Alice Sun is invisible in school, having good grades takes a lot of work, but after her parents tell her they can't afford her private school anymore, she turns invisible in a new unimaginable way and she may be able to monetize on this new ability.

I read this in one sitting. Alice's problems were extremely relatable for me, the struggles of keeping grades to even unseemly separate you from social life, is a subject that this book touches on perfectly. As for the romance, it was nice having Henry for companies and their moments were perfectly integrated into the story (though I wouldn't mind more, I love smarts together).

Overall, this ends just where it needed to end


Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I’m not much into YA contemporaries these days but just the cover of this book and the slightly magical elements in the premise intrigued me and I couldn’t resist.

I loved how the author establishes the setup and stakes in just the first couple of chapters. Alice as a protagonist is brilliant, smart, sarcastic and very easy to like, so we are immediately drawn into her troubles and feelings. We loathe her rival Henry just like she does and really hope she’ll be able to make the money to keep continuing to study at her school. And slowly, we get to see her discover secrets and truths and grapple with what she thought about others, what the actuality is, and how justified is what she is doing with her invisibility powers. Add to this a very intriguing rivals to lovers dynamic, and this makes for a very enjoyable story.

But what really made this book good for me was how the author managed to integrate so many themes in the story while also keeping it lighthearted enough and fun. Alice’s invisibility doesn’t just signify her newfound powers but also the way she feels invisible and not seen in many ways by her friends because they just can’t fathom what it is to live in poverty or less financial wealth than them. The classism here is really on point, because while it may reflect modern Beijing, it’s also true for most metro cities around the world, and it starkly depicts how unimaginable it is for wealthy people to fathom the kind of privileges they enjoy, and how much the things they take for granted are not true for others.

Overall, this was a great YA book with light speculative elements that don’t really overpower a more contemporary story, great characters who are easy to fall in love with, and excellent commentary on classism, racism, wealth inequality, poverty and more.

The Quick Cut: A teen girl who is the only scholarship kid at a wealthy international school uses her new invisibility powers to make enough money to pay her remaining school fees. Chaos ensues as the jobs get more complex.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing the ARC for an honest review.

Life can be extremely unfair. Much of a person's success can be based on wealth and connections, neither of which can be easily gained. It's a setup that helps the upper class and makes it harder for the lower classes to get ahead. For Alice, it's a reality she is fighting against so she can stay at her school.

Alice comes from a working class family, but goes to a prestigious international school. Being the solo scholarship student at Airington, it means she spends all her time around high class kids with access to anything and everything they want. When Alice finds out that her parents can no longer afford to pay her remaining tuition fees, she pledges to do what she has to in order to pay the fees herself. The solution? Using her new invisibility powers to do tasks for fellow classmates for cash. Will this solve the problem? Or create all new ones?

This book's description intrigued me from the outset, but the actual book itself was so much more amazing than I anticipated! Alice is such a relatable character and the way her invisibility powers show up are believable enough that you think it could really happen. It all works together to make for a book that you can't get enough of.

Alice is smart, but has to work so much harder than her classmates to keep what she's got. Seeing her do whatever it takes to stay at the school that can provide her an advantage is relatable to anyone who has felt similar pressures. When life doesn't hand you access, you have to find a way to make your own. The system works against you too, so it can feel like you're aiming for the impossible. Alice manages to navigate that struggle while remaining likeable as a character, which is NOT easy. Her tasks become increasingly wrong and unethical.

Alice partners with a classmate named Henry, her rival when it comes to grades at school. Seeing these two go through a journey together relationship wise will make you root for their success and understanding. Henry might be a part of the elite, but Alice shows him what it's like to be on the outside, which gives him a new perspective. These two play off each other in an adorable way and really do help one another better understand the world together. It's in many ways the heart of the story.

A magical realism story that will have you rooting for it's character's success.

