Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

I really enjoyed this one! I felt like the beginning was a bit slow to start, but once the heists started I was hooked!

I loved all of the little details, the flashbacks to the planning/what the rest of the crew was up to. Super cinematic!

My memory is a little fuzzy regarding the details. But I remember just enough to provide some insight.

1. The history of art was super interesting. And since the art scene isn't one that I mingle with, it was interesting to learn how rich people just buy stuff and it isn't really considered lost property anymore...
2. Who doesn't love a heist with a rag tag team?
3. I didn't love the lack of pragmatism. It really was like....oh, okay, you got away with it....yeah...right...
4. Loved that one of their dad's was a big wig in the art thievery world. Fun added element.

Overall, I think the story was fun. But I think if you need a realistic storyline, you might be annoyed.

This was a fun, but insightful read. It really covered the topic of identity, appropriation, and family.

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!