Thank you NetGalley for the audio of this!

I love when memoirs are narrated by the author. I just like feeling like I'm sitting down the the person and chatting about their life.

Kari's life as a Korean adoptee grabbed my attention immediately. I am also a Korean adoptee that was raised by a white family, in a very white town. I had no exposure to my Asian/Korean culture/customs growing up. I've taken it upon myself in adulthood to seek these kinds of things out and it definitely defines a huge part of me.

I enjoyed this, but the whole time I felt like I kept wanting more. I wanted more depth, more emotion, more information. I felt like I could have related to Kari a lot more, felt more connected - specifically about both being Korean adoptees - but felt this lacked any real depth.

I did not know about Kari's escapades prior to listening to this. Overall, it was enjoyable and kept my attention.

My thanks go to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the invitation to read and review. This book will be available to the public January 7, 2025.

The blurb for this book had me at hello. Korean baby girl adopted by Caucasian Americans, who then become Mormons; a childhood and adolescence rife with alienation, discrimination, and ultimately a life of crime; prison time, followed by social crusades, among them prison reform, which is hugely necessary. I was all in, but that was before I read this thing. My own daughter is half Japanese and has to listen to “Where you from?” a fair amount, so this is a sensitive area for me, too. Racial teachings within the LDS (Mormon) church are a veritable minefield, and indeed, I can see how Ferrell’s upbringing would have been fraught.

And yet, the memoir that I read was not what I expected. The memoir, the blurb said, would be laugh out loud funny; I chucked a few times at the outset, and then was mostly just horrified. I received both the digital and audio galleys, and halfway through I abandoned the audio, because Ferrell, who provides her own narration, sounds so ebullient, so proud of herself, that I couldn’t take it. Reverting to the digital made it doable, but I found myself finishing it from a sense of obligation rather than a desire to read more.

Ferrell’s friends during her adolescence are what most adults would consider to be the wrong crowd. Truancy, petty theft, lying, drinking, and drugs are hallmarks. But Ferrell neither stays there as an adult, nor reforms herself once she reaches adulthood, though her parents, even though they divorce, likely can provide her with psychiatric treatment or counseling. Instead, she escalates, and commences stealing and defrauding her friends, pretending to need an abortion, pretending to have cancer, receiving so-called loans and gifts from those that don’t have a lot of money but love her dearly, and then disappearing. Steal in Utah, move to New York City. Steal in New York, go home to the folks in Arizona. And it continues until, at long last, she is arrested, tried, and convicted.

I tried to put my finger on what it is that makes me edgy here. Why do I not believe she’s all that sorry? Partly, it’s that other people appear only briefly and vaguely here. Of course it’s Ferrell’s life that’s the focus, but I would have expected some passages that flesh out the people that have loved her and tried to help her, even if it is necessary to conceal their identities as a matter of their own preferences. What happens to them later? What hardships, if any, do they suffer because of her actions? Instead, all of them come across as shadows, and as if they don’t really matter. I would have expected some emotion around reconnecting with some of these people, trying to make amends and financial restitution, even if they don’t want to see or hear from her. She talks a fair amount about the realization that her behavior is a form of self-sabotage, cutting herself off from positive relationships, but she doesn’t talk much about how she has sabotaged, or even completely blown up, the lives of others.

Lastly, I’m disturbed by some of her assumptions. The one that comes immediately to mind is when she reminds us—as if this is well known—that lying is fun. What??

In order for a memoir to be successful, the reader must be able to bond with the author. I have been unable to do that, either because Ferrell enjoys talking about her crimes and betrayals a little too much, or because she is unable to convey remorse in her writing; either way, I cannot recommend it to you.

Readers of my age and interests are going to eat this up. I loved being back in this work and hearing about moments I remember through her eyes. I had a fantastic time with this.

This girl has lived a life ok! First off thanks to #Macmillianaudio for the early listen of a book I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did. She did a lot of things unprovoked and I think the real lesson to gain here is not knowing your true self and where you come from and not having anyone around you to assist in that journey, can send you on a downward spiral. Really enjoyed this read. Not super heavy had some funny moments as well.

Really interesting memoir about Korean transnational adoption, fraud, identity, the criminal justice system. Think Orange is the new black meet an Asian American adoption story. I thought the author was incisive and funny sometimes. Love her rawness and the profanity. And so glad she’s working to uplift more POC voices in media. Highly recommend the audio book.

This was a total surprise to me. I randomly decided to play it, I had no familiarity with Kari's story but I liked the cover and was curious about the "hipster grifter," and having enjoyed the Anna Delvaney story I gave it a try. Kari is a seriously talented storyteller: funny, thoughtful, the memoir was well paced and interesting. She felt very real and authentic and I would love to see her bring that wit to fiction as well. She also did a great job narrating her book. Bravo!

This was just okay. I found myself speeding up the narration to finish and getting distracted. I hate to give memoirs low ratings because it's the individual's personal life story, but I think the writing in this one wasn't anything special.

