This book is one of those books that you can judge by its cover. Let’s just take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous the cover art is! Swoon!

‘If you could see the sun’ is a unique take on invisibility powers, rivals to lovers and antiheroism. Alice’s character was gripping from the very first chapter and she really grew on me as her story progressed.

Alice has a distinct narrative voice and she made an enjoyable protagonist. I loved her dynamic with Henry and also her family.

I wish Alice’s invisibility powers were explained in further detail. It was implied that her powers arise from her emotions but there was no definitive explanation for it.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

This, is a good book. It has a little bit of magic, but that magic is a beautiful metaphor for the main character Alice’s life and I am so so incredibly in love with this idea. This book has such an amazing view on family, class and relationships. This book is paced so ever perfectly with every little thing slotting perfectly together to create suspense. I loved how this was almost like a mystery, but not, it’s like the other side of a mystery, with the view of the people doing the ‘bad’ stuff. This book is written so beautifully and it covers some amazing topics that so many people can relate to. I love the almost academic rivals this book has because oh I loved every moment of Alice and Henry’s relationship, the way they worked together and the way their relationship was just so incredibly real. The plot of this book was incredibly unique and i knew where everything was going with the Beijing ghost app, i was never prepared for the exact way things went after Alice’s job went sour. I definitely will recommend this book to everyone, it is an incredible read, hooked me from page 1.

An absolutely hilarious, heart-warming, at times uncomfortably relatable read!

My full review will be posted on TheStoryGraph at the link provided. Thanks heaps Harlequin Australia for providing this eARC, an incredible debut for Ann Liang!

Omggg, I ate this book up. Let me pitch this book to you, because it literally has the best premise. So basically, it's set in an elite *boarding* school in China where our main girl has an intense rivalary with her academic equal Henry Li. Unfortunately her parents are struggling to pay off the fees, but then badum she turns invisible. And like any locigal person she thinks. hey, I could probably make money off of this butttt she needs her academic rival's help.

If that didn't sell you I don't know what will tbh. The romance was everything to me (the girl was super annoying but in a relatble way yk, at least for me), the vibes were immaculate I truly felt transported to Beijing (and also the love the author has for the city) but also I felt like i was truly truly reading someone's thoughts. I really recommend this books if you want a fun, immersive, academic rivals to lovers book with a supernatural twist. Super excited to read any other books the author will come out with!! <3

This was a wonderfully light, beautifully written story about growing up and making mistakes all while dealing with severe socio-economic imbalances.

Alice, on a part scholarship at the most prestigious school in Beijing, cares about two things. Beating Henry Li and completing her education at a school that her parents can no longer afford to send her to. When Alice starts to turn uncontrollably invisible, her goals become clearer. She will use this new power to her advantage, exchange secrets for money and graduate at the top of her class.

Alice is a refreshingly realistic portrayal of a teenage girl. As someone who mostly reads fantasy YA, where 17 year olds save kingdoms, endure torture and just generally take on more than most grown adults, Alice was a total breath of fresh air. Faced with a supernatural power, Alice doesn’t think to use it for a world saving, altruistic task. Instead Alice is allowed to be selfish with her choices. She gets to think of herself and her parents, without spending much time worrying about the consequences of her actions. As someone who messed up a lot as a teenager, I could really relate to this.

The academic rivals to friends to lovers was a joy to read. Henry is gorgeous and kind and full of himself and I love him. Alice’s relationship with him was funny and awkward and lovely all at once. It reminded me of being 17 in the best of ways. I also got Amy and Jake from B99 vibes, which I loved!

“I hate you so much that whenever I’m around you, I can barely think straight. I can barely even breathe.”

Finally, the writing. The prose in this book is stunning. It flows beautifully and is brilliantly descriptive, so much so that I could picture these places clear as day even having never stepped foot in Beijing. Liang’s writing is a joy to read, even when complex race and socio economic issues are, rather gently might I add, touched on. It felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket.

“A lovely pain, a tender ache that feels suspiciously close to longing”

“It feels both quieter and bigger than that, as simple as coming home and as dizzying and all encompassing as the wind rushing in around us.”

The only thing I didn’t love was the reaction to Alice’s mistake. It felt strange that she alone took the blame for something that a handful of adults were very obviously a part of. This part didn’t completely hold up to my scrutiny, but it wasn’t a big enough deal to completely pull me from the story or change how much I enjoyed it.

All in all, I loved this book and will absolutely be recommending it to anyone looking for a genre bending YA novel.

