Young Adult

If You Could See the Sun

If You Could See the Sun

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-09-25 09:52:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Ann Liang
  • ISBN：1335915842
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school， where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens。 But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—actually invisible。
 
When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition， even with the scholarship， Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know， for a price。
 
But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes， Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life。

In this genre-bending YA debut， a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates’ most scandalous secrets。

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Reviews

Gigi ，

thank you so much to inkyard press and netgalley for the e-arc！ <3 4 （and a little extra） stars！before i am even a human being， i am an academic rivals to lovers stan！！！i requested this on netgalley simply because i saw it had my trope， but i ended up loving it even more than i expected。 this book is simultaneously deeper and also more fun than i expected。 it addresses classism， racism， and other real world topics， but it also covers these things with a fun and fast-paced plot。 the story takes o thank you so much to inkyard press and netgalley for the e-arc！ <3 4 （and a little extra） stars！before i am even a human being， i am an academic rivals to lovers stan！！！i requested this on netgalley simply because i saw it had my trope， but i ended up loving it even more than i expected。 this book is simultaneously deeper and also more fun than i expected。 it addresses classism， racism， and other real world topics， but it also covers these things with a fun and fast-paced plot。 the story takes off quickly， and there’s never a dull spot。 i had a few issues with the writing every here and there， but it never stalled the reading experience。 alice’s invisibility powers aren’t involved in deep lore - but for me， it absolutely worked。 i immediately just felt like alice deserved a break because i loved her （and saw myself in her）。 and i loved her and henry together。 and i really really really loved henry。 an angel。 british， genius， tall… inserting him into a rivals storyline was absolutely perfect for me。 teenage me would have been in love with him but current me felt like they were my sweet genius children and i needed to protect them forever。 their push and pull banter was PERFECT and the little moments where you could see henry’s affection for her were sooooo good。 i won’t go into the plot too much because i recommend you read like i did and just go along for the ride！ it’s 100% worth it。 there’s so much heart and culture involved in this book - i loved how real everyone felt。 a little fantasy a little romance a little drama a little action - a perfect escapist read and i highly recommend！！！cws: racism， classism， violence， cheating 。。。more

Amanda ，

arc from Netgalley。This was fun！ Will write a review soon。。。

Starr ❇✌❇ ，

4。5*Review to come*

Daniella ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing an eARC to review！Uh， yeah this was incredible！ An exploration of intergenerational trauma and the tension of existing between spaces （rich/poor， East/West， visible/invisible） with a touch of rivals-to-lovers thrown in for good measure。I devoured this in one day and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a contemporary with a hint of magic， a protagonist who will do whatever it takes to survive， and a lot of heart。

Keeley ，

This is a story about class， academic rivalry， and being invisible。 I loved seeing Alice and Henry grow through learning about each other's challenges and insecurities even though they are the top 2 students in their school。 I also loved all the information about Chinese culture， and can't wait to try White Rabbit candy。Thanks to the publisher for the review copy！ This is a story about class， academic rivalry， and being invisible。 I loved seeing Alice and Henry grow through learning about each other's challenges and insecurities even though they are the top 2 students in their school。 I also loved all the information about Chinese culture， and can't wait to try White Rabbit candy。Thanks to the publisher for the review copy！ 。。。more

TimetoFangirl ，

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Man， genre-bending is effing correct。 I won't go into the plot because 1） the summary is pretty thorough and 2） I actually think the less you know going in the better。 That said， pick up this book if you love:- Elements of magical realism- An academic rivals to lovers story that is just *chef's kiss*- An MC who is honestly kind of a villain but we love to see it- The ability to learn more about a contemporary culture through ficti I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Man， genre-bending is effing correct。 I won't go into the plot because 1） the summary is pretty thorough and 2） I actually think the less you know going in the better。 That said， pick up this book if you love:- Elements of magical realism- An academic rivals to lovers story that is just *chef's kiss*- An MC who is honestly kind of a villain but we love to see it- The ability to learn more about a contemporary culture through fiction 。。。more

