The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
busyblackbookworm's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Lang Leav’s debut adult novel Others Were Emeralds is a quiet contemplation of youth, identity, and finding one’s place in the world. This short novel follows a high schooler who navigates the daily struggles of social and love life, all amidst the backdrop of being the daughter of Cambodian refugees who fled the Khmer Rouge. As if the struggles of being a girl on the cusp of womanhood weren’t enough, Ai has to contend with the violence her community faces from white Australians.
This is a solidly character-driven novel that does a good job of exploring the tensions felt by kids just trying to be kids even though racism often forces premature adulthood. Leav considers what it means to move forward after something precious has been violently snatched from you. It was fascinating to see Ai pursue her passions in college despite still not fully having come to terms with her grief and trauma.
This is a short book that was easy to read and, I found, quite engaging. I would’ve liked to see further exploration of Ai’s more militant friend Sying vs her less confrontational best friend Brigitte, as throughout the novel there is the question of how best we should approach racism: ignore it as best we can to avoid people harming us and our loved ones, or tackle it head-on regardless of the cost to our community? This is a question many POC have struggled with so I liked that Leav explored it but I think there could have been more there, especially as racism and identity is a huge theme of this book.
All in all, though, this was a solid coming-of-age novel from a perspective I sadly don’t read much of—I’d love to explore more works from people from Cambodia/those whose lives have been forever altered by the violence of the Khmer Rouge.
Thanks so much to Harper Perennial for the gifted ARC!
This is a solidly character-driven novel that does a good job of exploring the tensions felt by kids just trying to be kids even though racism often forces premature adulthood. Leav considers what it means to move forward after something precious has been violently snatched from you. It was fascinating to see Ai pursue her passions in college despite still not fully having come to terms with her grief and trauma.
This is a short book that was easy to read and, I found, quite engaging. I would’ve liked to see further exploration of Ai’s more militant friend Sying vs her less confrontational best friend Brigitte, as throughout the novel there is the question of how best we should approach racism: ignore it as best we can to avoid people harming us and our loved ones, or tackle it head-on regardless of the cost to our community? This is a question many POC have struggled with so I liked that Leav explored it but I think there could have been more there, especially as racism and identity is a huge theme of this book.
All in all, though, this was a solid coming-of-age novel from a perspective I sadly don’t read much of—I’d love to explore more works from people from Cambodia/those whose lives have been forever altered by the violence of the Khmer Rouge.
Thanks so much to Harper Perennial for the gifted ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse
More...