If You Could See the Sun

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Utterly unique, thought-provoking, and wonderfully written, If You Could See the Sun was a thrilling ride that hooked me from start to finish. I was initially quite interested in the concept of If You Could See the Sun, but the execution of its most compelling concepts — academic rivals to lovers, an interrogation of elite Beijing educational institutions, the supernatural element of invisibility — left me feeling incredibly jaded, leading to a rather half-hearted finish of the book. 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. Ultimately though, it's a YA novel that doesn't take itself too seriously — I didn't mind how direct its message about class commentary was, since it's geared towards younger readers.

and when his gaze slides to me, i know with a rush like gravity that i can't be invisible, because he sees me. I loved the academics and culture mixed into this and also the small twists and turns the book took. Upon discovering her parents can no longer afford their portion of her schooling and with the new ability she now obtains, Alice takes into her own hands to devise a plan to earn all the money she needs to pay for her own tuition. I especially love that part about how The American Dream doesn’t necessarily have to happen in the US; Alice sounds like a character easy to root for! The American Dream usually means making something out of yourself from nothing, but this doesn’t necessarily have to happen in America.Some parts in this were also really unexpectedly action packed, like I was just chugging along and then BAM stuff was happening left and right.

I would rather spend the rest of this train ride fighting with him than let him be trapped alone with his thoughts and fears again. i committed the unforgivable crime of going in with way too high expectations so now i’m kinda disappointed 😭 rtc! The chemistry between these two is absolutely unmatched and the banter (mostly one-sided on Alice’s end) was so fun to read about! i’ve seen so many of my friends on here read and love ann liang’s books, so i wasn’t surprised to like this one. alice sun – as a former ib student and seeker of academic validation, she was a little too relatable.unfortunately, that was not the case 😭 maybe i just expected too much, maybe this just wasn't for me, but either way, i was disappointed. 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. i feel like i’m in my ya era rn and i love ann liang’s writing style so much 😭 it’s pure comfort material tbh and i just wanna giggle and kick my legs up every time jsjdljdsfashkjfhkejrhegk henry li and alice sun are so cute ! The only thing that kind of was a minus for me is that it was so short and how abruptly it ended… I wish we could’ve seen more of Henry and Alice together at the end and maybe even an epilogue. I love me some magical realism and it's always awesome to see YA that isn't set in the United States.