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A review by goatsrsexy
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
While I used to be a big fan of YA, lately I've been finding it hard to get into... But this book was so good!! I think it stands out from other YA contemporaries I've read recently, with just the right amount of magical realism (though it's not really a fantasy novel at all so don't go in expecting that).
What I loved most was the glimpse into a school system that's different from what I'm used to reading about. I once stayed at an international school (not in China though) and always wondered what it would be like to actually attend one, surrounded by so many different types of people.
The way the book tackled class issues from a teenager's perspective was also really interesting, as was the exploration of the experience of feeling like you have to parent your own parents, which can be quite traumatic. Alice's background as a Chinese person who's lived in the US and had to deal with struggling to translate for her parents and stuff but now lives in China again and doesn't need to fill that role anymore made for a unique perspective. And despite being in China, attending an international school means she's still in a very English-dominant world, but doesn't need to worry about her parents in the same way.
I loved seeing Alice come out of her shell and actually start making friendships and connections. I think the book ended super well!
What I loved most was the glimpse into a school system that's different from what I'm used to reading about. I once stayed at an international school (not in China though) and always wondered what it would be like to actually attend one, surrounded by so many different types of people.
The way the book tackled class issues from a teenager's perspective was also really interesting, as was the exploration of the experience of feeling like you have to parent your own parents, which can be quite traumatic. Alice's background as a Chinese person who's lived in the US and had to deal with struggling to translate for her parents and stuff but now lives in China again and doesn't need to fill that role anymore made for a unique perspective. And despite being in China, attending an international school means she's still in a very English-dominant world, but doesn't need to worry about her parents in the same way.
I loved seeing Alice come out of her shell and actually start making friendships and connections. I think the book ended super well!