Liar, Dreamer, Thief is an immensely ambitious novel that doesn’t miss the mark once. It brilliantly tackles mental health, workplace isolation, estrangement, support or lack thereof, reunions and so much more. Maria Dong manages to cast her net wide and catch every ambition perfectly. This book is an absolute treat for anyone looking for a novel that feels both escapist and all too real all at once.

Quick Summary: Katrina Kim is the black sheep of her family but she isn’t a stalker. She may have an obsession with her coworker, Kurt, but despite what her roommate says she isn’t stalking him. Her obsession is just a coping mechanism, just like her visions and her number rituals. But when Katrina finds a cryptic message from Kurt implying he knows she’s been watching him, her carefully constructed life begins to crumble. In a desperate act to reclaim control, she arrives to the Cayatoga Bridge just in time to witness Kurt’s suicide and have him blame it on her.

Liar, Dreamer, Thief is a truly stand out novel. The prose so beautifully matches Katrina Kim’s voice. One mark of a great novel is when the prose matches the characters, which is not something that is often mastered, and Maria Dong blows it out of the water. This story flows like a train of thought and switches direction in the blink of an eye but as readers, we’re always guided with ease. Even as we intimately navigate the bumpy road of Katrina’s mind. This story gifts us with a perfect balance of feeling out of control but also knowing we can trust the author to bring us to the end.

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I also had the privilege to do the cover reveal for this beautiful book and I got to interview Maria for it! Come read Maria's interview!

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