If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do? For Alice Sun, this is her reality, both literally and figuratively. As the only scholarship student at the highly prestigious Airington Academy, if it wasn’t for her exceptional grades and even more stellar academic reputation, she’d be nothing more than wallpaper compared to the numerous socialites, celebrities and overall prodigies in her cohort. That is, of course, until she discovers that she can turn invisible.
Unlike what you’d expect, being invisible is a pain. Alice can’t control when, where, or how long she remains invisible for, and similar to a period showing up right when you’re wearing your favourite white pants, Alice’s invisibility is as unpredictable as the weather. Despite all this, she still finds a way to profit off her invisibility, exploiting this unique talent into a moneymaker in the form of the Beijing Ghost app, where people can pay her to use her gift as a way to gain information on exes, backstabbing friends and more. This is where our story begins.
Ann Liang’s debut novel “If You Could See the Sun” is a fantastic addition to the Young Adult genre, taking the classic tropes of coming-of-age, self-discovery and academic rivals to lovers and turning it into a narrative that’s both fresh and heartfelt. With the protagonists Alice and Henry both embodying the wit, charm and uncertainty of modern-day teenagers, readers will find themselves both relating to and rooting for this striking pair. Filled with clever banter, witty dialogue and the occasional emotional scene, there’s not a single dull moment throughout the novel, as readers feel the narrative unfold around them, like a highly-engrossing C-drama.
The prestigious high school setting will have all light-academia fans enraptured. As the story is set in an international school where the student body encompasses multiple diasporas and a wide plethora of nationalities, many students from UWC will be able to empathise with and understand the nuances of being a third-culture kid. Along with the representation of multiple races and ethnicities, Ann Liang does a phenomenal job at weaving in themes of wealth disparity, parental pressure, a need for academic validation, and other issues that teenagers tend to encounter, which gives If You Could See The Sun an edge in reality, allowing the story to truly connect to and resonate with an adolescent audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the intricate plot and terrific characterisation, and found it becoming a fast-favourite on my bookshelf, that I will be repeatedly visiting over and over. I hope you give it a chance, and enjoy it as much as I did!