A heist steeped in history, but thin on action.

⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Will, Irene, Daniel, Lily, and Alex – a prize of $50 million awaits this team of college-students-cum-art-thieves who wish to return Chinese art plundered by the West back to its rightful owners.

💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I think what did this book a great disservice was referencing Ocean’s Eleven – a slick, fast-paced, let’s-get-rich heist film. This book is NOT, that leaving expectations deflated. (Ugh… i hate when that happens!) Comparing Ocean’s to this novel (with altruistic reasons for theft and character-heavy description) left me wanting the “dazzle” and surprise that Ocean’s Eleven delivered. This is a novel about the Chinese immigrant experience and the children who are further distanced from the country their parents (or themselves as children) immigrated from, the Chinese diaspora, and how that connection affects or doesn’t affect individual characters. More serious than seriously entertaining.

This book delves into the five protagonists – their unique experiences, how they view the world, and how being Chinese (or Chinese-American) defines them, but it left me wanting… due to the “heist-hype” if you will.

Most of the book for me was a repetitive, constant rehashing of facts – where each character was from, their majors, one a commitment-phobe, another lesbian, another a street racer, etc instead of deepening the character study which was merely surface-level for me.

The first heist was the most entertaining part to read, but then I felt the prose turned dogged – dragging page to page until I wanted to skip pages to advance to the next heist where pacing quickened. I tried to delve into the characters but due to the repetitive descriptions and the college-kid-waxing-existential-whining, I lost my wonder.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Heist/Contemporary Fiction

😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: I think perhaps those more enraptured by the history might find more redeeming value in the novel

🙅‍♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If you expect Oceans Eleven quickness and slick, fast-paced timing

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton/Tiny Reparations Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review.