Complicit

by Winnie M. Li

After a long-buried, harrowing incident, a woman whose promising film career was derailed has an opportunity for revenge in this visceral and timely thriller about power, privilege, and justice.

A Hollywood has-been, Sarah Lai’s dreams of success behind the camera have been put to the wayside. Now a lecturer at an obscure college, this former producer wants nothing more than to forget those youthful ambitions and push aside any feelings of regret…or guilt.

But when a journalist reaches out to her to discuss her own experience working with the celebrated film producer Hugo North, Sarah can no longer keep silent. This is her last chance to tell her side of the story and maybe even exact belated vengeance.

As Sarah recounts the industry’s dark and sordid secrets, however, she begins to realize that she has a few sins of her own to confess. Now she must confront her choices and ask herself, just who was complicit?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller, Feminism, Literary Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2022

About the author

Winnie M. Li is a writer, producer, and activist. And frequent backpacker who has somehow managed to spend the past 15 years, engaged in film and literature in various parts of the world.

Taiwanese-American and raised in New Jersey, Winnie studied Folklore and Mythology at Harvard, specializing in Celtic Languages and Literature. In 2000, she was selected as a George Mitchell Scholar and earned her MA in Anglo-Irish Literature at the National University of Ireland, Cork.

While in Cork, Winnie began volunteering for the Cork International Film Festival. Shortly afterwards, she moved to London to work for Ugly Duckling Films / Left Turn Films, a small independent film production company. Eventually as Head of Development there, Winnie was involved in producing six award-winning feature films and two shorts, one of which was Oscar-nominated® and the other Oscar-shortlisted®. In addition to overseeing script development at Ugly Duckling Films, Winnie concentrated heavily on the marketing, financing, and distribution of their projects.

In 2010, Winnie began working with the Doha Film Institute (DFI) in Qatar, where she served as Programme Manager for the 2nd and 3rd editions of the annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival. As Film Series Producer for the DFI, she founded the Institute’s year-round screening series, bringing 150+ screenings of arthouse and foreign films to a city accustomed to mainstream Hollywood movies.

In 2013, Winnie returned to the tourism and travel sector, working as a short-term Project Consultant for Temasek Holdings in Singapore. There she spearheaded the creative development of a future nature-themed tourist attraction, consolidating research within the attractions industry, eco-tourism, and wildlife conservation to develop new narratives for reaching the public.

In her spare time, she lectures on film studies and film production, and has spoken at Harvard University, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Aberdeen, the London School of Economics, and Northwestern University in Qatar. A former writer for the Let’s Go travel guide books, Winnie has traveled extensively on five continents. Her other published writing ranges from literary non-fiction to newspaper op-eds to academic essays. She is based in London and wrote her debut novel, Dark Chapter, while in the Creative & Life Writing MA Programme at Goldsmiths, University of London.

As of Autumn 2015, Winnie is a PhD researcher in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics. She is researching the impact of social media on the public discourse about rape and sexual assault, on an Economic and Social Research Council grant.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’m one of the right targets who truly get interested in this book more than average readers as a independent screenplay writer who witnessed the ugly face of movie industry!

I easily connected with Sarah and her striking story. The dynamics between Sarah and Sylvia are realistically developed. The sarcastic tone of story telling is well harmonized with interview excerpts help us to view multiple free voices and unique perspectives.

It was truly worth staying up all night and attending to your meeting red eyed.

Let’s take a brief look to the plot:
Sarah, a brilliant cinephile dreaming to become a screenwriter, applies for a job to Firefly Productions for the intern position. She quickly gets assistant producer position by taking attention of Sylvia Zimmerman. Her new job is working on the script and production processes of company’s upcoming project which is written and gonna be directed by Xander Schulz. A British millionaire Hugo North’s sudden involvement into project changes the entire dynamics including the production company’s name.

Then we move ten years forward: Sarah is not part of the industry anymore. She’s a lecturer, teaching screenplay writing at community college. A reporter who investigates that filming process of Xander’s script approaches her to hear her thoughts.

There are so many “#MeToo” stories circulating around different women who were also involved into production. Sarah decides it’s time to confront her past by starting to talk about what she’s been through: telling her traumatic life story by mentioning how hard to have a decent and proper job when you grow up as Chinese immigrants’ daughter.

Racism, women empowerment, #MeToo movement are sensitively approached and powerful voice of the author picks your interest from the first chapter!

I’m giving my five realistic, well approached and genuine criticism of movie industry with feminism vibes stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria/ Emily Bestler Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - why is GR broken? -_- · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and Winnie M Li for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Now available as of 8.16!**

Lights. Camera. Scandal!

This timely tale, set in the era of #MeToo has all the makings of a sordid, pulse-pounding tale...but ambles into more timid territory...and unfortunately, 400 pages later, doesn't stray far from there.

Sarah Lai's Hollywood ambitions began with a love of film...and have now landed her as a lecturer to aspiring screenwriters at a no-name university. Her humble beginnings as a child of two Chinese immigrants running a restaurant are far behind her...and so is her illustrious self-made career as an associate producer. Despite the brief brush with significant fame and acclaim, Sarah now prefers to keep this chapter of her life under wraps.

Her secrecy is broken, however, when New York Times reporter Thom approaches her for her recollection of working with famed British director Hugo North...and all the memories come flooding back...and pouring out. Secrets so long buried, but nowhere near forgotten, Thom gives Sarah the opportunity and the power to break her silence and use her voice to peel back the curtain and tell the world what REALLY happened with Hugo, so long ago. But exactly how much is Sarah hiding? Can she tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...without implicating herself?