Sylvia Barker ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is a YA book about students at an exclusive private school in Beijing。 Alice is trying to figure out if her family will be able to afford the rising school fees when something incredible happens - she finds out she can become invisible。 With the help of a friend， Alice tries to turn this unusual characteristic into a money-generating opportunity。I enjoyed this fast read for YA and would recommend it for teens as it is really written for that age group。Thank you to Goodreads and Inkyard Pres This is a YA book about students at an exclusive private school in Beijing。 Alice is trying to figure out if her family will be able to afford the rising school fees when something incredible happens - she finds out she can become invisible。 With the help of a friend， Alice tries to turn this unusual characteristic into a money-generating opportunity。I enjoyed this fast read for YA and would recommend it for teens as it is really written for that age group。Thank you to Goodreads and Inkyard Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Celia ，

Ok， I'm thoroughly surprised。 If I was going by the cover， I'd say this was a deeper， more sentimental book BUT this book has a dose of magical realism， and I am here for it。 Alice Sun's life isn't going too well。 Her family is making ends meet and they may not be able to afford her boarding school any longer。 One day though， things change when she suddenly finds herself spontaneously turning invisible。 Enlisting the help of her academic rival， they both create an app where Sun can anonymously d Ok， I'm thoroughly surprised。 If I was going by the cover， I'd say this was a deeper， more sentimental book BUT this book has a dose of magical realism， and I am here for it。 Alice Sun's life isn't going too well。 Her family is making ends meet and they may not be able to afford her boarding school any longer。 One day though， things change when she suddenly finds herself spontaneously turning invisible。 Enlisting the help of her academic rival， they both create an app where Sun can anonymously do jobs for students using her newfound abilities。 Things seem to be going well until one job has Alice in the center of a kidnapping plot。 I loved the premise; a girl suddenly develops a superpower with no real explanation and uses it for good （to an extent）。 It's relatable to be caught up in that kind of power， especially for a teenager。 Alice's need for money drives her and overrides some of her sensibilities。 To circle back to my opener， I did not expect this to be so light-hearted， but I enjoyed it。 。。。more

Joana ，

4。25 stars Incredible！！ When I first read the blurb I was intrigued and now that I’ve read it I can confirm that it lived up to my expectations。This book follows Alice who studies at a prestigious international school in Beijing， but unlike her classmates， who all come from wealthy families， her family is barely able to afford tuition （even with a half scholarship）。 So when loner Alice suddenly gains the ability to turn invisible she teams up with her academic rival， Henry， and together they cre 4。25 stars Incredible！！ When I first read the blurb I was intrigued and now that I’ve read it I can confirm that it lived up to my expectations。This book follows Alice who studies at a prestigious international school in Beijing， but unlike her classmates， who all come from wealthy families， her family is barely able to afford tuition （even with a half scholarship）。 So when loner Alice suddenly gains the ability to turn invisible she teams up with her academic rival， Henry， and together they create an app where they can profit from spying on their peers。 I loved how well-rounded these characters were， especially Alice！ Being inside her head was truly fascinating: her motivations， her dreams， her relationships。 Seeing her struggle with the morality issues that arose from their “business” was probably my favorite part of the book， as well as the discussions regarding privilege and class。 The character development was done beautifully！Even though the romance was a subplot it was super cute。 C’mon academic rivals to business partners to friends to lovers？？ Amazing！ I definitely recommend this book！ Thank you so much Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for the ARC。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Keshe ，

