Sadly this one didn't live up to the hype for me. The cover was amazing, the tagline of "oceans eleven meets crazy rich Asians" immediately makes you want to read it and I thought I was going to love it! But the story just felt 2D, with limited character development. It felt like the author wanted it to be a movie, not a novel.

This is a fun and thrilling debut from Grace D. Li, a story of multifaceted Chinese American diaspora experiences woven into a heist novel, as a group of students set out to return stolen art to China.

When art history student Will Chen witnesses a museum robbery, he doesn’t turn to the police—instead, he takes up an offer to form a crew and attempt a heist of his own. This crew is composed of his charismatic sister, Irene (the con-woman); his software engineer friend from university, Alex (the hacker); his childhood friend Daniel (the son of an FBI agent); and Lily, a mechanical engineer by day, street racer by night (the getaway driver). Along with their unique skills, each character has a different reason for joining the crew and a different relationship with each other, the stolen art and its (and their) connection to China. As they all get chapters written in close third, we get to understand their complicated motivations and doubts.

With a cracking first act and a fabulous twist at the end, it’s the muddled middle that tempers my glowing praise. The plot stalls and it feels almost soft-focus when you expect, as a heist thriller, for it to be sharp. It is also around this point that the beautiful prose becomes repetitive—the descriptions of the sky, especially, are a little excessive. And there are times that the introspection veers into repetitive navel-gazing. Nonetheless I enjoyed the evocative language and insight into Chinese diaspora experiences, as well as the commentary on the legacy of colonialism in the art trade and museum sector.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this - it was a complete romp, but also placed the heist storyline in the contemporary context of the history of art and colonialism. There were some instances where this point felt a little belaboured and heavy-handed, but mostly the narrative flowed along well. I liked the variety of diaspora characters and the fact that the plot wasn't completely predictable. An interesting take on the heist genre.

This book was simply incredible.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it did not disappoint. The plot was so well carried out and balanced. The level of tension was always measured and effective, with relaxed moments between the heists feeling more subdued and contrasting the pent up heists and action scenes, which was impressive given the plot could easily lead to high tension throughout whether appropriate or not. Upon finishing the book, I found myself wishing the heist scenes were longer and more developed, but upon reflection I believe they were great as they were, with the speedy “in and out” execution also being reflected in the writing with these scenes feeling like a tiny snippet. I also adored the way the plot twists and secret plans left the reader completely in the dark as well, leading us to be fooled and outsmarted in the same way those in the book were too.

The characters were also great, each fleshed out brilliantly with their own reasons to be involved and things to risk. Their relationships were also interesting to read about, creating a group I would love to be a part of (minus the heists).

All in all, an incredible read that doesn’t feel like a debut. This felt established enough to have been a third or fourth title from the author, so I am eagerly anticipating anything else Li writes!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early copy!

3.5 stars - great concept, but unfortunately it was just not for me.

The heists were not quite believable, badly described, rushed, hackers don’t approve of writing out your plans in Google docs ffs.

The base idea was amazing, but I couldn’t form an attachment with any of the characters due to the multiple POV setting.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it didn’t work out!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I especially loved the Asian representation, as well as how the book tackled politics, being the child of immigrants, as well as feeling like a country is never really your home.

However, there were a few things that made my rating slightly lower. At times the pacing of the book would switch from fast to slow. When the book was quicker-paced, especially with the heist scenes, it was a lot more enjoyable to read. The slower parts did make me have to put down the book sometimes and come back a few hours later. Additionally, the author is sometimes repetitive with their descriptions, especially when it came to describing sunlight and certain colors like silver. It's a very minor point and I'm sure it won't bother everyone, but it felt repetitive sometimes to constantly read the same descriptions.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book and I definitely would've wanted to read this book when I was younger.

