A museum heist but make it cultural and character driven?

This book jumps into the world of art heists. So fun right? I quickly learned though, that this was more about the people and their history/culture than the heist. So if you’re expecting a heist book, this might take time to get in to.

The root of this story is in the Chinese heritage of the characters, not the actual heist. That part almost felt secondary to me.

Lots of POV did get very confusing, I’ll be honest. But at first I loved the intros and how the diff people were introduced. At the end I almost wished we didn’t have diff POV chapters (which I usually loveeeee) because it felt a bit much.

I liked it. Then I didn’t. Then I did. Then I didn’t. I don’t know. I loved the plot idea and cultural take but something was off. I don’t know what though.

I read this might be a Netflix show soon. I think this could be amazing in that format.

Tysm Dutton for this gifted copy.

This book was quite different than I expected. I think I expected a little more main action and less side action; everything also felt a little too easy. I guess those are my two main complaints about the book. However, there were a lot of things I liked. First, I really enjoyed the commentary on colonialism and art, the Asian dysphoria and how the Asian experience is not a monolith, and parental pressure to succeed. Second, I really liked the characters themselves, especially Irene; I thought they were well-developed and had great chemistry, even if the author leaned a little hard into the archetypes (Will, the leader; Irene, the con artist; Daniel, the thief; Lily, the getaway driver; and Alex, the hacker), it was purposeful and didn't feel forced, especially since the characters didn't fit perfectly within their pre-defined roles. All-in-all, I enjoyed this book, and I look forward to what the author has in store for the future.

Five brilliant Chinese American students at top universities. Fifty million dollars at stake. Can Will convince his sister and three friends to attempt the impossible, risking it all to steal five ancient Chinese art pieces from museums around the globe without getting caught and return them to China to claim the payout?

This contemporary heist novel has an interesting angle to inspire the elaborate thefts it chronicles. Ring leader Will Chen is inspired to do what he believes is right by reclaiming Chinese historical artifacts obtained by museums during periods of colonialism and via unethical means. The money is just the icing on the cake, providing he and his co-conspirators can deliver.

I enjoyed the art world details of this novel. The planning and execution of the thefts are involved and suspenseful. Each character possesses a skill critical to the success of the missions and unique motivation that drives participation in the team revealed through rotating narration to include each member’s perspective.

While much of the story was fast-paced, the story stalled at times with the repetitive revelations of some of the characters. It sometimes felt as though the character had a chapter in the rotation and was going to get that chapter whether they had anything new to say or not, which interrupted the flow for me.

If you’re into heist stories, this one is solid. It has a youthful sense of adventure with some glitz and glamour thrown in to keep things interesting.

Portrait of a Thief is a fun read! I enjoyed the combination of 5 college students grappling with their Chinese American identities, the heists of course, and the questioning/criticism of museum collection development practices.

Conceptually, I loved this. The whole idea of a group of Chinese American college kids going on a string of heists to retrieve Chinese art stolen by western museums is fantastic. I found the exploration of identities within the diaspora really compelling and think this shows a lot of promise for a debut novel despite some of the more critical takes I've come away from it with. That aside...

The prose was repetitive to the point of distraction. Most chapters began with a character's full name, the phrase "it went like this" and variations on it were constant refrains, and oftentimes descriptions would be repeated word for word. While the characters did feel distinct from each other in group scenes, the multi-POV format of the book didn't do them any favours. There was little to no change in style from one character's point of view to the others, which made it challenging to root for any of the interpersonal dynamics at play as much as I'd have liked. I also found there to be a lack of much development or character growth throughout the novel which was a letdown since I felt they all had a lot of promise.

As for the issue of the heist story format... this missed the mark for me. It was slow, largely unexciting, and seemed almost afraid to get into the actual details of the heists themselves. There was also the issue of suspension of disbelief, which is of course a given in novels like this and I'm usually not too bothered, but paired with the lack of investment I had in the characters and dynamics I was unfortunately a lot more keyed into how unrealistic their successes were than I might've been if other elements of the story had been stronger.

This is the best book I’ve read this year, the most personal one. I have always struggled with my feelings about being Asian American but also not being the child of immigrants and having a very different history than so many other Asian Americans. Grace D. Li has wonderfully and masterfully captured the pain and hope and wonder of being a part of a diaspora and the complex feelings and experiences that come with it. I saw myself in every single character and I felt seen, called out in the best way, and just heard. This is such a wonderful book, words can’t explain how much I loved it.

