Member Reviews
A stunning and heartfelt work. I enjoyed this book so, so much. The romancea nd themes it was all so good. Can't wait to read everything Ann writes!
I’m mean duh we see this coming didn’t we ?!
first the writing is my favorite thing about the book because Ann liangs writing is my favorite thing !!! I noticed that Ann Liangs FMMs at first are quite insecure and closed up and they have A LOT of similarities in different aspects of life but then they improve as the story goes on which I love because you notice the character development. And Arron boy oh boy this guy had me questioning who is my favorite Ann linag MMC (which I still don’t know the answer to ) he is very expressive of his emotions and didn’t hide that he cared about her ( which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED ) his confession had me KICKING MY FEET especially that the romance isn’t the main plot so you eat it up so much and I absolutely did . I had questions about how the love story is going to be since she is in someone else’s body but don’t worry guys it’s good and I had another question about where is Jenna’s body since Jenna was in Jessica’s body but this was also solved . Overall so so so good per usual mother Ann Liang does not disappoint would happily volunteer to read everything she puts out
This hit a lot harder than expected. Jenna was so relatable because which Asian kid hasn't been compared to their superior relative or parent's friend's daughter/son? This is a shared experience, almost a rite of passage, might I say, when the downtrodden low achievers must overcome self-hatred and envy. There is so much to love within ourselves, and we must search and embrace the positives and hopes in our lives, which can not be defined by others' expectations. I wish I had learned that lesson sooner, too. Growing up in America, it was not always a welcoming place for Asians in academic, workplace, and community settings. People stereotype us, undermine our efforts, and ridicule our culture. But sometimes, we are our own enemy when it comes to striving for a better life. IANJC shows how toxic it is to be competitive and pitted against each other instead of united in our struggles. Ann gets it.
Jessica Chen is the perfect student – beautiful, top in all her classes, in every club and she even got into Harvard. Her cousin Jenna Chen is blurry, never popular, never as good, and didn’t get into Harvard cousin. Jenna wishes to become her Jessica and surprisingly she wakes up in her life – all the adulation but also all the hard work. Jenna becomes addicted to it.
A good story that I had a lot of empathy and understanding of looking at that greener grass but I think it just didn’t go far enough. The what happened to Jessica part was weak and Jenna didn’t really feel like someone who loved art.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this DRC.
#IAmNotJessicaChen #NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I liked how the book dove into themes of insecurity, jealousy, and mediocrity. On the other hand, I also loved how it explored what it's actually like to be "perfect", along with the burden that comes with it—the dissatisfaction. When you set the standard for everyone else, what is there left to strive for?
I loved how the book portrayed the intoxicating feeling of finally getting what you want, and never wanting to let go of it. It captures selfishness in its rawest form. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be raw, with Jenna’s unfiltered thoughts and emotions laid bare for us.
The premise is intriguing and really drew me in, and the execution of the body swap was interesting. However, it felt a little underdeveloped towards the end. I wanted to see more of Jenna’s overall growth. I wish there had been more focus on Jenna’s artistic path, because the end didn't feel satisfying enough for a conclusion. Additionally, from the middle to the end, some parts felt a bit repetitive. The inner monologues get a bit tiring because they all practically say the same thing, so there were times when it felt a bit shallow. Don’t get me wrong—a lot of the lines hit hard—but I hoped the later part would have more substance. Overall, it was an enjoyable read; I just think it could've been better with a little more character development.
I loved Ann Liang’s I Hope This Doesn’t Find You, so I was over the moon when I got the ARC of I Am Not Jessica Chen. And it didn’t disappoint!
Sometimes, I like magical realism, and sometimes, I don’t, but this story was so well done. I love harder-hitting stories, and this one sometimes tore me apart, so it was good! There’s a lot of character development, and I love to see a character grow.
Be aware that the romance, childhood friends to lovers, is just a B-plot, but it is a sweet one.
Overall, it's a great story!
Jenna was so relatable I was tearing up in certain parts, it just felt so good to not be the only who feels like you are never enough. I loved the story, Ann Liang prose was beautiful and eloquent. She is one of my favorite authors after reading this books.
Jenna's character development had my tearing up at the end 😭. I just wish I could give her a hug. Everyone can relate to this book at some point.
Aaron was amazing. He was just perfect but perfect in a way that is good, comfortable, like a warm hug. I don't know how else to describe him. L loved how he supported Jenna throughout the story, he is a gigantic green flag. The way the book shows Jenna gradually losing pieces of her identity is both haunting and beautifully written. Her internal conflict, as she realizes that perfection isn’t everything, is so real and raw that it leaves a lasting impact.
I love this book to bits, I want to go back and read it all over again. I will think about the characters and story a lot. Definitely a six star read for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
P.S I sincerely would like to thank NetGalley and HaperCollins for the e-arc.
