Book Review: If You Could See The Sun by Ann Liang
If You Could See The Sun
Author: Ann Liang
Published: October 11, 2022
341 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: November 5- December 3, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
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.
Jessica’s Review:
If You Could See The Sun took me way too long to read, but it’s not the book’s fault: In fact after reading it I wish I had been able to read it quicker. I enjoyed this one and it was a fun read that actually had some unexpected action to it!
We have a book that deals with the differences in class which is a much bigger deal in China where the book is taking place. We have Alice who is going to school on a scholarship (with continuing to rise prices) but soon her scholarship might not cover the cost of school! Suddenly she develops a ‘power’ to become invisible! Alice decides to monetize her new ability by creating an app. She also ends up working with her crush who is also her highest academic rival. Not being able to control her ‘ability’ does limit what she can do, but the jobs she finds herself doing go from nothing too serious to actual crimes, yes crimes! Alice gets more than she bargained for with the app and her ability. She finds out more than just classmates secrets. It was refreshing in this time of ‘superhero movies’ that the regular Alice didn’t try to help others, but help herself to be able to stay in school. Not everyone wants to be a superhero! That just seems like something most people would do: How can I help myself first of all! Alice is just a real girl: She’s sarcastic, smart, knows what she wants but also clueless at the same time. In fact: a regular teenage girl!
Despite there being an invisibility aspect to the book and not getting any answers in regards to it, the book just seemed realistic. Teens being teens and the consequences of what they do.
This is refreshing book! If you are looking for a romance angle, don’t be as it is an extremely slow burn. For a debut novel, this book has so many strengths, I am excited to see where Liang goes next!
Many thanks to the publisher Inkyard Press for sending me a copy to review via Bookish First. I hate that it took me so long to actually read it.