First off, a general warning: THIS IS NOT A MYSTERY/THRILLER. The cover may lead you to believe it is, the blurb indicates that it is, and the narrative itself ALLUDES to a mystery...but there is no mystery here. You know who the 'perpetrator' is from early on and have some inkling of what went on from pretty early on as well...and no 'fast one' is going to come in later to blind you. This is a domestic-style drama entrenched in the world of #MeToo, plain and simple.

Complicit is also a slow burn...a VERY slow burn. I loved Sarah's character at the beginning of the book, and was engrossed quickly as she taught her college class, but as soon as the plot bounced over to her interactions with Thom the journalist, it slows to a crawl and stays at that speed until the end. Part of this is due to the fact that Sarah goes through her ENTIRE FILM CAREER from start to finish, from her early days and struggles to become part of the industry, to her work with Hugo North. etc. Her early days were actually interesting to hear about for a while, but I can't imagine anyone actually sitting there and listening to SO MUCH extraneous detail about her life and career unless they were writing a biography of Sarah Lai...which is not what was happening here.

...Not to mention the big 'event' doesn't happen until you are 70 PERCENT of the way through the book. And even then, the 'big secrets' alluded to earlier in the novel don't happen until even LATER than that (and were hardly worth the big, dramatic buildup, once they were revealed)

Li is a huge cinephile (and of course, so is our MC Sarah) and that was very evident in her writing. She goes through the ins and outs of everything about the film industry (some of which will seem needlessly expository if you're at all familiar with the basics) and honestly, the material seems better suited for non-fiction. Lai knows her stuff and her background is clear, but I don't think all of this detail made for engrossing fiction.

She also hammers home Sarah's background ad nauseum: yes, we know she's hardworking and an immigrant, often feels invisible, etc. etc. These are important facets of her character, and that's understandable...but as a reader, we don't REALLY need to be told this information over and over. SHOWING this struggle would have been more effective, and certainly more captivating.

She also hammers home the toxicity of the power dynamics/general misogyny/#MeToo problems in Hollywood. Again....we get it. Everyone who is even slightly familiar with what has been coming to light in recent years understands the kind of utterly deplorable conduct that has gone on and how it has both sullied the industry and permanently ruined lives. This is an IMPORTANT and horrible topic...but as a reader, I don't feel that I really learned anything or got any insight I didn't already have. I was hoping to get more out of it or to FEEL more than I actually did. Li's chapters also have a tendency to end abruptly and randomly, with no rhyme or reason, so this was again an opportunity to leave the reader with something specific to ponder that was ultimately missed.

Li also leaves us with a bit of a sappy ending, which I think was meant to be hopeful, but just didn't feel like it fit. This was a book brimming with potential, but in a fitting bout of irony...I think in this case I'd rather see the movie.

3.5 stars

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a powerful novel about sexual assault in the film industry with themes that apply to so many domains of society. In Complicit, we follow Sarah Lai, a film lecturer at an obscure college who once worked as an associate producer for a relatively popular film. One day a journalist reaches out to Sarah and asks her to share about her time working on the film. Through revealing her story, Sarah takes her long-awaited chance to hold to power the injustices she witnessed all those years ago – and to release some of the guilt she holds about her part in them.

I really enjoyed how Complicit details how patriarchy and capitalism intersect to disenfranchise women in the film industry. Winnie Li does a great job of showing through specific scenes and details the ways in which rich men can throw around their money and treat women like objects with no agency. The novel fits in well with the #MeToo movement. Li also effectively captures Sarah’s guilt and the complexity of having both experienced a sexual assault while staying quiet in situations that harmed other women. Ideally, people in power will be held accountable for mistreating those with less power than them *and* we will get to the point where people know not to abuse others, so these situations and narratives can be prevented in the first place.

I agree with other reviewers that the beginning of the book feels a little slow. While I found the second half of the novel a fast read, I do wonder if Li could have made slight stylistic changes to get the reader invested sooner, such as substituting details about Sarah’s ascent in her film company with more details about her family or how her cultural background influenced her reactions to the horrific events she experienced and witnessed. Still, a solid novel that held my attention and delivers a solid message.

[Era ➴ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!

This book was both everything I was prepared for and nothing I was expecting. I hope that sentence made some amount of sense, because my feelings toward this book sure don’t.

First of all, this book kind of gave me Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. Partly because the story setup was similar - a formerly-successful-in-the-film-industry woman finally comes clean about her experiences. The narrative flashes back and forth between those earlier days and the present, talking to her interviewer.

However, it’s also nothing like that. This is much more earnest and lacks that sense of glamor.

Anyway, I’m not a fan of comparing books unless they’re exact carbon copies of each other, and this was clearly not. So, moving on to my actual opinions.

“There’s thousands of us. Hoping to be a young hotshot, one of the 30 Under 30, or 40 Under 40.
There are no lists for 50 Under 50. Because if we haven’t made it by then, we probably don’t belong in this world.”

I feel like the plotline could have had a lot more…basis behind it? Sarah Lai is contacted by a New York Times interviewer as a source for an investigation concerning a prominent figure in her film-industry past. But then, when Sarah gets to the interview, she starts going into flashbacks right after being asked one question.

Considering that the flashbacks were basically 70% of the book, it’s not like anything could be done to reduce them, but I think that there was really no logical reason for her to immediately start monologuing about how she got into the film industry right from the start of her interview.

Like, if I asked someone a question like, “Tell me about this situation with this person,” I would be very confused when they started telling me about their college experience and childhood dreams of the Oscars.