Thank you to Harlequin Australia， HQ （Fiction， Non Fiction， YA） & MIRA for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I absolutely loved this novel， as it made me feel so SEEN。 As a Chinese-Australian who grew up in a working class immigrant household， but then went to a prestigious private school on a half scholarship， the themes explored in this novel （racism， class disparity， the desperation for a better life， the ambition， the jealousy， the pervasive feeling of being out of pl Thank you to Harlequin Australia， HQ （Fiction， Non Fiction， YA） & MIRA for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I absolutely loved this novel， as it made me feel so SEEN。 As a Chinese-Australian who grew up in a working class immigrant household， but then went to a prestigious private school on a half scholarship， the themes explored in this novel （racism， class disparity， the desperation for a better life， the ambition， the jealousy， the pervasive feeling of being out of place， the urge to simultaneously be your own person but also live up to filial ideals） REALLY resonated with me。 However， If You Could See the Sun is not all doom and gloom - it is also an extremely fun story。 The thrill of Alice and Henry's first love blossoming against the backdrop of their morally-questionable business venture pulled me in so thoroughly; I found myself completely immersed in the world Ann Liang created。 A thoroughly enjoyable debut。 。。。more

Sydni ，

It only takes Alice turning invisible twice for her to create a business plan。 Instead of doing what other people would do， Alice decides to turn this in to a way to make money。 She makes acquires an app， using her skills to do anonymous tasks。 Anything from catching someone cheating， to helping taking someones phone。I thought the concept of this book was interesting。 I was also drawn to the book because of it’s diversity。 In a way， the story felt immersed in Chinese culture， which I appreciated It only takes Alice turning invisible twice for her to create a business plan。 Instead of doing what other people would do， Alice decides to turn this in to a way to make money。 She makes acquires an app， using her skills to do anonymous tasks。 Anything from catching someone cheating， to helping taking someones phone。I thought the concept of this book was interesting。 I was also drawn to the book because of it’s diversity。 In a way， the story felt immersed in Chinese culture， which I appreciated。 Henry was also a wonderful feature in the book， even though the book isn’t romance-centric。 Henry and Alice both showcased well the effects of academic pressure on students， as well as the effects of income inequality。 Despite liking what she represented， I had a hard time liking Alice。 Time and time again she made decisions that I wouldn’t have dreamed of making。 Maybe we are just built from different things， but Alice made some terrible decisions in attempt to do what she wants。 I thought she was pretty selfish and hurtful。 I did understand her reasoning， but I didn’t think it was excuse enough for the things she did。 All in all， this book was an interesting read。 I think someone ages 12-17 would enjoy it more， as this book is definitely targeted more towards pre-teens。 The blurb for the book does mention it being YA， but it’s hard to know the age-range for that because everyone has a different interpretation of what YA means。Thank you Netgalley for sending me this ARC to for an unbiased review。 Content Warnings （for parents）:（view spoiler）[-Mild Swearing-Minor Kissing-Mild Violence-No Sexual Content-Kidnapping （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Ali ，

I loved the premise of the book。 Academic rivals to lovers is 100% my jam， but what I thought would be a book that would be fast-paced from the description， the pace was average and was less dramatic than the story’s promise。 I enjoyed Alice and Henry as characters and found them fun and good characters that had a lot going for them， but their romance was only okay。 The synopsis mentions tasks that escalate， but that just didn’t happen。 I was also really bothered that the author didn’t even expl I loved the premise of the book。 Academic rivals to lovers is 100% my jam， but what I thought would be a book that would be fast-paced from the description， the pace was average and was less dramatic than the story’s promise。 I enjoyed Alice and Henry as characters and found them fun and good characters that had a lot going for them， but their romance was only okay。 The synopsis mentions tasks that escalate， but that just didn’t happen。 I was also really bothered that the author didn’t even explain Alice’s powers？ （Unless I somehow missed it。） Overall， this book just didn’t quite do it for me and it was a 2。5/5。 Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC。 。。。more

