Stars: DNF at 25% (Filthy language)

Published: 01/07/25

Book: You'll Never Believe Me, A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist by Kari Ferrell.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read You'll Never Believe Me in exchange for my honest opinion. What I cannot believe is that people pitched this and it was published. Ferrell has a childish filthy mouth. She has decided cool kids cuss and she does. I found the swearing, like the book (25%), made no sense.

I'm left wondering what the pitch was. What about Ferrell's life did she feel needed to be recorded. I found myself embarrassed for her. I thought about all the independent authors who struggle with their stories being published and Ferrell hit the jackpot. How? Why? She mocked the good parts of life and chose a life of crime; thus leaving me shaking my head. Her adoption, being Korean, sent to the US at five months was covered in one or two sentences -- I kept waiting for more.

I'm really disappointed. I don't want to disparage herself. My decision to DNF after being uncomfortable from page one was her use of female genital slang. I threw my hands up.

Oh, this one was tough for me to rate / review. It’s definitely interesting and the author’s wit is so vibrant that it leaps off the page. However, the author is a con artist and a thief. I found myself trying to empathize with the author but struggled because she treated her friends and family very poorly. She also treated strangers despicably. The author readily admits to this but I never felt the genuine remorse I was hoping for. But, ultimately, this is the author’s story to tell in the way that she wants to so I tried to respect that.

I was glad that we did get to see the author mature into a better, more mature person. She goes to therapy and enters into a seemingly honest and healthy relationship.

I don’t know. It’s a good book but it’s written by someone who admits to have difficulty with the truth so I just kept wondering whether any of it happened the way she wrote it or is this book the ultimate grift?

I love a true crime story about a con artist and a grifter. There's just something about experiencing their lives of manipulation and conning that ultimately lead to redemption...it scratches some deep itch inside me that wants to believe that everyone is good inside and no one is beyond recovery. Kari's story is one of those. On the face of it, her crimes were small potatoes compared to other, more famous cons. Where her story really shines is post-conviction. The stories she shares of her fellow inmates and the human voice she gives to a very inhumane experience stir something inside me that longs to take up my banner with her for change. I was expecting a funny book about her grifts, and instead I got a book about the human condition and how to take care of each other--and I can't say I'm mad about that.

great book and I loved the action and the romance . I loved seeing the friends and family. I loved that they were able to figure things out. Overall a great book .

Brooklyn's 2000's Hipster Grifter knows how to tell a story, let me tell you something.
We missed each other by a hair, but I think Ferrell would have been a wonderful person to get to know-- though probably not at the time range she writes about, because I probably would have been scammed. I like that Ferrell is owning up to her wrongdoings, and giving us an insight into her own pathology and lore. Ferrell writes is candid and funny, full of her own add-ins and commentary and giving us an glimpse into her world and the ways she tried to survive. The hustler mentality is woven throughout each narrative. The brazenness of Ferrell during the height of her scamming is admirable: she's so confident in her abilities to hook in victims that she doesn't even give a second thought. I haven't finished all of it, but it's fast paced and a quick and easy read (for the most part.) Some of the subject matter is difficult, if you're *really* squeamish, but for the most part, I really enjoyed reading this and I can't wait to finish it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Oh how I wanted to give 4 stars! But it just didn't quite make it.
Finally, a memoir worth reading. Kari, an adopted girl from Korea is raised in Utah amongst Mormons, turns Hipster Grifter in her young adulthood. Scamming, lying, on the run, she does some "time" and manages to turn her life around.
I wish Kari would talk more about the scams themselves, the relationships it ruined, and her time locked up.
Over all 3.75 I enjoyed this read but something was just missing for me.
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

There's a brief generation of millennials who are very familiar with the Hipster Grifter, and I feel like this book was made specifically for them, allowing others to enjoy if they want to.

This follows Kari Ferrell as she navigates her life from adoption, to Utah family life, to a life of fraud and crime. Kari's life isn't one that you'll fall in love with and you'll end up either hating everything about her or being hypnotized by her words, like all of her victims. I'm betting it will be the later as Kari's writing is intoxicating.

I'm just now waiting for Netflix to pick this up as their next series because it's worth the quick, humorous, yet painful read.

Kari Ferrell is definitely a smart, talented person and her writing has a biting wit. However, I feel she is an unreliable narrator in her own life story. And not a very nice person, almost a sociopath.
While the book is entertaining and well written, I don't know whether to believe her version of anything....which I guess is why she gave it that title.

I will be the first to admit - I did not read the blurb on this book again before reading it, so I went into it pretty blind. For most of the book, I was entertained. However, I did not find Ferrell very likable and certainly not a sympathetic character. She basically blew up her entire life for very little if any reason. Mostly because she could. The jail parts of the story mimic The Many Lives of Mama Love somewhat, but that book really made you feel for the incarcerated women and what would happen to their lives after prison. I felt like that was the direction this book wanted to go in, but it never really got there. I was glad Ferrell was able to turn her life around, but I can’t say I was incredibly invested.

I struggled with this book, and then gave up 20 % in.
The description lured me in : AZ & Salt Lake City based ( I live in both Phoenix & Park City, UT ): I have had several Mormon clients in AZ and of course Utah is 65 % Mormon ( very strong presence felt there !) : I love memoirs and the book is supposed to be edgy.
Ok, I’m interested in reading this book ! … I thought…

Perhaps as a 60 YO woman I’m the wrong audience for this book. I love memoirs and biographies; but this was too much of an adolescent voice with childish thoughts which didn't seem to evolve into an adult voice..
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC; hopefully this memoir will find its audience

I am a different generation than Kari Ferrell and was not familiar with the Hipster Grifter, but found the book on a list of hot upcoming releases and was approved to review it for NetGalley.

