I Am Not Jessica Chen has been on my TBR since I first heard about it and it did not disappoint. It is a story about Jenna Chen, a girl who feels like she does not measure up to her "perfect" cousin, Jessica. They are the same age and it always seems like Jessica excels and makes her parents proud, while Jenna struggles and feels like her parents are in a constant state of disappointment. One night, she wishes that she could be her cousin and the universe answers her. The rest of the book is about learning to accept oneself, appreciating the differences between individuals, realizing that no one is perfect. There is a romance and a happy ending for everyone. I would recommend this book for teens on up..

I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I adored I Am Not Jessica Chen! Jenna Chen is always being compared to her seemingly flawless cousin Jessica, and when she makes a wish on a shooting star that she could become her cousin, her wish comes true. At first, Jenna is thrilled to live her cousin's life, but slowly comes to realize that Jessica's life has its own set of challenges, because she's constantly a target for jealousy and competition from the other students at their private school. Jenna says she hates herself and would rather stay as Jessica forever, but eventually she realizes that even her "perfect" cousin faces discrimination, like the director of the school getting her name wrong, and a fellow student discriminating against her for an award that she wins. Jenna eventually comes to the realization that she would rather have her own life back even if she doesn't get as much recognition as Jessica does. The book explores the concepts of being satisfied with your life, self love, and not comparing yourself too harshly against others. I would definitely recommend it!

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

I Am Not Jessica Chen is the latest YA novel by Ann Liang. Last year I fell in love with Liang's I Hope This Doesn't Find You as well as her first adult novel, A Song to Drown Rivers. Liang released another banger with I Am Not Jessica Chen. It's similar to her earlier YA books, with the focus on the character's school life at the front and center as well as exploring deep emotional issues through her female protagonists.

Liang is a master at creating characters that feel so realistic to me. These characters struggle with real-life emotions that make me feel so seen, because I've dealt with them before in my life. I Am Not Jessica Chen explores jealousy and self-loathing. I found the novel to be an interesting juxtaposition to R.F. Kuang's Yellowface. They explore similar desires, however Jenna is nowhere near as despicable as Kuang's protagonist in Yellowface.

I Am Not Jessica Chen was pretty short. I always able to breeze through it in about 6 hours. I think that's both a positive and negative. In typical Liang fashion, the romance is delightful with the male protagonist being unproblematic and a sweet cinnamon bun of a character. It's YA so it's way more focused on the emotional side of romance and there's like zero spice. But I wish there was a little more to the romance. It was missing that extra little touch that I became addicted to in I Hope This Doesn't Find You. But it's close to being a 4.5 star+ read for me.

In the end, I've decided to give I Am Not Jessica Chen a strong 4 out of 5 stars. If you're a fan of adult romance, I definitely would recommend Liang's books (even though they're marketed YA). Her characters are the epitome of three-dimensional and the romances are a great time.

Ann Liang has once again delivered a story that feels deeply personal, sharp, and thought-provoking. I Am Not Jessica Chen takes the classic body swap trope and turns it into something far more profound. It became a heartbreaking journey of identity and self-worth. It’s the perfect lens through which to explore what it truly means to be enough in a world that constantly demands more.

Jenna is the kind of protagonist who is so easy to connect with. She's ambitious, hardworking, and exhausted from the weight of expectations. She has spent her whole life trying to meet impossible standards, only to feel like she’s falling short. Her story encapsulates the experience of working so hard to achieve success that you lose yourself in the process. So many of her thoughts would make my younger self feel incredibly seen.

Jessica, on the other hand, is the girl everyone admires. She's the successful golden child who handles everything effortlessly. But under the polished exterior, there is a person carrying her own burdens that are not so obvious to others. She is the one who has everything Jenna thinks she wants, but at a cost that isn’t immediately visible. Jessica stands for the silent battle to maintain the appearance of perfection and the tremendous pressure that comes with being held to such a high standard. Both Jenna and Jessica are incredibly well-developed, making their stories feel painfully real.

