Because art heists and angsty crew members who hold the future in their hands is a fat mood.
Song Vibe Check
"More" By: K/DA, Madison Beer, G-Idle, Jaira Burns, Lexie Liu
"Drunk-Dazed" By: ENHYPHEN
"Thief" Ansel Elgort
I have a weak spot for art thefts.
If anyone has read Jeffrey Salane's Lawless trilogy, I always think of that series while growing up. Sure, it was written when I was about 11 or 12 and as I grew up, the series stuck with me, but stolen art and heists has always been something that captures my attention while reading. And, after many people talking about how good it was, I decided to give it a try.
I LOVED IT. It just hit all the right points with characters that really made you feel and honestly, the scheming for the heists and the reclaiming of history sounded great. You get lost in Li's writing and it's lyrical and emotional and it pulls you in and doesn't let go which I loved for her debut novel. Now, onto the five angsty college students.
Will: The Older brother, the ringleader, the heartbreaker, the character who was terrified of screwing up badly and honestly reflected the thoughts of many of us who carry the burden of being the older sibling, of wondering if it'll ever be enough, if we're guilty for wanting the whole world, chasing dreams we're afraid will only drown us. Everything and so much of his motivations just made me feel right at home with him. He's impulsive. He's stubborn. He's charming, ambitious and I really enjoyed his story arc.
Irene: Respectfully, as much as she was the younger sister of Will who always got her way and use the right words to win, she really annoyed me and her character did not get better, so her chapters were always a bit less enjoyable for me.
Lily: Now, Irene's roommate is a LOT more interesting and another of my favorites that I could relate to. Now, I am not a joyride person by ANY means (I literally still don't have a license haha) but, the thrill and adrenaline of doing something that makes you feel alive is what we're all rooting for. She also just wants to run away from everything and is always wondering if there is more to life other than corporate jobs and honestly, me too. She was smart, while being cautious with her heart and feelings for Will and honestly, their banter and vulnerability had me smiling all the way through. I love how she won each race too :)
Alex: Our software engineer that's definitely NOT a hacker. I didn't expect the plot twist in her arc, but at the same time, I kinda saw it coming and the rivalry between her and Irene was to be expected. I was not a huge fan of her either, but her doubts were something that made her feel a lot more relatable and her relationship with her grandma that was sick brought me to tears, sharing memories of my own life and seeing my own grandma in a hospital bed. I like that she gets a happy ending in her own way though.
Daniel: Our soft boi. He's the more cautious one of the bunch, being the son of an FBI agent specializing in Art thefts which is hilarious, but he's rebellious too and hopelessly in love with someone who will never love him back like that (A BIG OOF) but there is so much grief that leads in his life and finding healing with the fractured relationship with his dad was the more emotional parts of this book.
Now, did I expect all of them to get all 5 Chinese zodiac heads? YES. Did I expect things would fall apart? Yes as well, but not in the way it turned out where it seemed like everything was done and I was super disappointed, but things turned around and it ended well. The idea of where we truly belong is what struck home with me because while my parents are Guatemalan, I was born in America, raised in Chicago. And when I'm asked where I'm from, I will always acknowledge my roots, but not many do. Most say they're American, but what does it mean to be American in this day and age? If your English isn't perfect, you're not considered American. If you don't have an American sounding name, then it doesn't count. If your parents don't speak English well or you live in a non-white neighborhood, it practically doesn't count.
All the lines blur and you're left wondering where you're truly from and even as someone who grew up learning Spanish and speaks it as her native tongue, I do still wonder if I'm truly American. I don't know all the traditions and customs of where my parents came from and I'm also not totally accustomed to all the American traditions like barbecues on Memorial Day or sitting on Santa's lap for Christmas or whatever else may be considered "American" and it's this gap between generations that leaves us wondering if we're from anywhere really, making us feel lost and yearning for a place to belong.
This book does that and expands on this feeling that we, as children of immigrants can relate to. It's not a problem that goes away. It's not something that a few art pieces can fix, returning history to those that were conquered because in the end, history will always be beautiful and ugly and devastating and traumatic all at once. History always repeats itself and it always leaves a mark behind, one that can never be erased as easily as people think it can be.
Portrait of a Thief rightfully captures the life college students go through after a pandemic and the feeling of loss not just because of our roots and where we come from, but also in the future ahead of us that seems so uncertain and all the what-ifs spin in our mind. It's a timely debut for the chaos of life now and it definitely earns a place as one of my favorite reads of the year.
So, if you want a book that can steal your heart, this is it.
Let it take your breath away.
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