Seemingly, what you see is what you get — a con artist story, a pop-feminist caper, a fashionable romp. Fun! Pass the popcorn. Except nothing in this novel is what it seems ... Make no mistake, Counterfeit is an entertaining, luxurious read — but beneath its glitz and flash, it is also a shrewd deconstruction of the American dream and the myth of the model minority ... Readers love a twist and I won’t spoil this one by revealing too much, but Chen is up to something innovative and subversive here. She uses the device to flip Asian and Asian American stereotypes inside out and upside down ... You can decide for yourself whether Counterfeit is a tale of genuine American gumption or not. Either way, you must grapple with the question: If the dream itself is a false promise, why not achieve it through fakery?
[A] lively caper ... Chen’s third novel is a breezy read with unexpected twists, carried along by Ava’s seemingly heartfelt narration as she confesses her involvement to a police detective. Along the way, there are plenty of fascinating details about luxury goods and the shadow industry of fake designer products ... Chen...is a versatile, savvy plotter, and Counterfeit readers will be easily drawn into this morally complicated world.
A clever tale ... The novel’s second half picks up with Winnie’s point of view, in which Ava is characterized as scheming and manipulative ... Readers face a choice: whose perception is real—and whose is counterfeit? The story is further deepened by the author’s sharp, convincing details of the fashion industry and its shadow market, which lends this tale of fakes the tang of authenticity. Readers will be left guessing at the truth until the last page.
Chen rejiggers some of the ingredients of her debut...and comes up with a winner in this clever, sharp, and slyly funny novel about a long con ... Chen turns the stereotype of the docile Asian woman on its head. She also has great fun with status details ... A delightfully different caper novel with a 'Gone Girl'–style plot twist.
