-Academic rivals YES
- Boarding school YES

A fun and lighthearted book that delivers exactly what it promises.
It is the kind of story that is easy to get caught up in. With a girl who can suddenly become invisible, the scenarios she gets herself caught up in, the friends she discovers, as well as a little crush (my fave duo!). Most of all, a story of discovering what she truly cares for and learning to let life get a little messy! This has a great set-up for an entertaining time.

If You Could See the Sun
by Ann Liang

★ ★ ★ ★ 4.5/5

alice sun is a top student at an international boarding school at beijing when she suddenly develops the ability to turn invisible. she monetizes her new skill with the help of her academic rival henry li and together they learn about classmates’ secrets and scandals.

OMG. first of all, ann liang’s writing style? amazing, especially for her debut novel. she has a way of intricately weaving in little details that add nothing to the plot but make the characters and setting more alive and vivid—such as the pictures and magnets on a refrigerator, or candy wrappers and a ~certain~ taped photo on henry’s desk. i feel like this novel would have been no where as good in any other writing style. i usually hate first person pov but i enjoyed it in this book.

alice sun is SO relatable. i’ve never ever ever read about a character who was so similar to me. from her immigrant working class parents, to her childhood, to her culture, to her behavior, to her unsureness of herself, alice sun is so relatable and i’m sure that others can say the same for themselves. it’s like ann liang read every asian american female reader’s minds and concocted a character that we can see ourselves in. BUT of course people of any race and gender can related to alice as well, which is even better. this book would be an amazing middle school book because there are some good lessons in there (ann liang had me pondering my life and future) also alice sun is the epitome of “blow my brains out” by tikkle me and half of taylor swift’s discography (cough mirrorball cough).

alice and henry are some of my favorite academic rivals. their banter gives me nicolibby vibes!! henry would do absolutely anything for alice and he has a british accent and he’s a rich heir and he’s super smart and he’s described as amazingly attractive so he’s perfect, obviously!

i do have to say that i don’t like how the last third of the book played out. it felt a little rushed to me, but the first half? exquisite.

i’m so excited for ann liang’s other upcoming releases! and you absolutely NEED this book on your shelf when it releases on october 11 this year!!!

I could relate to Alice's quest for perfection via grades and studying because that was exactly what I did during uni. This book highlights the stark difference between the rich and the poor and the differences in education based on money and status. After learning her parents can no longer afford the tuition fees at her school, Alice uses her newly discovered invisibility powers to complete secretive tasks and gain money in hopes to fund her education. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC; I really enjoyed reading about Alice's journey and her weighing the moral consequences when it comes to education.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ 5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC!!

For starters, I absolutely loved the academic rivals to lovers. I ate up every interaction between the two characters. With that being said, I honestly thought the book was too short. I would’ve loved some more interactions with minor characters/explored their personalities more. The ending also seemed a bit rushed, but overall the plot was great. This book will definitely be my go-to romance recommendation. I look forward to seeing the final copy of If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang in my hands this October :)).

If You Could See The Sun, by Ann Liang, uses a supernatural invisibility power to tell a moving, realistic story about class, money, and adolescence in Beijing.

When teenage "Study Machine" Alice Sun discovers her invisibility power, she immediately puts it to use to earn money to pay her exorbitant school fees.  She'll do favors and perform secret tasks that only someone invisible could accomplish, anonymously, of course.  Once Alice started getting secrets and requests of secret favors, I thought this was going to turn Gossip Girl, but there's a uniquely Beijing flavor. No mean girls or gossipy backstabbing here, as much as ambitious high-school students willing to do anything for success.

To get her invisible-favors side hustle going, Alice has to turn to her (handsome) academic rival, Henry Li. Henry agrees to build the app and split the profits, which starts out as BULLSHIT because ALICE is the one doing all the DANGEROUS work! Also Henry doesn't even need the money! But as their app, Beijing Ghost, takes off, Henry somehow starts doing more decoy work to let Alice work her invisibility magic. Henry creates increasingly goofy and risky distractions as the story goes on, adding humor and also making it clear that he doesn't think they're rancorous enemies.  I thought the book's title should have been Beijing Ghost. I mean, the story's about the invisible parts of Beijing: the unofficial rules and class divisions and struggles, Alice's own secrets and then her classmate's secrets.  I also loved that her plan was an app -- you can order anything from Taobao in Beijing, so why not a secret favors app? This is so Beijing and so now, and just a wonderful, obvious next step for Alice's situation.

