Reviews with content warning for Classism - If You Could See the Sun

A beautifully written book, that tackles some heavy themes in a tactful, powerful way. Awkwardly accurate teenagers, with the side trope of romance. Only gets points off due to the practical nature of the magic realism however a great, easy read otherwise.

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city_girl_writer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a really fun but emotional read. One can empathize with Alice on her reasons to monetize her powers like this. The ending was quite satisfying on dealing with the consequences. It is not a full 5-star read because she was a little too oblivious for me. Nonetheless, I am glad I gave this book a second chance via audio instead.

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evelynyle_88's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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cameronreads's review against another edition

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2.5

I read this book as a break between high fantasies and I think it worked well for that. It was a fun easy read, despite its important discussions of elitism in private education, and enjoyable enough. I think our main character really felt like a teenager in her thought processes and decision making and I really enjoyed that - it made the book feel very realistic. I could feel her growing throughout the book and starting to realise that she was just a kid as well, although this was subtle. The other characters didn’t have quite as much depth though - Henry especially felt like he’d do anything the main character asked and was just kind of magically there whenever he was needed, making him feel more like a tool for the plot than a fleshed out character. I did like the concept of the romance between them; academic rivals to lovers is always fun, but because Henry was just kind of down for whatever the main character needed the tension was really only felt from Alice’s side.
There was also something slightly off about the pacing right at the beginning of the book (although for the most part it was fine), with magical powers developing all of a sudden and characters just accepting it without a second thought and immediately moving on with their lives. I don’t necessarily have a problem with there being no explanation for the powers (although due to personal preference I would have rather had one) but it did just feel like a very quick onset and acceptance.
I liked what this book was saying about private schools and I think it was successful for the most part - it wasn’t the most nuanced view but it wasn’t really trying to be so that’s not necessarily a problem. I like that Alice found a way to help others in her situation at the end, which was a nice cumulation of her character growth.
I also thought it had interesting points about academics and self worth, in fact I wish it had delved into it a bit deeper. There’s a point where Alice realises that she actually does have potential to have deeper relationships with her classmates and she’s accidentally isolated herself, but she moves on quite quickly. She almost has a great conversation with Chanel about why they aren’t better friends and I thought they’d come back to it nearer the end but never do.
Essentially, I really liked the concept of this book, and if it had been delved into a bit deeper and the characters had been fleshed out a little more, I think I would have really enjoyed it.

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serendipity421's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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thecourtofreading's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this was so so so good. thoroughly enjoyed reading every second of this that i actually couldn't put it down, and i need more alice and henry content immediately. i'm not sure i'm happy with the ending, but regardless it was quite satisfying anyway

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