Really delightful. Gripping academia/fantasy/heist/enemies-to-lovers mashup, with great dialogue and personalities.

The thing that really sent it for me was the Experiencing China trip: having been on roughly equivalent Experiencing Taiwan trips as an exchange student, everything about the trip that hosts the climax of the book was pitch-perfect. Expensive hotels, long train rides, teenagers somehow

Another enemies to lovers story, but this one has a big twist. Alice is the poor kid on scholarship at a fancy boarding school. Her parents work their fingers to the bone to pay the outrageous tuition, since her scholarship only covers half of her fees. Of course, then you have Henry, whose dad owns a huge tach company. Alice and Henry are constantly competing for awards at school.

When Alice's parents say that they're going to pull her out of her expensiveschool, Alice turns to Henry to help her build an app to raise money.

An interesting story about ambition, power, and feeling invisible.

Add me on Goodreads!

4.5/5

Big thank you to Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful piece! This book doesn’t come out until October, but I personally think everyone needs to put it on their to-read and preorder it as soon as humanly possible, because… wow. This book blew me away.

If You Could See The Sun follows Alice Sun, a young, gifted girl who attends an elite prep school in Beijing. However, when her family drops the news that they will not be able to send her there anymore, Alice discovers she has the ability to turn invisible. By accident. Capitalizing on her newfound power, she teams up with her academic rival who she hates very, very much, Henry Li, to dish out her classmates’ secrets in exchange for money.

It’s very rare I click request on an eARC as fast as I did for this one, but my mouse moved astronomically quick when I saw the stunning cover paired with dark academia, magical realism, and academic rivals to lovers set in somewhere that wasn’t England or the east coast United States. There was no way I was taking no for an answer. And I’m so glad I didn’t; this book checked every box for me. The romance was a perfect slow burn, every character was so fun and wonderful, and the cast was diverse and so, so real. The magical realism was beautifully executed and added a touch of symbolism to the story.

I also would like to mention how much I adore Henry.

What stood out to me as I read this is that everyone came from different backgrounds, and the book urges you not to judge anyone by their outward appearance. Alice, our narrator, comes from a very different background from many others at her school, but she learns more about her classmates and it reminds us as readers that there is always more to someone than meets the eye. Whether rich, poor, beautiful, privileged, etc, each character is fundamentally different and challenges the reader to look beyond external perception. Young adult novels in academic settings, in particular, can fall into a trap of stereotyping characters. If You Could See the Sun doesn’t do this at all. Instead, it challenges preconceived notions Alice may have about her classmates she didn’t know that well to begin with, and presents a different story for every single person that crosses the page.

Did I mention I love Henry?

Alice is also a lovely protagonist and is about everything readers dream of in a badass, independent female protagonist. She doesn’t distinguish herself as “different from other girls” or put herself above any of her peers, but she is humble yet headstrong and brilliantly feisty. She also has the best one-liners (my favorite: “I’m greeted at my aunt’s door by Buddha. Not the Buddha himself—though it certainly wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen to me this week.”). Her voice is strong and inspirational and certainly provides a voice to those of us who were mega-overachievers in school (I know I was). I wish I could hand this book to a 16-year old me—Alice might’ve inspired me to slow down a little!

Now to expand on Henry (as I’ve been wanting to do this whole time). Admittedly, I almost always hate love interests. I was thrilled to see that this book subverted my preconceived opinions once again. Henry first comes across as this perfect, smug, beautiful man who Alice feels frustrated she cannot live up to. They are competitive, and he has a way of pushing Alice’s buttons like no one ever has. However, when they end up partnering to create the app together, Alice learns more about him and that his life wasn’t all big money and studying like she originally thought. He grows just as much as Alice during the novel and is much, much more than a pretty face. He is easily my favorite character in the whole book (shocking for you all to hear, I know).

Aside from the main two, every side character is well-developed and easy to remember. The number of characters introduced is not overwhelming, yet not so small that the school feels entirely empty. The teachers, especially, provide some insight into the story and serve as mentors who push Alice into making better decisions for herself and not devalue her own worth despite the differences between her and her classmates.

Without giving too much away, I also commend the fact that this was a young adult novel without an ending where everyone wins. Often when I read young adult novels, the characters are not held accountable for their mistakes. It’s frustrating, and it makes the endings very weak. Liang cleverly challenges this by creating a favorable outcome for her characters, but not a perfect one. Alice’s problems don't magically go away with a flick of the wrist but rather, she uses the bad situation as well as her intelligence to her advantage. The characters are held accountable for their actions, and while things ultimately end well, they don’t end with the problems dissipating into thin air. Typically the endings of novels are like a walk through the mud for me, but this one left me pleasantly surprised!