I have loved all of Ann Liang's books so far, and I'm so glad she keeps writing! I liked the premise of this story - the magical realism aspect of it. I did not like the main character, Jenna, as much as I hoped, and I didn't get to know Jessica well enough to feel invested in her as a character. It might have worked better for me if Jenna's self-realization was drawn out a bit more. That being said, the book is incredibly readable and I loved the romance between Jenna and Aaron.
I will definitely recommend this to readers of YA fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
When I picked up I Am Not Jessica Chen, I wasn't expecting to be forced through a journey of my life's failures.
...multiple times.
Liang's only other book I have read, If You Could See the Sun is very enjoyable. It's an easy, breezy read that feels like you're transported into a contemporary C-drama school rom-com. While I had fun reading it, it didn't particularly pull at my heartstrings or leave a deep, lasting impression.
So, I wasn't expecting this book to be as difficult for me to read as it was. Not in a literal sense--I finished this book in about a day and a half, and the writing is simple and easily digestible. But I dare anyone who has dealt with feelings of failure, of insecurity, of constantly feeling like you're wasting your potential and will never measure up to the people you envy so terribly, to come away from this book without having to stop mid-page and wallow in your own emotions for a while.
I may be years removed from high school but, like any good YA book, Liang manages to transport me back to being a teenager while also making me wrestle with the best and worst parts of my teenage self that still linger. From the very first chapter, Jenna's anxious despair over her failures threatened to swallow me whole. Once I got into Jenna's head, it was impossible to leave.
But I expect this book will resonate even more strongly to Asian diaspora readers. Along with universal feelings of insecurity and self-loathing, Liang delves specifically into the model minority myth and the destruction it causes individuals, families, and communities. Asian students (and adults) are often held to impossible standards both academically and personally. Their successes never seem to hold the same weight as that of their white peers, while their smallest mistakes are amplified.
The books flaws are small compared to its strengths. While our heroine and her cousin/rival are fully realized characters, that same complexity is not necessarily extended to some of the supporting characters in the book. But this book is intentionally self-centered, with the narrative facing inward. Jenna is so preoccupied with herself and her surface-level understanding of Jessica Chen that it leaves little room for anyone else. Her love interest seems to mostly exist just to be Jenna's love interest, her parents existing to be her parents. But again, within the context of the book and its themes, it's not something that really bothered me.
Because when it comes down to it, this is a story of a girl learning to value herself. And Liang manages to achieve this well, skillfully toeing the line between making her protagonist irritatingly relatable while still allowing readers to see what she fails to: despite her flaws, there is so much about her to love.
Sadly this was a DNF for me. I think it would be relatable to a younger audience but I think I’m growing out of my Young Adult reads. It’s hard to find a good one I like anymore. I just couldn’t get into this one. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
what an excellent YA novel. this is my first ann liang and i’m glad to say she hasn’t been overhyped— i wish i’d had this book as a teenager. i’ve been both jessica and jenna throughout my entire life, and this had me feeling So Much.
I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me an early read.
An Liang is one of my new favorite authors. I love how she can write anything and make it sound original, new, and fresh. She says in her forward that this book is for people who felt like they wanted to be someone else, or wanted to have everything. This book is certainly that.
Our main character studies hard, tries her best, and hopes to get into Harvard. To impress her parents who hope / wish the best for her and have Chinese focus/aspirations. It sucks that she is compared to her cousin, Jessica Chen. Beautiful, smart, rich Jessica Chen. It is at a family gathering at Jessica's house that you find out Jessica got into Harvard (earlier that day the FL did not) and it sets her off, makes her realize how much she believes herself to be a failure. It is also at this same gathering her childhood friend Aaron has returned from his year long medical school study. Our FL and he parted on not so great terms a year ago and he left without saying goodbye. This lack of securing a spot in Harvard makes her seem inadequate to his life and future.
So she makes a wish, and she wishes to be her cousin. She wakes up the next morning to find out she is now Jessica Chen and Jessica Chen is missing... as well her real body.
This is where I have a tough time with the book. There is so much emotional weight and focus about Jenna learning her new role as Jessica and how much she craves it and wants it. It also allows her to see that perhaps life as Jessica isn't as rosy as it seems and that Jessica was hiding stuff. And Aaron? What are his feelings for Jenna when the world almost sees him and Jessica as the perfect / end-game couple. Meanwhile, Jenna is vanishing from existence every day from the memories and literal space she once occupied in everyone's life.
Then, Jenna gets wrapped up in a mystery featuring the real Jessica and someone who "knows what she did".
There is a lot to unpack in the book, and while - don't get me wrong - it's a GOOD book it's just not the best that Ann has written (for me). The body swapping story, the emotional baggage and desire that comes with being someone else, the love story, and the mystery all felt kind of sloppy and didn't really feel like it flowed together with the story. Like they were just individual ideas that could or could not be in the story and didn't feel cohesive.
I think the strongest and the best part of the book was being someone else and the emotional hardship that comes with desire and getting what you want.
I knew this was gonna hit hard, but damn. This is painfully relatable in the best way.