Carro Herdegen ，

Language: R （110 swears， 21 “f”）; Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PGAlice， a year twelve student， needs to be the best at school， and she’s been mostly successful so far – she didn’t even push her rival， Henry， off the stage when they tied for Top Achiever award again。 But everything changes for Alice when her parents admit they can’t afford tuition after the semester and Alice suddenly turns invisible。 Desperate， Alice turns to the only person she can think of for help: Henry。The questionable m Language: R （110 swears， 21 “f”）; Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PGAlice， a year twelve student， needs to be the best at school， and she’s been mostly successful so far – she didn’t even push her rival， Henry， off the stage when they tied for Top Achiever award again。 But everything changes for Alice when her parents admit they can’t afford tuition after the semester and Alice suddenly turns invisible。 Desperate， Alice turns to the only person she can think of for help: Henry。The questionable morality of Alice’s and Henry’s actions stressed me out。 On the one hand， they are the protagonists and I want them to succeed， but I also don’t believe that the ends justify the means。 Liang has written a compelling story that elicits sympathy for her characters， sparks thoughts about ethics， and invites readers to think about what they really want。Everyone is implied Asian。 The text specifically says that there are Chinese， Malaysian， Singaporean， and Australian-born Chinese students， and it is implied that there are also some White international students。 The mature content rating is for innuendo and illegal activity as well as for mentions of child molesters， pornography， sexting， condoms， sex， drugs， and alcohol。 The violence rating is for fist fighting， knife use， and some blood。Reviewed for https://kissthebook。blogspot。com/ 。。。more

Kimi Loughlin ，

Enjoyed this read a lot。 Loved the dynamic between Henry and Alice。

Bri Burton ，

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC！This book was very good and had although the themes around class is somewhat straightforward， it's well-written and super engaging！ The setting is also really immersive， and it felt like the exact opposite of the stereotypical competitive and elite boarding school， but it still somehow really familiar？ The characters are pretty well-rounded and distinct， and their development was also really good， and Alice and Henry's relationship seemed very Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC！This book was very good and had although the themes around class is somewhat straightforward， it's well-written and super engaging！ The setting is also really immersive， and it felt like the exact opposite of the stereotypical competitive and elite boarding school， but it still somehow really familiar？ The characters are pretty well-rounded and distinct， and their development was also really good， and Alice and Henry's relationship seemed very realistic！ 。。。more

DJ ，

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。If You Could See the Sun is charming and fun ride。 You will fall in love with Alice and Henry。 Alice is invisible， literally。 She finds herself turning invisible and doesn't know why。 Then Alice's parents tell her they can't afford her boarding school in Beijing and she decides to use her invisibility powers to make some money to help pay for school。 She starts listening to her classmates deepest secrets and sharing th Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。If You Could See the Sun is charming and fun ride。 You will fall in love with Alice and Henry。 Alice is invisible， literally。 She finds herself turning invisible and doesn't know why。 Then Alice's parents tell her they can't afford her boarding school in Beijing and she decides to use her invisibility powers to make some money to help pay for school。 She starts listening to her classmates deepest secrets and sharing the information in exchange for money。 This was a really interesting and fun read。 I loved the characters and the writing was great。 。。。more

