering the overall lack of resources and preparedness from this naive-ish (in the not-yet-disillusioned-and-still-sort-of-hopeful way) group of young adult thieves. And really, Li crushed it with the perfect "sepia toned, promise of the future, heist movie ending" vibe too. So satisfying, on so many levels.

And so, though I started out fairly hesitant, by the end, I would call myself a fan of this one. It was really entertaining, the right amount of tense, relatable (if you've ever felt family pressure, an existential un-surity of the future, or that cultural in-between of children of immigrants), and a phenomenal *pop-culture* way of calling out imperialist cultural theft and reclaiming it back to its origins in a really satisfying way.

This book was good but some parts were extremely unbelievable and I was left a little bored. The discussions around immigration and the Chinese diaspora were interesting and thought provoking but for me was unexpected. It made sense given the objects of the heists desires but I went in thinking this was heist focused and those parts were just rushed through.

This book raised so many important issues and ideas to discuss. It handled the idea of the diaspora in a way that will feel relatable and honest to anyone in that community. Anyone who was born to immigrant parents will find themselves nodding along and discovering their life truths set down in words in Grace Li's debut.

However, the novel tends to lean too heavily toward the emotional, almost literary, side of the story. The book, after all, is supposed to be about a heist -- how five college students with a shared rich cultural heritage are trying to steal items from museums around the world. Instead of tension that keeps the reader moving through the plot, the narrative often stops to examine moments and to make sense of them within the cultural context of the five characters. For the first half of the book, it seems warranted. After a while, the constant need for self-examination and reflection weighs down the plot and might make some readers impatient.

The end, too, is a letdown to the buildup of the lofty ideas the five have of stealing the zodiac heads. Everything feels like it's being wrapped up too fast for the sake of the conclusion. In other words, the book had to go somewhere and so it went there. Like its five protagonists, the end seems a little too idealistic, a little immature, and a missed opportunity for what else might have happened.

It's interesting that a book that talks so much about culture and heritage doesn't spend much time at all with the parents/families that brought that culture with them to the U.S. The majority of what readers learn about what China means to Chinese-Americans comes from the American-born members of the group, but hearing how the immigrant generation felt and thought would have made this a richer experience.

There's no doubt that Grace Li is a talented writer; however, pulling back on some of the aching prose would have made what was left even more striking, more dramatic, and more memorable. It'll be interesting to see what she tackles for her next book.

For a debut, I think Li tackles some challenging topics that are wonderful to see, especially in YA, but I do not think the writing, the plot, or characters were strong enough to carry the concept. The ending was wrapped up too perfectly and a lot of the heists were far too clean. There didn't seem to be much of a challenge outside of the characters' identity struggles. I wanted a heist story, like many other people did, and I did not receive that. My expectations were far too high and chances are if you read the description, yours are too.