It’s 2017 as the #MeToo movement is garnering headlines and taking down big names in Hollywood, and Sarah Lai is toiling as a screenwriting instructor at a small New York college, having left filmmaking behind a decade earlier. A famous investigative reporter reaches out to her because she once worked for Hugo North, a billionaire who financed a number of films, and who is the latest subject of scrutiny. She is reluctant to be interviewed but agrees and gradually reveals her story. After finishing college at Columbia, Sarah, jobless, escapes the rigors of her family’s Chinese restaurant through a summer job at the university, where she sees an ad for an internship at an up and coming film production company. She gradually takes on more responsibility there, editing screenplays and assisting Sylvia, the producer, and Xander, a director. When their film is shown at Cannes, they attract the attention (and money) of North, and now they have money and access to make their next big project. They relocate to Los Angeles to the glitz and glamor (and drugs, booze, and sex) of Hollywood for the new movie, and the minor discomforts caused by Hugo’s behavior begin to bother Sarah, but she’s focused on doing her job and keeping everyone happy. When Sylvia has to return home, Sarah is suddenly thrust into assuming leadership of the project, and those little uncomfortable ripples are now waves of suspicion and threat. In the present, Sarah admits that she may bear some culpability in events, but how much? Li’s own backstory of filmmaking and assault informs her writing, and gives Sarah a realistic voice. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.
Recommended

I was really looking forward to reading this book, especially with women finally speaking up about what has been going on for years. Despite the content, it wasn't as dark as I thought it might be and for me, that was fine. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the story being told by Sarah to a reporter, but I can see why it was done this way. Many times women do not speak up and are finally given the opportunity when it is safe/r for them and someone genuinely believes them. Honestly though, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I might and was a bit bored most of the time but I can't exactly put my finger on to as to why. I strongly believe these stories are important and I did like how Li explained why some women were hesitant and how it happens all the time in this industry.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book missed the mark with me. While I understand and appreciate the delicate subject matter, I just couldnt connect with the main character's voice or words. I did finish it because once I start something, I commit to finishing it, but it took me a LOOOONG time too.

I'm sorry, this book just wasn't for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free copy of this in exchange for an honest opinion.

And unfortunately, my honest opinion isn’t what anyone likely wanted to hear. I couldn’t make it through this book and DNF at 20%.

I simply didn’t connect with the main character. Early in the story she states that she loves movies but never elaborates. Why does she love them? What kind of movies does she love? What kind of movies does she want to make? What does she hope the movies she makes will do? Why is she so determined to make movies? How does this fulfill her? Why are movies so vital to her that she (I assume) faces down unimaginable trauma in order to make them?

I love stories about people with a driving passions to make art. This isn’t one of those stories.

I did not finish this title, and I think I just found the subject matter too difficult to process, and couldn't get over the voice of the main character. I wanted to figure out what was happening, but not enough to keep reading.

Complicit by Winnie M. Li ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s hard to forget the headlines that took over Twitter in 2017, detailing abuses of power across the entertainment industry.

COMPLICIT is pulled directly from these headlines, detailing a reporter’s investigation into a fictional film producer, Hugo North, told through interviews with a former producer, Sarah, who worked with North before leaving the industry.

There were many things I liked about this novel. First, I thought Li handled a difficult subject with care. It would have been easy to make a story like this one salacious, but she didn’t. Each component of the story was there to move the plot forward. I also appreciated how she approached the subject of complicity, addressing that while not everyone committed acts of abuse themselves, there were bystanders who were aware of these transgressions but chose to remain silent for a wide variety of reasons. Li does a good job of exploring these different motives, using transcripts and interviews with secondary characters to convey their perspectives. The other thing that stood out to me about this story was the level of detail about the entertainment industry. Li herself is a former producer and her knowledge of production companies, film sets, and industry events shows. It made for an immersive read.

Thinking back on the novel, the thing that kept this from being a 5⭐️ read for me was the length and the pacing. Especially towards the end, it felt like the story was dragging and cutting some scenes could have helped this move along a little faster.