If You Could See the Sun is a delightful read, packed with drama, a wonderful romance, and a spark of hope for young people that may not yet know what they want to do with their lives or understand how much they’re worth. Absolutely unputdownable, with an exceptionally strong protagonist and a compelling story, this is a debut packed with elements that will delight readers of any age. Thanks again to Inkyard Press for a free eARC, and I am on my knees begging anyone who has read this far to wishlist this book immediately!

In Ann Liang's debut novel, Alice Sun, an overachieving high school student, uses her newfound power of invisibility to make money so she can stay at her prestigious (and expensive) school. Along the way, she's forced to confront her preconceived ideas about her classmates, her morals, and what she wants for her future. The novel's greatest strength is in Alice's voice. She feels young but mature, making her mistakes believable while still holding appropriate space for the novel's themes about class and familial obligation. The audience can see gaps in Alice's self-awareness—like her budding romance with academic-rival-turned-accomplice Henry Li—but understands why Alice has these gaps. It makes her not only a well-rounded character, but one that endears her to the reader, makes us want to root for her even when she's making poor choices. A stunning debut for all fans of magical realism, Ann Liang is an author to watch!

Being the only scholarship kid at her school, Alice has never quite felt like she fit in. That’s even more true when she starts turning invisible. Then, she finds out that her scholarship isn’t enough to be able to keep her at the same school anymore. She decides to use her powers to spy in on conversations and use her knowledge of these scandals to make money. Things get more complicated when the scandals escalate from school gossip to broken laws. Where does Alice draw the line?

I found the character of Alice to be a little cringey at first in the story, but once she gained her powers, I was drawn in. Interesting and original story that contains the usual salaciousness found at expensive prep schools. Will recommend. Fun read.

I adored this book! Fast paced, action packs and of course, almost everyone's favorite tropes: enemies to lovers. I almost couldn't put this book down.

Alice and Henry are both charming. The way they interacted and bantered was so much fun and I couldn't wait for their relationship to develop.

I cannot wait to get a physical copy and recommend it to everyone!

There’s good books. And then there’s “stay up late reading in bed and wake up with the book next to your head and spend the entire day reading because you can’t stop” books. This one is the latter.

★★★★★ (5 Stars)
"Descartes was wrong, you know, when he said, 'To live well, you must live unseen.' To live well, you must learn to see yourself first"

Going into this book, I thought I would just get a sort of superhero story where someone can turn invisible, but that was not the case. This knocked me off my feet (metaphorically speaking, of course) and completely demolished my expectations.

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang is a story about a 16-year-old Chinese American girl named Alice Sun who goes to an elite international boarding school in Beijing where she always feels invisible. Her school is filled with rich and famous students while she is the only one there on a scholarship, and then her parents tell her they can no longer afford the tuition. After an awards ceremony, Alice goes cold and soon learns that she has actually turned invisible, but she doesn't know how. With no other option, she seeks out the help of her rival: Henry Li. Alice begins to use her newfound power to earn money through her peer's requests, but she questions herself more and more as the seriousness of the requests grows.

Let me just say, Ann Liang is a clever, creative, and astounding writer. This debut contains such a unique concept with an all Asian cast and a phenomenal love interest with a British accent. To see a power that is uncontrollable used by a morally gray main character was so interesting and something I've never read before. I had such a difficult time putting this book down as I could relate to Alice with her anxiety and loved seeing her journey and being with her through the tough choices she had to make. The writing style was also amazing and highly enjoyable.


pros:
HENRY. LI. Alright, another book boyfriend added to the list. Henry is so amazing and caring from the beginning. When Alice first starts feeling the symptoms associated with her invisibility, he tells her she doesn't look well and tries to make sure she is okay. He keeps this compassion through all of Alice's ups and downs and her good and not so great choices. Can I mention the fact that there wasn't a miscommunication trope??? And.. it gets better... HE FELL FOR HER FIRST. Yes, he's incredible and has a dimple, and, did I mention a British accent? Because he has that too. The enemies-to-lovers was *CHEF'S KISS* for sure.

The relatability and anxiety representation was so so incredible. The best way that I can show how relatable the rep is would be to provide some quotes, so here they are.