Basically, I feel like the transition into the story structure could have made more sense.

Other than that, I was very immersed in the storyline. It took me a while to really get into what was going on, but once I knew the characters and the trajectory of the plot, I could start getting into the book. The pacing was very even and did a really good job of building tension.

The writing was compelling. There was this artistic quality in the descriptions and how Sarah stated her opinions. It was truly cinematic, no pun intended considering the amount of film knowledge the narration included.

“It occurred to me, how you could almost die from the wanting, all the striving with no reward.”

The characterization was done really well. I think it was interesting that each person had these defining traits - they were all human, and written as such, but there were these behaviors or traits that you just automatically associated with people.

They weren’t flat or undeveloped at all, though. Even though everything was from Sarah’s perspective, you could see that she and everyone else had their own personalities, lives and choices to make. I think the effect that had was striking.

“How slavish we are to our own fleeting sense of ego.”

The best part of this book was the messages it delivered. This book did not shy away from the grittiness and ugly sides of people and specifically of the film industry.

Naturally, since this book follows Sarah as she’s being interviewed about a rape case, you could expect a lot of narration about sexual assault and harassment. It goes deep into the objectification of women, victim-blaming, and manipulation. It was dark and didn’t even try to cover that up, which was refreshing in its own upsetting way.

It was scary to read things like this. Men in power and desperate women, manipulation and coercion, and of course, the casting couch.

Underneath all that there was a running commentary on ambition. What are people willing to do to achieve their goals? Who are they willing to hurt, what things are they willing to say, what do they overlook?

And then there was the blame and the guilt. Whose fault was it that things like this happened? Naturally the rapist is to blame, but whose actions led to that situation? Who enabled him? Who made the choices that allowed these things to happen?

That was the whole theme of the book. Was Sarah, given her position, complicit in what happened?

“If you’re trying to forge your way ahead in this world, you never say no. you always say yes.
See how early the traps are set for us?”

What I didn’t like as much was the Asian representation, because it just felt like it ran off so many stereotypes. I know that Winnie M. Li is Taiwanese-American and is perfectly entitled to write Sarah’s representation however she wants, especially considering that these experiences are shared by pretty much every Asian woman.

But I wasn’t a fan of the way Sarah’s work ethic and meticulousness was constantly attributed to her being Chinese-American. She herself would say things like “it was in my culture to work that hard, both for myself and for the expectations of my parents.” And then other characters would say things like “maybe it was part of the fact that she was Asian, but she put everything into that film.”

Can’t she just be a hardworking person? Does it have to be specified that her parents are from Hong Kong and they run a Chinese restaurant, in order to justify the fact that Sarah went into the office on weekends?

It might just be me, being sick of the constant stereotypes I’ve grown up with and the behaviors they’ve prompted in my classmates, but that just rubbed me the wrong way. I see what statements they were trying to make, but I can’t get behind it.

And then there was the judgement of other girls. Sarah sees a pretty blonde girl, recommended by a male boss, and immediately assumes she’s stupid…because she’s a pretty blonde girl, recommended by a male boss.

“I forced a polite, close-lipped smile. I stared at her halo of golden hair.
Fuck this, I thought. This girl doesn’t have an original thought in her brain.”

Despite this being a book about rape, there was so much of this prejudice that almost came close to slut-shaming. I see that it was trying to make a statement about the ruthless judgement involved in making hiring decisions, especially in a film and productions environment, but I was not a fan.

Overall, Complicit was a deep dive into the underworld of the film industry, as well as the things it can do to women. It was about representation, fame, ambition and corruption. It was about feminism, aggression, prejudice and victimization. It was harsh and unflinching in a way that swept me into it but also somewhat sickened me.

“I mean, how little do we value ourselves? Starving ourselves and stabbing each other in the back - for what? We’re mice being toyed with by cats. We keep thinking we’ll get to be the cats one day too. But the world doesn’t work like that.”

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I wouldn't normally have chosen this to read, but for a marketing message from the publisher bringing it to my attention. I became intrigued because it involved the movie making industry, a New York City locale, an Asian perspective and the "me too movement".

Sarah Lai is a child of Chinese immigrants living in Flushing, Queens, NY. They own and live above a thriving Chinese restaurant. Sarah is finishing up college at Columbia University when she sees a flyer on a bulletin board to work with a fledgling NYC producer. Sarah's passion is for movies and filmmaking, so she instantly removes the job opportunity from the board and pockets it. She gets the "job", although it really doesn't pay anything just yet, other than perhaps subway fare. It's more of a chance and an internship to get a foot in the door. Sarah wants this so badly and bargains with her conservative parents who are hardworking folks who believe in the security of a normal job. Sarah still lives at home over the restaurant and is made to help out there whenever she has time. She is particularly gifted at hostessing, coralling the incoming patrons to their seats and navigating the customer influx. Sarah is a very hard worker, she has this same ethic from her parents, and soon becomes a valued employee at Firefly films with increasing potential and salary. She doesn't make a huge amount of money, but can eventually call herself "assistant producer" and has a particular gift for assessing scripts and improving them with re-writes. Her boss is producer Sarah Zimmerman who has built her production company over the last decade. It is finally enjoying some success in partnership with screenwriter/director Xander Schultz. The gamechanger is when through a chance gathering they meet British billionaire Hugo North, who wishes to invest millions in the company and become a producer himself.