We've all wished we were someone else. Someone prettier, smarter, popular, a person so much better than what they believed they were. Liang took that concept and really turned it on its head to show how that wish is never what it seems to be. Liang being able to take these concepts and ground them to reality, despite the huge fantasy elements, really is stellar. It's why I fell in love with her debut If You Could Give Me the Sun, and I'm so happy she returned to that after.
The romance plays a very small part, which I do very much like. Aaron did his part in helping Jenna realize she was beautiful the way she was, but he wasn't the sole reason. It's still kind of weird how only he remembered her after her disappearance but not her parents, but I think that's commentary on how they didn't really "see" her like he did. I dunno, that's just me speculating.
It's hard to talk about the book too much without giving it away, but what I will say that it's so worth reading. Not my favorite Liang book, but it's still one I'm very happy she wrote and will proudly display on my shelf once it officially releases this coming January.
I Am Not Jessica Chen was everything I expected from an Ann Liang novel. She expertly captured the feeling of "wanting" and how desperately sometimes we wish to be something more (or someone else!). The romance in this one came secondary, which worked well for the plot. I would have loved to better understand the relationship between the cousins — it seemed fairly surface level and we didn't really get to know Jessica as well as I would have liked.
Rating - 3.75 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy of ‘I am not Jessica Chen’ by Ann Liang.
The constant fear of falling behind and never being enough is a familiar dread. Jenna Chen has always felt this especially when her cousin Jessica is always Perfect, a model student on her way to Harvard. In a moment of despair, Jenna wishes she could live her cousin’s life and unexpectedly finds that her wish comes true. It’s everything she dreamed of, and being admired by everyone is intoxicating. But soon, she discovers that no one remembers Jenna, and the longer she remains as Jessica, the more Jenna will cease to exist. Will she abandon her own self in her quest for perfection?
I related to Jenna’s desperation and the constant struggle to be great, especially when you’re constantly compared to your peers. The start was promising, but in the middle, I found the plot lacking momentum, and the climax felt too abrupt. Aaron and Jenna’s relationship was all talk and no show. I couldn’t truly invest in their connection. Overall, this wasn’t my favorite of Ann Liang’s works
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc!
In this book, we follow Jenna Chen and her struggles with always being good enough, but never the best in a school where being the best is what matters. Jessica Chen, her cousin, is always top of the class and her life seems to be everything Jenna Chen wants. One day, Jenna’s wish came true. She woke up in Jessica Chen’s body and now she gets to experience what she always wanted. Or is it really what she always wanted?
I was really expecting a 5 stars read with this one. The idea of the story overall had every ingredient to be an amazing book. However, the execution felt a little too underdeveloped. The beginning did keep me hooked but somewhere along the middle it started to get a bit repetitive. The pressure that comes from being “the best” was downplayed. Maybe this is because we do not get Jessica’s point of view but I would assume Jenna would feel even more stress than she did before being in Jessica’s life. It felt like Jenna did not really understand the hardships of being the top student, she just got the benefits that came with it.
Overall, this was a good book and I would still recommend it if you want to tip your toes into this topic of wanting to be someone else completely.
This book resonated with me deeply, I feel understood. I love Ann Liang's books so much for this very reason. She understands it. She comprehends. I believe she writes her books to show her readers they have company. As Ann mentioned in her author's note, sometimes the most comforting thing is knowing that others are going through the same thing.
This was an absolutely fascinating read. As a teacher of teenagers, I've seen firsthand how kids are focusing so much on being the "perfect" child in order to get what they think will bring them happiness and success. This exploration of our individuality and what we lose when we try to be someone else is dearly needed.
actual rating: 4.5. i hated this book. not because it was bad, but because i related to it too much. does Ann Liang have cameras in my room? how does she know that i yearn for validation from my peers without watching my every move? i felt so seen every time Jenna spoke about her fears and desires, i wanted to cry. it felt all too real to my own life. Ann Liang is my queen, and i am her humble servant. i owe her my life.
my heart. oh my heart. i’m so. this was a whole movie. a movie with the most beautiful message. with nuance. with scenes full of warmth and cold equally. and the most relatable sentences and poetry. how does ann liang do it every time? how does she write a book full of magic when it’s (mostly) not a fantasy story? how does she always write characters that are so deeply relatable, that understand you better than any other book ever could…
i always love me some character development and i always love when ann liang does it. her books always feel the most emotional, the most thought out, the most REAL. when you read her books, it’s like you’re addicted and keep wanting more and more. it’s like seeing life in all its different forms and struggles. this book man… the ending in particular was so beautiful. it was so perfect. ann liang is a perfect writer, seriously. i never say it about any writer but her? she’s my favorite. it feels like she truly *understands* what she’s writing about and honestly, i’d read anything she writes.
if you want a book full of real-life magic, of pain and happiness, of despairing and hoping, of hearth and obsession, this is the book for you. any of her books, honestly.