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A review by dinipandareads
I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TL;DR: This was my first YA contemporary by Ann Liang but it won’t be my last. I now understand why her books are so well-loved and always come highly recommended. This had strong characters, was packed with emotion, and had a high degree of relatability that I think will apply to all readers. In “I Am Not Jessica Chen”, Liang perfectly captures the highly competitive high school and academic experience, including the pressures teenagers face to do better and achieve more as they equate it to success. Jenna is a complex, relatable and realistic character and I enjoyed watching her journey of self-acceptance unfold. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to all readers!
The young adult experience is explored so well through Jenna’s character, as well as those of the other students she interacts with at school. I found Jenna to be a wonderfully complex and intriguing young woman who is caught up in the vicious cycle of comparison and wanting, and of never being and never having enough. There was a great quote (which of course meant I forgot to highlight it) that said something along the lines of she wanted more life and that was exactly it. It was actually heartbreaking to see how little Jenna thought of herself, her life and her talents because it didn’t fit her family’s and society’s traditional ideas of success. It wasn’t enough for her, especially when she had always been closely compared to her wealthy, can-do-no-wrong, model student, and effortlessly perfect cousin, Jessica Chen. So it’s no wonder that Jenna wanted to be her, but when her dreams come true and she finds herself occupying Jessica’s body, she comes to learn just how isolating achieving that level of perfection can be. Seeing how much Jessica achieved was honestly very tiring and overwhelming! I can't even imagine the mental fortitude it would take to endure such high-intensity pressure at such a young age!
Alongside Jenna’s journey of discovery and self-acceptance, a seemingly unrequited romance with old flame, Aaron Cai, is rekindled and I surprisingly loved their romance. It was a bit more tell than show seeing as everything that happened between them took place in the past but goodness, if this is how Liang writes all her MMCs, then I can understand why the romance aspects of her books are so popular! Aaron is a big-hearted and calming presence that contrasts with Jenna’s defensive and angry personality. The things this young man has the potential to melt all the hearts! He’s observant, thoughtful, and caring, which he proves time and again by being on Jenna’s side. I will admit though that the past conflict between them and the resulting action was a bit “eh” but also, teenagers, I guess?
This is a story that I think will be relatable for so many readers. I think everyone at some point in their life has felt that perceived inadequacy or lack of themselves, that desire to have someone else’s life because they have it better or easier. Jenna’s emotional and mental journey was so raw and often painful and confronting to read because of how relatable her experience was. I admit that I teared up pretty early on while reading this because of the emotions! Oh, the emotions got me good. I loved how the themes of belonging, identity, success, family and love were explored throughout the story. Liang explores these big themes in a simple and accessible way without shoving the moral of the story in the reader’s face.
Overall, I thought this was a great read that I think many readers will enjoy and connect with. Jenna’s journey was compelling, her character arc was strong, and I appreciated how her perceptions changed as the story progressed. This YA contemporary sprinkled with a bit of magic/magical realism is one that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!
TL;DR: This was my first YA contemporary by Ann Liang but it won’t be my last. I now understand why her books are so well-loved and always come highly recommended. This had strong characters, was packed with emotion, and had a high degree of relatability that I think will apply to all readers. In “I Am Not Jessica Chen”, Liang perfectly captures the highly competitive high school and academic experience, including the pressures teenagers face to do better and achieve more as they equate it to success. Jenna is a complex, relatable and realistic character and I enjoyed watching her journey of self-acceptance unfold. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to all readers!
The young adult experience is explored so well through Jenna’s character, as well as those of the other students she interacts with at school. I found Jenna to be a wonderfully complex and intriguing young woman who is caught up in the vicious cycle of comparison and wanting, and of never being and never having enough. There was a great quote (which of course meant I forgot to highlight it) that said something along the lines of she wanted more life and that was exactly it. It was actually heartbreaking to see how little Jenna thought of herself, her life and her talents because it didn’t fit her family’s and society’s traditional ideas of success. It wasn’t enough for her, especially when she had always been closely compared to her wealthy, can-do-no-wrong, model student, and effortlessly perfect cousin, Jessica Chen. So it’s no wonder that Jenna wanted to be her, but when her dreams come true and she finds herself occupying Jessica’s body, she comes to learn just how isolating achieving that level of perfection can be. Seeing how much Jessica achieved was honestly very tiring and overwhelming! I can't even imagine the mental fortitude it would take to endure such high-intensity pressure at such a young age!
Alongside Jenna’s journey of discovery and self-acceptance, a seemingly unrequited romance with old flame, Aaron Cai, is rekindled and I surprisingly loved their romance. It was a bit more tell than show seeing as everything that happened between them took place in the past but goodness, if this is how Liang writes all her MMCs, then I can understand why the romance aspects of her books are so popular! Aaron is a big-hearted and calming presence that contrasts with Jenna’s defensive and angry personality. The things this young man has the potential to melt all the hearts! He’s observant, thoughtful, and caring, which he proves time and again by being on Jenna’s side. I will admit though that the past conflict between them and the resulting action was a bit “eh” but also, teenagers, I guess?
This is a story that I think will be relatable for so many readers. I think everyone at some point in their life has felt that perceived inadequacy or lack of themselves, that desire to have someone else’s life because they have it better or easier. Jenna’s emotional and mental journey was so raw and often painful and confronting to read because of how relatable her experience was. I admit that I teared up pretty early on while reading this because of the emotions! Oh, the emotions got me good. I loved how the themes of belonging, identity, success, family and love were explored throughout the story. Liang explores these big themes in a simple and accessible way without shoving the moral of the story in the reader’s face.
Overall, I thought this was a great read that I think many readers will enjoy and connect with. Jenna’s journey was compelling, her character arc was strong, and I appreciated how her perceptions changed as the story progressed. This YA contemporary sprinkled with a bit of magic/magical realism is one that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!