The story soon echoes a Harvey Weinstein aura, with Hugo North's penchant for "chasing skirts" within the industry. The locale moves to Los Angeles to make a film, where North funds endless parties with spin the bottle, sniffing coke off bare breasted female volunteers, and the champagne constantly flows. Sarah, who is still a twenty something, is new to this whole environment. When her boss Sarah has a family crisis and has to return to NYC for awhile, Sarah is thrust into the driving seat of producer for the remainder of filming.

At the beginning of the book Sarah is presented in her late thirties when she is a lecturer/teacher of screenwriting at an obscure NYC college. At this time she is contacted by a New York Times investigative writer regarding her experiences producing the film from ten years ago. He is also interviewing others, and Sarah cautiously agrees to cooperate. Thus follows her telling of the story, which in essence is the thrust of all her interview installments with the NY Times writer. These are also interspersed with interview transcripts from her former boss, producer Sarah Zimmerman.

What I liked about the book was a certain writing style I pick up on from an Asian perspective. It's a spare but "to the point" style that I love. I also liked the main character's hard work ethic, and learning a lot about how a movie is made. It takes years to cultivate from the script to the financing, casting, etc. This was explained in detail throughout the story, which made for an interesting read. To my surprise, even though the topic explored was sexual assault and rape, there was no graphic exploration of this in the actual writing. Some authors might use this to grab the reader's attention by exploiting it, to get in the bedroom with the characters, but the author managed to tell the story with the mere suggestion of what probably happened. She artfully expressed how such experiences make a person feel ashamed, guilty and worthless, and the strength it takes to overcome this. The victims coming together to talk about it ultimately sheds the fear and those negative feelings that rob a person of what they once were.

Thank you to the publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books/Simon & Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what about sexual assault makes it so dehumanising?...it reduces you, a woman, down to simply that: sexual meat for the desires of someone else. Everything that comprises you as an individual - your intelligence, your talent, your education, your years of experience, or an entire lifetime spent idolising movies - all that is obliterated the moment you are unwillingly pushed up against a wall, grabbed, manhandled or worse. It is simple elimination of yourself as an actual person

Mis-leadingly packaged as a mystery/thriller, this is the #MeToo novel delivered with nuance, complexity and a frightening understanding of gendered power structures. Li sets this against a Hollywood background and imbues it with all the authenticity of an insider who understands how movies are made, from the initial typescript all the way through to awards. It's clever, too, how she offsets the almost clichéd billionaire tycoon who buys himself into a film production company with the privileged scion of a wealthy and powerful political family who chooses to use his talents as a journalist uncovering sexual assault and exploitation stories.

Most pressing of all, however, is the plight of women, powerful and not so privileged, who are still caught in the bind of what can be said and done to call out assault in industries where it is normalised... and what the price is that might have to be paid to not turn a blind eye. The triumphant ending is sadly improbable, but left me cheering mentally anyway.

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

Oh dear me. This poor book. Having just finished Siren Queen, I realised I needed something totally different or it was going to be unfair on everybody involved. And I guess I should have picked something from tbr instead of my NetGalley queue because I deliberately try to go into NetGalley books as, you know, un-influenced as possible. In any case, I thought a contemporary-set thriller would be a suitable change of pace. And then about twenty pages into said contemporary thriller, discovered it was about film-making, Hollywood, and #metoo.

So, I’m sorry, Complicit. My emotions weren’t as engaged as they should have been when I read you, but that’s about me, not about you. Because this is an engaging thriller that has a lot to say about a lot of complicated things, including the film industry, in the immigrant experience in America and, of course, the dynamics of abuse and exploitation. In some ways, ‘thriller’ doesn’t feel like a wholly adequate description of this book. It’s got that interweaving of past and present structure that so many thrillers use to keep you compulsively reading but … but what’s notable here is that you already know what’s going to happen (the entitled, clearly abusive man is going to do what men like that do) and even what happens afterwards (the heroine is teaching at a community college when the book opens). So it’s essentially using the mechanics of the thriller to reflect the emotional and psychological intensities of living with the memory of abuse and a conviction of your own—the clue is in the name—complicity.

In fact, the whole theme of complicity is inextricable with the expectations of the thriller: thrillers prime us to expect guilt, dark revelations, sudden shifts in sympathy. What we have in Complicity is something far more banal and far more tragic: a narrator, convinced of her own guilt priming the reader to expect some terrible third act disclosure that proves she was the villain all along. And I’m not saying the heroine is without responsibility of here, but … I mean … the book is called Complicit. Not tell us that this is a story about complicity (like, duh) but to force us interrogate what it actually means when we talk about complicity, especially when it comes to women, and especially in the context of rape culture.

In any case, the book is narrated by Sarah Lai, the daughter of hard-working immigrant parents who find her desire to work in the film industry incomprehensible to the point of selfishness. But, through luck more than judgement, she does manage to land an internship at a small, independent production company. From there, she secures a permanent (and paid) position as a kind of all-around do-everything person, hoping to succeed by sheer dint of hard work, talent and loyalty. The naivety of this, of course, kind of painful to read. Not least because Sarah is genuinely good at her job: unfortunately, while this leads to partial recognition, it also leads to a good deal of exploitation, often by people who do not themselves as exploitative, like her boss, Sylvia. A successful indie film brings the company to the attention of Hugo North, a billionaire who has decided he wants to invest in the film business. What follows is a predicable powerplay—predicable in the sense of typical, not in the sense of the book itself being predicable—between the debauchery-seeking billionaire with the money, the easily influenced director who believes himself a visionary, a woman trying to retain control of her production company while juggling a family, an up-and-coming starlet about to get her big break, and Sarah herself.

