Things I love about Portrait of a Thief:-

1.) Unlocking historical backstories. 

I love how the author inadvertently made me dive deeper into the history, background, and information about the zodiac heads, museums, and the people trying their hardest to restore the art and culture of China. This book took me longer to read because, aside from being lengthy, it also made me extrapolate each of the characters and their motivations. 

2.) Intriguing controversies are placed front and center in the book.

The author places the reparations of these stolen artworks into the mainstream of this book to help bring more needed action/attention to this cause. It is current and appropriate as countries, i.e., China trying to find and "bring back" stolen artworks for national heritage preservation. Initially, two zodiac heads were "withheld" after a failed sale (via auction), but the owners later donated them back to China.

This book refers to the previous wars (i.e., the Opium War) that happened in China, with pillaging being the norm and the looting/ spoils of were became trophies brought out of China.

3.) Ingenious plot twists.

The author does a great job setting the mystery and suspense in each scene and between the characters. The book is in the third person, omniscient - multiple characters, which is the best of all worlds in writing BUT withholds some pertinent details that engage readers to keep reading. 

The crew got the "job" done with many moving parts, each character playing an important part. The task was daunting when it started. Heck, I thought it would fail when they even the concerned country! But the author weaved intricate layers and "hand-is-quicker-than-the-eye" moves that made me "re-read" a lot again to believe it. It was amazing!

Note: The heist isn't elaborate since college kids have no idea how to do it or where to start. We see all the fumbling, yet they know a bit to try to get away (or not). The author made sure that readers focus on character development rather than the heist. Note that it depicts a thief ("portrait of a thief") and the general conflicting moral compass for thieves.

4.) Impressionable characters.

There is a split in each character's motivation for "taking the job," which makes each character interesting from an outsider's perspective. Each person's motivations were randomly varied:- from patriotism to monetary, pride to curiosity, cockiness to boredom, or basically, as simple as "they just can do it" reasons. All these reasons make the story a lot more colorful. I can now see how this book was inspired by Italian Job or The Thomas Crown Affair, with an artistic Asian flair.

I also love the internal struggles they have with their identity and purpose. Traditionally, kids pursue the pinnacle of their abilities and opportunities as they transition to "adulthood," or the after-college phases. Many still haunt these characters - the sense of whose lives they are living for: duty to their country, parents, or themselves. This duty is a dilemma faced by most, if not most, kids in general. This book took me longer to read, mainly because of this element. I took to heart everything, and sometimes it would take me a day or two to absorb and reflect on the characters and their situations. This book takes my term "investing in the characters" a whole new meaning - this sets a higher bar for future authors who will give me all "the feels" for book characters. 

5.) The Ending.

Readers can see only parts of what is going on until the ending hits, THEN more twists happen that will ROCK your world. The book might reveal everything, but ultimately, the explanation and understanding have come from the reader and their relationship with each character. 

I was speechless at how everything felt like a chessboard with checkmates happening at the end - just when readers think it was all over - infiltration with class and finesse. A lot of intricacies happened to have the ending work itself out. I appreciate it coming like a great flashback of the past wherein "secrets" were revealed spectacularly!

Overall, Portrait of a Thief is a gem of a debut novel from a new author! This book is a masterpiece that depicts so many internal struggles in each character's life. All the characters were stellar in their own right. This story will undoubtedly leave readers with long-lasting impressions on everything:- familial duty, nationalism, patriotism, identity, and individualism. The writing is impeccable and will grab readers' hearts, minds, and attention, even when you put it down for a break or when you are done. 

I felt so raw after this book. There is the fear of losing one's identity - cultural and personal due to migration, assimilation, and to the extent, "watered down" to the point of insignificance. I felt that preservation and honoring the past (good or bad) are vital in keeping one's cultural identity. Art pieces, like the ones in the book, keep humanity grounded and real.

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PROS: 

- Suspense at each turn

- Real and well-developed characters with intricate lives and difficult choices

- Tension from start to finish, whether at a job or between each other

- Thought-provoking ideology and topics between the characters

- Moral compass tested

- Representation achieved 

CONS:

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!

I tried looking for something, but I couldn't find anything wrong with this. This book hits every truth of a transplant, migrant diaspora imagined through the characters: the in-depth self-reflection and self-exploration - all "hit home" in my culture and connection. 

Tropes: suspense, second chances, patriotism, coming of age, LBGTQ+, closet characters, mystery