Hi, fiction lover! I’ve been in my reading era! But what else is new? If you’ve been looking for your next YA speculative read, look no further than If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang. Alice Sun, the protagonist, is a character that I can relate to quite a bit. And you know I’m a sucker for an intelligent and stunning love interest. If You Could See the Sun reminded me why I love YA—all the complications of growing up while trying to forge your own path. And what’s not to love about a boarding school in China as the setting!
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang: The Premise
Alice Sun is a top student at an elite international boarding school. She is a rival to Henry Li, the other top student. She hates him with a passion… or so she thinks. When her parents bring her the news that she’ll have to transfer schools soon, or even go back to America, she is at a loss. How is she going to give up everything that she’s worked for in becoming the top student?
With a chilly and eerie sensation, she discovers that she has the powers to turn invisible. But there’s a catch. She cannot control when she turns invisible. Discovering that there are pros to not being seen, she decides to use her finicky powers to earn some cash for her tuition. Reluctantly, she turns to Henry Li for help.
She realizes that the wealthy students in her school are willing to pay a premium price for her services—which include something as small as finding out a secret, to performing crimes in order to save someone’s reputation. Entrenched in this cycle of her powers and remaining anonymous among her peers, Alice must choose how much she’s willing to sacrifice to remain in school.
My Review of If You Could See the Sun
I, of course, have to talk about our protagonist, Alice. Like I said before, I relate to her quite a bit. Not just because she wants to do well academically, but because she puts her identity into it. If she doesn’t get a top score, she loses part of herself—she seems to ask, Do I really belong here? What am I without my identity as the star pupil? Alice puts so much into school that she doesn’t really mind being called a robot by her peers. As long as she can receive an award on stage, and as long as she can best Henry Li.
Henry Li is the other element of the story that just made me keep coming back. Not only is he super smart and liked among the students, but he’s also quite the sweetheart. Sure, he does get a bit cocky at times, and he can be insufferable in a lot of ways, but he shows that he looks at Alice as more than just a rival. There were many times in the book when I was swooning because of Henry’s care for our protagonist. It also helps that he’s a brilliant strategist and someone who wouldn’t be caught dead failing an important task. Together, they make a brilliant team.
If You Could See the Sun explores themes of class, identity, and belonging. It hurts to read about Alice not fitting in with the students who don’t really care about how much tuition costs. And then, she puts her all into her new “business,” where she begins to lose her boundaries about how much she’s willing to sacrifice for her tuition. The powers being finicky are a great comedic relief, especially when Alice is caught in an unassuming position. The speculative element fits in so well, especially because Alice often feels invisible in many ways.
It was my dream to read a YA set in China. I read a lot of YA in America, so it is great to see a new place in this genre. I love seeing aspects of the city that I’m completely unfamiliar with. The book captures the Chinese American experience and the idea of belonging to a place.
My Verdict!
Alice and Henry are a match made in heaven. Their “business” is ingenious yet a little reckless. I love reading about Alice’s struggles. Again, that’s the relatable part. She really speaks to you when she talks about how she wants to provide for her parents and make them proud. And how she wants to keep her identity in school, where she feels like she has the most worth. The self-worth theme is hard-hitting, since Alice truly believes that she needs to ace those classes and get those perfect scores. Without them, she’s lost.
The romance aspect is what attracted me to the book in the first place. Because what’s not to love about a mismatched pair? Sure, Alice and Henry are both top students, but they come from completely different backgrounds. Henry doesn’t really worry about money or the other things that Alice worries about. In the end, they grow to understand each other a whole lot more.
I’m ready to read more from Ann Liang. I’ve actually read a few of her other novels, so let me know if you have any requests on what to review next. Did you enjoy this review of If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang? I hope it was fun to explore this novel! Follow me on my blog for more posts about fiction and fandom.