In Counterfeit, Ava is a successful Asian-American lawyer with a Stanford degree (she
hasn’t worked in law in years) with an amazing surgeon husband (they barely talk unless it's
about their son or to argue) and a beautiful perfect son (he constantly cries, can’t talk yet, and is
prone to violent outbursts). In a strange coincidence, Ava reconnects with her old college
roommate, Winnie. Winnie dropped out of Stanford freshman year under mysterious
circumstances and returned to China. Yet she’s back in the United States, ready to do favors for
Ava, whether that’s being an intermediary with her husband when they fight or quieting her son's
tantrums. Soon, Winnie reveals how Ava can pay her back - by helping out with her counterfeit
handbag scheme, which has been bringing in millions. Ava, who has worked hard her entire life
to succeed while following the rules, is disgusted and refuses. Yet her protests aren’t quite as
real as she wants them to be - and Winnie is not necessarily as forthcoming with her intentions
as she seems.
This book has a really interesting premise and is insightful at times. However, I found it a
little boring. There weren’t really any big twists that really shocked me and I felt somewhat
unsatisfied with the ending. I do think it did a great job of communicating the value and feeling
that a designer handbag can create, as well as describing the misconceptions that some people
have surrounding Asian-Americans and China. Overall, it was a pretty good read and I would
give it three stars.