Alice Sun is the only scholarship student at an elite international school in Beijing, but when her parents can no longer afford to pay her tuition, Alice is told to choose a cheaper local school to attend. Ever-determined Alice decides to get the tuition money herself, and her newfound ability to become invisible is the perfect tool to aid her.

Enter Henry Li, the heir to one of China’s most successful tech startups and Alice’s biggest rival. Ever since he came to Airington five years ago, the two have been dueling it out for the title of top student.

But when Alice and Henry create Beijing Ghost, an app in which people can pay Alice to find out information for them, and as the requests become riskier, the two transition from just academic rivals into something more.

It was such a fun YA novel, and I loved just watching as Alice became more unhinged in the tasks she was willing to do, while Henry was just there happy to be her accomplice.

While the ending did feel a little rushed, and I wished it had continued longer, I still found it to be quite a fun read. But throughout the novel, I was giddy and there were mentions of Henry listening to Taylor Swift, so I can’t be mad!

The dynamic between Alice and Henry was so great; they were literally academic rivals turned partners in crime turned something more?! I mean, what more could you ask for?

-

Thank you Inkyard Press for the eARC!

rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

includes : academic rivals to lovers, guy falls first, academic validation, financial division, asian representation, relatable experiences

this is most definitely my favourite release of 2022 so far !! before i begin, i would just like to say a huge thank you to @annliangwrites and @inkyardpress for providing me with the opportunity to read such an amazing book before its release. i cried, i laughed, and i squealed on the toilet seat🕴🏻

anyways, onto the review - i've split it up into 3 sections :

1. characters
firstly, alice was so well written - her development was very clear, especially through her conversations with mr chen. her character was so realistic and relatable in many aspects - although she may initially seem like the typical 'effortlessly number 1' kind of student, you can really understand just how much effort and energy goes into earning her place. yes, she may have been selfish at times, but i didn't even get close to hating her.

2. plot
i did actually manage to roughly predict some of the events that occurred throughout the book, but even so, ann presented them in a way that felt unique and emotional every time. the reason i loved this book so much was because it perfectly depicted the mindset many young people hold (specifically asian immigrants) - the thought that our value is defined by money and academics. if you were to ask a crowd asian students what they wish for, how many of them would reply with, 'i want to be happy'? i truly hope that all those students, who struggle to meet their own expectations, will be able to come across this book and realise there is so much more above studying.

3. romance
now on a lighter note, henry li is THE love of my life. he has a british accent guys. A BRITISH ACCENT. i absolutely loved seeing their little arguments grow into so much more, and henry being entirely clueless of alice's hatred for him😭😭

p.s. full review on goodreads!

This book was really wonderful! It was so cool to read YA not set in the US, because so much of it is. The characters were all multidimensional, and I loved watching Alice grapple with the problems she faced. She was such a great character: prickly and full of desire, defining and redefining herself over the course of the novel. The plot was interesting, and it definitely hooked me, seeing Alice team up with her academic rival and use her newfound invisibility to achieve her goals. It was fascinating to see how far she'd go to get what she wanted; that's one of my favorite things to explore in novels. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, and I'd definitely recommend it to others!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

If I'm being honest, I don't have much to say about this book. The more I read I thought I related to Alice so so much, on so many levels. Academic validation? Pushing yourself to your limits? Pretty much all you have to your name is good grades? Check, check, check. This book got me thinking a lot and it was very profound! Even if at some parts what Alice did was quite frustrating, I think she had good character development at the end. And- Henry and Alice all the way!! I hope Alice got her happy ending at her new school. This was a great debut by Ann Liang, and I think it's great for anyone who struggles/struggled with defining yourself and setting standards based solely on academics. Make sure to get a copy of this book on October 11th this fall!

(Pub. on thelibraryealm.blogspot.com, June 19th, 2022)

This book has an interesting premise. Alice's power of invisibility is a fitting metaphor for her feeling unseen by her peers. (I feel like Buffy did an episode around this too, so it's definitely a relatable theme for teens.)

I like the class struggle stuff, and how much Alice's ambition and anti-heroic actions are tied to the unfortunate reality that she's just starting with a lot less than her classmates and has to do a million times more work just to keep up. There's a great moment where she remembers getting second place to Henry in a contest and cried, coz she'd worked really hard to win the RMB500 prize while Henry just entered the contest last-minute on a whim. The win also didn't mean as much to him, and he barely even remembered the contest at all. I like how Henry always viewed their rivalry as friendly while Alice saw it as much more serious, because she had so much more at stake with winning.