Ann’s writing is stunning. It balances humor, romance, and heartache in a way that feels effortless. The themes of self-worth, comparison, and the psychological costs of perfectionism hit especially hard. At times, it felt like Ann had opened my own mind and put it on paper. This is why I love her books so much—she just gets it and knows how to make her readers feel less alone.

For anyone who has ever wondered where they fit in, felt overshadowed, or been told that their value is determined by their accomplishments, I Am Not Jessica Chen is for you. It’s a deeply resonant read that lingers long after you’ve finished.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Ann Liang for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ann Liang delivers ONCE AGAIN! Who's surprised? Not me that's for sure! I am in awe of Ann Liang's ability to drawn out the most tender parts of the Asian immigrant experience and lay it out so beautifully.

Jenna Chen has always fallen short. Never the first rank in school, never the one winning awards, and now, not the one heading to an Ivy League college in the fall. She's not perfect, like her cousin Jessica, and all she wants is to be her. And then one day, she is her. Literally, she wakes up in Jessica's body. And with each day wearing Jessica's face, she learns more and more about her cousin... and that her perfect cousin's perfect life isn't so perfect after all.

I remember too well what it felt like opening my Harvard admissions result; reading "We had an unprecedented number of applications," and the subsequent, inevitable, "unfortunately...." I actually couldn't read past the first few pages of this book, because Jenna's disappointment, Jenna's anger at herself while reading that letter, were painfully familiar. And even though I'm on the other end of it now, closer to my college graduation than my high school one, her feelings were too much for me to handle. So I put the book down, and started a different one. Once I had finished that book, I returned to I Am Not Jessica Chen. And this time, I was ready.

What I appreciated the most in this book, more than Jenna's character development and the heart-breaking romance, was Jessica herself. We only get glimpses of her character, her emotions, since she's not actually present for most of the book, but somehow Ann creates a well-rounded and complicated character with only her shadow. I loved how she subverted certain tropes. Her and Jenna's relationship felt like the true core of this story. The romance was of course amazing; Aaron might be the greenest flag that Ann Liang has written, and that's saying something given she wrote Henry Li.

If you're a grieving gifted kid, read this book. If you want to believe in love again, read this book. And most importantly, if you want proof that you're good enough, read this book.

And I just finished reading I Am Not Jessica Chen a few days ago and omg I still can't get over how amazing this one was! It's no secret that I'm an @annliangwrites fangirl but I think this one is my newest fave from her!😍 Books like these are the reason why YA is still one of my favorite genres!

They always say be careful what you wish for and Jenna Chen experiences this in real time after wishing to become her cousin - Jessica Chen.
Jenna has always been overshadowed by her perfect cousin and when it comes to college applications, she's no match either. Jenna ends up being rejected by every Ivy League school that she's applied to - much to her parents' disappointment, while Jessica is accepted by all including Harvard. After a family dinner that leaves her feeling despondent, Jenna desperately wishes to become her cousin and taste the feeling of success and her wish is granted.
She wakes up as Jessica the next day and after a huge shock, she's able to fit herself into this new life and enjoy it a little while wondering where the real Jessica went. And just as she's beginning to realize that her cousin's life wasn't as perfect as she'd imagined, she also finds out that everyone is slowly beginning to forget about Jenna - it's like she never existed!🫥 Now, Jenna must decide whether living the life that she'd envied all along is worth giving up her true self.

This one pulled me in from the first line itself - it's been a while since a book did that! I was unable to put this down for a single minute and I felt Jenna's longing for everything deep in my bones too. What surprised me was that every character was so relatable - I saw facets of myself in all of them and I found myself wanting to give both Jenna & Jessica a hug! And omg Aaron Cai - he's the only one that remembered Jenna even when she hated herself 🥹 I loved the romance here - though it was a subplot.