My rating: 5 out of 5

This book was really good. I was lucky enough to get an arc for it and I devoured it in a day. I could really relate to Alice throughout the story and even as her actions became more and more questionable I didn’t find myself being drawn out of the story by wonky choices. It felt natural and I could understand where she was coming from, as much as I kept shouting “don’t do it!”. In addition to that, the romance aspect of the novel was pretty cute. I also really loved a lot of the prose throughout the novel, this author is definitely talented!


This review is posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

I loved this book and how much I know it would have meant to my younger teenage self! The unique and fresh take on ‘superpowers’ kept me gripped enough that I did not want to put it down.

The perfect mix of academic rivalry, one-side enemies to lovers, and international boarding school drama
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)

The synopsis hooked me in. I will read anything that involves boarding schools and rich students. The vibes are always thrilling.

This book is about a student named Alice who attends an elite international boarding school in Beijing. She's the only scholarship student there and she has worked tooth and nail to be the top student... alongside Henry, of course. Unlike most students attending Airington, Alice doesn't come from a wealthy background so when the tuition fees get raised, and her parents can no longer afford to pay for it all, Alice gets thrown into a situation that might just solve everything.

All of a sudden (still not sure how), she turns invisible and there's only one person who she can count on to help her: Henry. She puts aside her hate for him and begins to collaborate with him on a huge project that involves her new powers. They create an app called Beijing Ghost where students can anonymously ask for favours in return for money. And this money could save her future. But the tasks aren't always easy, definitely not when some things on the list could be illegal and cost Alice her entire future.

I honestly cannot describe the vibes of this book enough. Imagine rich kids who have perfect hair and skin, with the sharpest outfits. Almost everyone attending the school is decently smart, and of course, RICH. Boarding schools automatically give off fall vibes, so yes you can add your dark academia fantasies here too. And of course, a hot looking guy you can't stand because he's so effortlessly smart, and his clothes are always perfectly ironed and crisp, and he always knows what to say and when.

I have the BIGGEST crush on Henry and I will stand by what I say. It's very hard to hate him honestly, he's like the dream mysterious hot boy that everyone wishes they had in their school. But it's important to give credit to the other characters too. I loved Chanel, honestly such a sweet person. And some of the teachers>>>. Maybe it's the academic validation and teacher approval kicking in?

This book was an easy, light read but it did everything it was supposed to. I loved it, and I'm sure many others will too.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital arc!

Wow, I was completely blown away by this book! Alice is such a funny, relatable and courageous character. I love how her power is directly tied in to her emotions. There were so many parts which made me laugh and smile. I couldn't get enough of this wonderful book! I look forward to reading more books by this author!

An insightful look into the struggles and pressure of economic class disparity as Alice is determined to find a way to earn the tuition needed to stay enrolled. The pressure was put on Alice by herself to succeed but also came from societal expectations, which led her to the grey area of exploiting her invisibility to fund her education. Henry and Chanel were surprisingly understanding that Alice could suddenly become invisible, but their interactions helped build up the characters and show Alice's emotional growth. The descriptions of the food and various settings were a highlight and all of the pop culture references were fun to spot!

This book was soo good. It exceeded my expectations and I loved it so much. I was obsessed with the boarding school setting. It's definitely something I need in more books. I also really loved the romance, the slowburn was so good. I just wish the author leaned more into the academic rivals part of their relationship, but overall it was still amazing. 4.5 stars

If You Could See the Sun is an incredibly addictive, immersive and thrilling read. This is academic rivals to lovers excellence, mixed with a searing exploration of power and privilege.

Right from the start, Liang had me utterly hooked with that premise. That mix of academic contemporary competition and a touch of the fantastical through Alice’s powers. Invisibility has often been a concept that fascinates me and seeing it monetised here was such a clever twist on the trope. Alice herself has always felt invisible, unseen by her peers and unacknowledged for her prowess in the same way as her male, highly wealthy rival. This speaks to the inherent classism and sexism at the base of this academic structure and reflects wider society. Alice is diminished for her intelligence and furious drive to succeed, while this is praised and seen as only a facet of Henry’s personality. I loved how much this book delved into privilege and classist power structures, particularly those associated with intelligence and social mobility. This is always a structure that wants Alice to fail.