You can’t sell a book by saying it’s “Ocean’s Eleven meets” whatever, if the heist part of it is the most stupid one. I swear, I am so pissed about it, I cannot even begin to put into words the utter disappointment I am feeling because of this book. It was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and it’s probably going to be one of the worst books I’ve read this year.
In the beginning, I was confused: the premise is set up too quickly and with too much ease; I am no art theft expert, but I would think the convincing part of it would take a little bit more than sweet talking a group of random university student into breaking and entering into museums with literally zero training. But I could have suspended my disbelief, if the rest of the book had been at least decent.
Then, the main characters started preparing for their first heist. By watching heist movies and taking notes into fucking Google Docs. I was sitting there, reading, trying not to throw my Kindle against the wall. Who raised you?! How could you possibly think that writing down how you are going to rob a museum in a document that can easily be traced back to all of you, is a good idea? It’s basic common sense, you don’t have to be a thief to know that. Or maybe I have a carreer as a robber waiting ahead of me, who knows at this point.
Now, you’d think that after having ploted oh-so-well their first heist, the author would deign to let us know how the heist actually took place. But you’d be wrong, she did not. I have waited 30% of the book to get to the first heist only for it to be resolved in a matter of pages. This is taking suspension of disbelief to a whole another level. Not to mention the way they got caught after the second theft (once again, in a blink of an eye everything was done with) and how the book actually ended. I am going to throw my laptop if I keep thinking about it.
Now, this was not a thriller. This wasn’t even a crime book. This was a literary fiction which wouldn’t have sold if the publisher had pitched it for what it actually is. I am sorry, because the idea of taking back looted art was amazing and if the execution had been better, this could have been a great book.
Now, two other gigantic issues this book had, as far as I’m concerned, were: 1) the main characters, they were flat and uninteresting. They all had a lot of potential, but the author reduced them all to one or two characteristics and that was that; 2) it was boring. If I pick up a heist book, I expect a lot of action; I am not saying you should leave out all the rest, but you have to balance the introspection with the action, otherwise you just write a literary novel about being Chinese American and not feeling enough of both (which I would have read and enjoyed, probably). I don’t know whose fault it is, the author, the editor or the publishing house, but the book simply doesn’t match with the premise it’s built upon.
I would have saved the writing style, had it not been made of repetitions. There were like two core concepts and the author spun them around to make them seem more. They were not and I was bored. With the characters being uninteresting and not able to make me feel attached to them, the plot being what it was and the style being so repetitive, it was really hard for me to care about anything.
And this is not taking into account the useless relationships that were thrown in there without any reason nor logic. Also, it’s 2022, you can say lesbian, it’s not a bad word.
As far as the Chinese American experience and the depiction of China is concerned, I am not going to say anything, because it’s not my place, but I highly recommend you check out reviews by Chinese American readers who talked about it, as always. They will tell you everything you need to know and more.
So, do I recommend this book? No, not if you are expecting a heist novel. Skip this and we will find something better, hopefully.

came for the art heists. stayed for the exploration of dreams and desires and expectations.

I’ll admit that I read the synopsis months ago and might have overhyped this book for myself, but the heists themselves didn’t grip me quite the way I’d expected them to. early on, there were little pieces that felt too unrealistic and inconsistent to have me fully sold that this might all have actually happened this way. I acknowledge that to some extent this is the entire point, and I did find myself won back around a little by the end. but somewhere along the way my interest in the heists was lost and it made the middle section of the book fall somewhat flat for me.

but there were two main things that kept me turning pages anyway: (1) the relationship between irene and alex and wanting to know if/how they might come together, and (2) the beautiful unravelling of dreams vs expectations, and the messiness of working through all of this in your twenties.

I went back and forth many times on how I felt about the characters, particularly the chen siblings who were oftentimes arrogant and selfish, but what was always true was that I wanted to know where all five of these character would all end up. I wanted to know that, after all they put themselves through, they’d come out the other side a little more sure of their respective places in the world. and, for the most part, I was pretty satisfied in this respect.

in the end, to me anyway, this story is less about the thefts and a lot more about the thieves. it’s about home and healing and hope, and these are things I truly love to read about. so while I felt a little let down by some components, overall I still enjoyed this read. set your expectations accordingly, and I think you’ll find several truly beautiful moments scattered throughout these pages.