A massive thank you to Harlequin Australia for giving me access to the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(Please note: This review will be posted on my personal Instagram page and my goodreads account closer to the books release date, as per the request of Harlequin Australia)

A powerful YA fantasy book set in Beijing about ethics, social class injustice, and the "worship of money". It is a real issue, more prominent today than ever, I feel, and a book like this is very much needed.
We feel a lot for the main character, Sun, and her flaws. We both cheer for her and also dread where this is going. But this is not a dramatic book, and it will not weigh you down with the important topics it touches on, it makes its point lightly but surely. A lot of the "grown-up" hypocrisy is highlighted very smartly as well as the anger, the yearning, the obsessive focus that chips away at the child everyone should be able to be.
The author managed to talk about very real problems, but in an amazing way, her writing is beautiful, the pace is fantastic, we love so many of the teens populating this novel, the story is light and full of fun action, and all with clever messages. I loved it and am looking forward to seeing other books from the author.
Highly recommend to people who enjoy YA fantasy, boarding school books, people who feel the pressure of overachieving and readers who know what it is to immigrate and generally move internationally.

I came for the stunning cover and the promise of contemporary with a supernatural element, and I stayed for the EXCELLENT execution of the academic rivals to lovers trope.

In this book, Alice suddenly starts turning invisible. Her parents have told her that they can't afford her school anymore, so she decides to monetize this new ability by offering to do tasks for her schoolmates as Bejing Ghost, helped by her academic rival Henry, who sets up an app. Things lead from bad to worse though, and Alice has a hard time deciding where the line into immorality is.

From the start, I enjoyed that this book didn't fall into some common/more expected storylines, like Alice hating her parents or not telling anyone about her immortality. Instead, I thought Alice's parents were quite wonderful. And Alice doesn't build her immortality up to be some huge secret, but actually confides into some people right from the start, so she actually has a support system. This was all really nice to see.

I thought this was an interesting exploration of how easily you can slide into doing things you wouldn't normally be okay with, just because you took little steps and all the little steps didn't seem quite so bad, but then you've suddenly done something you regret.

Loved this. An invigorating and lively read that is grounded by its analysis of class, privilege, ambition and institutional discrimination. Will definitely watch out for more of the author's works in the future!

4.5/5

this book. this book has pulled me from my reading slump. i am obsessed.

i want to thank Harlequin Australia for the electronic arc of this book, i am so beyond grateful that i was given the opportunity to experience the brilliance of this book early.

‘If You Could See the Sun’ follows a young Chinese American girl, Alice Sun, as she discovers her power and realises the extent to which the wealthy will go to protect their secrets and ultimately, themselves.

When Alice, who studies at one of China’s most elite international boarding schools, discovers that her parents are no longer able to afford her school fees, she is left wondering what she can do to stay at the Beijing school. When she suddenly begins turning invisible at random moments for obscure amounts of time, she realises that she can exploit this power for money. This money comes directly from the wealthiest students in exchange for hiding their darkest, most scandalous secrets.

As the tasks inevitably escalate from quick and easy to criminal and unethical, Alice is forced to question if the money is worth the guilt which may plague her forever.

FIRSTLY, magical realism is my favourite genre and so this was right up my alley. also ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS is my favourite romance trope of all time and this book delivered on that !!! Alice and Henry were so entertaining, with both their bickering and intense longing. i love these two with my whole heart!

i also really enjoyed seeing how the class divide was depicted in this story and the extent to which wealth and fame really controlled the students success.

i was just left with one question, however. after the climactic point of this story, Alice’s powers were not really mentioned again. i’m not sure if i missed something, but i’m just kind of assuming that her powers disappeared? i just wish there was a deeper discussion of her invisibility near the end of the story.

ultimately, though, this book is phenomenal and i cannot wait for you all to get your hands on this!!!

I received an eARC of this book and finished it in less than a week!

This book first caught my eye when I saw it was set in a boarding school with Asian students. Especially one from the working class and experiences some issues between American and Chinese identity (which appeals as an Australian born Chinese).

Something I loved about Liang's book was her charactersation of Alice. Despite Alice and Henry not sharing the same perspective (especially with academic rivalry...), we can truly see the reason behind Alice's thoughts and why she feels the way she does. It feels justified to me, even if it can make her slightly unlikeable at times where we as a reader think (ALICE!! Don't be so dense!!) but that makes the pay off all the more better.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of boarding schools, academic rivals, heists and puzzles, and also Asian readers (esp. biracial or first gen of immigrant parents).

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang was a fun read. I loved the premise and I mostly enjoyed the relationship between Alice and Henry; although, I thought it could have been expanded a little. The story touches on various themes, including classism, and does so in a subtle but powerful way, and the pacing throughout worked well. The only downside for me was the fact that the issue of Alice's invisibility was introduced in an interesting way, with the suggestion it had happened to others in the past, but then at the end of the book all mention of it dropped away and we never had any resolution, not even as to whether the power had now gone. That left me a little unsatisfied, but I enjoyed the story and characters in all other respects, so I am giving this book 4 stars overall.

(As per your preferences, I am holding my review until closer to release day. It will go live on my blog (link below) on 27 Sep 2022 and I will then also share on Goodreads and across social media.)