In case you couldn’t tell, I fell head over heels in love with Alice. Here was a snarky, extremely clever and driven girl who often comes across as prickly, blunt and a touch naive to the power plays surrounding her. However, the way she learns and grows over the course of this book is truly wonderful. The way Liang uses her powers to give her character development and a way to see beneath the veneers of perfection in this environment is masterful. I also adored the dynamic between her and Henry. There was just the right level of resentment and tension between them, with sparks flying on every page (though often not recognised by Alice). Their chemistry was wonderful and burnt just slow enough for me over the course of the book.

If You Could See the Sun is an incisive and incredible book, balancing deeply romantic flourishes with an incredibly entertaining exploration of power.

If You Could See the Sun might be my vote for the most original premise ever. Alice is a scholarship student at an elite Beijing international boarding school who starts uncontrollably turning invisible, and uses that power to her advantage. This is one of those books you think "Why didn't I think of that premise?" I enjoyed every single page of it.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, it was definitely
a ride and l'd give this a 3.75 stars. I loved how
Henry's and Alice's relationship evolved
throughout the story! Another thing I liked about
this book was how real it felt, meaning the
struggles Alice was going through felt so real.
(excluding the whole invisibility haha)
Anyways, I'm definitely going give this book
another read just because I love it so much
Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc of this book in
exchange for my honest review!

What I feel, even days after finishing If You Could See the Sun, is awe in the ways Liang uses being or feeling invisible. The ways in which Liang takes this feeling that is universal and creates a story which feels so metaphorical and compelling. How being invisible - while it could be seen as a gift - also comes with issues and this feeling of helplessness. And how it gives Alice a look into how much she doesn't know about the people we thinks she does. She begins to understand the price of secrets and privacy. While her fate is now in her hands, as well as those who have discovered her secret, Alice has to deal with the ethical ramifications. The weight of these discoveries and the lives she will have to change in order to save hers.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me this E-arc in return for an honest review.

As I finished this book, I sat in silence with my thoughts. I felt my heart torn and out back together with tender hands. Hardly ever has a book left me feeling as though my soul has been shown for the whole world to see, but this book did it. I felt tears drip down my face as I got to the end of this book, and honestly I rarely cry from a book. This book was excruciatingly beautiful, and it was raw emotions.

Alice is not some pure heroine that will choose the good for those around her... No she is someone that has been ripped to shreds by the society she has lived in. Forced to become the adult at a young age she see the sacrifices her parents have made so she can have a better life. We feel the raw emotions that Alice went through as her family sought the "American Dream" of having a better life for them, yet to face the cruel realities of those who seek to do hate crimes against them because they are Asian. That there is not some fictious writing, but the harsh reality for many that are asian and any poc.
After the experiences her family had, they go back to China to find home again, but are again faced with the harsh realities of their economic situation. We see the pain Alice feels as she becomes the model student of Airington so that she can make a name for herself and her family amongst all the richest families, including her rival Henry.
As she she faced with powers that helps her to thwart her classmates and uncover some of their darkest secrets, we see her also finding the revenge and power she has always wanted to hold against them.
This story shows the beauty of what it means to fight so hard that you become numb and exhausted from it, to the point you can't remember what you wanted to live for. I honestly wish I could have an Henry in my life like Alice does, it is heartwarming to see those two clash together and also out their minds together when faced with her new found powers.
This story is about what it means to be human, to feel like all other roads have closed and there is only one option to choose, and also it is about what society deems as important compared to what truly matters.
A part that stood out to me and spoke to me whole self is " To live well, you must learn to see yourself first."

This book was really fun! I loved the way the invisibility was perfectly fit into the world we know. I loved how we got a glimpse of Beijing through the eyes of someone who clearly cares a lot about the city. Overall delightful!

