You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist

"A captivating, sharp and very funny memoir." --New York Times Book Review

The compelling, edgy, compassionate, laugh-out-loud memoir from Kari Ferrell, formerly known as the "Hipster Grifter"

Before Anna Delvey, before the Tinder Swindler, there was Kari Ferrell. Adopted at a young age by a Mormon family in Utah, Kari struggled with questions of self-worth and identity as one of the few Asian Americans in her insulated community, leading her to run with the "bad crowd" in an effort to fit in. Soon, stealing from superstores turned into picking up men (and picking their pockets), and before she knew it, Kari had graduated from petty theft to Utah's most wanted list. Though Kari was able to escape the Southwest, she couldn't outrun her new moniker: the Hipster Grifter.

New York City's indie sleaze scene had found its newest celebrity--just as Kari found herself in a heap of trouble. Jail time, riots, bad checks, and an explosion of internet infamy and fetishization put her name in the spotlight. Beyond the gossip and Gawker posts, there's a side to Kari the media never saw--until now.

By turns rollicking and irreverent, warm and compassionate, You'll Never Believe Me tells Kari's story for the first time. A heartfelt narrative of redemption and reconciliation as Kari eventually dedicates her life to activism, social justice, and setting the record straight, this memoir introduces a fresh, hilarious new voice to the literary stage and offers readers a nostalgic, uplifting, and at times unbelievable book that grapples with truth, why we lie, and what it means when our pasts don't paint the whole picture.

Author: Kari Ferrell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 01/07/2025
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.50w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781250288226


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 11/01/2024 pg. 12
Publishers Weekly 11/18/2024

About the Author
KARI FERRELL is a producer, writer, speaker, activist, and creator. Her work is centered around incarceration and the justice system, mental health, human rights, and other issues she feels passionately about. Kari's production company, Without Wax, is dedicated to uplifting and telling stories from Women of Color across a variety of mediums. She enjoys the work she does with Second Chance Studios, Books Through Bars, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups that are working toward liberation for all. When she's not doing the above, she enjoys spending time with her partner and rescue pup, solving crossword puzzles, eating, boxing (to counteract the eating), getting stoned, and writing about herself in the third person.