Brilliant, gripping, and riveting. An excellent debut that kept me turning pages as I was fascinated by the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the plot.
There's a lot of food for thought but there's also a lot of fun.
It's an excellent debut and I can't wait to read the next book by Grace D. Li
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I think this is my favourite non-SFF book I’ve read this year. It combines so many things I tend to love about books – dark academia vibes, a good heist, strong characters with complex backgrounds, and most of all, being a commercial and accessible story with immense depth. Through looking at both colonial theft of art by major museums and the complicated relationships to identity all of the main characters have in regards to being Chinese-American, Portrait of a Thief gives the reader much opportunity to think further than the surface level heist story, but by packaging it in an accessible way, it makes readers more open to receive the message. And that is one of my absolute favourite things about books right now. Thinking about museums and how their collections are largely based on objects looted through colonialism never fails to make me grumpy, so this really felt like a book written specifically for me. (If you’re in London and feel similarly, the V&A has an exciting exhibit of reproductions of major landmarks and sculptures! Instead of looting them they made their own to give us an impression, all the way back in the 19th century)

The story is compelling – as behooves a heist – but it is also a lot of fun. The characters are all charming in their own ways, from Will, who is passionate about art, to Irene who can persuade anyone to do anything (that girl just rolls nat20 after nat20 on persuasion!) or Lily who is a student but also races cars passionately. They come to life in a way that makes the reader almost feel like part of their gang by the end, and while, of course, the idea that a random group of college students can pull of these heists requires a level of suspension of disbelief, as a whole, their shenanigans make sense, and I cheered every time something went off without them being caught.

All in all, just a brilliant book, and I highly recommend it to anyone, even if it’s not necessarily the genre you usually read. It has something for everyone, romance, action, charm, discussion of complex issues, the whole shebang, so really, there are no excuses not to at least give this a shot. I can’t speak to the nuances of cultural representation, but for me, it was an interesting perspective to read, and it felt organic, adding to the book and its story rather than overpowering it.

Love the asian representation, and the topics of immigration intertwined with those of an exciting heist! Very hyped to read more from Grace D.Li!

5/5 stars.

Portrait of a Thief is an absolute masterpiece of a novel, doubtlessly one of the best books (if not *the* best) I've read so far this year. It follows a group of young Chinese-Americans as they attempt to take back Chinese art from Western museums, and combines the familiar-well loved elements of a heist story with an important discussion on colonialism and diaspora, among other things.

The plot was extremely engaging from page one; I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout, the book was never predictable and the ending was so, so clever. Additionally, I feel like the balance of plot to character development to dynamic/relationship development was perfect, too. All the characters were so brilliantly written, and I felt no disappointment whatsoever whenever the POV swapped, as I often do in a multi-POV novel. No, with Portrait, I loved every character and would quite happily read volumes more on each of them. (Seriously – I need a sequel. Multiple sequels. A whole franchise, the lot.) The characters were extraordinarily well developed, with so much emotional depth, all presenting a range of perspectives and experiences. By the end of the novel I felt as though I knew them all – and I certainly won't be forgetting any of them anytime soon. Their relationships and dynamics were equally interesting and enjoyable to read. I particularly loved Alex and Irene's relationship, and how it developed throughout the novel, along with Daniel's relationship with his father, which truly meant so much to me as a reader. I also absolutely loved Grace D. Li's writing, it was so atmospheric and enjoyable to read, and I was practically highlighting something to come back on every other page.

Overall, I genuinely cannot think of a single bad thing to say about Portrait of a Thief, it was truly the perfect novel – I laughed, I cried, I came close to throwing my Kindle at a wall on multiple occasions – and I truly believe it has something for everyone, so go read it (now!).

*eARC provided by Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

I wasn’t expecting to like this book—I generally don’t get along with heists—but it absolutely blew me away.

First and foremost, Grace D Li’s writing is gorgeous. It’s super lyrical and reminded me a lot of some of my favorite books. It felt cozy and welcoming and so so immersive.

This book was definitely character-led. The heists were actually really fun and had me on the edge of my seat. The action was great, but the characters stole the show. All five of the main characters were so fleshed out and multi-faceted. They’re not necessarily the most likable characters, but they felt undeniably human and I was rooting for them all from the beginning.

I can’t comment on the Chinese-American representation other than to say it felt extremely well-rounded. The author showed so many facets of the Chinese-American experience and how each of these characters was affected differently by their experiences. It added such a beautiful layer to the characterization and also helped add context to how they interact with the world around them.