Portrait of a Thief is the story of 5 Chinese-American college students who are hired to steal back precious pieces of Chinese art and return them home. At its core, it’s a deep character study about Chinese diaspora and the implications of modern-day imperialism disguised behind a fun art-heist themed plot. While this wasn’t necessarily what I was expecting, I had a fantastic time reading Portrait of a Thief and would happily read more from Grace Li in the future!

I truly appreciated the perspectives in this book - learning more about how Chinese Americans view their identity and their experiences being stuck between two countries was enlightening. Incorporating these themes while also discussing art history was incredibly smart. There is a complicated history with art/artifacts in modern museums and the inherent greed associated with these private collections. As an art fan and amateur historian, I often feel torn in galleries between fascinated at seeing the works on display and uncomfortable not knowing their origin/rights of sale. I loved how PoaT focused on that and tied it intrinsically with the characters’ motivations.

This is primarily a character study and I had a great time being inside all of their heads. Daniel was BY FAR my favorite character. I absolutely loved his experience of grappling with his relationship with his father and how that developed as the story progressed. I also really liked Lily’s perspective - making her a driver while she’s metaphorically speeding away from her family settling in America was interesting. I liked how she developed throughout the story.

Unfortunately, I had some trouble *reading* this book. The writing, while beautiful, was a bit flowery and difficult for me to focus on for extended periods of time. I eventually purchased the audiobook so that I could get through it and get the most out of it.

In all, I really enjoyed this story. Narratively, I don’t think all of the pieces fully come together, but I found it extremely exciting!

For a heist book this didn't have much scheming.

This missed the mark for me a bit. I felt like it was over descriptive of mundane things and then the exciting action stuff was skimmed over so briefly! I wanted more! I did like the plot it just kind of left me feeling teased with action.

I also struggled with the characterization with the perspectives changing because it was written in 3rd person.

I tried reading this book multiple times, in multiple formats, but it just didn't hold my attention. It started off very slowly, which was disappointing for a heist book. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I am very disappointed since this was one of my most anticipated reads, but I couldn't finish it. I might try it again later, but I've spent over a month trying to read this book and have barely made a dent in it

“If you were missing something, but you could not even name what it was—did it count? Did it matter?”

PORTRAIT OF A THIEF is a clever and profound literary heist novel that explores art history, diasporic identities, and what it looks like to find belonging when “home” has always felt like an unattainable, ephemeral goal. Five Chinese American young adults are brought together by their various connections - siblings, roommates, childhood friends, past flings - to attempt the impossible: steal back five sculptures from five different museums across Europe and the US and return them to their rightful place in China, where they were originally stolen from. If successful, they will gain a collective fifty million dollars, but more than that, the satisfaction of righting the ongoing wrongs of colonialism.

This book is so beautifully written; even if some parts felt a bit repetitive I was fully immersed in the cinematic experience. Every single chapter had lines that struck a chord as Li slowly peels back the layers of each characters’ complex relationship with their identity. Will, Irene, Lily, Alex, and Daniel all have a unique role to play in the heists (leader, con artist, getaway driver, hacker, and of course, thief) as well as a distinct yet universal experience as a Chinese American. I loved getting to know each of them and seeing their different relationships with each other unfold. The heists were fun and surprisingly realistic, but ultimately this felt like more of a character-driven novel than a thriller. I thought the ending was very satisfying, especially the found family the crew forms and the way each of them are figuring out their path in those years during and right after college. There’s also a sharp, slow-burn romance between two strong women who are deliciously prickly towards each other that I adored. Thanks to Tiny Reparations Books for the review copy!

Content warnings: racism/xenophobia, death of a parent (past)

An excellent story and an impressive debut. The characters are wonderfully crafted, and their motivations and backgrounds are all interesting. The story combines a fascinating heist plot with a thoughtful element about repatriation and art and culture, making for a literary mystery feeling that is very readable and thought provoking.

I really enjoyed the concept of stealing back stolen art and reflections on lingering effects of colonialism, but I found that aspects of the book didn’t feel developed to me. I didn’t feel invested in the characters and they didn’t feel distinct from one another. Romances felt like they developed out of no where. There wasn’t that much heist info and the details there were seemed so far fetched and impossible. Overall it was okay but just never gripped me.