Like most thrillers, the narrative structure is set in the present—in the aftermath of something terrible—with the defeated, damaged heroine agreeing to tell her story to a journalist from New York Times, a man who has built his career on #metoo stories. Occasionally there are sections from his interviews with other people involved in the story Sarah is telling: they offer potentially needed context but, for me, they felt on the edge of being overtly utilitarian. Regardless, it’s an interesting framing device and I wasn’t completely sure how I felt—or how I was meant to feel—about Thom Gallagher as the story progressed. He’s specifically an “insider”, a handsome white American man from an already established family of politicians and I never got a handle, perhaps because Sarah didn’t either, on whether he believed his own rhetoric or was just yet another man exploiting women—the trauma of women—for personal gain. He didn’t come across as particularly predatory, and says all the right things, but it’s hard to overlook the optics here: an Asian American woman from a working-class background telling her story to a white American man steeped in privilege. But, on the other hand, without Thom the book would consist (with the exception of a gay hairdresser) almost entirely of men who were either ignorant or actively abusive. And perhaps the message here need not be women cannot escape the power of men, even if the men are trying to use their power good, but that systems of abuse are a problem for everyone. Not merely those directly impacted.

For me, one of the most painful aspects of the book was Sarah’s understanding herself as shaped by her upbringing as the child of immigrants. Not just the degree to which this condemns to her to permanent outsider status, missing all of the connections that white, middle class Americans take for granted, but the fact the values her family instilled in her—work hard and you will be rewarded—ultimately render her so very vulnerable for exploitation. I don’t want make to trite points about the myth of America but Sarah’s story is at once deeply personal, and deeply embedded in its cultural context. I think it would be simple enough to view Complicit as another #metoo or post #metoo story but it’s asking bigger questions than that. About power and the use of power, about marginalisation and vulnerability, and about the cultural, ideological and institutional systems that allow abuse and exploitation to flourish.

The book ends after the publication of Thom’s article in a space of delicate potential. Sarah has learned to see herself differently and, therefore, her current life as less of a punishment for her previous actions. We don’t learn if anything actually changes for her or for the other people in Thom’s story, but there’s a sense of hope, I think, that wasn’t there before. We don’t even learn what happens to Hugo North but this feels appropriate: it is not, and never was, his story. Although, on the subject of Hugh North, I was mildly bewildered that he was British? I mean, I know we���re the pricks who used to have an empire and yes we Brexited like a bunch of dorks but … like … as a British person working in American publishing, I can tell you right now that if you’re looking for an embodiment of cultural imperialism it’s, um, it’s really not us? Maybe it was an attempt to distance the fictional character Hugo North from any high-profile Hollywood types who have semi-recently been identified as abusers (not that I’m saying British people in positions of power aren’t just as capable of abuse and exploitation as Americans) but it just seems a very specific choice? Especially when the sort of new money “I made my money in real estate” billionaire he is feels like such an American archetype to me. Plus, have you seen how small our island is? I don’t think real estate is quite the same sort of deal over here. It doesn’t help—and forgive my Brit-picking here—that he just doesn’t talk like a British person, at least it didn’t sound that way to me. We don’t, for example, say gotten.

The other thing that kind of bothers me about Hugo North—unless he was a deliberately nod to the ‘all British people are evil’ Hollywood thing—is that he, too, is a Hollywood outsider. Not, of course in the same way Sarah is. He is, of course a man with money and privilege but he’s from a different country, he earned his money in a different industry, and he doesn’t actually know the movie business very well. Maybe I’m just being defensive because I don’t like “all British people are evil” as a trope (oddly enough?) but Hugo North did disconcert me. Intentionally or not, he ended up feeling to me like a slightly peculiar attempt to displace the problem Hollywood’s rape culture onto someone/something from outside of Hollywood itself. And I don’t know if that’s … a useful way to look at this particular problem?

Anyway, whatever you may personally feel about its portrayal of British abusers, this is really good book. Gripping and nuanced, and written with what is clearly an insider’s eye in terms of its subject material. Strongly recommended, though do take care of yourself given the triggering subject material.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hollywood has-been, Sarah Lia's dreams of success behind the camera have been put to the wayside. Now a lecturer at an obscure college, this former producer wants nothing more than to forget those youthful ambitions and push aside any feelings of regret.... or guilt. But when a journalist reaches out to her to discuss her own experiences working with Hugo North, Sarah can no longer keep quiet. This is her last chance to tell her side of the story and maybe even exact belated vengeance.

Sarah is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and the story is told from her point of view. Her story is interesting. Journalist Thom Gallagher contacts Sarah to see if she would consider being interviewed for an article he is writing about Hugo North. The story is told as an interview with transcripts of other people entwined. The story was well written and the build up towards the ending was really good. The main characters are well developed and believable. Sarah is a character that many women will be able to relate to. This book had me gripped from the beginning and held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #WinnieMLifor my ARC of #Complicit in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant portrayal of the entertainment industry. Sarah struggles with the decisions she's made as an associate producer,  and what she could have done differently. Her silence has become her punishment and she is resolute to speak the truth and set the record straight. This was a fantastic and eye-opening read.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A relevant and fictionalized account of an assistant producer, Sarah Lai, and her career in the movie industry during the time when it was run by men who had no boundaries when it came to women. Sarah is now a college professor and the #MeToo movement and its revelations have made her decide to tell her story when a reporter from the New York Times contacts her regarding her time at Firefly Productions - later known as Conquest. Sarah has quite a story to tell.

This book was heartfelt and digs deep into Sarah's emotions and makes her look at her own actions during this time and wonder what she could have done differently that may have prevented some of the harm. I liked Sarah's character as an ambitious young girl with a love of movies trying to fit into a world so different from anything she's ever known. The story was fascinating and gives what I felt was a realistic picture of what could have gone on behind the scenes in making a movie.

Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 16, 2022.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been thinking of the confessional prayer of my youth. “We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us.” In confirmation class we learned that what we don’t do, but should do, is a sin of omission. Under the law, if you know a crime will be or has been committed, and did not try to stop it, you are complicit. It’s the same idea. We have an obligation to the greater good, to each other, to do the right thing, not considering our own comfort or advantage.

And yet, when we are young and feel powerless and unsure, we fall into the trap of omitting to do the right thing.

The IMBd listing is my lasting proof that I had once been a person of note, a mover and shaker (or so I’d thought), someone who once had done more impressive things than teaching Screenwriting 101 to a bunch of kids at a no-name college.
from Complicit by Winnie M Li

Winnie M Li’s novel Complicit considers the legacy of a decision made to ignore warning signs, to be silent, to omit to speak out.

Li draws from her experience in the film industry and her own personal tragedy to shape a memorable and sympathetic character. Sarah’s parents are immigrants from China who run a successful Chinese restaurant in Flushing, New York. Sarah is mesmerized by the cinema and dreams of becoming a producer. Starting as an intern with Firefly Films, her natural ability to shape scripts propels her to associate producer, working with Sylvia. The director Zander is considered a rising star.

After Zander’s film wins attention, the wealthy Hugo North approaches with an offer of funding the company. He insists Zander’s next movie be filmed in LA.

The new starlet Holly Randolph is transformed physically, but her naive and sunny disposition remains. Sarah and Holly bond.

If you’re trying to forge your way ahead in this world, you never say no. You always say yes. See how early the traps are set for us?
from Complicit by Winnie M Li

Over the months of filming, Sarah recognizes North’s corrupting influence, his insisting on nightly partying, his degrading womanizing and drug use. When her boss returns to NY for a family emergency, Sarah is left as the only on-site producer. She struggles to keep all the balls in the air, but finds herself over her head. North and Zander become demanding and demeaning. North’s wealth and power shifted the power balance.

Now, years later, a New York Times reporter is interviewing women who worked on the film with North, and Sarah finally shares her story of an industry that reduces women to a commodity and the men who use their power to silence their victims.

This is a #MeToo story and involves sexual assault and it’s aftermath. It is shocking to know that one out of four women have been victims of sexual violence. It’s a character-driven, page turner of a story with a slow burn that takes readers into the film industry’s nuts and bolts.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through Edelweiss. My review is fair and unbiased.

[Jonann loves book talk❤♥️❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winnie M Li's book Complicit is honest, raw and emotional. Li explores the tight-lipped community working in the film industry. Is it as glamorous as it appears?

Synopsis:
Sarah Lai is a college professor. Ten years ago she was a successful producer. Sarah gave up her dreams of becoming a big name in Hollywood for a quieter career. A reputable journalist contacts Sarah to interview her about her famous ex-boss Hugo North. Is it time for the truth to emerge about Hugo? Does Sarah have dark secrets of her own to share?

Complicit is fiction with a strong undercurrent of truth. Li addresses very tough topics with unabashed realism. Though it takes a while for the story to take off, it is an amazing novel. This is not a light read and may not be suitable for all audiences due to the graphic nature.

Complicit is available on August 16th. Taking on pertinent subjects that need to be discussed is commendable on the part of Winnie M Li.
(5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, for allowing me to review this book.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have this pipe dream, " I say. "That if only we were able to work together in a different way . . . no bullying, no ridiculous parties, no casting couch. Just people brought together by a love of the craft. Think of the films we could make." (page 438)

Author Winnie M Li tells the story of Sarah Lai, an up-and-coming associate producer in film. Through her eyes and voice, we learn about how films are made and, sadly, how powerful men shatter and destroys the lives of young women as those films are being made.

I discovered Ms. Li about a month ago on a PBS book talk. I read her first novel "Dark Chapter" and was captivated by it (spoiler alert: there is a rape in the book). This book was equally captivating. I will read everything she writes from now on!

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicit takes stark look at the men in power scenario and the idea of being "Complicit" in abuse, mostly by looking in the other direction

It is a powerful drama, set in the glitz and glamour of the movie industry, where beneath the sparkling surface darkness lurks.

It is hugely compelling, the author takes a wide focus here whilst also honing in on the issues with pin point precision through the eyes of her main protagonist.

Intriguing, disturbing, beautifully done. Recommended.

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received "Complicit" as an ARC from Atria/Emily Bestler Books via NetGalley and EW. My opinions are entirely my own, and I'm sharing them voluntarily.

Initially, I was drawn to this book by its captivating cover and intriguing blurb. However, it became apparent that it wasn't quite the right fit for me, considering the time it took me to finish reading it. Despite being published in 2022, I'm just now finalizing my review, and I apologize for the delay to the author and publisher. However, I believe that every reader's experience is unique, and this book might resonate with you in a way it didn't with me.

Typically, I'm more inclined toward fast-paced mystery/thriller genres. This book might appeal to those who enjoy:

- Slow burns
- Exploration of men taking advantage of their authority, big egos, and the #metoo movement
- Unveiling Hollywood secrets
- Themes of revenge

The author's writing is undeniably excellent, a testament to their skill and dedication. It's worth noting that this book has garnered numerous positive reviews. Therefore, I would encourage others to give it a try, despite my personal experience.

