as mentioned before, this was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and while it started off interesting, i couldn't help but feel disappointed even before i was halfway into the book.
i enjoyed the writing in the beginning, but the more i read, the more it felt as just purple prose, the "better" metaphors and sentences being repeated every other chapter to the point i knew what would be said before reading the paragraph because it had already been said before,,,, the author described so much useless stuff that i didn't need or want to know. especially when it comes to characters. it's tiring to read over and over again their thoughts on the world or the point of things or why they're doing their part in the heist. i feel like there was barely any character development even though the book focused on the characters more than the heist itself. which is kinda not for me, because none of the characters were memorable and i wasn't invested in them. like, they all had one sentence/quality that was repeated each time their turn for a chapter pov rolled around. they were one-dimensional and not particularly likeable. their motivations for taking part in the heist were. . . lacking, to say the least. it was just to pay college loans, really. there was no desperation or at least greed you'd expect from someone who has a ten million dollar offer in front of them. they were all great students at top american universities and working in silicon valley, so aside from living a slightly better life when they come from seemingly more privileged households or have jobs that can allow them a stable future in quite luxury, nothing much would change for them, would it?

the whole heist?? it lacked action, anticipation, actual tension that would have me turning pages and my stomach twisted into knots. i mean, they planned the whole thing in google docs, over telegram, and goddamn ZOOM. you could cut the silly little heist part out of the book and it would probably be more enjoyable -- without the promise of the thrill and all, i probably wouldn't be so disappointed. AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD CHOOSE THESE RANDOM COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH NO THIEVERY/CRIMEY BACKGROUND TO RETRIEVE A /VERY/ IMPORTANT PIECES OF ART FOR A WHOLE COUNTRY. FOR FIFTY. MILLION. DOLLARS. especially considering

Spoiler

there was the other crew that was clearly more professional and cut out for it. and yuling was a part of it

the lgbt storyline (?) i was promised was thrown there at the end, and you can kind of see it coming, because

Spoiler

irene and alex are supposed to have that enemies to lovers thingy or something

but it's also not even outright said or anything, and . . . what is it with this author being afraid to say the word lesbian. i was told this book has a lesbian rep and yet there's nothing to indicate that, really. which is disappointing and kind of weird but i'm sensitive when it comes to this topic so maybe it's just me.
aside from these two, the relationships between characters were. . . just not there. they were practically strangers, they weren't even a crew, so the relationships and supposed romance felt flat and bland and i didn't liked it. i liked the interactions between will and daniel, though, but daniel with irene also made me feel weird abdbsjjbs ANYWAY.

what was very, very good about this book was the actual in-depth experience of the chinese diaspora in america. that's the strongest point of the book (is it gonna be mean if i say the only one? lol) i'm a white person from poland so i have no wish or right to speak on that more, since there's no way for me to actually understand the struggles of standing between two different worlds and cultures, but i found that part of the book interesting, compelling, and heartfelt.

the role of art, colonialism, and imperialism on the other hand, was explored only on a superficial level that didn't feel like enough when it seemed like an integral part of why the story is happening in the first place.

the ending was. . . just shit. like, if you read the book, you can probably tell how ridiculous it was. i just feel bad for daniel's father, is all. no other thoughts, really, or this would have to become a document of complaints as long and as dull as this book