I taught in a Beijing high school, although it wasn't nearly as high-class and prestigious as Alice's school, so a lot of the school life felt familiar. The extreme exam pressure and the glorification of exhaustion made such a good background for the supernatural storyline, and Alice's own story. I loved that this book talks about fuerdai students avoiding the gaokao in an IB school, without feeling the need to explain fuerdai or gaokao in detail. It made me feel like If You Could See The Sun was for me. 

Being the Beijing Ghost while getting top grades is exhausting, but Alice can't give up either one.  Eventually, Alice has to decide how much she's willing to do to stay in Airington High School and achieve her goals. This section was an absolute pageturner, because I wanted Alice to be able to stay in her school and follow her ambitious and I didn't want her to do the increasingly sketchy (and increasingly well-paid) ghost missions at the same time. This human question of what are you willing to do? where do you draw the line? who are you becoming is such a solid YA center, with a great central character and so much Beijing style here.

I was immediately drawn to this book when I read an excerpt about a girl who could turn invisible and learn secrets about her classmates. Then as I began reading the book, I really connected with Alice as she battled with anxiety.
My favorite parts, though, were of her and her “rival” Henry. Hint- slow burn
Definitely recommending this one to friends!

This is a complete work of art! I loved every second of this book and I wish I could reread it again and again. It is a marvelous addition to anyone's collection that is ready for something spectacular and soul gripping.

The book was very nice although it was slow for me at parts I absolutely adored it. The way the characters were all so unmistakably human made for a fun read as they all had something to gain from the new power they saw

3.5/5

the concept of if you could see the sun was really unique and the execution was fairly good as well.

i was a bit disappointed with the lack of the promised high stakes and action. also i wish the reason behind alice suddenly gaining invisibility powers and why it happens when it does was explored more.

alice and henry definitely delivered the academic rivals to lovers dynamic that i adore so much. overall it was a pretty quick and entertaining read!

If You Could See the Sun was a beautiful and charming story that dealt with so many large topics in such a wonderful way. I love an academic setting, and rivals-to-lovers may be my favourite trope of all time, so this was right up my alley! Liang has constructed these lovely, yet flawed, characters who really come to life throughout the book. Issues of classism and racism are handled in a fantastic way, and the plot kept me engaged. All in all, I was a huge fan of this one!

What drew me to this book was the concept, but I got even more than just that. The characters were so endearing and the writing style read smoothly. There was a beautiful message inside this story that makes me want to recommend it to everyone interested in good YA literature.

A cute, lighthearted book that delivers exactly what it promises.

It's the kind of fun story that is easy to get caught up in. Between a girl who suddenly can become invisible, the shenanigans she gets up to, as well as the looming crush on her academic rival, this has a great set-up for an entertaining time.

An amusing debut that definitely has AL on my author watchlist!

OOH i absolutely adored this. it was so much fun. read this if you want academic rivals to lovers + an international boarding school! YA can be so amazing sometimes, and this book is a prime example of that.
HENRY WAS SO CUTE IM GONNA SCREAM
also loved the talk about family in between!
really fun lighthearted read, can't wait to read more by this author in the future!

Alice Sun is selling her wealthy classmates’ darkest secrets with her new power of invisibility in order to pay for school–and I love it! This book gives a mystery-ish vibe mixed with a healthy dose of magical realism. I absolutely loved it. Kind of reminded me of Parasite.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so so much Netgalley for this opportunity

first off the cover of this book is what caught my eye!! what a beautiful cover, wow. yet another five star book that I REALLY enjoyed!! For being a debut, this novel was fascinating and such a pleasant read. The writing flowed well and I found myself flying right through this book.

Alice Sun in the main character and she attends an elite boarding school where she is one of the top students, but yet feels invisible to her classmates. Her parents announce that they will no longer be able to afford her tuition so leave her with a decision to find another school in Bejing or attend a school in America. She's left in a pickle, but one day she unexpectantly develops a power where she becomes invisible. How even?? Alice decides to use this to her advantage (as anyone else would) and creates a plan to pay for her school fees by selling her rich classmates' secrets. What could go wrong?? hahaha you can only imagine the secrets these wealthy classmates want to sell...