There's some sadly realistic scenes depicting racism, mostly from a white teacher at the school. In one scene, she calls Alice by another student's name, even though they look nothing alike.

The concept of Beijing Ghost is compelling. The author did a good job of showing the escalation of the tasks students hired Alice to do, from rather sordid but standard spy jobs that gradually intensify towards outright criminal acts.

The romance between Alice and Henry is sweet, but mostly meh. Alice never really seemed too much into Henry at all, so the random flirty scenes didn't really do much for me. I do like how Alice's developing friendships with Henry and Chanel helped her integrate a bit more deeply into the school social life. The author does a good job in showing just how much privilege wealthy students with powerful parents can have.

The book falls short for me on two fronts:

First, the task that eventually leads to the novel's climax and denouement requires Alice to perform a criminal act. I sympathize with her desperation to earn enough money to stay in school, and I agree that any penalties should be meted out fairly. But the fallout from her actions did not at all feel satisfactory. I expected there to be more consequence, or at least more character development as a result of this experience. Instead, the main message seems to be that her actions were totally understandable and justifiable, and the blame really lies within the classist school system. Which is far too simplistic and totally overlooks Alice's complicity in her own actions.

The big confrontation was a total non-event. The other party involved, the 'evil mastermind', so to speak, was barely even a force to be reckoned with. Alice's big gesture to reclaim power didn't seem anywhere near as much a death blow as the scene made it seem, and the way 'good' characters just seemed to get off unscathed bothered me. As terrible as the 'evil mastermind' was, I actually found myself wishing he got off as lightly as the main characters did, because the whole resolution just felt too neat and perfect.

The other big snag for me was that Alice's invisibility was a convenient tool yet never quite fully delved into. And on one hand, that's fine -- I like magical realism as much as the next person, and think magical elements should exist in fiction without being explained to death. But there was a scene with Alice's aunt that made me think the aunt had personal knowledge of Alice's superpower, like maybe invisibility or various superpowers ran in their family under certain circumstances. That thread intrigued me, yet it was dropped completely. Even a bit of added insight from the aunt would have helped enrich the mythos of Alice's invisibility; instead, it exists mostly as just a convenient plot tool.

Overall, this is a good book. The beginning was slow, and the book never really super hooked me. But I like the class stuff tackled in the story, and I just wish the ending had packed a bit more punch.

+

Thanks to Inkyard Press for an e-galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I spent 9 years of my childhood growing up in Beijing, so this book ended up meaning so much to me. The characters spoke to my soul, and the culture-specific themes of what it means to choose family and what it means to choose for oneself spoke to my soul. It looks like I'm becoming a bigger fan of magical realism, because I thoroughly enjoyed those elements in this story as well. While there were some issues, like pacing and certain elements to the story that I would have stronger complaints about had this story not captured my heart as wholly as it did, there wasn't enough to bog down my adoration of this novel.

I found myself utterly captivated by Ann Liang's words. She is a new author to watch for. I cannot wait to read more of her.

I received an ARC copy of this book from netgalley and it was a really cute book. I really loved the cover to this book, but I can’t say it matches completely back to the book.

This book starts off with Alice, a young girl who goes to an elite school. All of the students there come from money and some are celebrities either from social media or famous parents. Alice is the only one who is not and her parents work so hard in order for her to go to this school. Alice works/studies really hard in order to maintain her status as the #1 student in the school. Henri is her competition where he has tied with her in grades.

One day, Alice finds out she has a secret power of going invisible. She takes advantage of this and wants to team up with the only person she might be remotely close to, Henri. He agrees to be partners with her on this opportunity where she goes invisible for people’s benefits I’m exchange for money. She wants to earn as much money as possible so that she can pay for her boarding school rather than her parents. Henri creates and app called the Beijing Ghost. She receives requests until one request goes wrong. What happens to the Beijing Ghost, school, and her relationship with Henri?

The ending was a bit too cheesy for me, but it wouldn’t have ended well any other way.

