“I’d rather be the villain who lives to the end than the hero who winds up dead”
― Ann Liang, If You Could See the Sun
This new genre-bending, speculative young adult debut tells the story of a Chinese American girl working hard to find her place at her elite Beijing boarding school. As the only scholarship student at her school, Alice Sun has always felt awkward and uncomfortable. Her classmates are rich and influential, her teachers are award winners, and Alice… is just Alice. After a tense conversation with her parents regarding their inability to pay for her tuition and an award ceremony that leaves her feeling uneasy among her peers, Alice’s life changes completely when she starts uncontrollably turning invisible.
This new ability doesn’t mean that Alice feels invisible – she is actually invisible. Freaked out and understandably concerned, Alice turns to her aunt for help. Not having her questions answered there, Alice quickly decides that she is going to use her new powers for good. Working with her academic rival, they design a way to monetize her invisibility by capitalizing on the secrets her classmates want to know. The tasks start out simple, yet petty, but quickly escalate to actual crimes that make Alice feel uncomfortable. Committing these actual crimes comes with a hefty price though. Alice would be able to pay for the rest of her tuition, but would it be worth losing her conscience or her life? Only time will tell.
Interested in this book? If You Could See the Sun is the May See YA Book Club pick. We will be discussing this book on Wednesday, May 6th at 6:30pm at our Eastern Avenue branch. For more information about future See YA book picks, visit our website.
Join our adult book club with a teen book twist. See why so many teen books are being turned into movies and are taking over the best seller lists.
Registration is not required. Books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Eastern Avenue library. We meet the first Wednesday of the month at Eastern at 6:30pm. Stop by the service desk for more information.
May 6 – If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang
June 3 – Shut Up, This is Serious by Carolina Ixta