I Am Not Jessica Chen coming January 28, 2025 from HarperCollins; 384 pages
Content Warning: Mature language
About the Author: “Ann Liang is the New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestselling author of critically acclaimed young adult novels, as well as adult fiction novels. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America as a GMA book club pick, and on The Today Show, Cosmopolitan, PEOPLE, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne, where she can be found making overambitious to-do lists and having profound conversations with her pet labradoodle about who’s a good dog” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Ann Liang on the following platforms:
Jenna Chen has always been jealous of her cousin, Jessica Chen, who is academically successful, abundantly popular, and effortlessly gorgeous. But her desire to become Jessica reaches a breaking point when Jenna is rejected from Harvard and Jessica isn’t. Burdened to meet her immigrant family’s expectations, Jenna wakes up one morning to find her wish to live Jessica’s life a reality. Thrust into Jessica’s world of academic pressure and secrets, Jenna learns that to be the best isn’t always what it seems. While trying to return to her true self, Jenna finds romance with an old crush and learns to appreciate the life and family she had.
While contemporary romances are not usually my go-to genre, I was intrigued by the Freaky Friday-like body switching magic present in the story. Liang takes the body switching idea in a completely new direction, providing a new way to consider human consciousness and where that might go if we no longer exist. Jenna Chen is a compelling narrator with several relatable flaws. This book really made me feel seen in terms of always striving to be the best academically, especially when surrounded by people who will always be more skilled and successful. The message of this novel is important for academically driven students who are (or have been) under an immense amount of pressure and might be feeling the onset of burnout. Aaron, the lead male character, is full of charm and had me swooning for a dream boy who surely could only like a perfect girl like Jessica Chen. Jessica Chen is also full of unexpected depth, with several secrets of her own. While reading this, I found myself astounded by the character-driven narrative, despite the mystery and ending being predictable. I knew early into the novel who was sending threatening messages to Jessica and was able to figure out how the story would wrap up, but this did not take away from my enjoyment at all. I highly recommend this novel for its portrayal of Chinese characters and immigrant culture, as well as its depiction of students who are constantly striving to be the best.
I Am Not Jessica Chen releases on January 28, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio and HarperCollins for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Jenica Delaney, Pine Reads Review Writer