“‘But it’s meant to be fiction—isn’t it? Not a documentary.’ ‘Maybe it’s a mixture of both.’ ‘Do you think so?’ ‘Aren’t the best stories told that way?’”
Others were Emeralds, Lang Leav
Leav had me from page 1 with her lyrical writing and tenderness with her characters. The book starts with two of the characters, Ai and Tin, talking about how The Sound of Music is a blend of documentary and fiction. This book clearly has that same blend, which made me feel like I was reading a memoir. Ai’s narration throughout the story felt so genuine to a girl in her late teens and early twenties that it felt like I was reading a diary.
This book handles a lot of sensitive topics with care and honesty. The struggles Ai goes through, from the cliquey nonsense every high school girl experiences to the targeted racism she and her friends and family experienced, are all portrayed vividly. However, even with some heavier topics, this book remained hopeful.
Ready for my full review (with spoilers)? Continue reading here!
I really enjoyed reading this book, and would truly recommend it to anyone. At under 300 pages, it’s a shorter book, and I think it will resonate with everyone who reads it.
Read with Fern 
Leave a comment