Ana ，

If You Could See the Sun is a young adult low fantasy or magical realist novel， depending on how one defines those terms， that follows Alice Sun， a low-income teen at an academically taxing school for the rich。 When Alice's parents allude to taking her out of school， Alice uses her newfound invisibility to raise her tuition money by spying on her classmates。 What follows ranges from innocent shenanigans to high-level crimes。 The novel explores utilitarian moral quandaries。 Is the promise of a be If You Could See the Sun is a young adult low fantasy or magical realist novel， depending on how one defines those terms， that follows Alice Sun， a low-income teen at an academically taxing school for the rich。 When Alice's parents allude to taking her out of school， Alice uses her newfound invisibility to raise her tuition money by spying on her classmates。 What follows ranges from innocent shenanigans to high-level crimes。 The novel explores utilitarian moral quandaries。 Is the promise of a better future worth breaking fundamental ethical principles？ Or is becoming the type of person one despises too great a cost？tAnn Liang's work is certainly entertaining。 The premise of a teenager with the power of invisibility coupled with high school drama is great YA fodder。 However， what value exists in entertainment is overshadowed by poor， cliched writing and dubious morals。 The central relationship between Alice and Henry has cute moments， such as an awkward comment about a praise kink， but lacks the tantalizing tension which usually makes enemies-to-lovers stories so enthralling。 For such a sagacious girl， Alice is painfully oblivious to Henry's feelings for her。 Henry takes the time to help her with an app despite being exceedingly wealthy and having nothing to gain。 A picture of the two resides in his austere room。 Since Alice is his academic rival， he would benefit from turning her into the administration， yet he does not。 All of these factors should culminate in an overt case for Henry's feelings for her， but the thought does not cross Alice's mind。 tThough， that is not to say what does cross her mind is wise。 As the only scholarship student， Alice is privy to and critical of how the rich can get away with any unethical actions unscathed。 Yet， she is willing to forgo any partially decent ethical code to get what she wants。 One can argue Alice should not have been in the position of having to pay so handsomely for quality education， but this does not absolve her of moral culpability， especially given that she immediately resorts to spying on the other students with her invisibility powers before trying any other method。 She does not explain her situation to the school， nor does she attempt to come up with alternative payment plans。 Perhaps these efforts would have been in vain， but one can never know if they do not try。 By the novel's end， the administration mildly reprimands Alice for her mistakes but not before Alice and her friends attempt manipulation or downright coercion。 So， did Alice learn anything at all？ Readers are expected to root for the misfortunate impoverished girl with a keen mind， yet she consistently inflicts misfortune onto others in the name of staying at a school for her academic prowess， which she fails to use in any part of the novel。 Taken in aggregate， If You Could See The Sun is an adventurous YA novel with overt moral statements that are covertly contradicted。 Some characters， such as Chanel and Henry， are loveable， but a puerile writing style and revenge fantasy overcome the potential for deep characterization or connection。 。。。more

gauri （A Book and Chai） ，

i think i have found a new obsession

Tia ，

This book was everything I could have wanted， truly it reminded me of why I read YA after so misses this。 It magical realism set in an elite private school in Beijing with a romance between academic rivals， it’s everything I was looking for。

Autumn ，

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。”I liked the premise of this story。 Our main character Alice is a normal teen and comes from a normal family。 I really loved how the author had our main character come from a regular family。 Alice's family didn't come from money， but they did everything they could to ensure their child succeeded in getting somewhere in life。 I loved the rivalry between Alice and Henry and how they learned to work “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。”I liked the premise of this story。 Our main character Alice is a normal teen and comes from a normal family。 I really loved how the author had our main character come from a regular family。 Alice's family didn't come from money， but they did everything they could to ensure their child succeeded in getting somewhere in life。 I loved the rivalry between Alice and Henry and how they learned to work together to make things happen。 We see just how far Alice will take this invisibility and how she learns just when crossing that line is no longer an option。 So there is a part when Alice tells someone about her invisibility， and I was like， are you for real？ We just go on and blurt that out to folks！ I was just about done reading at that point， only because I didn't see why anyone else needed to know。 I am so lucky I kept going because it all made sense。 Yet， I am wondering how did she get her powers？ Did I miss something？ I plan on putting this book in the library as I do hope my students will enjoy this book as I did。 The storyline was clean， the family dynamics were amazing， the friendships were on point， and the romance was oh so sweet！ 。。。more