As much as I enjoyed this book, COMPLICIT is difficult to read at times. It’s the kind of novel that frustrates you and makes you angry because it's such a realistic depiction of problems that run rampant in all industries. I’m not sure it will be my favorite book I read this year, but it’s definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

COMPLICIT features many mentions of sexual harrassment and sexual assault, so be cautious of that if you choose to pick it up. Feel free to message me if you’d like to know more about the content warnings.

COMPLICIT hits shelves on August 16. Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this blew me away. I was hooked from the first page. Set in the Me Too era, we learn of the dark experiences that our main character, Sarah had to face during her time working in the film industry. It reminded me of a mix between Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (the way it was told, interview style) though much darker. I am recommending this to everyone i know. It is also heartbreaking and intense so proceed with caution.

Wow! This book! Not what I was expecting at all! Extremely eye-opening and with the #MeToo movement being so prevalent over the last few years, it was definitely a thrilling page-turner. This is also a wild look into the entertainment industry.

Sarah Lai, the main character, made one mistake and now is dealing with it for the rest of her life. It takes bravery to tell the story to the public but dang this is a great novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I really enjoyed this book — I thought it seemed to be such an honest, multi layered portrayal of what sexual assault in real life is like.

Sarah Lai grew up with immigrant parents and Queens who owned a Chinese restaurant, and she always loved film. She ends up working for a female producer, Sylvia, and becomes an integral part of the script editing process with an up-and-coming director, Xander. Sylvia ends up bringing a real estate mogul, Hugo North, into the fold as another producer to inject money into the company — but he’s a sketchy guy. We learn all this and more through an interview that Sara is giving to a New York Times journalist.

I especially appreciated that there weren’t any fully likable or even fully dislikable characters in the book. And everyone had a range of actions (like Sylvia leaving LA to support her bulimic daughter) and emotions (like the main actress’ frustration at the end of the shoot) that made each character feel very real.

The book tackled gender and misogyny and culture so honestly, and also really beautifully tackled issues of pride and self-doubt and self-confidence. At times I felt physically angry that Sarah didn’t get the credit she deserved - which is when I knew the book was really affecting me.

This was a great read, I definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting a completely different book based on the dark cover design and the synopsis.

Sarah is the daughter of Chinese immigrants who elbows her way into the film industry. She is constantly overlooked, unacknowledged, and relegated to a behind the scenes role despite her incredibly competent and vital work.

The book is 75% flashbacks, as its told through the lens of an interview with a NYT reporter. Parts of the narrative really did drag (the making of a movie is not an exciting process!) but it definitely was a thought-provoking look at the #metoo movement and the various roles people played in upholding power dynamics, despite being victims themselves.

A timely story about pre #metoo Hollywood. The main character Sarah is am Asian film lover child of immigrant parents who starts as an intern and works her way up in the entertainment industry. Years later she has left the industry to teach screenwriting at a community college when she in contacted by an investigative reporter doing a piece of a wealthy predator producer Sarah worked with. Sarah's story is then told in flashbacks. Sarah's story is very real and nuanced in describing the power dynamics and sexual harassment and abuse that takes place, and Sarah's examination of her reactions and failure to react in dealing with her regret and guilt.

This book pulls you into the dark side of Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large. The protagonist is well written and the story has an excellent pace.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. My fault for not truly knowing that’s the book would fully be about. Predictable and honestly it was a struggle to keep my interest. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed the look into the world of film although at times it seemed a bit too much information for a novice. The relevance of this "me too" story and the guilt of a person for being an almost and not warning others is very real. A predator depends on the shame they inflict on a person in order to continue their behavior. The excruciating pace this author took to getting to the crux of this story was my reasoning behind the four stars.

A big thank you goes out to Net Galley for letting this book lover get an advance copy of this book.

Couldn't put this down! Felt like I was being led down this journey of Sarah's path as a budding and passionate lover of film and all the hurdles and obstacles she faced as the child of immigrant parents trying to follow her passions. Her tale really resonates with me both in the finding your own way in the world and not living up to your parents expectations as well as battling common sexist practices in the world. A great read for anyone who wants to get an inside look at an industry that most of us are not privy to!

