If You Could See the Sun blends action, fantasy, and contemporary all at once. A magical ability which descends suddenly combined with a need to save our future results in a fast paced contemporary. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens. But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—actually invisible.
When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.
But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
What I feel, even days after finishing If You Could See the Sun, is awe in the ways Liang uses being or feeling invisible. The ways in which Liang takes this feeling that is universal and creates a story which feels so metaphorical and compelling. How being invisible – while it could be seen as a gift – also comes with issues and this feeling of helplessness. And how it gives Alice a look into how much she doesn’t know about the people we thinks she does. She begins to understand the price of secrets and privacy.
While her fate is now in her hands, as well as those who have discovered her secret, Alice has to deal with the ethical ramifications. The weight of these discoveries and the lives she will have to change in order to save hers. Throw in a dash of rivals to romance and I was hooked! There are plenty of thrills, but there’s also fear and regrets. A disconnect between her and her peers, but also this idea that we can cultivate a reputation, an identity, and image. And how that weighs on us.
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I loved how ambitious Alice is, how determined she is, but her journey of self-discovery is bound to resonate with readers. It did with me. This pursuit just to ask yourselves – what is it even for? What happens when the next test ends? Will we be able to live with ourselves in the ashes? If you’re looking for a compelling contemporary with plenty of ethical conflict, read If You Could See the Sun. Find If You Could See the Sun on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.