I received the audio book and I found it interesting at first but then it was less of a story and felt more like an person rambling who kept losing their train of thought.

I really enjoy time jumps and non linear stories but this was just a little bit messy and disorganized. I did enjoy the audio book but I don't know if I would of stuck around if I had a digital copy of a physical copy.

I love reading about other people’s lives, the reasons behind what they do, mistakes they’ve made along the way and how they have overcome different things or events. I had never heard of Kari Farrell before and am glad that the story wasn’t glorifying her time behind bars but was more in her mind and the reasoning behind and what led up to certain events. Farrell is known as the “hipster grifter” is known for swindling people out of their money and for not paying rent and check fraud. Not someone I would want to hang around with. Needless to say, this story was interesting, decently well written and held my attention. I listened to the audiobook and Farrell read her own story. She did a great job, she spoke at my speed and it was the first book in a while that I listened to at 1 speed instead of 1.25.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Audio ARC!

This is an interesting memoir. The author has certainly had an eventful life, which she loves to talk about in great detail. Unfortunately, it didn't resonate with me. I'd pass on this one if I had a second chance.

I had never heard of Kari Ferrell before listening to this book (but I definitely googled "hipster grifter" as soon as I finished it). I'm fascinated by a lot of different elements in the book: growing up LDS, transnational adoption, selling yourself like a commodity while also focusing on "authenticity"...

I found that the memoir stayed pretty "surface level" to me. While Ferrell talks about her crimes and takes responsibility (for the most part), she doesn't go into her motivations or draw many (any?) conclusions. Obviously people are entitled to their privacy and can write memoirs however they like. I can admit that I expect more of a thesis or driving point in my books, and that includes memoirs. Why did she feel the need to write this? I'm still not sure even after having finished.

This was a quick listen and I think Ferrell, who narrated her own book, did a good job. (This is not a given - I've definitely heard authors who should NOT have been the ones to read their own books!). I think I'd have liked it more if I'd been more familiar with her story, so if you were an avid Gawker or Observer reader at the time of the Hipster Grifter stories, this would probably work better for you.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the memoir.

I had no clue who Kari Ferrell was going into this, but I had a total blast! I picked up the book because it mentioned Anna Delvey, and I’m a sucker for some good grifter true crime. That said, most of the victims in the story are just regular folks or friends—not the rich targets I was expecting. Plus, the book doesn’t dive much into Kari’s “hipster grifter” days like I thought it would.
However, Kari does get into some interesting stuff, like being adopted as a person of color in a mostly white, religious town, and she also talks about some issues with the prison system. I really appreciated reading about her journey of self-discovery while dealing with bigotry.
This audiobook is brutally honest, with sharp wit, a tongue that could cut glass, and a charm that’ll steal both your heart and your wallet. Every chapter just got more unhinged in the best way, and the narration was top-notch. I couldn’t put it down, even though life did get in the way.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio ARC.

I had absolutely no idea who Kari Ferrell was going into this and ended up finishing in one sitting. Her narration was well done and made for an easy read. As far as the story itself, I have mixed feelings. I do wish she provided more details around the crimes she committed that led to incarceration.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

A fun and occasionally heartfelt romp through scammerdom, You'll Never Believe Me isn't as scandalous or shocking as the title implies, but it is an enjoyable listen. Not sure if it's the mormon connection, but it reminded me of Heather Gay's memoir, Bad Mormon, in that it feels very Real Housewives of the US Justice/Prison System. It's just 'out there' enough to be entertaining, but not so far that it becomes off-putting. Ferrell is a likable protagonist for whom you can't help cheering-- even when she's doing bad and/or failing. Possibly especially in those instances. There's a strong and satisfying character arc (though I suspect it's dramatized) that sees our bad gal "reformed", and ultimately, she takes responsibility for her actions, but it doesn't prevent her identifying and criticizing the society and systems that created her. I appreciate that she's still saucy, not stripped bare or overly sanitized.

In the blurb, it says “Before Anna Delvey…” and already I was interested. However, I don’t think the book really covers a lot of the author’s “hipster grifter” days. And it’s one thing to hear about conning rich people, but it’s harder to hear about when it’s just friends and “regular” people getting scammed.

The author relates how people treated her differently not just from being adopted, but from being a minority in a predominantly white town. (Her white parents adopted her from Seoul.) And I think just her experiences growing up with that in a Mormon community made for an interesting read. She eventually ends up going to jail for her crimes, and then Kari covers some systemic issues with the prison system, too.

Overall, I’d say this was a “come for the grifting, stay for the … moral shifting?” I don’t know, but I liked reading how Kari tried to find herself and deal with bigotry all at the same time. She also is hilarious and I found myself actually laughing out loud more than a couple times.

𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: The author herself narrated this, so obviously I’m going to say this was a great narration choice. I truly think the best narrator for a memoir is the author, with Julia Whelan coming in a close second (she did Educated so well!) lol. But Kari’s sense of humor really came through in the audio.

