A review by oddandbookish
Others Were Emeralds by Lang Leav

emotional reflective

4.0

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Perennial) for promotional purposes. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from the book are tentative. 

 

I am such a huge fan of Lang Leav, so I knew I had to read this book. I thought this was such a poignant and impactful story. 

 

The story takes place in Australia during the late 90’s. As an Asian American, it was fascinating learning about Australia and its racial tensions during that time. I also enjoyed learning more about the large group of Asian refugees who moved to Australia. 

 

The writing style is gorgeous. Lang Leav is a wonderful poet so it’s no surprise her prose is just as beautiful. 

 

The best part of the book was the exploration of friendships, particularly Ai and Brigitte’s. At times their friendship reminded me of Olivia Rodrigo’s song, “Lacy,” because of the jealousy that Ai sometimes had towards Brigitte. The author weaved an intricate portrayal of their sometimes complicated friendship. The theme of grief and loss was also masterfully woven all throughout the story. 

 

I do have two minor critiques. The first being that the 2 parts of the story felt unbalanced. Part 1 was twice as long as part 2, making part 2 feel a little rushed. My second critique is that this book felt more YA than adult. That isn’t a bad thing (I love YA); I just feel like it was miscategorized. 

 

Lastly, I want to share a quote about the magic of books that I loved. Brigitte states, “I’m envisioning a bookshelf lined with tiny doors. A whole world behind each one. I’m in awe of the way authors can bring these worlds to life the way they do. Like Wonderland for example. It’s so detailed, it feels just like a real place to me—as real as any other” (pg. 45). I couldn’t agree more! Books can feel so real. 

 

Overall, this was a moving and beautifully written story!