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A review by keysmashhh
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Relationships: 4.5/5
World-Building: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Relationships: 4.5/5
World-Building: 3/5
Genre: 4.5/5
Plot: I loved the heist format of this book, it worked well and the pacing was PERFECT. I didn't feel like it lingered too long on one place or one topic but still took its time to establish the characters and their motivations. I was slightly sad to see that they didn't rob every museum on the list but the way they got the artefacts returned was the perfect example of character progression, they didn't need to steal to do good. I would LOVE a sequel to this book purely because the ending worked so well. The one thing I felt was slightly under resolved was Wang Yuling and the kind of omnipotent figure she represented, at the end, I felt like that was slightly left behind
Characters: I loved Will and Irene, the way their characters were constructed was just *chefs kiss* I was really interested in Will's POVs and his view of the world in relation to art and Irene was such a cool character. I also liked Lily's POVs and she provided an interesting balance to will. Not going to lie, Alex and Daniel fell a bit flat for me but I can totally see other people really loving them, either way they were all really well written and I loved the shifting perspectives which really elevated the book.
Relationships: There were some really interesting dynamics in this book, the sibling rivalry of Will and Irene, the will-they-wont-they of Lily and Will and my favourite enemies to lovers with Irene and Alex. I'm usually not an enemies to lovers gal (especially when there's a childhood friends to lovers option) BUT Irene and Alex were a nice exception. I'm probably biased in I just want more wlw representation, but I would have loved MORE scenes of just them together (perhaps if there is a sequel...) Daniels' relationship with his father was also really interesting to read
World-Building: When reading the book the world-building didn't really stand out to me, perhaps because it focuses more on the characters and their internal struggles. There were some nice moments which were striking in their comparisons but other than that it was not too noticeable to me.
Genre: As a heist book it wasn't overly amazing, at times I kind of forgot that the heists were there and often they were over wayyyy too quickly, and I felt like they were slightly rushed but as a group of characters navigating the world together and exploring their identities it really worked. The art dimension was something new to me and I really loved it, making me wish I paid more attention in Art class so I could understand what Will was talking about
Plot: I loved the heist format of this book, it worked well and the pacing was PERFECT. I didn't feel like it lingered too long on one place or one topic but still took its time to establish the characters and their motivations. I was slightly sad to see that they didn't rob every museum on the list but the way they got the artefacts returned was the perfect example of character progression, they didn't need to steal to do good. I would LOVE a sequel to this book purely because the ending worked so well. The one thing I felt was slightly under resolved was Wang Yuling and the kind of omnipotent figure she represented, at the end, I felt like that was slightly left behind
Characters: I loved Will and Irene, the way their characters were constructed was just *chefs kiss* I was really interested in Will's POVs and his view of the world in relation to art and Irene was such a cool character. I also liked Lily's POVs and she provided an interesting balance to will. Not going to lie, Alex and Daniel fell a bit flat for me but I can totally see other people really loving them, either way they were all really well written and I loved the shifting perspectives which really elevated the book.
Relationships: There were some really interesting dynamics in this book, the sibling rivalry of Will and Irene, the will-they-wont-they of Lily and Will and my favourite enemies to lovers with Irene and Alex. I'm usually not an enemies to lovers gal (especially when there's a childhood friends to lovers option) BUT Irene and Alex were a nice exception. I'm probably biased in I just want more wlw representation, but I would have loved MORE scenes of just them together (perhaps if there is a sequel...) Daniels' relationship with his father was also really interesting to read
World-Building: When reading the book the world-building didn't really stand out to me, perhaps because it focuses more on the characters and their internal struggles. There were some nice moments which were striking in their comparisons but other than that it was not too noticeable to me.
Genre: As a heist book it wasn't overly amazing, at times I kind of forgot that the heists were there and often they were over wayyyy too quickly, and I felt like they were slightly rushed but as a group of characters navigating the world together and exploring their identities it really worked. The art dimension was something new to me and I really loved it, making me wish I paid more attention in Art class so I could understand what Will was talking about