If You Could See the Sun embodies everything I love about the YA genre. Snarky, witty, with loveble characters and insane teenage scheming that somehow just work out. Liang delivers a stunning debut, with a memorable, relatable protagonist in Alice Sun, plus a fantastic academic rival/love interest in Henry Li and their antics to keep Alice in school.

What makes this book for me was Alice Sun’s character. As a now-graduate student reading this book, Alice Sun embodies everything I was a highschool student, competing against classmates to get top grades, doing anything and everything for the most packed, well-polished package to bring to a college resume, but dialed to a 12. Seriously, this girl is insane, but simultaneously so relatable. Every thought she had, every action she took, was absolutely something I could picture myself or another friend doing to get just that extra edge. Perhaps this is cynicism on my part, but there’s this tone of optimism, the underlying tone of ‘if I can only get into the best university, my life will be set’ Alice has that so perfectly reflects how so many Asian Americans go through highschool that I’ve never quite seen reflected elsewhere and I really appreciate Liang for portraying that.

Plotwise, this book is half hilarious and half surprisingly depressing. Alice Sun, under threat of leaving her ultra-prestigious international highschool in Beijing, discovers that she can turn invisible, and immediately decides to monetize those powers to cover next year’s tuition. Problem is, she can’t actually control this power. Cue some of the funniest scenarios of her and Henry getting into shit while they wait for her powers to kick in so she can snoop on her classmates’ dirty secrets. Of course, under the glamor of fame and wealth, said classmates can have both dirty and just sad secrets.

I really like that Liang chooses to humanize (kind of) those classmates. A lot of books in this vein, rich kids are presented as villains, snobby and unsympathetic to the ‘poor’ main character. Alice’s classmates have a lot of heart, and while it’s clear they don’t really understand not having money, they’re sympathetic and, well, not utter assholes. Henry and Chanel are great sidekicks to Alice’s bullshit.

Overall, I rate this book a 4.5/5. I loved all the references to Chinese pop culture (the Xiao Zhan one got me laughing out loud), and Liang’s use of Chinese within the text! Alice’s mentality and hijinks were incredibly relatable and I think Liang really captured the high pressure many Asian American students find themselves in to get into top colleges in both a serious yet light-hearted way.

Review will go live on my blog 3 October.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Alice is a brilliant girl from a working class family who attends a prestigious (and expensive) school. She also randomly becomes invisible. After learning that her family cannot afford her school fees for the next term, she uses her powers of invisibility to make money by uncovering secrets, which eventually escalates to riskier tasks. Alice's journey is a powerful one of self-discovery, but there's more! This book has an absolutely adorable enemies to business partners to friends to more than friends element, which I loved. Henry is a wonderful character and I was rooting for them the entire time. There are also fun moments of tension when Alice is making her stealthy moves, as she never knew when she would become visible again. I flew through this one in two days and will definitely be adding a copy to my classroom library!

I originally wanted to read this because of how the author promoted the book as being a romantic rivals to lovers, and considering in a lot of her promotional videos the focus is on romance…I expected the book to also have a focus on it.

Sadly, it was barely relevant and I’m not against a slow burn but when the burn is arguably not there for most of the book, you can understand my disappointment. Not to mention the two people who knew her secret literally had zero reaction to it. I just felt like despite the plot being about magic realism, it was barely even explored.

Aside from that, I’d say the plot was interesting but just kind of underwhelming.
I will say though that some of the stuff I enjoyed were the descriptions of her childhood, Beijing, and food. You could definitely feel the authors emotions coming through on the page and I loved that.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an ARC of If You Could See the Sun in exchange for an honest review! This book was an absolute JOY to read. It was lyrical, had insightful commentary, and had me kicking my feet and squealing. I truly loved it so much. A new favorite for sure.

I adored this so much! Alice as a character is one I found so interesting and I related to her strive for academic validation and success. I enjoyed seeing her friendship grow with Chanel and Henry a lot, and I definitely didn’t expect the lengths Alice went to with her invisibility powers. Overall, this was such a great read and I can’t wait to look into more books by this author.