Mella aka Maron ，

Five stars。 Five beautiful， ravishing， lovely， perfect stars。I’m sitting here trying not to cry at how brilliant this book is。 I loved every second of reading this book: from the beginning line to the final page。 It truly captivated me and I implore all of your to read it。We get a girl who is impressively intelligent but her family doesn’t have there money to keep sending her to her elite boarding school。 Terrified of leaving when this school could give her opportunities， she uses her newly disc Five stars。 Five beautiful， ravishing， lovely， perfect stars。I’m sitting here trying not to cry at how brilliant this book is。 I loved every second of reading this book: from the beginning line to the final page。 It truly captivated me and I implore all of your to read it。We get a girl who is impressively intelligent but her family doesn’t have there money to keep sending her to her elite boarding school。 Terrified of leaving when this school could give her opportunities， she uses her newly discovered “power” of invisibility to help her schoolmates with their requests。What I loved about this book is the subtly of racism throughout。 It doesn’t shove racism in your face like other books do。 It just gives you a scene or a remark， some little thing that ends up making a huge impact。 It’s brilliant in its execution！ Reading this， I was appalled and angry but I know this exists。 People are this way and it sucks。 I also loved how the main character handles some of these situations: brilliantly。I loved Alice。 She is a genuinely good person who is forced to do things she doesn’t want because she thinks that’s the only way she can “win” in this world。 I loved her soliloquies on different topics throughout the book， her talking to Henry about everything。 Her interactions with Henry in general were like bright patches of sunlight in this book。 God， I loved the two of them， from the very first moment Alice stepped into Henry’s room…。 I knew they were perfect together。This book had everything and I can’t emphasize enough that it was so spot-on with it all。 There were a few things that felt larger than life， but they also made sense。One other thing is that I loved that even though I am not Asian， even though I’ve never been outside North America， I related to this girl who is smart but doesn’t have wealth。 This books transcends cultural barriers while giving us a glimpse of what it feels like to be in Beijing。 I think anyone can enjoy this book。 And I know I keep talking but one final thing is that the writing in this book was…。。 stunning。 I never felt bored or aggravated by the grammar。 I cannot believe this was written by someone in undergrad。 Floored by the beauty of this writing！ I will 100% be keeping an eye on this author and reading anything else Liang decides to write。 。。。more

Cathy Cao ，

my good sis girlbossed too close to the sun - and you would do it too for a cheque。 A stellar debut from Ann Liang！ Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc！

Es ，

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 invi 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。 。。。more

alexrreadsx ，

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。 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， the people doing the ‘bad’ stuff。 This book is written so beautifully and it covers some amazing topi 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。 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， 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 recommend this book to everyone， it is an incredible read， that is so unique and will hook you from page 1。 。。。more

Katie ，

4。5/5So much fun。 Strong c-drama energy

triz ，

first of all， thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。I've been wanting to read this book for months。 and did not disappoint！ the tropes that were promised were fulfilled with excellence， especially that of academic rivals for lovers。 I was really scared of being a ya， which is not the kind of book I usually like， but I was so captivated by the characters that it worked out really well for me。I have to say that the ending felt a little first of all， thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。I've been wanting to read this book for months。 and did not disappoint！ the tropes that were promised were fulfilled with excellence， especially that of academic rivals for lovers。 I was really scared of being a ya， which is not the kind of book I usually like， but I was so captivated by the characters that it worked out really well for me。I have to say that the ending felt a little too rushed。 but other than that I really liked how people and tasks were getting more and more morally gray。I have already recommended it to friends。 I hope to be able to read more books by this author in the future！ 。。。more

maggie （rin's version） ，

I have been waiting for an Asian academic rivals novel for so long and now I have If You Could See the Sun🫶