Since its announcement, this book and its premise caught my eye, but I was even more excited for it when the cover was revealed! I was so excited for it that I picked it up as soon as I got an eARC (8 months from the release date as of writing this review), and I do not regret that decision one bit. In If You Could See the Sun, a girl goes into business with her rival by monetizing off her sudden invisibility power so she can afford the tuition to their elite boarding school.

As the only scholarship student at Airington Boarding School, Alice Sun has to be one of the top students. She’s been successful in that although she’s had to (literally) share the spotlight for every award with her rival, Henry Li. However, her time there will come to an end soon as her parents inform her that they can no longer afford the part of the school fees that her scholarship does not cover. When a sudden ability to become invisible appears, Alice takes matters into her own hands and decides to profit off this power. She knows that she can’t build the infrastructure for an app to receive requests, though, and is forced to work with Henry in order for this business to be successful. As the two of them grow closer, Alice also has to come to terms with what she’s willing to do to stay at this school.

I think this book also approaches what we typically perceive as the “American” Dream in an interesting way. Alice was born in China and her parents immigrate with her to the US when she is young; however, they return to China after a few years, with Alice ultimately attending an elite international school. The American Dream usually means making something out of yourself from nothing, but this doesn’t necessarily have to happen in America. Alice wants so badly to be successful, to be something more, and this dream still applies to her even after they’ve left America.

Going along with this, If You Could See the Sun examines class and privilege throughout the book. Alice is the only scholarship student in this elite boarding school, and even then, her scholarship doesn’t cover the entire cost. She’s surrounded by privileged kids who have never had to think about money and sacrifices. Her parents work difficult jobs with long hours to provide for her, and this spurs her into wanting to be able to do something with the education and opportunities that come with it.

I really loved the characters! Alice is very determined to make something of herself so she doesn’t waste everything her parents have sacrificed. She doesn’t even necessarily know what she wants to do other than be successful; however, she’s so driven in everything that she does (see: monetizing a confusing and random power) that she’ll be okay in whatever she does, something other characters have to help her see. Henry is one of these people; Alice perceives him as someone who has everything—essentially the opposite of her. However, as she gets to know him, she realizes how kind and caring he is.

The side characters were also great, such as Chanel, Alice’s roommate. They’ve been a bit aloof with each other, mostly because Alice has striven to be friendly, not to make friends. When she is inadvertently Alice’s first customer, she tells her the truth and Chanel joins Alice and Henry’s business. Even Alice’s teachers were interesting, with one of them being invested in Alice’s dreams even if she doesn’t see them herself at first.

I really liked the writing of this book too! The humor was so funny; I laughed out loud at certain parts, particularly at Henry’s deadpan responses and Alice’s spiraling. I’m really excited to see what Ann Liang writes next because I enjoyed this book so much. The plot itself was also exciting; I truly could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting.

My favorite part, of course, was the rivals-to-lovers romance! It’s a more one-sided rivalry, with Alice hating Henry for years without him really being aware of it. Still, the two of them together just create chaos, or rather, Henry’s presence makes Alice blurt out things she shouldn’t say, which had me laughing so hard. I loved their banter and their scenes together, especially as Alice gradually realizes that Henry isn’t a bad person. I just really, really adore them both!

Reading over this review, I don’t think I truly captured what I loved about this book fully. Sometimes, it’s hard to put into words why you love a book, and that’s really the case here. I just really felt Alice’s character and her feelings, the such strong wanting and how this drives her character. This longing was so intrinsic to the story, and I just really loved it so, so much. This book will live in my heart forever honestly, and I think I’ll be returning to it often,

Both heartfelt and chaotic at the same time, If You Could See the Sun examines privilege, the ability to pursue your dreams, and the desire to be something more. It’s definitely one of my favorite releases of 2022 already (and I wrote this review in February)! I loved the characters and the writing, and I absolutely could not put this book down. I can’t recommend If You Could See the Sun enough, especially if you’re in the market for a book centered on family sacrifice and dreams with a rivals-to-lovers romance!

this was such a fun and addicting read !!
— academic rivals to lovers
— international boarding school

i love that they worked together from the start !! it is so obvious that Henry has feelings for Alice. I LOVE ONE-SIDED ENEMIES TO LOVERS, OR IN THIS CASE RIVALS TO LOVERS. imagine sneaking into his dorm to ask for help when you turned invisible and you see an old picture of you and him taped to his desk? SCREAMING.

