Emiko is an American teenager of Japanese heritage. She is torn between wanting to be like any other American teenager and living up to her parents' expectations and cultural standards. Often she reflects on cultural prejudice and discrimination. When she and her boyfriend take part in a project at school, these relfections gain a new dimension. In the "Colour Game," each student is assigned a colour, representing different classes in a made-up society. The strict culture of bowing and intimidation in this society soon makes the students realise how grouping processes in a society work, why people feel intimidated or superior just by being a member of a specific class and how predjudice influences people's behaviour.

The intention of the book may be noble, I however feel like it is far too obvious. Everything one could learn and deduce from the characters' experiences is stated somewhere in the novel so that there is barely any chance to read the novel actively, think about it. Everything is spelled out for you to just read. That makes the message far too obvious and takes away the fun of reading. ( )