I decided to leave this book behind. I remember reading the first one and not being all that crazy with the ending and the overall story. So I don’t want that same experience with this.

A disappointing, rushed-feeling sequel to a pretty good first book. I wasn't gripped by this, in the same way I was the first book, which had a great premise and cool twist. I don't know that the magic was the same when the "hook" introduced by the first book isn't in place. I found the story a bit rushed, and weirdly, the setting wasn't "futuristic" enough to feel this dystopian. A great premise, that didn't need this sequel.

Overall, I really enjoyed the sequel to This Is Not the Jess Show. Part of me wished it took place a little more in the actual world, rather than the world of Stuck in the '90s. I wanted to see more about how society had developed into the world Jess found herself in.

There was a lot of action and the plot moved very quickly as Jess worked to take down LLP. I liked seeing some of the inside world of the "extras" on the show and exactly how some of that worked. (I am still amazed that there were somehow only twelve people living in Swinkley full-time--the parts about how that worked and how people played various roles was my favorite part of both books.)

I wasn't very interested in Chrysalis, the antagonist, though, which made some of the revenge plot less interesting than my ever-growing need to know every tiny detail of just how the show worked. The only other thing that kind of stuck out to me-- and this would be a tough thing to work around-- is that the characters are still using a lot of the social media networks we use today and I guess I think that society will have moved on from Instagram by 2035.

This was a really interesting series and I remain super intrigued with the characters and the concept-- Jess's parents weren't very present in this book and I think I was hoping for more of a reckoning than I got but perhaps they're both just too shallow to be worth Jess's time.

I enjoyed reading the first book, so I was excited to discover a sequel. It’s an interesting concept and I liked catching up with the characters. Thanks for letting me check it out!

It’s been about a year since I read This is Not the Jess Show, so some connecting details were foggy to me. But that did NOT hinder my enjoyment of this story. The story picks up with Jess and Kipps hiding out with Sarah and Charlie in the woods of Maine. Unexpected events force Jess to return to LLP to finally try to bring them down. This book was fast paced, with twists that I did not see coming. Little character development (which is totally okay!) and heavy plot emphasis are the focus of this story. I enjoyed it and think that my students would love to see what happens to Jess (since I already have the first book in my library).

This is Not the Real World by Anna Carey, 304 pages. Quirk Books, 2022. $19.
Language: R (33 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Jess is off the set of Stuck in the ‘90s, reunited with Sara and Charli, and has finally turned eighteen – so she can’t be forced back to the set. But Kipps is still months away from his eighteenth birthday. When they’re caught outside Charli’s house, Kipps is forced back to the set to fulfill his contract, and Jess has to figure out how to get him back.
While I was disappointed in Jess and Kipps for getting caught so easily over a scene that was unnecessary, the rest of the book was intense – I hung on every word. Jess is a little petty and a little paranoid, but it felt genuine with her upturned world. Shattered illusions doesn’t mean that Jess now knows what to do and how to move forward; she still fights for her freedom and for the freedom of others bound to Like-Life Productions.
Jess is White, Kipps is implied-White, and Sara is half Mexican. The mature content rating is for alcohol, mentions of drugs and groping, innuendo, illegal activity, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for taser use and attempted murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

As with the previous book, really enjoyed the concept and the characters. Hopefully there will be one more??

THIS IS NOT THE REAL WORLD is exactly the sequel that fans of the first book deserve! Carey is back again giving readers a bird’s eye view into Jess Flynn’s life and taking them on her path to revenge. This book has all of the nostalgia and tension that readers fell in love with in the first book. I loved that this time we already knew the set-up and got to learn more about how Swickley functions. The behind-the-scenes glimpse is what every tv show fan wants and this is exactly what the book gave us for Stuck in the 90s. There is a fantastic mix of old and new faces for secondary characters that work to make this story filled with fun and suspicion. The ending was quite satisfying, but also left room for a potential third book. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed this isn’t the last time I hang with Jess Flynn!

A huge thank you to Quirk Books for my gifted copy!

This is book two of a duology, the first being This Is Not The Jess Show, which was a mix of The Truman Show but with a 90’s spin on it. Our protagonist, Jess Flynn finds out that her whole life was recorded for entertainment purposes and while she was living on a set thinking it was 1998, it was actually 2035 in the real world.

Book two sees Jess return to the set she had escaped from as a means to oust the producers of doing nefarious things for the world to see. While this book was packed with action, and perhaps had more of a thriller slant to it, it somehow lacked in what made book one memorable. I loved book one because it was steeped in 90’s nostalgia, and while this book had some of it, the focus was more on trying to destroy the fictional town of Swinkley and bring down the organization behind it.