More than everything I loved how this book reminded me that not everyone sees us the way we view ourselves - and how terrifying and wonderful that is at the same time!❣️✨

The message was entirely relatable and very powerful, but the plot felt somewhat unsophisticated. It just kind of an academic Freaky Friday. I certainly enjoyed it, and heavily related, but it felt like there was a higher level it just didn’t reach, if that makes sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I Am Not Jessica Chen is a socially relevant YA book that I highly recommend for teenage girls.

This book tells the story of Jenna Chen, a teen girl who lives in the shadow of her "perfect" cousin, Jessica Chen. Jessica gets the best grades, Jessica is flawlessly beautiful, Jessica got into Harvard and turned down other Ivy League schools. But Jenna just feels like she is a disappointment. One night Jenna makes a wish to become her cousin, and to her surprise, it comes true. She wakes up the next day in Jessica's bedroom and realizes she has just gotten everything she's always dreamed of. But as Jenna lives the life of Jessica - attending school at the cutthroat Havenwood Private Academy, hanging out with Jessica's friends, living with Jessica's parents - she discovers that maybe Jessica's life isn't as perfect as she thought it was. And, if it also means throwing away her artistic talent, her childhood home, and her crush Aaron Cai, will it be worth it to be Jessica Chen?

I Am Not Jessica Chen has themes of family, self-discovery, building self-confidence, self-image, and believing in yourself. The main character Jenna is a strong female protagonist from start to finish. Ann Liang's writing gets the reader thinking what it would really be like to live in someone else's shoes; someone we have always felt was better than us in some way. But Liang also shows us that things are not always what they appear and that everyone, no matter how perfect they seem, has problems of their own and doesn't have it all together.

When Ann said "one's the angsty kind of sad and one's more the stare-at-a-wall kind of sad" regarding ASTDR and IANJC I was scared for this one after my experience with ASTDR, all I can say now is leave me alone, once again I am not okay but... maybe I will be in a while this time? This book took my heart, ripped it to pieces, and then sorta put it back together again. Floored by Ann's ability to write so eloquently about the things that churn inside my head as if she's in my mind, another special special book.

*thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review*

The emotional damage this book inflicted on my soul… I do not have words. This story reached into chest, grabbed my hopes and fears, and plunged them into a story where Freaky Friday meets The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Jenna’s story is all-too-relatable, bringing the stereotypical Asian desire for success to the front of the class, and making us acknowledge the reality of how painful it is, even when we choose it for ourselves. It is, at its core, a sad story. But Ann Liang gives us hope, too. It’s not just a reality check for how we approach success. It’s also a sweet love story and a generous call to see all the good things around us that make life beautiful.

The end of the book had me SOBBING, and I think it will be a long time before I get over it. Catch me annotating my physical copy of this book for the foreseeable future.

I Am Not Jessica Chen" by Ann Liang is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the pressures and expectations faced by high-achieving Asian American students, specifically those vying for Ivy League spots. Jenna Chen, a talented but struggling student, discovers she's body-swapped with her perfect cousin Jessica, allowing us to see firsthand what it's like to live in someone else's life. Through Jenna's experiences, we're introduced to the complexities of academic pressure, perfectionism, and the blurred lines between self-worth and achievements.

Ann is a true artist when it comes to writing from an emotional place. She always finds a way to capture my heart. What I loved most about this book is its nuance and depth. Liang masterfully crafts a relatable protagonist in Jenna, who embodies the insecurities and struggles many students face in high-pressure environments. The romance between Jenna and Aaron is a lovely addition, with their relationship developing organically and providing a beautiful contrast to the academic focus of the story. Overall, "I Am Not Jessica Chen" is a must-read for anyone interested in stories that explore academia, identity, and self-worth with sensitivity and nuance. Liang's writing is both deeply personal and universally relatable, making this book a heartwarming and thought-provoking read.

I adored IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN, so I couldn't wait to read another speculative book from Ann Liang. This book follows teenager Jenna Chen, after she makes a wish and discovers she has woken up with her mind in her cousin Jessica's body. Jenna begins to discover that Jessica's life is less than perfect, and must figure out how to return to her own body before its too late. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. Each character was well thought out and interesting. I loved the family dynamics. The romance element was well integrated into the story. Of course, I loved the speculative elements. This is one that I will definitely be recommending! Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc!