This one was hard to rate. The author and/or publisher really wants it to be an Oceans Eleven type heist story. They blatantly tell us in the description and multiple times in the book.

This is not that. It would have been much better if no one had mentioned the idea.

What I liked - this is a great treatment of how diaspora and immigration can feel to those stuck between two worlds. The motive of the fight against imperialism by museums is something that deserves a lot more traction than it gets.

What had more potential than realized:

Instead of the action story this is billed as, it's a completely a character driven book. Even the action was about how it impacted the characters. For instance, racing scenes are all about how the driver feels while racing. Literally with the feel of the steering wheel, pumping heart, etc. And figuratively with freedom, etc.

There are some good characters, but I wanted more depth. The story only held them together weakly and painted them in broad outlines. And, of course, everyone pairs off by the end.

Overall, I wish this had "cooked longer." More attention to the characters and less on trying to be a witty caper film in book form could have made this captivating. More description and focus on locations. There are all these amazing places, but the characters just say how awesome it is. We, as readers, aren't there. And we should be.

The beginning and setting up everyone’s character was a bit slow for me. Once we got to the first heist(and set up for it) things pick up. I am loving all the different connections and wondering where and if any special relationships will be formed between some of the characters.

I liked where the story ended up but getting there felt long. Especially as an audiobook. It just wasn’t something I was completely drawn to listen to except for certain parts but I think the concept and plot was cool. I just wanted something different or more maybe. There were so many characters and POV that it got a little confusing at times.

College kids stealing back stolen art! Inspired by true events, returning stolen art & the ongoing effects of colonialism, and the countless comparisons to Ocean’s 11/Fast & Furious! Heist-lover or not, this was highly anticipated by many!!

This has:
- heists that happen in the book, but this book isn’t about heists
- some friendships & family dynamics
- rumination of cultural identity
- a pinch of romance

What I loved:
- atmospheric & descriptive language in describing people and settings
- had me mentally planning trips to SF, NYC, Beijing, and Paris
- etches the surface of the effects of colonialism & diasporic longing

What I not-so-loved:
- not much range of experiences/lifestyles among the 5 characters
- repetitive, MC voices get lost in the 5 POVs short chapter format, Character voices all kind of blend in and I kept getting confused on who's POV it was
- not much character development
- idk a lot about heists, but I definitely wouldn’t plan it on zoom & google drive, especially if my dad was in the FBI

This had an amazing concept that immediately draws attention & the willingness to get invested but it was a tall order. For me, the pursuit of delving into heists, art history, and cultural identity all in the story ended with none of the aspects getting fully fleshed out. It was a missed opportunity to expand on nuanced issues & carve out depth in the characters and stories.

It fell a bit flat for me - took me a while to finish & I didn’t find myself reaching for it often. I really wish it pressed more into the intersection of art history and colonialism. But my heist-loving partner enjoyed this read! I wish I knew it was more literary fiction, less heist execution, leaning more light-hearted than serious before jumping into this. Also, remove any & all expectations of Ocean’s 11/Fast and Furious - this isn’t a high-action & sneaky tricks story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Portrait of a Thief
By Grace D Li

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I felt as though this one set itself up for disappointment with the whole ‘Ocean's Eleven meets The Farewell’ comp.

As a heist novel this was woefully lacking in thrills and in stakes. The idea of these six all well off kids organizing heists for money never really seemed believable. If you’re in this book for that aspect I think you’ll be a bit disappointed.

What I did like about this book was how it highlighted and dived into the diaspora experience, that unique ‘unbelonging’, and showed us how they all dealt with it differently.

This story felt like it could have really been something a little groundbreaking perhaps but it seemed fearful to take the leap.

Nevertheless, there’s a good story in here somewhere so I’m very much looking forward to the Netflix series/tv show whenever it comes out!

At its core, this is a book about ownership:

Colonialism, violence, and the ownership of the spoils of war, violence, and colonialism.

Diaspora, immigration, and the ownership we hold over our culture, our communities, our countries.

Legacy, history, our ownership and stewardship of it.