I also really loved how much detail the author included about the art involved. It never felt like unnecessary info-dumping, but it was fascinating. It’s clear the author is passionate about what she was writing about, and it absolutely came through.

I can see why this book wouldn’t necessarily be for everyone. It gets a little messy during the heist parts, and you do have to suspend belief a little at times. It’s a slow-moving, character-focused, lyrical, beautiful story, and if you like those things, you should definitely check this out. I just loved it.

Based purely on tone/writing style/vibes and not at all on content, I would recommend this for fans of Addie LaRue, Red, White & Royal Blue, and The Atlas Six.

Portrait of a Thief is told in 3rd person from the perspective of five characters. It is pitched as a heist novel. All of the main characters are Chinese American or have a link to China. Will Chen who is a senior at Harvard comes up with the idea to steal back art gained during colonialism. Will joins forces with his sister Irene, Daniel Liang who has a talent for lockpicking, Lily Wu, a getaway driver and Alex Huang, a hacker. This is obviously a very diverse novel with all the characters being Chinese American. The writing is also very good and the story reads fast as I would read chapters very quickly. Ultimately though I am giving this a three star because there was too many POV's for me to keep up with and I was getting confused between the women. I also didn't really want to pick this up once I'd put it down. The premise intrigued me but I was bored during the reading experience. However, this is a very readable novel that I know people will love.

A very exciting book! The character dynamics are excellent and the plot was very intriguing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery and thriller books.

I just spent all of last night finishing this book and I need everyone to go pick this up right now. What an amazing heist novel.

I think this may be the best book I've read this year so far! Yes. I said it. Portrait of a Thief was so far from my normal reads, but I couldn't help but get enveloped in this world of heists, colonialism, diaspora and astoundingly real characters. Will Chen didn't really know what to expect when, in the middle of a robbery of the museum he was working in, one of the culprits snuck a business card into his suit. He definitely doesn't expect the person on the end of the line to invite him to Beijing where they offer him and his friends 50 million dollars to return stolen Chinese art from museums around the world. Will, Irene, Daniel, Alex and Lily are all children of China in one way or another, none really knowing where they fit into this world, but they find the money, and with it, the chance to return priceless cultural artefacts too good to pass up. The only problem, none of them are professional thieves in any way, and as much as they stand to gain, the stand to loose even more if their plans fail.

It only took me a handful of pages before I knew I would love this book. Everything from the authors writing style to the characters was incredibly well done, and I found it nearly impossible to put the book down. Told from the POV's of our five thieves; Will Chen, the leader of this unlikely gang and studying to become an Art Historian at Harvard. Irene Chen, Will's younger sister is the face of the team. The one able to talk anyone into, or out of anything. Daniel Liang is the insider. A premed student with a father in the FBI, Daniel knows more about art theft than anyone else in the team, and his steady hands come in hand for lock picking and the like. Alex Huang sold her soul to work in Silicone Valley so she could support her family, the perfect hacker. Lily Wu, an engineer who races cars in her spare time, a getaway driver if there ever was one. Every single one of these characters is a child of China in some way or another, some growing up there, others travelling to visit family and some never having visited before. But they all find themselves stuck in between, never quite belonging, never American or Chinese enough to fit into to one place.

Li does such a brilliant job of bringing to light the feelings of diaspora within our characters. They are all fighting inner battles about their culture, where they belong, and as much as this is a heist story, it's also a story about 5 adults finding themselves in a world that doesn't really know where to place them. It's bizarre to think that breaking the law can fix people, but that's exactly what this book shows. Their plans and goals to bring stolen art back to their cultural home makes them all question parts within themselves: Daniel whose family only moved to America to try & save his mothers life, and who resents his father for making them stay and putting America above China. Lily who had never been to China, let alone know which province her family came from. Stealing this art, knowing why they are doing it, while at first makes them angry, by the end almost heals something within them all, and it truly is a fantastic journey to read.