#Complicit #Atria #NetGalley #Edelweiss #EmilyBestlerBooks #WinnieMLi #Hollywood #MeToo

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won in Atria books galley bag giveaway on Instagram:)
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Took awhile to get going than was good for awhile but kind of slogged near the third act.. my eyes glazed over and I skimmed the last part somewhat.

I didn't think about it much when I closed the book, but I fell into it easily enough when I picked it back up.

[Maria Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn of a novel - this is built around a multi faceted character Sarah. This #metoo storyline is well handled and timely and I enjoyed the strong feminist power throughout. Well written, with well defined characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Jann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Lai has always dreamed of working in the film industry. A cinephile from a young age, she didn't follow the traditional career path her parents had hoped for when they immigrated to the US. Sarah gained an entry-level job for a production company and climbed the ranks quickly by working harder than anyone and leveraging her passion and talent. She soon found herself entangled with Hugo North, an enigmatic businessman and film producer.

Years later, Sarah has abandoned her dream and is working as a lecturer at a local college. But when she receives an email from a famous journalist who is working on a story about North, specifically accusations of sexual misconduct against him, Sarah finds herself revisiting her past and reflecting on the mistakes she’s made during her career.

This was an engaging read for me. The plot was timely in light of the #MeToo movement that gained momentum 2017. The writing was captivating. And while imperfect, Sarah was a character that I’m sure many women will relate to. I couldn’t stop reading and while I wouldn’t say this is a thriller, it still grabbed and kept my attention. I appreciated how the author weaved in details about how films get produced. I ended the book with more insight into the film industry.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone who is looking for an engaging read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion >

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received from Emily Bestler Books-Atria Books

Winnie M. Li's novel "Complicit" reads like a movie. The novel is timely, dealing with sexual assaults in the film industry. The characters are well-written and relatable--we all know "that guy" and "those women". The reader sees the film industry from inside through the eyes of a young associate producer and it all is so believable. Li has written a novel that gives insight into the #MeToo movement and asks many difficult questions.

Sarah Lai has wanted to work in the film industry for as long as she can remember. When she finds an ad stapled to the board at Columbia University for an intern in a small film development company, she grabs it and goes immediately to Firefly Films. She is hired without pay and is instantly devoted to and thrilled by her new job.

As Firefly Films grows and Sarah works on the script and the production of their first movie, she is thrilled by and devoted to her career. She becomes an associate producer at the tiny company and works incredibly hard to ensure the film's success. When the film creates a buzz at Cannes, she feels her career begin to take off. It's at Cannes that Hugo North, billionaire investor, decides he wants to be a part of the company.

We hear Sarah's story as she tells it to a journalist from the New York Times who is trying to write truth about what happened to a group of women that worked with/for Hugo North. It is through telling her story that Sarah's guilt over what happened to women on the movie set bubbles to the surface. Is she complicit in what happened to some of these women because she stop what was happening?

This is a well-written, relevant novel to our times.

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

com·plic·it
/kəmˈplisit/
adjective
involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
"all of these people are complicit in some criminal conspiracy"

Are you ready to take a ride on an emotional roller coaster? Here you go...

I don't think I could have ever anticipated all this book would become as I held it in my hands. The cover is spooky and mysterious but the amount of depth within this novel makes it too heavy to hold .

My emotions got louder and louder as I flipped each page. "What is going on?" I kept asking myself, "Is this real life?" , "Do these things really happen?" The truth is, it does. This story circles around the #metoo movement.

Usually when I pick up a book I don't want to read anything ripped from the headlines. However, this is a book I believe all women should read. This is a story of survival and truth. A story that tell us we just turn a blind eye just because we don't want to face something head on or we are afraid to get involved. GET INVOLVED. Speak up.

Just because you do not see it, does not mean it does not exist.

This was a powerful book. Amazing, incredible, and also heartbreaking.

Anything short of 5 stars would be an insult!

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly told through Sarah recounting her time as an assistant producer to Thom, an investigating journalist for The New York Times.

This story is about capitalism, the patriarchy, Hollywood, and disgusting, sleazy men who probably don’t wash between their asscheeks and wet the bed until they were 30, just to name a few. I liked that we got to explore the complexities of Sarah’s guilt and regret. I also liked that this book didn’t get too graphic, since Hollywood has also made a killing off of violence against women. There’s enough context in certain scenes to draw a conclusion on what happened.

For some reason, I really love Hollywood inspired books, and this one was pretty fun outside of all the horrible #MeToo allegations.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What started out as a GREAT read slowly became more and more drawn out. A “Me Too” story of women in the film industry speaking out. A timely topic with a clever storyline. Initially I was captivated at the beginning with Sarah & her opportunity to be working in the film industry… her dream job. The characters were interesting and the writing was good but the storyline really stalled for me in the middle. For me it was a lot of repetition and no forward movement.
Finally towards the end the truth is revealed and somewhat saves the story. 3.5 stars for me. It’s a long read but if the film industry is your jam then you might want to check this one out.
Thanks to #NetGalley, Atria Books & Winnie M. Li for this ARC. This is my voluntary review.

[elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

We live in the world of the #metoo novel, for good or bad. Some of the books I've read were decent at dealing with it. Some were clever. Some were downright awful. This is hands down the best.

Look, I love Sarah. Her middle-age dissatisfaction, her youthful exuberance, her hunger and cynism and feeling just slightly out of place. The format of the story is solid, but the juxtaposition between present-day Sarah talking to Thom (and the occasional silent judgment of his privileged generosity) and the vivid glimpses of overworked bright twentysomething Sarah are what really elevates this book from another spin on a popular premise to a novel I couldn't put down and I'm not going to forget easily.