First things first: I hope they update the cover before this goes out and maybe rethink the title. The title is what bothers me bc it implies something that I don't think the book gets at completely in the narrative. Part of me would have liked this in a more Daisy Jones and the Six style but I understand why it's told half in an educational textbook way woven in with more story.

The book takes place when #metoo was a bombshell going off; having it published several years after only a few of the actual culprits being held accountable while others are making comebacks in their careers is jarring to read. I'd have liked the story to also have delved more into the actual power dynamics of who is complicit; figurehead authority doesn't give you much actual authority. And how much of who we blame is ever directed at the people who deserve it as opposed to those we THINK should protect us vs holding accountable the actual perpetrators. I think about that alot and this book brought that up for me. This type of behavior isn't relegated just to the entertainment industry or high level silicon valley. It's pervasive everywhere and hasn't gotten better just more implicit.

Sarah is likeable enough and is clearly an outsider everywhere. She's living with a lot of guilt even though she was punished for actually not complying. The minutea of getting a film made detracts from the overall momentum of the story but for those looking for an insider perspective it'll be interesting (I actually skimmed those pages). The conflicting narratives added depth and dimension to the story, how and what we remember and why we remember things certain ways. And what are you willing to sacrifice for success? Three stars.

My feelings for this book are a bit complicated, to say the least. While the writing is solid and the story is important, it's very slow moving, especially if you are familiar with the film industry. There is so much exposition that carries you through the book, and even the framing device of Sarah telling her story to a reporter does really nothing to break this up. The entire book is essentially one very long monologue about Sarah's life in the film industry from the ages of twenty one to twenty nine, but it still skips over a solid five years and yet is bogged down entirely with exposition.

The story is realistic and feels very true to life, and it is especially interesting to have Sarah be the one telling the story as she is a Chinese woman who wonders about the different experiences she has had from the ones that white women face. I suppose I wish that there was more weight given to the other accusers as well, especially Holly and Courtney, who are only allowed to have their stories told through Sarah's eyes.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Writing quality 4
Image quality 3
Character development 3
"Couldn't put it down-ness" 5
Intellectual depth 3
Originality 4

Winnie M Li did a great job immersing the reader in the twisted world of the film industry and taking them along for the ride through Sarah's story within a production company to shed light on the prevalence of sexual assault in such a male dominated space. Of course, biggest props for writing on this subject and having a captivating story so based in reality.
However, something seemed to be missing for me. Maybe it was the narration structure or choice of limited characters providing interview. The writing did seem to get better and better as the book went on like she found her groove, but the ending seemed rushed to me in this version and I would hope it is a bit more polished for final print!

com·plic·it
/kəmˈplisit/
adjective
involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
"all of these people are complicit in some criminal conspiracy"

Are you ready to take a ride on an emotional roller coaster? Here you go...

I don't think I could have ever anticipated all this book would become as I held it in my hands. The cover is spooky and mysterious but the amount of depth within this novel makes it too heavy to hold .

My emotions got louder and louder as I flipped each page. "What is going on?" I kept asking myself, "Is this real life?" , "Do these things really happen?" The truth is, it does. This story circles around the #metoo movement.

Usually when I pick up a book I don't want to read anything ripped from the headlines. However, this is a book I believe all women should read. This is a story of survival and truth. A story that tell us we just turn a blind eye just because we don't want to face something head on or we are afraid to get involved. GET INVOLVED. Speak up.

Just because you do not see it, does not mean it does not exist.

This was a powerful book. Amazing, incredible, and also heartbreaking.

Anything short of 5 stars would be an insult!

This book tells a young producers story of her time in the entertainment industry. Sarah Lai looks back on her time as an executive producer. She has many regrets and lives with guilt. Two years after her career has ended, Thom Ghallager, a prominate NYT reporter gives her the chance to finally tell her story and free her from her demons.
This book was well written.