Although she writes with a humorous style, I cringed through much of the book, imagining how it would feel to be one of Kari's friends she scammed, or the mother of one of the young men she scammed. Her connection with her adopted parents/family is negligible and not dived into by the author, and I could find no evidence of the author compensating those she stole from (and for which she served time) which ticked me off.

Trauma is very specific to each person, and I don't want to diminish Kari's issues with being Asian in America, or being adopted, but she still comes off as a pretty crass and awful person, which colored my view of her memoir. Kudos for her speaking to the issues incarcerated women face (although I recommend the book Mama Love for a better dive into that), but I'm not sure she has actually done anything on that topic.

As a reader I can't really separate my distaste for her actions from my review of her book. I guess some people may find it entertaining, but I'm not that target audience. 2-stars.

A self proclaimed ¨Hipster Grifter,¨ this is the story of a scam artist. Think My Friend Anna, or the Tinder Swindler. Funny, heartbreaking, and full of omg moments, this was entertaining to read. Though it is the story of Ferrell´s life, it is almost unbelievable that these things can actually happen. Not news that I remember hearing, so it felt more like generalized fiction.

This Hipster Grifter memoir was interesting and well narrated on audio. I was expecting more writing about her time in NYC and at Vice.

You'll Never Believe Me by Kari Ferrell is one humorous and engaging memoir.
This book was so entertaining and interesting. This authors writing sucks you in, I could not put the book down.

Kari Ferrell’s You'll Never Believe Me is an outrageous, compulsively readable memoir that dives into her chaotic, larger-than-life story as the "Hipster Grifter." From her struggles with identity as an adopted Asian American in a Mormon community to her meteoric rise (and fall) as New York’s indie sleaze icon, Kari’s journey is as shocking as it is fascinating. Filled with edgy humor and raw honesty, the book delivers plenty of jaw-dropping moments, but it doesn’t quite dig deep enough to leave a lasting impact.

Ferrell’s voice is sharp, self-aware, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, making her exploits compelling to follow. She skillfully paints a picture of a world where self-destruction, manipulation, and fame collide. However, while the book delivers on entertainment, it often feels like it skims the surface of her experiences. Moments that could have provided deeper insight into her psyche—particularly her struggles with self-worth, adoption, and identity—are often overshadowed by her more sensational anecdotes.

For readers looking for a wild, gritty memoir, You'll Never Believe Me certainly delivers. But for those hoping for a more introspective exploration of Kari’s journey beyond her public persona, it might fall a bit short. It’s an engaging read, but one that feels more like a confessional highlight reel than a truly reflective life story.

Having a con story be from the first hand perspective of the one who committed these crimes is this book's biggest asset. It's so interesting to dive into a mind that finds these behaviors normal and retroactively explore the depth of motivations most people wouldn't consider. I did find that the narrative being situated as it was with a large chunk of time spent on the jail era to be a hindrance for pacing even if the content itself was still engaging as a whole.

I've been trying to broaden my reading horizons beyond my usual thrillers. I stumbled upon a memoir that caught my eye: "You'll Never Believe This." I was intrigued, thinking it might offer a captivating story. Instead, it felt like I was tuning into a stand-up routine where the comedian narrated someone else's chaotic life. My opinion is a bit different from the majority, so keep that in mind!

The audiobook is self-narrated by Kari, the notorious "Hipster Grifter." I'd never heard of her before, but apparently, she had quite a reputation. As I listened, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was almost proud of her actions, laughing them off without an ounce of remorse. She conned friends who were already struggling by spinning a tale of having cancer—who does that?! Her lack of reflection on how her schemes hurt those around her was chilling.

Kari paints herself as quirky and relatable, trying to charm her way into people's hearts only to exploit them later. I found it hard to connect with her. I might have enjoyed the book more if someone else had narrated it.

When her life began to unravel in Utah, instead of facing her problems, she dashed off to New York, only to repeat the same destructive patterns with a new set of victims. Anyone who offered her a helping hand quickly became her next target, including her own family.

The blurb calls her someone forced to run with the "wrong crowd" to fit in, but it seems she was the definition of the "wrong crowd" herself.

I thought about not finishing this story, but I wanted to know if Kari paid all her retribution, made amends with friends and family, and got her life back on track.

Thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the ARCs I received through NetGalley and Google Play. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

I love a good memoir and Kari Ferrell's had me laughing out loud. I found myself captivated throughout the entire book and like many others, wished for more when I finished!

This was a memoir written by Kari about her life from her childhood to her incarceration and beyond. I had never heard her story before since I was a child when she was all over the news. I thought the memoir was ok, her writing was funny at times. Her focus now is to bring attention to the flaws of the prison system, and I thought she did that. The stories she included of her time in jail and of her fellow inmates was eye opening. I wish she went into more detail of her relationships with her friends while she was scamming. It would’ve been interesting to learn more about those dynamics. I also found the book had a lot of discrepancies with past interviews she’s given and articles as well. It made me wonder where the truth in this whole story is. Overall, a quick, interesting read. Thank you to St Martin's press for an advanced copy!

Dear You'll Never Believe Me,
I didn't know anything about the Hipster Grifter before I read you, but you were extremely interesting. The perspective and distance that Keri was able to take from her experiences was so compelling to me and I found your writing easily accessible and friendly. It is hard to judge a memoir because of how personal the story is. But over all you were a unique and interesting story and it was fun getting to know your story and Kari for the first time. You were a down to earth story of a sensational experience.