Alice is such a lovely character and I become enraged when other students talk down upon her or make racist comments. (ugh it's the 21st century, you think this wouldn't still be an issue but it is) I became emotionally attached to Alice and the decisions she would make. I have not been reading as many young adult novels lately, but this book sparked my interest in getting back into them. Another fast-paced novel and I would become immersed in the story to find I was sitting for 2 hours and already halfway through the book... Thank you Ann Liang for a beautifully written story, I'm looking forward any books you write in the future.

3.5 stars

If You Could See the Sun follows Alice Sun, the only scholarship student at her elite Beijing boarding school. Surrounded by her rich peers, Alice feels invisible. Until, that is, she actually starts becoming invisible. After being introduced to this new uncontrollable power, she starts monetizing on it by selling her classmates secrets in order to pay for school.

Aside from the very promising premise, this book is also an academic rivals to lovers, which is even more exciting. But as it turned out, there was not very much romance, since half of the book was focused on the rivalry, and the other half was too focused on Alice's studies, finding out secrets, and her powers to develop a romance. Fortunately, this did not bother me much, because I loved Alice and Henry's dynamic before any romantic connotations between them were even hinted at.

What I was disappointed about, though, was the lack of thrill and high stakes. In the synopsis, it says, "the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes", which hooked me immediately and was the reason I wanted to read this book to begin with. From that description, I expected tasks that would be something like a heist, and instead I got more dull and tame quests.

I admit that it was my fault for going in with high expectations, but that, and not expanding on Alice's powers, are the reasons behind my 3.5 star rating. I personally thought that it was hinting at a reason behind her turning invisible (her emotions at the time, for example), but in the end we got no explanation. That was not the part that was unsatisfying to me, as it was her powers storyline being completely dropped in the last 20%. Did she learn to control it? Does she still become invisible? Who knows.

Other than that, I did really like "If You Could See the Sun". The writing was great, it was fast paced, quick, and enjoyable. Alice, Henry, and Chanel were very likeable, and I loved the setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC!

First, I want to say thank you for this e-ARC! I’m so grateful! I had a wonderful time reading this! Books like this usually aren’t my thing, I enjoy more high fantasy and I really requested this arc because of the absolute gorgeous cover, but I was able to get through this and enjoy it! It was honestly addicting! This exceeded my expectations on all levels. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did!

4.5/5 stars

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but this was such a great read. I really loved Alice as the main character, with her ambition, her intelligence, our mutual distaste for the rich, and her voice was so enjoyable to read, especially whenever banter with Henry was involved.

Henry is my next favorite after Alice. His cool but confident personality perfectly contrasted with Alice's, which made all of their interactions a joy to watch. I also found it hilarious that Henry thought their rivalry was just for fun and was genuinely surprised that Alice took it so seriously. These two are such dorks and I loved it. I don't usually care for romance too much in my books, but, dammit, their kiss scene was so cute and funny that it got me grinning ear to ear when it finally happened.

The themes were also executed really well. Alice's struggle for notoriety and fortune just so she could be noticed by her elite peers was very relatable. The literal and metaphorical invisible Alice feels throughout the story is enforced through how hard she has to work and the morally gray path she goes on in order to achieve her goals. The exploration of class privilege, immigration, racism, and academic/social equality were so perfectly woven with the invisibility device; I just loved how it all fit together so naturally.

All in all, this was a fantastic read. I cannot wait for it to officially release so I can display it on my shelf.

Alice is devastated when she learns her parents will no longer be able to afford her school’s fees. Around the same time, she starts to be able to become invisible. She decides to team up with her academic rival to create an app that allows her to use her invisibility to make money. However, the requests continue to escalate, culminating in a kidnapping. Along the way, Alice starts to realize there is more to life than good grades.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I felt like it took a while for Alice to get character development, one of the reasons it wasn’t a love. Once things started to escalate though, I kept wanting to read. The writing here is very captivating as well.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely could not put this book down.

This is the best combination of so many types of genres and stories; it's got supernatural abilities, and romance, and class struggles, and heists, and so much heart. It's such a page turner that I read almost the entire thing today--I just needed to find out what happened.

This is such an amazing YA debut and I can't wait to read Ann Liang's future work. Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.