REVIEW: ‘Sunbeams in the Sky’ Volume 1

Sunbeams in the Sky is written by Monika Kaname, published and localized in English by Yen Press, translated by Julie Goniwich, and lettered by Rochelle Gancio. This debut series from Yen Press takes high school romance from a different angle. It’s not about crushing on cute boys; it’s about overcoming trauma and maybe getting a crush along the way.

The series focuses on Himari and Mio Akeno, high school-aged twins who had always done everything together until they entered different high schools. While both are worried about being separated, Himari’s enthusiasm to start this new chapter of her life is palpable until a traumatic incident turns her life inside out. Once bright and excited to be in the world, Himari turns inside herself and locks herself in her room. As Himari wastes hidden away, her sister Mio decides to do what she can to get her out. Through a little deception, Mio “catches a cold” and convinces her sister to fill in until she “recovers.” As long as the shy, introverted Himari can pull off impersonating the bubbly, energetic Mio, the switch should work, well, until she meets a boy.

I’m not usually a fan of a story that opens with a traumatic assault, and that’s the same for Sunbeams in the Sky. While the story does eventually find its footing, the way in which it makes trauma the central axis of Himari’s character is questionable at best and concerning at worst. Not only that, it’s the fact that a man caused it, and it’s a boy who will ultimately pull her out of it. That said, that awkwardness as a reader only lasts for the first half of the volume, with the last half offering the pacing for healing that puts Himari more closely at the center of her own story.

While I do have issues with the very premise of the series, Sunbeams in the Sky Volume 1 managed to win me over, particularly in how it looks at identity. Twins as a trope is common, and their pretending to be each other is about how it goes in every story. Hell, twin romances are either weird love triangles or disruptive to a lead who isn’t a twin. But here, being twins is a means of survival. Being a twin is what allows Himari the ability to step out of her room because she gets to be someone who isn’t her, even if just for a school day.

That said, the way she stumbles through being an extrovert is funny enough to keep you engaged but charming enough for the reader to understand her growth. Even as frustrating as it is to know that Himari’s path out is a boy, the way that Makoto makes an effort to understand her and watch out for her makes it somehow worth reading.

Overall, Sunbeams in the Sky Volume 1 is worth the read, even if it’s a bit tough in the first chapter. Himari is loved by her sister and protected by Makoto, and this gives her the space to start to come out of her shell. While I’m not sure what will come next, I know I want to read it.

Sunbeams in the Sky Volume 1 is available now wherever books are sold both digitally and physically.