It’s still a fun read, and you definitely have to read book one in order to read this book. I recommend this book if you love the 90’s, the concept of The Truman Show and if you like unapologetic badass female protagonist because Jess gets even grittier than she did in the first book and I loved to see her take control of her life and narrative.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quirkbooks for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

After really loving This Is Not the Jess Show, I was super excited to get to the sequel to find out what the heck will happen to Jess next. Now- if you have not read Jess Show, you should just... leave and go do that. Because inevitably, this will contain some form of spoiler for the first book. It's simply impossible to discuss this one at all without at least some spoiler territory for Book 1. So off you go.

Okay, so. If you have read the first book, we pick up not too long after Jess has escaped, fully into 2037, where she has to kind of learn how the heck the world works now. It's pretty interesting in that respect, because imagine the internet barely exists one day, and the next, you literally have access to the world on your phone. Obviously it's even a little more technologically advanced than we are now, since it is 15 years in the future. I definitely enjoyed that aspect of the story, Jess learning to live in the actual world.

Still, the producers of the show don't care much about what Jess wants. They want their show to make money, and fans want to see Jess back. To see the fallout from her knowing that she was lied to and betrayed her whole life, that she never even knew what millennium she was living in. Kipps is still 17, so he ends up being forced back to the set. And sure Jess could let him go it alone, but she's not about that. Plus, there have been some mysterious staff disappearances, and the group trying to find out what is going on could benefit greatly by having Jess as an inside man. So, back she goes.

The production lady high key reminded me of Dr. Crazyflakes (thanks Beth for inventing her perfect name) from The Wilds. Cares zero percent about kids' lives, as long as she is reaching her endgame. Making bank here is just like Dr. C insisting she has a great study that will make her famous. In Jess's world, Chrysalis is going to do whatever it takes to make sure her production succeeds- no matter who gets hurt (or goes "missing") in the process. Jess now has to not only be a spy, finding out as much info as she can, but she is forced to come face to face with all the people she had trusted her whole life. Her parents, her "best friends", literally every person she has known forever, and who has lied to and deceived her, are now back in her daily life.

While I enjoyed Jess dealing with these folks, I had a hard time remembering who some of them were from the first book. Especially because who they really were was obviously not who they'd been pretending to be, so it was often hard to keep everyone straight. But I did like the impact that these people had on Jess.

I also wished the ending had been a little more fleshed out, as I felt there were a few threads that could have been tied up better. But overall, it was an exciting conclusion to a really solid and unique duology, one that I would definitely recommend!

Bottom Line: Love Jess and her story in every millennium, frankly.

This story is a sequel to a very interesting premise of a book about a girl that is living on a reality TV how and she doesn't know it! At the end of the first book Jess escapes and this book picks up now that she is on the run.
I found this book very similar to the first novel. The characters were a bit predictable as was the plot. There was a little divergence from the first book other than Jess has now left the set (but then decides to go back)
I was disappointed by this book. I think I just wanted Jess to evolve more maybe? I just felt like there was not enough depth to the story and the characters.
This was fast read for me and I will still recommend it to my middle school students.

I was such a big fan of the first book in the series and was delighted that this sequel did not disappoint!

The first book in this duology came with a twist that left me gaping in disbelief, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened in this sequel.

In the last book, Jess and Kipps narrowly escaped the show and then went into hiding with friends. This story begins several months later. Jess is eighteen-years-old, but Kipps is only seventeen, so when he’s traced down by Like-Life Productions and forced to fulfill the remainder of his contract, both characters find themselves in situations beyond their control. To be with Kipps and find a way to expose the truth, Jess also returns to the show.

This sequel gives more insight to many of the supporting characters who play bigger roles this time, especially Chrysalis, the “villain”. Where the first book revealed plenty of secrets and had a momentum that made it difficult to put down, this one has a different feel. The big question is now who Jess and Kipps can trust, and who’s in line waiting to betray them. Still, it has a few surprises, more dastardly deeds come to light, and the power of social media (a positive aspect) is incorporated into the story line.

At barely three hundred pages, this is a quick read that takes only a few hours. The story doesn’t really end on a cliffhanger, but I’m unsure if another book is in the works. If this is the end, it’s been an engaging, quirky series packed with surprises that I enjoyed. It was fun to relive some 90s nostalgia.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an e-arc of this book via netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an amazing sequel.
In the first book, we don't get much information on the side characters (ie. Chrysalis, Kipps, Amber, etc.), so it was nice getting to see them more in this book.
I did struggle just a tiny bit with keeping track of all the characters, but they all felt developed and weren't there just for the sake of being there.
The plot was a lot faster than the first one, and at some times felt overwhelming. It was one event right after another. It definitely felt very thriller-esque, which I enjoyed.

