The genius of this book lies in how, despite its unlikeable protagonist and her occasionally gross attitudes towards other women, it deftly drives home not only how no one deserves to be sexually assaulted but also how keeping quiet about sexual assault rarely serves the public good ... While Complicit is a work of fiction, it rings true in every infuriating and ultimately cathartic page.
... [Li] brings an insider’s eye to a story that will be depressingly familiar to anyone who has followed the progress of the #MeToo movement in the entertainment industry ... There is no doubt that Li knows the world she writes about intimately; at times, her determination to show the extent of this knowledge slows the plot at the expense of narrative momentum. But her examination of how women can participate in a system that treats them as fodder is bitterly convincing, and she doesn’t indulge in naive optimism about the prospect of significant change.
Writer, producer, and activist Li draws on her experience in the film industry to bring authenticity and raw honesty to her second novel, a timely page-turner that explores the emotional impact of sexual assault.
... devastating and riveting ... Li's nail-biting narrative deftly entangles readers within the naïve heroine's well-intentioned choices, resulting in a novel that will surely prompt much-deserved discussion.
... uneven ... Li skillfully depicts the ways in which powerful people exploit and abuse those trying to get a foothold in the film industry, though the narrative is at once overlong and underdeveloped, leaving the central theme of complicity underexplored. It ends up being an intriguing if not quite satisfying look at #MeToo in the film industry.