I Am Not Jessica Chen takes a close look at the lives of successful Asian American students and what they have to give up for Ivy League schools though speculative fiction. Jana Chen body swaps her cousin the perfect, Harvard-bound Jessica Chen. The story explores family and friend dynamics against the central theme of school while also examining mental health of these students. Fascinating read that is meant to shed light on the pressures of school on "perfect" students.

Jenna is excited to open the email that will confirm that she's good enough and that means her acceptance into Harvard. Except it doesn't come but of course her perfect, smart, beautiful cousin Jessica got in. Jenna's embarrassment disappoints her parents and she cries herself to sleep only to wake up and realize that she's in Jessica's body.

What's it like to live Jessica's life? Live in her big house. Be popular. Have everyone fawn all over you. And Jenna isn't around, so it's a curious mystery as well as a weird experience to be living in the body of someone else learning lessons about perfectionism, motivation, and friendship.

There are a lot of teens who could relate to these pressures.

I was told that this book would hurt me but I didn't anticipate how much of myself I would see in Jenna's story. Going into this story, I knew it was going to be a favorite because the struggle of parental academic expectations combined with inspirations from The Picture of Dorian Gray pretty much summarizes some of my favorite things. The beginning honestly hit me pretty hard and watching Jenna grow as a character made me want to sob at multiple points. Definitely one of my new favorite Ann Liang stories!

I'm Not Jessica Chen completely stole my heart! Ann Liang has once again crafted a story that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. Jenna is literally me—her struggles, insecurities, and the pressures she faces in an intense academic environment felt so real. I loved how the book explored the whole spectrum of students, from the overachievers to the ones just trying to survive, and how it highlighted the overwhelming, sometimes suffocating, nature of academic pressure.

And the romance?? Jenna and Aaron had such a great dynamic! Their relationship developed in such an organic way, and I loved how they balanced each other out. It wasn’t just a romance but also a story about self-worth, expectations, and figuring out who you are beyond grades and achievements.

If you love books that explore academia with nuance, feature a protagonist who gets it, and have just the right touch of romance, I'm Not Jessica Chen is a must-read. Ann Liang never misses!

4/5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jenna Chen is never enough. Her cousin, Jessica Chen, is always enough. Always having the right answer, always the prettiest, always the one everyone gets compared to. Jenna is tired. Tired of being the disappointment. As a shooting star flies over, she makes one wish.

"I wish I was Jessica Chen."

Jenna wakes up the next day realizing her wish came true. She is in Jessica's body, living in Jessica's house, has everything of Jessica's....and now that she has her wish, everyone is forgetting Jenna ever existed.

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₊⊹ I really enjoyed this. It definitely brought my back to my high school days of feeling pressured, always comparing yourself to everyone and 100% wishing you were in the popular crowd.

₊⊹ So many people can relate to this book. Anyone who has ever felt like they weren't enough, anyone whose parents have pressured them into being the perfect child, someone who has sat at the lunch table alone wishing they had a friend. I love that about this.

₊⊹ The characters were so relatable. The romance sub plot was a perfect touch. And that ending was worth it all. Some parts were slow for me, hence the 4 stars. But overall, I loved this and feel like anyone can benefit from reading a book like this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I think what didn’t work for me was that a book so heavily about elite college admissions didn’t seem to have a good grasp on elite college admissions. Our MC, for example, wants Harvard, but does nothing to get Harvard. She doesn’t apply early, admits she avoids hard classes, isn’t social in school, etc. The problem: the book’s premise is about our MC wishing she was perfect like Jessica Chen. Now, Jessica has her insecurities and secrets, but she works hard. Even as our MC uncovers this to the extreme, her viewpoint doesn’t change much (and I found Jessica’s secret lackluster).