You may read this and think you know where the story is going and you would be 100% wrong. By around 50% I thought I had it. I could see where the story was going, even if I didn't think it would be a happy ending, but Li had something else in store for us. Her plot twists are truly brilliant, and make the ending of the story that much more fulfilling and special. This as well as her writing style ensures you stay completely engrossed in the story, desperate for our characters to succeed and find themselves in the process. I laughed, I cried and at times I was on the edge of my seat, but Li makes sure no single word is wasted in this story & I can't tell you how many different sections I highlighted because of the beauty of the writing, as well as the effect it had on me whilst reading.

I'm obviously not someone who can comment on this from experience but, from what I have read and seen in the media/ books./ films etc, Li does a a fantastic job of showing Chinese culture. The weight of expectations that lies on the younger generations to not only do well in life, but to also provide for their families. How certain characters have had to give up on their dreams to provide for their families and, while she shows no resentment for this, she also shows how if given the freedom to make different choices, some of them would. As well as this she shows their anger and resentment of the western world, a world that is never quite ready to accept them even generations after living there, somewhere that appropriates their culture and history and tries to make it it's own while glossing over the true facts of how it got there. You can understand the anger and the fear and resentment they feel, and I couldn't help but empathise with them throughout the story.

Portrait of a Thief may be far from my usual reads but it's a story that readers from all backgrounds will enjoy and find parts of themselves in. Perfect for fans of character driven stories, where the characters are far from perfect, but you desperately want them to succeed all the same. It's witty, exciting and emotional all in one and I will eagerly be anticipating anything else Di writes.

4.5 stars

PORTRAIT OF A THIEF is a heist thriller that is also an exploration of identity and belonging. It's a tautly written book that is much more about identity and the West's "ownership" of stolen items than the actual heisting itself. It's about the characters grappling with how they relate to America and China and the art itself, and they all have such different experiences and opinions.

When it started, I had an idea of where the book seemed to be hinting it would go, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. And then there were quite a few twists that subverted what I had thought the book was promising. I liked the actual ending a lot more than what I'd initially felt might happen - felt a lot more in line with the tone of the book too.

The best way I can describe the prose is elegant sparsity. It's very light on description, focusing instead on emotions and character rather than setting. When there are descriptions of the surroundings, it usually involves art imagery or similes, which ties it in nicely with the heists.

The sparsity really works in this book, pares it back to the characters and their questions of identity and where they fit in/belonged. I don't think the sparsity would have worked in a speculative genre, but as the world it's happening in isn't unfamiliar, it feels possible to fill in the visual gaps so it doesn't feel too much like a white box. And it does really bring the focus in on the characters, who are the heart of the book.

The writing also felt a little stylised, leaning on repeated phrases to open chapters/scenes, or using similar phrases. This is a book where it works, where it brings a rhythm to the story, makes it very captivating to read because there is an almost beat to it.

I look forward to what Grace D. Li writes next.

The book was incredible! The character dynamics truly shine and the plot was well thought out. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who reads in general.

Portrait of a Thief had me hooked from that thrilling concept and Li expanded it to beyond my wildest dreams. This book combines the slick glamour of the heists with a literary analysis of diasporic identities in a way that is impossible to forget.

I loved the exploration of the intersection of colonialism, art and theft. Li wastes no time getting into it. I am a sucker for a good secret society and the inclusion of that note adds that vibe, as well as the exclusive heist club. A central theme of the book is dealing with diasporic identity, particularly micro aggressions, racism and Chinese-American identity. Li’s writing style has this innate beauty and style to it that adds an extra dimension to the story. While it is fast-paced and utterly captivating, I also really appreciated these moments of discussion and pulling apart the intricacies of these topics.

Li explores identity through the perspectives of five very different characters and their individual experiences of diaspora and intergenerational expectations. I loved how their differing perspectives were described through their passions or professions. For example, Will sees the world in broad, sweeping brush strokes and Li often wove in art references to his narratives. Conversely, Daniel is more detail-driven and has the intricacies of the human body and anatomy woven into his voice. I loved how much individuality and character Li brought to each of their voices. Considering the page count and how often we switch perspectives, it is a true testament to her skill at how much I was drawn to these people. Often it was only in a few lines that I got a sense of their depth and how I could emotionally connect with each of them.

Portrait of a Thief deftly tackles colonial legacy, diasporic identity and the art heists to end all art heists in a quietly stunning style.