I went into this one completely blind (not aware of who Kari or “the hipster grifter” was). It was a wild and very interesting ride. I enjoyed hearing about her upbringing and how she ended up in the situations in which she found herself. Not necessarily the most deep or insightful memoir, but interesting nonetheless. In terms of narration, I really appreciate that it was author-narrated. I try to make it a rule to only listen to memoirs where the author is narrating as I find it so much more authentic. You could hear the real raw emotion at times and that was poignant.

I enjoyed this book as someone who had never previously heard of Kari Ferrell, the Hipster Grifter. I felt that more detail could have been given on the actions that led to her incarceration, but I was actually pleasantly surprised at how intentional and important her account of the flaws of the so-called justice and penal system are here in the US. I also really appreciated the way in which she shares of the stories of the people she met on the inside, it was deeply humanizing and necessary. I do wish she would have shared more about the impact of her experience returning to her homeland of Korea, I would have loved to read that.

Before reading this memoir, I had never heard of "The Hipster Grifter." This brutally honest audio reveals her as sharp-witted and razor-tongued, with a charm that can both steal your heart and wallet. As the author herself reads her memoir to us, we witness her beginnings with her adoptive parents in Utah, their unwitting involvement in a Mormon cult, her early confrontations with racism and her brilliant retorts, her later years spent honing her skill in writing bad checks for cash, conning employers into jobs despite her inexperience, her time in jail, and her many attempts at redemption. Her story is a compelling ride, and it's fascinating to delve into her memoir. If you enjoy the book, treat yourself to the audio version—it takes it to a higher level.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist was the book I thought Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts, and Schemes was going to be. Because I am so busy reading that I don't have time to follow pop culture 🤣, I didn't know who the Hipster Grifter was before this book. I asked to read it because (1) I enjoy memoirs (especially when I am unfamiliar with the subject matter); (2) I enjoy true crime; (3) I like it when authors read their own work; and (4) I kind of have a beef with the LDS faith (LSS, little female missionaries used to try and recruit my partner. On my watch.).

The Kari Ferrell I met inside of these pages was so much more than, well, either a hipster or a grifter. As much as she took advantage of people, she could also be loyal and kind. I will file You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist next to Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System—and Pocketed $40 Million for their descriptions of women's prison. It's still not something that I want to experience, but in both cases I heard stories of women supporting other women, working together to get through difficult times. It does make you think about our criminal justice system!

Kari Ferrell caused me to think about a lot of things. She's just a skooch younger than my youngest sister. Kari's story helped me understand some of the pressures that my sister must have faced, things that I, being Gen X, can't fully appreciate. We didn't always get along growing up, and I think some of that was an inability on my part to understand how deep that generational gap could be. I'm so glad to hear that Kari has gone to work in advocacy, because I see real talent there. I hope that her work and words will bring more people closer together, and help more people understand the differences and similarities between us in a way that strengthens society. Kari Ferrell should have a lot of good years ahead of her yet, and I am so looking forward to where her story takes her next!

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.

You'll Never Believe Me is the self-written, self-narrated autobiography/memoir of Kari Ferrell aka the Hipster Grifter.

It seems at some point this was all over the news but I've never heard of her before (oops), but I love a good self-narrated autobio and this was... all right? It was fine? It's Ferrell's childhood as a transnational adoptee (side note: I also love hearing stories from people in my age bracket and we had eerily similar childhoods outside of adoption and Mormon conversion) to a girl who was too good at talking her way into her friends' wallets and good graces until she evaded the authorities, moved 3,000 miles, and sort of did it all over again.

The major chunk of this book however is Ferrell's time in jail/prison as she states that her goal now is to bring attention and changes to the carceral system but the meat of it felt sort of... not much, as a listener? I'm sure it felt like a lot to her, and I was honestly surprised that she was only 23 when the majority of things went down but I think unfortunately what would have worked better for this book was more detail in... her scams, what actually happened and piled up that led to the warrant. It seemed like she was only in prison a few months before release, was somehow allowed to be released to a friend (who is also an ex-felon) before having to make it on her own in a stack of strange situations.... but then you read other articles about her (where she has been interviewed, even) and they don't match the story in the book either (for example, https://www.thecut.com/2022/05/kari-ferrell-hipster-grifter-comeback.html ), and she talks about a TV show that was in production before the pandemic, but easy googling shows there's been one in progress since 2022. So what's the truth? Of course the people want the juicy details from a scammer and What Really Happened but so much fell flat.

I did really enjoy the chapter (singular) about Farrell visiting South and North Korea and how it made her as a transnational adoptee feel, and there was a mention about how it fed into her current work (is this a book an advertisement for her production company?) , and there were bits and pieces that were interesting but overall it felt both lacking and not quite... enough? Flat?

But it was a quick listen, and entertaining for commuting!

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for review!