I LOVE HENRY SO MUCH HE ALSO HAS AN ENGLISH ACCENT I WAS SWOONING !!! anytime he gets flustered, the tips of his ears turn pink. IM CRYING i love him

lastly, even though this was such a lighthearted read, I loved all the commentary bits we get about family and trying to make it in a world where you don't fit in <333

I though this was a really great debut novel! It was so heart-felt and memorable. I loved the balance between the romantic aspect and the adventuring aspect--it was so good! I never felt like I needed more of one or the other. I loved the relationship, too, which doesn't often happen when I read YA--I feel like a lot of YA love interests give me the heebie-jeebies, but this one was so cute! One thing that I didn't absolutely love was the tone of the writing made the characters seem a bit younger than they actually were supposed to be. Overall: great plot, great characters, great cover. What more could you need in a debut! I will absolutely be checking out more by this author.

If You Could See the Sun is a riveting, heartwarming coming-of-age story deeply entrenched in its Chinese cultural roots. Ann Liang does a fantastic job balancing her prose and pacing, and the teen romance that blossoms in the story is truly swoonworthy. The fantasy elements are blended perfectly with the real-world setting, and does something I love: helps the protagonist grow throughout the story. Overall, this is a great young adult novel with plenty of high-tension stakes and juicy romance that makes a reader of any age compelled to turn the page.

It's been so long since I read a young adult book and I'm so happy that If You Could See the Sun was able to bring me out from my YA slump. Just by reading the blurb, I knew that this book would own my heart and it surely did. Sorry, I can't resist myself from reading a book where the main characters serve academic rivals to lovers. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I think Ann Liang did an amazing job with this story. Highly recommend!

If You Could See the Sun was absolutely charming. Ann Liang wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

This seemed like a coming of age novel about an over-achieving loner, but the author quickly flipped the script and created a genre-defying novel about the powers we have within us. The story quickly takes the reader on a journey that leads teens to ask themselves where the line is between opportunity and ethics. I found myself intrigued, then engrossed in Alice's missions, and concerned for the outcome. There is a hint of romance between her and her top rival, and I love that he becomes not only the perfect boyfriend but a safe voice of reason that lets readers fell that however risky the story gets, Henry won't let things go too far.

This was definitely worth the read for anyone who enjoys fantasy-lite. No futuristic operations or talking animals, but definitely a superpower-esque talent on the part of the protagonist, amidst a coming-of-age experience novel.

I loved, loved, loved 'If You Could See the Sun'. It's a phenomenal debut by Ann Liang, with a memorable heroine, Alice Sun, a great plot, and the perfect combination of magic, romance, and adventure. The relationship between Alice and Henry is *the cutest* and I couldn't stop smiling to myself. It's an amazing young adult novel! Also, the cover is absolutely stunning.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for my DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Ann Liang's "If You Could See the Sun" follows Alice Sun at her elite boarding school as she struggles with the news that her family can no longer afford to pay the half of her tuition that isn't afforded to her by her half scholarship. She is told that she can go back to America and finish school in Maine or go to public school in Beijing. Reeling from the news, Alice discovers that she has a secret talent, one that she figures she can monetize to stay.

I really really wanted to enjoy this. The premise sounds so awesome and I love magical realism. That said, I had a really difficult time reading this one. I thought Liang's writing was pleasant enough and the general atmosphere throughout the book but at 55% I could not keep reading this, I just did not care.

I thought it was cool how often Liang spoke about the class differences between Alice and her wealthier peers as well as her thoughts on the casual anti-asian racism in America (I can attest to it as an Asian American) but so much of it just felt so condescending and preachy. Alice to me was also not a super likable character. She's smart and cares about her family but the way she looks at her peers and the way she thought about them felt just as prejudiced as the way those peers view those lower than them. And the "enemies to lovers" trope with her and Henry did not feel believable. They had absolutely no chemistry and to me, it came across more as a passing fancy than anything involving any deeper feelings.

I think the main problem here is that I am just too old to enjoy this. From the way the characters are written, I thought they would have been freshman/sophomores not seniors. And the writing reminded me a lot of Asian dramas which is not a good thing in my opinion; everything just read and felt juvenile. I was so excited to read this because I've been searching out more AAPI authors but I just could not understand the hype for it. I think if you enjoy watching Asian dramas, are quite young, and/or don't want to think too deeply, this would be an enjoyable book.

