✨ The Vibes ✨
The Anna Delvey of Hipsters Tells All

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re intrigued by con artist stories
✨ You want to understand the why behind people’s poor decisions
✨ You’re looking for a non-celebrity memoir

I knew nothing about Kari Ferrell aka the Hipster Grifter before picking up her memoir, but even with no background it was an interesting and engaging read.

Ferrell rose to notoriety in the mid-2009s, scamming her way through Brooklyn before her crimes caught up with her and landed her in prison. She starts the book years before this pivotal moment, giving insight into how her childhood and the ostracization she faced in her Utah community led her to the path that would lead to her downfall.

Usually with these types of memoirs I want all of the juicy gossip, and while Ferrell does describe her various crimes and cons, I found her exploration of why she made those choices to be much more compelling. It’s really easy for people on the outside to pass a moral judgement when we hear stories like Ferrell’s. And while it doesn’t excuse her crimes, learning about what led her to make those decisions helps the reader view her story with more empathy.

The story doesn’t end with Ferrell’s downfall, but rather focuses on how her experience with incarceration has motivated her to become an advocate for improving the justice system and mental health.

If you want an interesting memoir that will change your perspective, definitely pick this one up!

You’ll Never Believe Me is out now. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This memoir was entertaining enough, but I really didn't care for the author, whose claim to fame was being arrested and jailed for ripping off her friends by writing them bad checks. And then decided her monumentally bad decisions were due to being adopted and picked on.
I know she served her time, and hence deserves a clean slate, but I'm not convinced that her infamy should have automatically merited interviews and tv deals, as she seemed to believe. Most people with records are lucky to find employment; Inside Edition exposé's shouldn't be expected.
I just hope she used some of her book deal money to pay back everyone she ripped off.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #youllneverbelieveme in exchange for an honest review.

What is it in us that urges us to rubberneck at the mess of another's mess of a life? Well, that's how I felt while reading this book. The author, Kari Ferrell, regales us with the complete disaster she had made of her life from a young age. She's not that old, so it is a more youthful account, and she seems to have successfully turned herself around. But her willingness to share the story of her life and foibles makes for an interesting read for those of us who enjoy a little recklessness from the safe distance of a book.

Kari, a self-professed liar, goes all out and honestly (or so it seems) starts with her beginnings growing up as a Korean adoptee in Mormon Country Utah, to her struggles trying to make something of herself in New York City. Of course, it's not all that simple, especially for Kari who lies her way from one exploit to another. She's not just a liar though. She's added a few other crimes to her miscreant résumé. Eventually she finds herself behind bars, and not just for a night or two. Not really a long sentence, but a few months is too long for anyone who finds themself with such an address.

I won't spoil anymore of the story as it's best told by Kari herself. The book reads easy and offers quite a few laughs. After all, her writing style and her sense of humor are a couple of her better traits. If your literary neck needs a little stretching, you might enjoy this book.

Another millennial grifter justifying their crimes due to social justice and the 2008 economic crash. Yawn, you’re not Jean Valjean.

I think publishers need to realize that not everyone needs a memoir.

Blending humor, honesty, and shocking moments, Kari recounts her journey from a troubled childhood in Utah to becoming the infamous "Hipster Grifter" in New York’s indie scene. While I usually enjoy stories about unfavorable characters, reading about a real person’s missteps felt a bit awkward at times, especially as her actions are both shocking and relatable in their humanity. Her candid reflections on redemption and self-worth make for a surprisingly heartfelt read, even as you can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of human behavior.

You’ll Never Believe Me had me interested from the title. I was not previously aware of Kari Farrel or her story, but she absolutely has a way with words that had me really into the story. However, there were definitely times that I found myself wondering how the story all connected, I cannot downplay or challenge someone’s perspective, especially in a memoir. Overall I did like this story and almost wish there was a follow up to the next portion of her life.
Thank you to Macmillan Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Interesting memoir about a girl who is trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Adopted at
An early age and feeling like she doesn’t fit in Mormon white Utah and the struggles she went through into her adulthood.

Wow! I was not excepting anything that I read in this book. You'll Never Believe Me is such a wild, crazy ride, but it also is full of hope. Kari Ferrell does something that not many others do, and that is that she accepts responsibility for her bad behaviors and works towards changing her ways and her life for the better.

There are parts of this book that will make you shocked to realize that there are individuals in our society who actually act this way; it felt like a movie script and not real life, but then "truth is stranger than fiction."

I really enjoyed this one and once I started reading I could not put it down.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not really a huge fan of someone writing a book about all of the horrible things they did, and then framing it as "the lessons they learned." To me, this looks like a cash grab, and yet another way to profit off of her horrid behavior. What about the people she wronged? How do they feel about her getting paid to recount the ways in which she harmed them, sometimes irreparably? I admit that I was obsessed with the whole Anna Delvey saga, but only because everything I consumed about it was from the point of view of people who had been hurt by her, getting to tell their side of the story. As soon as she went on Dancing With the Stars, I wanted to vomit.