Jamie ，

I loved this！！ Alice is the sole “scholarship student” at an elite international boarding school in Beijing。 Her fellow classmates are all ultra-rich children of ultra-successful （or ultra-famous） adults， and Alice， feeling inadequate in their company， has framed her entire identity around graduating top in her class…。 above her carefree and seemingly flawless academic rival， Henry Li。 Alice’s insecurities and self-perceived identity come to a head when her parents inform her that they cannot af I loved this！！ Alice is the sole “scholarship student” at an elite international boarding school in Beijing。 Her fellow classmates are all ultra-rich children of ultra-successful （or ultra-famous） adults， and Alice， feeling inadequate in their company， has framed her entire identity around graduating top in her class…。 above her carefree and seemingly flawless academic rival， Henry Li。 Alice’s insecurities and self-perceived identity come to a head when her parents inform her that they cannot afford the remainder of her final year， and that she will need to “go back” to America or transfer to a public school。 This decision and these choices send Alice into a tailspin。 She doesn’t feel like America is her home， but she also doesn’t speak Mandarin well enough to be successful on her national exams。 In her panic， Alice literally turns invisible。 Shortly after her first episode， she begrudgingly approaches Henry with a business proposal- she wants to monetize her invisibility by selling her services。 She figures that if she takes enough tasks， she’ll be able to raise the money to stay at her school and finish her IB exams。 I won’t spoil it， but the tasks end up getting increasingly more difficult - and more morally gray。 At the same time， Alice starts developing friendships with her classmates that she had previously shunned in favor of studying。 Great book， great main character， great friends。 Thank you Netgalley & Inkyard for the ARC！ 。。。more

Kelly ，

If You Could See the Sun is a fun and thoughtful story about what happens when Alice Sun， a smart young woman from a low income family， decides to take advantage of literal invisibility to make money to pay her school tuition。 When she discovers that she's become invisible， she feels she has no one else to turn to but her main rival at school， Henry Li。 The two develop an app that allows their fellow classmates to buy Alice's services anonymously， but the partnership also allows Alice to begin s If You Could See the Sun is a fun and thoughtful story about what happens when Alice Sun， a smart young woman from a low income family， decides to take advantage of literal invisibility to make money to pay her school tuition。 When she discovers that she's become invisible， she feels she has no one else to turn to but her main rival at school， Henry Li。 The two develop an app that allows their fellow classmates to buy Alice's services anonymously， but the partnership also allows Alice to begin seeing Henry differently。 Not just Henry either - she finally becomes friends with her roommate Chanel， and begins forming connections with classmates that she both didn't have the time or the financial means to previously。 The story looks at several different ethical issues - when is it okay to spy on people， when is it okay to cheat？ But a request gets submitted that goes way beyond those things with long reaching consequences， and Alice has to decide whether the risk and sacrificing her morals are worth the money she needs to stay at school and have the future she wants。 The story does a great job of looking at how people with means never get forced into the type of position that Alice does， and how when they make bad decisions of their volition， the consequences aren't nearly as steep。 It really is a story of haves and have-nots。 I never felt like Liang played out the invisibility storyline to a natural conclusion， and would have like to have seen that tidied up better。 I liked the storyline between Alice and Henry， but would have liked a deeper dive into the dynamics of their relationship。 I also liked how as the story went on Alice began to see things she was missing because she was so focused on her studies， and how it began to make her reprioritize。 I can't say that I completely loved the ending; while it makes sense it just feels like it could be stronger。 A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Meghan Nagle ，

Thank you to Inkyard Press- Harper Collins and GoodReads for sending me an ARC of this book！ I am in TEARS。 This book was absolutely amazing。 If You Could See the Sun is fast paced and incredibly entertaining， but it is also so much more！ As I was reading， I felt like I could see the words from the pages come to life in my head。 I learned a lot about Chinese culture and spent a lot of time googling Chinese Mandarin pronunciations on YouTube so I didn’t get it wrong。 By the end of the book， I rea Thank you to Inkyard Press- Harper Collins and GoodReads for sending me an ARC of this book！ I am in TEARS。 This book was absolutely amazing。 If You Could See the Sun is fast paced and incredibly entertaining， but it is also so much more！ As I was reading， I felt like I could see the words from the pages come to life in my head。 I learned a lot about Chinese culture and spent a lot of time googling Chinese Mandarin pronunciations on YouTube so I didn’t get it wrong。 By the end of the book， I really was crying because I just really could relate to Alice and her feelings。 I really enjoyed this book and I hope others will read it， enjoy it， and learn some new things！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=If You Could See the Sun

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=If You Could See the Sun&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,If You Could See the Sun&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0