The atrocities I would commit if I could turn invisible…! Just kidding. I’m a good soul (well, I try to be). Still, wouldn’t it be nice to have that superpower? Whenever I was asked what kind of superpower I would want to have, I always answered with “flying”. Up to this day I long for the ability to roam the skies…
In Ann Liang’s novel If You Could See the Sun, the main character Alice Sun (Chinese name Sun Yan) is gifted with invisibility and uses that power to earn money. Honestly, who wouldn’t in this economy? However, I am sure most people would not save up for the same reasons as Alice: to continue going to a prestigious school called Airington even though her family isn’t rich. An international boarding school located in Beijing.
I don’t want to get too much into the plot, since the book is worth reading if you’re into enemies-to-lovers and school settings. The relationship between Alice and Henry isn’t the main plot, though, which I prefer anyway. Romance in books and in movies/shows tends to be better if it’s not the focal point.
A bit of a spoiler: Am I too old for this? I have to admit, I cringed at some of the moments between Alice and Henry but that could be my age. Also, the high school setting doesn’t seem to do it for me anymore, either. Just as we grow with books, books need to grow with us sometimes. I’m in a different chapter in my life, so that’s probably it. Also, I started to dislike Alice after a while, or more so her choices. I love the over-achiever character type that needs to be good due to pressure of the society/family and I also love seeing them break down because of it ’cause that’s realistic. So, while I normally like characters like that, Alice just rubbed me the wrong way sometimes – which is good, as Hannah Montana said “Nobody’s perfect” and rage towards the main character is one way to keep people reading, I guess.
C-drama Setting but it’s A-plus. I absoluted loved the Beijing setting. A friend of mine recently travelled to Beijing and I couldn’t stop asking questions after she returned. It’s so intersting to hear about different cultures and what they eat, about a country’s infrastructure and whatnot. I really want to visit China someday, too. Hence, why I smiled at every cultural clue in the novel. Like when Alice mentioned WeChat, Weibo or the Gaokao. I am a fan of the Korean boygroup Seventeen and their two Chinese members (Jun and Minghao) use Weibo to cater towards their Chinese fans, which is why I had heard of the platform before. As for Gaokao, the term throws me back to my own high school days when I would watch study vlogs or school documentaries (some about the Gaokao) on YouTube to gain some study motivation. While I dislike the pressure these young students have to face, I for sure got motivated by their determination.
Important Themes that need more Coverage. The novel also touches on some other aspects, which it is worth reading for: the harsh reality of some pursuing the American dream, racism, the struggle of the lower classes and the lengths to which some powerful people would go to keep their power. As well as a bunch of other stuff, so why not read it yourself?
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
(I must say, though, that I had to put the book on hold for quite some time due to life happening, so I was out of touch with it when picking it back up but the fact that I did pick it back up says a lot, right?)
This is your sign to pick up that book you left on half-read!
Have a nice day 🙂
Yours,
Tanniyan