This was quite an interesting story. Adopted into a Mormon family in Utah, Ferrell grapples with identity and belonging, leading her down a path of deception and crime that ultimately lands her on Utah's most-wanted list. Her narrative is both raw and riveting, blending self-deprecating humor with bruising vulnerability, offering readers a unique perspective on redemption and the complexities of human nature

I was excited to receive this eGalley from Netgalley.com. This was already on my TBR for 2025 because I enjoy memoirs and this seems like such a wild story.

I had to sit on this before reviewing because Kari Ferrell is really good at deceiving people. At the end, I wondered if she was deceiving readers too. She revealed so many memories and perspectives in such an interesting way. I wouldn't say she was unapologetic, but Ferrell seemed to hold up a window into her past. She tells the stories of how she started hurting the people in her life and the choices she made along the way. Some of it was nostalgic for me as a millennial who spent some time in NYC at the same time. While I believe what was written, I am left wondering how much of it was truly honest. Even if it wasn't, I decided it doesn't matter to me. I'm glad Kari told her story and chose to do it this way.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting a glimpse into a chaotic life of a young person who made reckless choices. It was insightful and personal. I haven't listened to it, but this reads like it would also be a good audiobook choice too.

Loved this! This was such an insightful memoir. Kari Ferrells story is raw and honest, yet laced with humor making it an emotional and enjoyable read.

Kari, girl, I love it. I was shocked, shocked I tell you when your friends kept giving you money no matter what?! I could never but maybe I would?
I read this so fast. I loved the writing, I loved the honesty, I loved the redemption. You really turned lemons into lemonade.
Kari starts at a young age, stealing from Walmart and escalates her antics as she grows older by frauding friends and finally ending up in jail for a while. Her run comes to an end while she is still an assistant at Vice in NYC. A magazine uncovers her crimes and she is at the top of America's Most Wanted list. What Kari describes is truly mind boggling for me.

I honestly have never heard of the “hipster grifter” before reading this memoir. Even still I found it interesting and very well written. I switched between e-arc and audio — both worked really well.

For me, this is a difficult book to review. I really liked the first part of the book on Kari’s life being adopted by a white Mormon family. I felt her pain and understood how she felt out of place. She lost me after she settled in New York. Mistakes were made over and over, and I felt the book was about 200 pages longer than it actually was. I do salute her bravery in telling her story.

Firstly, I received an e-arc from NetGalley.

You’ll never believe me is a very transparent look into the life of Kari Ferrell. If you’re like me and love a good memoir that will mess with your emotions, this is it.

While I am a millennial, I didn't have any previous knowledge of the "hipster grifter." This was quite the introduction to Kari. I have to say, I devoured this memoir. I thought it was definitely well done and appreciate that we get to see some growth from Kari. The most interesting parts for me was the time in which she spent incarcerated, because I do think that it actually help reform her and change the trajectory of her life. There were times that the story was a big drug down on minute details that could have been skipped, and I do feel like it wrapped quite abruptly, but I still have a fun time reading this book and look forward to learning more about Kari as an activist, a true change from her life of grifting. It is heartwarming to see that even when faced with adversity, people can truly change their lives for the better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

With Anna Delvey in the limelight, it’s easy to overlook the Hipster Grifter, Kari Ferrell of early 2000s scammer fame. Kari gives us a look into her life and how she became the infamous Hipster Grifter in her new memoir.

This book was a well-written and wild ride through the life of Kari Ferrell. Reading her memoir, it’s easy to see that she has a talent for story telling. Her story is witty, entertaining, and despite knowing she was defrauding her friends and family, you can’t help but root for her. I laughed, I gasped, and I thoroughly enjoyed this edgy book.

The Hipster Grifter has done her penance. Give her story a chance and you’ll enjoy this walk on the wild side through her scams, her attempts to get right, and getting caught.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I realize that being Asian and adopted can be quite a hard road in life but, she even admits she had a privileged upbringing, for a most part.

I thought some of the stories were quite fascinating.

Overall, it was an interesting read. However, she never seems to try and make amends and it doesn’t seem she has any remorse. She most likely left many victims with trust issues and other trauma, which she doesn’t seem at all concerned about.

The life of a grifter is actually quite sad as many people were taken advantage of.

Going into this book I had no idea who Keri was so I had zero preconceived notions. She really took me through her journey and earned my empathy, opening my eyes. Not everyone with her story would have landed where she did in the end and I applaud her so much for owning her past and finding ways to build a better future for others.