To call Portrait of a Thief a heist novel would be reductive, and inaccurate. This is a story about art, colonialism, reparitions, and who gets to call what stealing. It’s a story about immigration, diaspora, and what it feels like to be stuck between worlds. It’s a story about the tangible taste and feeling of wanting. It’s a story about relationships, the threads that bind us, and the things that tear us apart. Its a love story, an ode to all kinds of love: romantic love, friendship, familial love, love of country, passion, and the thin line between love and duty. It’s a story of being young and invincible - of being fearless, while simultaneously being burdened by the weight of expectation and pressure. It’s a story about heists - the glamour, the electricity, the well made plans, and the little mistakes that make everything unravel again.

This book was stunning - Li’s prose is gorgeous, lyrical, breathtaking. I found myself reading and re-reading passages because they felt so right, so poignant, so beautiful. It took my breath away - the perfect marriage of action, character driven storytelling, and social commentary. I adored every moment of reading this, and savoured every word.

This book is a work of art.

I have no words...
the way this book was so deeply relatable and reached into my very soul as an Asian-American living in the diaspora
Grace D. Li's writing is beyond compare.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li combines literary fiction with the beloved heist genre in a story of five college students who plan to steal back Chinese art from western museums. I found the book’s premise and anti-colonial messaging engaging, but I had some issues with the one-dimensional characters and the lack of excitement to the heist itself. The execution may not have lived up to my expectations, but this is still a clever read that tackles some important topics.

Inspired by a true story, this book follows a group of five college students who are tasked with stealing back five Chinese sculptures that have been stolen by western museums centuries ago. Each member of the crew is exceptionally bright, only none of them have any experience as thieves. With fifty million dollars and history on the line, failure is not an option, but will a team of amateur thieves be able to return the sculptures to where they belong?

❀ CHARACTERS LACK DEPTH

Throughout the book all five characters in the crew have a voice, although I found them all lacking in depth. As the synopsis states, each fits perfectly into the heist archetypes–the leader, the con artist, the thief, the hacker, and the getaway driver–and as a result, each character becomes a one-dimensional cliche than can be summed up in a single sentence. While I appreciated the way the author gives each a unique voice and a complex relationship with China and Chinese American identity, their motivations for participating in such a risky heist are never really explained. With characters like these, I feel like there is an opportunity for humour, but as they are taken seriously, I was taken out of the story at certain points.

❀ INCOHERENT PLOT

While I adored the concept of a heist story with a critique of colonialism, I found that the execution could have been stronger. The root of this problem is the blend of genres–of literary fiction with a heist story–that doesn’t quite work out. The literary fiction aspects overshadow the excitement of the heist, and rather than exciting action scenes, the prose is mostly long descriptions and introspection which makes the plot drag. I understand that the heist is intended to be secondary to the anti-colonial messages, but I would have liked to see more of the thriller elements that a heist story suggests. I also had issues with the characters’s shaky heist planning, as they turn to Google Docs to organize their poorly thought-out schemes. Again, this feels like satire but is fully taken seriously, which makes for a confusing reading experience. I do appreciate the anti-colonial themes, as this is an important topic that I have not seen often in YA, but I wish that the story as a whole was stronger so that this messaging wasn’t lost in the incoherent plot.

❀ GENRE-BLENDING HEIST STORY

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li is a genre-blending heist story with a critique of colonialism at its core. While I enjoyed the premise and appreciated the book’s message, I had issues with the one-dimensional characters and the lack of excitement. While this one wasn’t entirely to my taste, I am sure that many will enjoy its themes and the author’s poetic writing style.

I don’t even know how to begin to collect my thoughts on this, but rest assured that they are all good!

Grace D. Li paints a gripping story in her debut, and I found myself holding my breath as I sped through the last bits of the novel, desperate to see how any of this would work out. Portrait of a Thief switches through multiple POVs, and through it, the reader is really able to get a glimpse of what these heists–and what China–means to all of these characters. The way each individual moves throughout the world and views the heists is so incredibly different between all of them, each just as impactful as the last.

With some multiple POV novels, I find myself brushing past or not being pulled into some POVs as much as others, but I never once felt like any of their POVs were lacking! Each character was so easy to be pulled into, and I found myself desperate to see how each character’s story was resolved.

I will mention that although these characters are brought together by and influenced by the heists themselves, this story is much more about the characters and their goals and their relationships with their families, with China, and with America, so I wouldn’t necessarily go into this expecting it to be extremely heavy on the heist sections. That being said, this was an incredible debut and I cannot recommend it enough!