Book Review: I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang
Title: I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang
Release Date: 29th January 2025
Publisher: HQ Young Adult US
RRP: 19.99 AUD
Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
Synopsis:
After getting rejected by every single Ivy League she applied to and falling short of all her Asian immigrant parents’ expectations, seventeen-year-old Jenna Chen makes a wish to become her smarter, infinitely more successful Harvard-bound cousin, Jessica Chen—only for her wish to come true. Literally.
Now trapped inside Jessica’s body, with access to Jessica’s most private journals and secrets, Jenna soon discovers that being the top student at the elite, highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she imagined. Worse, as everyone—including her own parents—start having trouble remembering who Jenna Chen is, or if she ever even existed, Jenna must decide if playing the role of the perfect daughter and student is worth losing her true self forever.
Review:
Ann Liang just gets it. That’s the best thing about her books. All her stories and characters are so painfully relatable and immersive. She transports you to live the lives of Jessica and Jenna Chen, and you feel everything. The tension and anxiety, the stress and pressure. You feel the pain and jealousy but also you’re rooting for both of them. You feel everyone’s eyes on you, watching you to make the next step, and maybe even secretly hoping you’d slip. It’s a thought-provoking story that is emotional and heartbreaking, but also so empowering.
I adore Ann’s writing SO MUCH. She’s such a clever and eloquent author and it shows. The way success and glory is defined as something of a borrowed skin - that you will NEVER be enough, and that one misstep means someone else is going to come for your crown. I appreciate the acknowledgement that academia does not solely depend on how hard you work or how naturally clever you are, but things like race, privilege, people of power and even staff can affect the trajectory of one’s academic career.
I love the variety in perspectives from different student bodies that add so much depth to the characters and even the topic of academia itself. Emotional burden is often a thing looked over and experienced differently by everyone - whether you’re a straight A student, the student who always comes second, or even the student who studies and tries day and night, and will still never be able to get anywhere near the top list of students - and I enjoyed being able to understand both sides of the same coin without the author making you choose between who is the better person.
There is so much food for thought in this book, and the MC being a POC adds so many more layers to the story. The character development is the best I’ve ever read in a YA novel, and with this book being shorter than usual (~300+ pages), Ann Liang wrapped up the story SO incredibly well. I was indulgent and read 200+ pages in one night, finishing the book at exactly 12:32 am ✨🥹 These are the kind of characters and story that stick with you, and I think anyone can pick this book up and relate to the story one way or another. This is now my favorite Ann Liang book EVER!!! 🥰 I love love LOVED it SO MUCH!!! 🤍🤍
Thank you SO much to Harlequin for sending over a beautiful finished copy in exchange for an honest review <3