"No point making myself feel worse with imaginary scenarios - even though that seems to be what I do best"

"It sounds like I'm hyperventilating. F**k. Am I hyperventilating?"

"To my absolute horror, a pressure begins to build in my chest, climb up to my throat. My eyes blur"

"I hate that this is always my first instinct: self-doubt, anxiety, the nagging feeling that I did something wrong"

And a comment made by a teacher:
"Even if it doesn't feel that way now, you're still only a kid. You're too young to be this... hardened by the world. You should be free to dream. To hope"
This part seriously made me tear up. I felt like the teacher wasn't just saying this to Alice but was speaking to me as well.

The discussion of class was so great, and I'm the glad this was touched on. The reader can really see how Alice's financial situation compared to her peer's can be so drastically different and how others don't even realize that she can't afford shopping sprees like they can.

Alice was relatable because of anxiety, but she is relatable in many other ways as well. Her thoughts are realistic, and there were many times when I had a similar thought process as her, could feel her emotions, and relate to certain experiences.

The magical realism within this novel is well-developed, and the reasoning for it in the end makes sense. I won't reveal it since it's something developed throughout the story, but I think it has a beautiful explanation that isn't stated clearly. The meaning is shown instead of stated, so you're able to develop a full understanding of it yourself, and I loved that.

The pacing of the novel was well done. I didn't feel that there were any points that dragged on or were boring; I was gripped by the words in every chapter.


cons:
The only thing I can really comment on are some grammar mistakes, but I'm sure those will be fixed before the novel is published.


Overall, this story was so so wonderful. Having a main character that I can relate to makes a book so much more special and impactful, and I enjoyed all of the smiles, laughs, tears shed, and heart-wrenching moments throughout. The cover of this is also so beautiful, and the title is very impactful after you read the story and understand its meaning. Also, I've talked to the author briefly on Instagram, and she is so sweet.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sharing this stunning novel with me in exchange for an honest review.

**Note to publisher: Review will be posted to Instagram (@a.bookish.plant.lover) closer to pub date (in late October) and to Amazon (account is ABookishPlantLover) when published.
***Review has been posted to Goodreads (goodreads.com/abookishplantlover)

I would like to point out that that is a pretty clever title.

Anyways, I will always support a story that battles the Model Minority Myth.

I loved how not perfect Alice was. Most of the time, when characters in books are labeled as being "smart" they seem pretty unrealistic. They always seem to know exactly what to do. I loved that Alice had to really work for all she had and couldn't afford to slack off or take a rest. It honestly just really made me admire her and want to root for her even more. She didn't get things for free and you could really see the desperation in her actions.

Strangely enough, the book felt a little too short. Even though everything wraps up nicely, I still like the end came too fast. This could be a good thing, depending on how you look at it, but even the romance, which basically took the entire book to arrive, felt like it arrived super fast.

I'm still thinking about this book after finishing it and I want to desperately reread it immediately. And I RARELY reread a book! LOVE

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you suddenly had the power to become invisible - what would you do with it?

Alice is one of the top students in her school and suddenly discovers this happening to her. She decides to use this new ability to spy on her classmates - in a way. She learns all of their secrets and desires. She learns more than she wants to. Along the way, she learns more about herself.

This book takes place in an upscale (expensive) international school in China, which made it really interesting. It was fun to learn more about a different culture.

This book was about the magic of invisibility, but it was also about her friendships, a possible romance, and a lot of personal growth.

I absolutely loved the first 75% of this book. I struggled with the last part because I questioned not only the decisions that Alice made, but also Henry, her rival/crush. I didn't sense thier change in ethics along the way, but the final task they take on didn't quite ring true to me. And I didn't like the resolution. I thought the consequences should have been more severe.

Overall, this was a fun, enjoyable book that would be fun to discuss. What would you do if you had this power? Do you think it would change your morals/values? And if I was much, much younger, I am sure I would have had a book crush on Henry.. :)

Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Okay, so this book is literally one of the most amazing things I’ve read. Words cannot describe my love for this. Like, academic rivals to lovers? Perfectly executed. The BANTER? Absolutely adorable. Like the entire premise of the book is just amazing. And the CHARACTERS, omg I love them all so much.

Henry and Alice both just so charming in their own way and their banter was just so fun. You couldn’t just not ship them from the start. I was literally yelling “JUST FALL IN LOVE ALREADY” every other page. The slow burn was just so well executed and I loved every second of it.

This book was such a fun read. I was hooked from the start. Like there were just so many little moments that made you fall more in love with the characters. But it also made me cry more times than I’d like to admit. And I love the all Chinese culture the author included in the book.

