If you could see the sun by Ann Liang

Alice Sun attends a highly prestigious academic school in Beijing. She’s the only scholarship student among her rich, elite peers and she often feels invisible. Then, to her surprise, one day she actually turns invisible! She can’t control it and it usually only lasts a few hours. She decides to benefit from this strange circumstance and creates an app, with the help of her academic rival, classmate Henry, in which students pay her to uncover secrets, or keep information hidden, completely anonymously. Alice is hopeful she can earn enough money to pay her upcoming school fees. However, her ambition and desire to rise out of poverty means her morals start to slip and she is soon accepting unethical jobs that have real world consequences. Meanwhile her rivalry with Henry soon develops into something more romantic.

This book grapples with self-identity, morals, class division and what it means to be successful. Alice is a sympathetic character, who grapples with knowing right from wrong. The backdrop of China provides a beautiful insight into Chinese culture and the slow romance building between her and Henry, while predictable is very endearing. This book is great for ages 13+.

Themes: Magical realism, Romance, Coming of age, Multiculturalism.

Jade Goudie-Hall