Kirstin Chen's third novel takes us into the high stakes world of very high end knock-offs. Less than three-hundred pages, this is a quick, fun read that will keep you entertained the entire time. Counterfeit was chosen as a New York Times Editors' Pick as well as Reese's Book Clubs June 2022 pick, it deals with xenophobia and a toxic friendship.
Ava Wong seems to have it all. Married to a successful transplant surgeon who just took a job at Stanford, she's able to take time off from her career as a lawyer to care for their young son. But deep down, Ava is at loose ends. She has a hard time caring for her son and relies heavily on his nanny, their pursuit of pre-school enrollment is not going well, her husband is commuting to and from work and it is putting a strain on their marriage, and worst of all, she doesn't know if she even wants to be a lawyer anymore! In walks Winnie Fang, Ava's Stanford University roommate of one semester who dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Winnie introduces Ava to the world of high end counterfeit bags, bags made so well that you can't even tell that they aren't the real thing. She recruits Ava to help her import and offload these knock-off bags. Soon Ava gets in over her head...or does she?
This book is funny. Ava is funny, she made me laugh out loud several times. The book is divided into two parts, and let me tell you, part two really took me by surprise. You get so sucked in by Ava and the story that she's telling and by the end of the book, you don't know if you want her to get away with it or you want her to get caught. This is the perfect book for a summertime beach read. It was fast paced but I never got lost, the characters are equal parts likeable and infuriating, and the book is short enough to be able to finish in a weekend if you want to. Not to mention it gave me delusions of grandeur, thinking I could also mastermind a counterfeit ring. Don't worry, I don't have the contacts to get started.
I'm giving Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen 4 stars out 5. It is not the most thought-provoking book out there, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
For more from Kirstin Chen, check out https://kirstinchen.com/
Pairs well with egg tarts and an upbeat karaoke sesh.
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