Anyways go read this book.

YES!! i have been waiting for a book like this forever. academic rivals to lovers is officially the best trope, quote me. the characters were so well developed and relatable, and i could not put this one down. ann liang writes with such precision and happiness, i could not recommend this one more.

I absolutely adored this arc and would love to get a physical copy to review if one becomes available. I’ll have an article on pop-culturalist and my bookstagram account during release week!! I loved the taylor swift references and the chemistry between the characters.

<i>Thank you so much to Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

This was a solid YA contemporary with magical realism and academic rivals to lovers! The premise of the story seemed super interesting and I really liked how the novel was set in a private high school in Beijing as opposed to an American high school, which is typically what I've only read in the YA thriller genre. This allowed the story to offer nuances of exploring one's East Asian identity & socioeconomic status as either members of the East Asian diaspora living in East Asia compared to their peers who were born and raised in East Asia.

The academic rivals to lovers arc was also really unique compared to other academic rivals to lovers arcs I've read about. Alice and Henry start working together right from the beginning of the book, and while they do keep their banter and rivalry up throughout the novel, it was interesting to see them get along so quickly. There were so many moments between them that I adored in the book, including the fact that Henry keeps a picture of him and Alice taped to his desk, that he immediately denied to Jake when Jake claimed Henry was into another girl at their school (not Alice) in front of Alice, and was like "I don't hate you" when Alice casually mentioned that she always felt like he did hate her. Not to mention the fact that he immediately agreed to help Alice out on the Beijing Ghost project? He truly would do anything for her and it was the absolute cutest thing ever.

I think the only reason why I gave this 4.25 stars instead of five was because I felt like the characters seemed so nonchalant and chill about the Beijing Ghost project considering how extreme and high stakes it felt? I was first surprised that Henry didn't seem to freak out about Alice's invisibility as much as Chanel did and the consequences after people found out that Alice was behind Beijing Ghost didn't feel as harsh as I thought they would be considering some of the secrets Alice was unraveling, tasks Alice was carrying out. I wish the ending had also been a little stronger, but overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and I'm super excited for its release in October!

Full review here: https://maeflowerreads.wordpress.com/2022/03/09/if-you-could-see-the-sun-review/

TLDR: I thought this was a super fun and meaningful read. It really surpassed my expectations, and I loved the character dynamics. Highly recommend to anyone who loves academia novels.

4.5/5 stars

I liked this book a lot, but the ending fell a bit flat. I would have liked to see some actual fallout and consequence. I could see the character growth but it would have been better if the ending was something "forced" on her. I just felt like she has this thing where she has to be the best at everything, in control, etc. so the exact opposite would convey character growth more in my opinion.

That being said, the ending was still good. And I'm sure some people would disagree with me, but this is just something that was on my mind. I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. I don't make a habit of giving critique on creative decisions because it's something the author did, and I know hard it is to finish a book.

At first, I was going to wait closer to publication day to post this review, but it's been a while since I finished a book in one sitting (or rather one morning).

Set in Beijing, If You Could See the Sun is not your typical immigrant story about chasing the American Dream. Born in Beijing, Alice Sun moved to California with her parents when she was seven, only to return to Beijing after facing financial difficulties. We're introduced to Alice at a defining moment in her life, i.e., when her parents break the news that they can no longer afford her tuition at Airington, the elite Beijing international boarding school, where Alice is the sole scholarship student. As Alice tries to come up with the tuition on her own, she comes to terms with who she truly is and what her dreams truly are.

I was hesitant at first about If You Could See the Sun, thinking that Alice's *superpower* would serve as a distraction from the overall narrative -- but this was far from the case. If You Could See the Sun is a coming-of-age YA masterpiece with commentary on class and what is worth aiming for in a society obsessed with money and accomplishments. There's also some academic rivals to lovers romance for the hopeless romantics out there. I spent my morning laughing and crying -- and I owe it all to If You Could See the Sun.

I feel that If You Could See the Sun will resonate with many readers who identify as Asian. I could see myself in Alice and my parents in Alice's parents. I can't wait to hold a physical copy in my hands on publication day!

**Note to publisher: I will post this review on bookstagram @movedbyprose closer to publication day**

Full review and links to social will be posted closer to publication date.

I'd like to thank the publisher Inkyard Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely ADORED this book. Liang depicts the feeling of invisibility in society so brilliantly, and this book took me for an absolute wild ride in the day it took me to fly through it.