The Fraud Squad is a stellar debut novel about a young working-class woman who riskily navigates through Singapore’s elite class to make her magazine writing dreams come true.
When you mix Crazy Rich Asians with a dash of The Devil Wears Prada, you have an enjoyable story about a character who does all they can to shine in the high-profile Singaporean fashion world. However, it shows to be no easy feat. Sam (Samantha Song), the novel’s hardworking protagonist has a dire wish to write for the luxury fashion world, but her low-class status and the struggles of helping her mom make financial ends meet make it all seem like a world away. Her current reality is working at a not so exciting PR firm, and the closest Sam will seemingly get to her ideal job is through her wealthy co-worker, Anya.
That is until Sam meets Timothy Kingston, the only son and heir to one of the wealthiest families in Singapore. A surprising opportunity arises when Tim and Anya both want to help Samantha rise to the top of the social class. However, looking the part and attending events as a plus one is far different than being the part. Impressing the editor in chief of the most highly valued magazine in the country is all up to her. But being caught up in this fraud with every passing day only increases her chances of exposing her real background. With an anonymous gossip writer on the loose, the pressure is on for Samantha to find out what she wants, and who she was destined to be before time runs out.
Kyla Zhao does a great job with this as her debut novel. The structuring of the plot was well done because of it being written in the third person. The character perspectives of the book become much broader, and the worldbuilding stood out greatly because of this point of view. It had the necessary vibes that the elite social classes of Singapore give, and all the drama that comes with it. Sam was a great character developed by Zhao in seeing an ordinary working-class girl turn into the one of the elites of Singapore’s society. It was also inspiring to see Sam working in different modalities of the fashion world. From working to PR and Journalism, as well as getting opportunities to model and be interviewed by the country’s top magazine shows her own versatility career wise and as an individual. Getting to dive into the many luxury brands included within the Asian Fashion world was also a treat to see. Fictional or not, it gives great representation to see such names worn by elaborate people.
My favourite parts of this book were the established and newly formed relationships Sam had with other characters. Her Ma, was an essential driver throughout the plot because she brings Sam back to her roots socially and emotionally. Ma is just as hardworking (if not more) than Sam and trying her best to stay afloat financially, and she only wants the best life for her. There were a few times I teared up reading their moments together, and it just goes to show how important the family dynamic is in this story. As for Tim and Anya, their additional backgrounds as Singapore’s wealthy were fun to dive into, and they have shown how even those who have the finest things in life are imperfect humans beings at the end of the day. Another aspect I found important book was the striking and dialogue, especially those lines given to Sam toward the last third of the reading. It was well thought out, and this is something readers can discover on their own.
As for the romance of this book, it felt like the dynamics between Tim and Sam were a bit forced. It was a sweet one overall, but I wish it came more naturally. Lucia, Tim’s infamous on and off girlfriend was a real viper to deal with throughout. There were several instances where readers are reminded of Lucia, especially with that watch that Tim wore from her that stuck to him like a flea. She was a nuisance, but a necessary one to the plot.
This was a great AAPI book to be added to the contemporary realistic fiction genre! Seeing Sam living a double life, and trying to achieve the best of both worlds was a journey to see. Aside from the romance being a bit bland , the plot had some great twists and turns for the readers to enjoy and a character that young Asian women can look up to!
The Fraud Squad is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of January 17th 2023.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.
For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.
Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.
To Samantha’s surprise, Timothy and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she’s determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.
