A review by findingsolace
Others Were Emeralds by Lang Leav

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Others Were Emeralds is a novel detailing the story of Ai, who is a child of Cambodian refugees, as she bulldozes through high school with her group of friends, but everything changed the moment they encountered vile men who clearly depicted several acts of racist cruelty. Most of the characters here are not exactly lovable, and I did find them to be annoying to an extent—clearly not thinking much about the consequences of their own actions. However, they were flawed, and they had their own opinions about politics; some are unsure, some are cowardly, and some are straightforward about it. I would've liked the story more had there not been a scene that I couldn't tolerate.