I am ridiculously intrigued to check out anything Winnie Li is going to publish from now on.

[Alecia]

DNF page 105. It was long and plodding, flat narration, with predictable plot.

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a bingeable read. I was hooked from the start and read this book within a few hours. Sarah is a former associate producer, with successful films under her belt, but she’s no longer working in Hollywood. What happened 10 years ago to cause her departure from the industry?

I loved the format of this book, these characters being interviewed all this time later really helps to see every angle of the story. I would recommend this read!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

[ouliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

the film industry is so rotten (could sell my soul to work there)

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars--I really liked it. A me-too Hollywood tragedy told by a compelling narrator. The characters are all flawed, but most of them are trying their best. Engaging and relatable.

[Grace Convertino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Lai, a lifelong cinephile, works as a screenwriting professor at the local mediocre community college. She has given up her aspirations of becoming a producer in Hollywood after spending six years of her life as an associate producer. Sarah worked constantly to achieve her dream, and just maybe to get out from the shadow of her mentor, Sylvia, the owner of the production company. She has aspirations of being a producer herself, having tasted a bit of success and the party scene behind the camera. Sarah now wishes she could just forget the trauma, regret and guilt that have plagued her since that time. A writer from the New York Times contacts her and asks about her experience working with Hugo North, the billionaire English real estate mogul/executive film producer who bankrolled the movie for their small company, then slowly took it over. He even changed the name of the company from Firefly Films to (notice the irony) Conquest Films. Hoping for a bit of vengeance for the trauma suffered at the hands of North, Sarah agrees to tell the reporter her story. However, opening up to him means that Sarah must face her own demons and the complicit part she played.

A brilliantly written, timely book in the #metoo era, this stark reveal of the seedy underbelly and sexual abuses by the rich and powerful men of Hollywood smacks of the Cosbys, Lauers, and Weinsteins in the world. These privileged few get what they want when they want it, no matter the cost, or the ruin left behind when the latest conquest has been discarded. When money can’t buy it, North uses mental, verbal, and sexual means of abuse as a way to get what he wants, doling out NDAs and (not so) subtle threats for silence afterwards. Winnie M. Li’s book is a powerful, taut, relevant, suspenseful, riveting take on the power and corrupt side of the rich, entitled, and powerful men of Hollywood, and also about the women who knew and stayed silent or looked the other way. It’s a page-turning suspense, a stunning reflection on the industry giants brought down by the incredibly brave women who had the strength to stand up and tell their stories. Ms. Li is one of these strong women, and is emotionally speaking through these pages from a position of intimate knowledge. Trigger warning for sexual abuse.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Winnie M. Li, and Emily Bestler Books/Atria for the ability to read and review this ARC.

[Jennifer May · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich fand gut, dass die Geschichte aus beiden Sichten erzählt wurde, sowohl vom Opfer als auch vom Täter. Die Autorin hat es geschafft, beide Stimmen unterschiedlich klingen zu lassen und beide Leben, für mein Empfinden, sehr gut beleuchtet. Beide Charaktere waren nachvollziehbar und haben in sich schlüssig gehandelt.
Aber (und ja es gibt ein dickes fettes Aber) die Protagonistin, unser Opfer, war mir so dermaßen unsympathisch. Für eine vielgereiste, gebildete, taffe Frau, die sie laut der Autorin sein soll, hat sie sich für mich viel zu naiv verhalten. Ich habe in ihrer Sicht gerade in der ersten Hälfte der Geschichte, permanent mit den Augen gerollt, mir ständig an den Kopf gefahren, weil ich einfach nicht verstehen konnte, wie man so naiv und stellenweise auch einfach nur dumm und leichtgläubig sein kann.
Es fällt mir wahnsinnig schwer, so hart mit dieser Geschichte ins Gericht zu gehen, zumal es von den Erlebnissen der Autorin inspiriert ist und ein wahnsinnig wichtiges Thema aufgreift, aber so sehr ich die Protagonistin mögen wollte, ich kann nicht über die oben genannten Punkte hinwegsehen.
Was ich aber hier nochmal ganz besonders positiv hervorheben möchte, nachdem ich so kritisch war, ist der Gerichtsprozess der hier dargestellt wird. Wahnsinnig gut umgesetzt, der Verteidiger war ein richtig schmieriges Arschloch (entschuldigt die Wortwahl), der seinen Job Übelkeit erregend gut gemacht hat und ich habe tatsächlich bis zur Urteilsverkündung nicht gewusst, wer Recht bekommt, obwohl ich als Leser ja wusste, wer von beiden die Wahrheit sagt. Hut ab für die zweite Hälfte, das war richtig gut.
Unterm Strich eine sehr wichtige Geschichte, die definitiv Aufmerksamkeit verdient, aber aufgrund des Themas und der schwierigen Protagonistin mit Vorsicht zu genießen.

[Faye Bertenshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I absolutely devoured this book in just a couple of sittings! Where do I even start!?... Ok, so think Evelyn Hugo, only not Evelyn Hugo at all. More like Evelyn Hugos older seedy cousin (if books could have cousins) this is all of the Hollywood with none of the glam. Written in true Interview Style, this is the dark side of Hollywood. This is the Drugs, the back stabbing, the abuse, the misogyny. The Weinsteins, the Cosbys, the 'Me Too' movement and the sad (most certaintly) reality for many. Honestly, this is such a phenomenal and timely read. 100% recommend (although I do obv reccomend checking trigger warnings before going in)

Hugeeee thank you to Francesca at @orionbooks for sending me this #gifted copy of the book, I really appreciate it 🥰