Overall I loved this book, and would 100% recommend this series.

In the fast-paced sequel to This is Not the Jess Show, Jess has escaped the reality show that kept her unknowingly trapped on a 1990's era set her entire childhood. She and her boyfriend, Kipps, are living with her fake sister Sara (who fake-died of cancer on the show) and working to expose the evils of the show.

But the show isn't ready to let either of them go. When the show tracks them down, they capture Kipps, who isn't eighteen yet. His parents are willing to send him back for a paycheck, and Jess is told that her only way to see them is to rejoin the show. After the secret group trying to expose the show tells Jess they need an agent on the inside, Jess agrees to go back. She wants to spend time with her boyfriend, steal evidence and take down the show. But the producers aren't going to let their best show go without a fight, and Jess and Kipps are in more danger than they know.

This book was interesting because Jess is in on the concept now. She can go to employee break runs, recognize who's a series regular and a guest star, and finds out about the hidden nooks and crannies that hid cameras and future era tech.

Jess struggles to come to terms with her parents and their decisions, as well as knowing who else on set she can trust. Her relationship with Kipps is the only bright spot in her life. He balances her out and keeps her sane, while his love of his family is admirable.

As life within the set gets worse and worse, Jess must decide what she's willing to sacrifice to stay.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes the second book in a series can be disappointing, but I’m happy to say this was not!

It took a minute for my brain to reacquaint with Jess and the gang and where “The Jess Show” left off.
It didn’t take long for me to go back to the set in the 90’s and get myself entangled in the mess the characters got in.

This quick YA read had action, romance, and suspense like the first book and I couldn’t wait to keep reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for a digital review edition in exchange for my honest review.

Following from the amazing first novel 'This is Not the Jess Show' I couldn't wait to get back into the world of Jess! Because the first one was fab!

DOn't want to give too much away, but I loved it! I wanted to read this as fast as I could to get it read because I was hooked after the first book I really wanted to now what was going on!

A continuation of This is Not the Jess Show, the storyline moves forward (even if we are "stuck in the 90's), but sets up the reader for more. This is definitely the middle of the story and things happen, but there seems to be a lot of set-up, and we are waiting for someone to spike the ball and show us the next move. It is hard to learn who to trust, especially with Jess and Kipps. I'm rooting for them, but Kipps keeps choosing others over Jess. And Mims ... she can't just go quietly.

Basically, I want more! I'm looking for more! Bring on the conclusion to this 90's nostalgia lovefest!

First sentence: The gondola glided between buildings, and that same song filtered in right as we slipped under the third arched bridge.

First impressions: I fell hard for the premise of the first book, This is Not the Jess Show. That first book did not disappoint. I thought it was a fabulous premise-driven YA novel that was just fun. I was so excited to see the sequel is being published this May. I would love for it to be just as great as the first book.

Premise/plot: Jess Flynn has escaped the lie. But life is far from ideal in the real world especially when your boyfriend, Kipps, is still seventeen and under contract with Like-Life Productions. The two along with some friends (who helped them in the previous book) are hiding out...but the fact that they haven't been caught yet...perhaps leads to some mistakes in judgment.

After a very special celebration--the worst happens (relatively speaking). Will Jess sacrifice her own freedom in the real world to return to the lie she escaped? Will she return to her 90's obsessed television show?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. Did I enjoy it as much as book one? Probably not. Not that I didn't enjoy it at all. But it's hard for a premise-driven book to still carry that some momentum with a second book. I still cared about the characters, still had questions about the world--on and off of the set. This one had some twists and turns, but obviously not as many as the first book.

Definitely recommend for those that enjoyed the first book.

I was thrilled to get an ARC of this book after having loved the first in the series, This Is Not The Jess Show. Much to my delight, the sequel did not disappoint.

I admit that I had to go jog my memory before I started This Is Not The Real World - I kept remembering parts from the first book as I read that I had forgotten about. Honestly, it made me want to go back and read it again! However, I was able to remember the details I needed and dive into the sequel.

I really loved Jess' return to Swickley and all the different ways Anna Carey delved into this return. She examined Jess' changing relationships with her family and the other cast members (who Jess now knows are actors AND has learned about their social media lives), how the small town set feels after seeing the real world, and the strong desire to do right - all while juggling a new romance (which was cute but didn't, in my opinion, overpower the rest of the story) and trying right the wrongs don't by LLP. (I also loved the subtle end of the world vibes that Anna tucked in - climate change is wreaking havoc which means people want to get lost in media. Hmmm. Sounds possible...)

I read this one straight through and it really was a fun read. I've told my book friends that they'll love it and they are eagerly waiting for the release. Super great to read a sequel that didn't disappoint!