***Ann Liang's trading-places young adult story allows faulted, imperfect Jenna Chen to live as her perfect, beautiful, Harvard-bound cousin Jessica for a time, pressure and expectations and all--before having to choose which existence she wants to live out forever.***

In Ann Liang's newest young-adult novel, Jenna Chen has always been a disappointment, at least when compared to her perfect cousin Jessica.

Jessica is a top student, so beautiful that others stop to openly admire her, and the most high-achieving and most beloved student at a cutthroat high school. Jessica and Jenna's immigrant parents hope that their daughters will exceed all expectations, and Jessica always seems to. Meanwhile Jenna is artistic and average, and her desperate wish is to be Jessica.

When Jenna finds out she didn't get into Harvard (or any Ivy League schools--side note: her strong but not remarkable school performance doesn't seem to align with expectations around this) and suffers through a celebratory dinner for her cousin, who is Harvard bound, it feels like the last straw. Even Jenna's art--which is her escape and her gift--drives her crazy, and she destroys her self portrait in a fit of disappointment.

When she wakes, she finds to her confusion and elation that her wish has come true: Jenna has somehow taken over Jessica's body and life. But while she looks like Jessica, she has retained her own average academic abilities and her own thoughts and personality--and unlike Jessica, Jenna is not desperate to please others. She quickly realizes that being a top student at a competitive school and having others distracted by your good looks, desperate for your attention, and jealous of your achievements doesn't make for as joyful a life as Jenna would have thought. And while Jenna muddles through Jessica's carefully scripted and scheduled life, everyone seems to be forgetting that Jenna herself ever existed.

Then a boy from Jenna and Jessica's past returns to town, and he seems to realize "Jessica" is not herself--but is his interest in Jenna or in Jessica?

I really liked the revelations (which come through reading Jessica's diary, eek) regarding Jessica's frustrations and fears, as well as Jenna's acceptance of her own strengths. Because Jessica's body is usurped so quickly in the story, we don't get a chance until the very end to really grasp the cousins' dynamic together. Jessica isn't shown to be a complex, surprising character--more of a high-achieving, gorgeous robot.

And I wanted more conflict and more self-realization from Jenna than the clarification that she doesn't want to abandon her life forever (or abandon Jessica's soul; the essence of Jessica seems to disappear altogether during Jenna's body-swapping) by living as Jessica. Yes, the boy likes Jenna for Jenna, and they're adorable together--although the barrier to their being together left me wishing for more plausibility.

I found myself wanting to understand more about what shifted in Jenna's thinking about all of her long-held, outrageous aspirations, her parents' pressures on her (I found myself wanting more clarification around their constant, long-term, destructive comparisons of Jenna to Jessica), and her understanding of fulfillment and happiness for her.

But I love love love a trading-places premise and how it allows peeks behind the scenes at another life and the literal walking in the shoes of another person. And I love Ann Liang's writing and her books--I'll read every one.

I received a prepublication edition of I Am Not Jessica Chen courtesy of HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley.

More Ann Liang love

I fell in love with Ann Liang's fake-dating young adult novel This Time It's Real, read it in one rainy afternoon, and included it in my Greedy Reading Lists Six of My Favorite Light Fiction Reads from the Past Year, Six Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading, and My Bossy Favorite Reads of Summer the year I read it. You can find that review, my review of Liang's great young-adult rom-com I Hope This Doesn't Find You, and my review of Liang's young-adult historical fiction fantasy novel A Song to Drown Rivers at Bossy Bookworm, the blog.

Thank you for the arc!
I had a lot of hesitations for this book after I read (and hated) A Song to Drown Rivers. However, this book blew me away. Jenna Chen was fantastic protagonist, one that can't see herself clearly. She is so kind, and she needed a reminder of everything good about herself. The love interest was incredibly thoughtful, and he felt like a proper character in his own right. All of the characters felt like young adults just doing their best to bend under pressure without shattering. I also loved Jenna's revelations throughout. If this is a marker of Ann Liang's young adult books, I am so excited to read her entire backlog!