The Fraud Squad is a story based on faking it ‘til you make it with a bit of My Fair Lady and imposter syndrome thrown in. I found this novel to be quite slow at the start, but the last third as everything starts to unravel was well paced and much more interesting.

One thing this novel will suffer from is being compared to Crazy Rich Asians. It’s not and I think the comparison is unfair. The story is about Samantha Song, who grew up poor in Singapore, utilised scholarships while her mum paid off loan sharks but now has a job in a PR agency. That’s not her dream though. She would like to write for S magazine, Singapore’s premier magazine for glamour, socialites and fashion. But Sam’s wardrobe is more Cotton On than Chanel. Enter her work mate Anya, who got a job based on her connections, and an introduction to Tim, heir to one of the biggest companies in Singapore. Over drinks they hatch a plan to make Sam a socialite on the Singapore scene, using borrowed clothes and Tim’s invites. The plan is for Sam to dazzle and get that coveted job. As you would expect, it doesn’t go to plan. While Sam’s star rises, she meets people who know her background and others who want her out of Tim’s way. She neglects her friendship with her oldest friend. She makes a scene at a society dinner by accident. But she also meets some new friends and gains confidence in her current work, enough to pitch her dreams. Then it all comes tumbling down spectacularly – how will it end?

I found the initial set up of Sam’s socialite plan quite slow and not quite as interesting as it could have been, despite the brand name mentions and glamourous parties. It was also a bit predictable on how she neglected her old friend Raina and family. The first part in particular had some writing that was overly flowery for me, too many adjectives. Either it toned down later or I got used to it. The last third, as Sam gets her invite to the coveted S ball, had a lot more happening which picked up both my pace and interest. Despite poor Sam being revealed, this was my favourite part of the story. The romance was a bit predictable, as was the betrayal. I thought there might have been a bit more ‘sticking it’ to society, especially as Tim felt so trapped by it, but the three play by the rules for the most part – not so much fraud as mild white lies. The characters all felt a bit mixed up, like they didn’t know what they wanted and once they did, there was a big about face.

I also found that Singapore as a setting didn’t really shine as much as it could have. There are a lot of things that make Singapore pretty special – the tropical weather, the food (not just fancy restaurants but hawker centres and the range of delicious eats) and the immense range of shopping. The weather gets a few mentions for inappropriate dressing, frizzy hair and being caught in a downpour but the only Singaporean foods that get a mention is kopi and kaya. Shopping is briefly mentioned but doesn’t really get much of a role, despite Sam’s need for designer clothes. Also, why no Singlish lah? I get that not everyone would understand all the nuances, but it would have made it feel more vibrant. It’s kind of like Singapore has been very sanitised into a global, blank city that could be swapped for many others. There were also mentions of class and racism, but neither felt fully explored to me, just mentioned and brushed under the carpet.

Saying all this, I’m willing to give Zhao another go as her next novel (Valley Verified) deals with imposter syndrome, fashion and Silicon Valley. I think her writing shows promise and she’s got some great ideas.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

This was okay, it just wasn't fraud-y enough. ( )

I went into this book fully prepared to love it, because I loved so many aspects! The Singapore setting (I grew up in Singapore and visit every 1-2 years) and the fact that it's essentially The Devil Meets Prada meets Cinderella meets Crazy Rich Asians, ALL of which I love.

But sadly...I didn't love it. I wish I did. The cover is so pretty. I loved taking a trip down memory lane as I read about kopitiams and HDBs and the Singapore bus lines. Reading about the humidity that Singapore is so famous for. I also enjoyed reading about Singapore high society, even though I didn't recognize many of the luxury brand names (which was a problem because many of Samantha and the other socialites' clothes were described with only their brand names, which didn't help me).

I didn't love the characters. They all felt very one-dimensional to me, so I didn't feel connected to any of them and therefore had a hard time rooting for them. The dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, and a bit forced. I never felt like I got to know any of the characters on a level that allowed me to connect with them, except for the two supposed villains. The romance between Tim and Samantha fell flat for me and I had a hard time feeling the chemistry between them, which goes back to not being able to connect with the characters. The tension was seriously lacking for me as well except for one part during the climax when all is revealed. Overall, Samantha got everything much too easily, and there was never a point where I felt like she might fail or not get what she wanted.

What I really didn't like...I really, really hate woman-on-woman hate. Without spoilers, this happened with a couple of women that Samantha gets to know in her time with the Fraud Squad. And of course the man gets forgiven. That sort of dynamic seriously annoys me and the notion that everyone (especially the women) who doesn't like the MC are evil and jealous. Finally, I felt like I was TOLD a lot of things about character descriptions and reactions and setting descriptions, never allowing me to fully immerse myself in the world that I really wanted to go back into.

3 stars because it was entertaining enough that I finished it, but that's about it. ( )

Fun and intriguing Singapore set chick-lit romance that pushes back against the stratified social milieu of Singapore and the obsession with very VERY conspicuous consumption. I loved Sam and Tim and thought the secondary and tertiary characters were well drawn. In an attempt to not have one-dimensional villains the book at its climax has everyone recite their tales of woe in a sequence that begged to play out over a backing track of "Everybody Hurts." So yes, some clunky spots, but mostly this was a really nicely written and engaging feminist/humanist play on Pygmalion. This is usually not a compliment when I say it, but here it is intended as one -- this would work for YA readers. There is no sexual content beyond kissing, things are very black and white so readers don't have to deal with much human complexity, and the main characters are in their early 20's so really relatable for teens. A solid 3.5. ( )