The moment I opened the book and read the very first page, I instantly knew that this would be one of my all time favourite books. And let's just say, I think I'm a psychic, because I was right. IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN is a powerful, stunning tale that not only pulls you right in through the first page, but also leaves you gasping and wanting more with each chapter. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have an early copy of this book, and I send many thanks to Inkyard Press.

The plot was filled with such high stakes that have your heart racing with each passing moment, and was never a bore. Ann Liang not only makes you hungry for more, but also create fast paced, immersive plot points with twists that will leave you stunned. It was fascinating and thought-provoking and I never wanted to stop reading. In fact, it only took me two days to finish, and given my busy schedule, it was quite quick for me. The book never had a dry moment, and when it wasn't filled with pounding action, there were instead character moments that had me screaming in my pillow. The amount of time I had to put down the book in shock was insane.

Now with the characters...where do I begin? Going into the book, I instantly felt a deep, strong connection with Alice, and it took me a little while to find out why, but when it hit me, I felt very much emotional. The reason why Alice is a character that I hold so dear to my heart is because she's the embodiment of me . With her want for academic validation and to belong in her elite boarding school, I felt all of her struggles and desires, and she quickly became one of my favourites. It's rare that I connect to a character so deeply, so I applaud Ann Liang for making Alice so real in a sense that I almost cried for her. And DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON HENRY MF LI. Oh my god, I fell in love with him the instant he walked into the story, and my heart belongs to him. His wit and charm had me screeching with every given moment, and I loved his banter with Alice, as it was truly such a treat.

The romance was just *chefs kiss.* The academic rivals to lovers had my poor little heart screaming for more, and I was yelling "oh my god PLEASE KISS" after every 10 pages. It was so well written, and the amount of chemistry that Alice and Henry had with each was insane. They had such a strong dynamic with each other. Their growth from hating each other's guts to working together to becoming lovers was so beautifully written, and I was smiling so widely every time they were together. THIS, my friends is how you do academic rivals to lovers.

As for the diversity of this book, this is PERFECT. The Chinese culture that was incorporated within the book made me feel so SEEN and I could not get over how perfect it was. With the hilarious Asian stereotypes that were portrayed respectfully, customs, and manners of the characters, this was very well written and accurately represents Chinese readers. It made me so happy being represented in this way, and I hope that other East Asian readers can turn to this book as a source of comfort the way I did with it.

I know that this review was quite lengthy, so thank you for being here if you've made it this far. If I could give this 10 stars, I would, but I'll settle for 5. IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN releases October 11th, and I will be demanding everyone to buy a copy so they can read it as well. Again, thank you so so much to Inkyard press for the ARC and I absolutely loved it. 5/5 stars.

When I heard about this book, I was sucked in by the academic-rivals-to-romance angle, and I have to say, the book absolutely did not disappoint on that front. The love/hate relationship between the main character, Alice, and her rival, Henry, is SO well done and I was cheering them on the entire time. The build-up is just so perfect! And the plot is very well done. The pacing is a little slow at first (I almost DNF'd when she went to visit her aunt in Chapter 3 because for some reason that scene really took me out of the story), but once it got started, it was a great ride to the end. And all of the characters were well drawn and made for a great cast. And, of course, the story touched on some really universal themes, with Alice literally having to sell her "superpower" (and morals) just in order to stay at the school that everyone else is taking for granted. Great plot and really well-done execution. I can't wait to get this one for my library!

Chinese gossip girl with a fantasy twist? So here for it. Unfortunately, at about 20% in, it still hasn’t grabbed me. It’s too melodramatic, possibly even too much for high schoolers. It feels like middle schoolers would get into this, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC.

Gossip Girl meets magic and technology all in one book! Alice Sun discovers that she has the ability to turn invisible. Using this ability, she uncovers her fellow classmates secrets but for a price. Her parents want her to withdraw from her prestigious school because it has become too expensive to continue. Alice comes up with a plan to use her ability to sell the secrets she finds about her classmates. And you can imagine how well that goes...OH and there's an academic rivals to lovers plot which is phenomenal!!

This books seriously made me laugh and wonder why I was never gifted invisibility powers in high school...man I could've used it!! I loved all the friendships Alice makes along the way of her journey with her invisibility. And Henry is the ABSOLUTE cutest!!!!

4 stars!! ⭐️