There's been a tonne of hype around this book so I was pretty damn excited for it, but I feel kinda flat about it. I mean, it was okay, but it wasn't much more than okay. I was expecting something light and fluffy and yet this had some depth to it that I wasn't expecting alongside issues I wasn't expecting. I'm a bit on the fence about it.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t feel like it lived up to it’s potential. I think that part of this had to do with its length. It is just too short to fully develop the characters and the world to the point where they support the plot.

I started off liking Jess and sort of feeling sorry for her. But there were times when she makes decisions that seemed off for her character, and she didn’t always ask for an explanation from anyone. She just accepted everything everyone told her, even when she could tell something was wrong. The supporting characters were also not well developed and all seemed to have the same range of emotions and cookie cutter personalities. Some of this was perhaps meant on purpose as they were all actors, but it did not help with the overall like-ability of the characters.

The plot was pretty fast paced for the most part, although there were a few draggy moments in the middle. This was definitely a plot driven story, with everything happening quite quickly once Jess finds out what is going on. I would have liked a bit more world building, especially surrounding the whys of how the show started and survived for so long. The little twist at the end was a nice touch though, but I would have liked a better over all ending. I think there is suppose to be a sequel, but if there isn’t then the ending was certainly lacking in closure.

This book was entertaining on the surface, but it lacked depth and empathy for the characters which is something I always look for in a good book. If you are looking for something light and easy to read, then this is certainly a book to take a look at.

This was a really interesting story that obviously hits a lot of the same notes as the Truman Show. However, the interesting difference here is that we get to follow Jess after she escapes from her life on set. Another angle is that she is only 17 years old, so she is technically a minor and can be held on the show without her consent. This means that she isn't only leaving the show, she's essentially running away. I found her adventures to be quite hooking, but the ending was really profound in a way that I was not expecting. Overall, this was a pretty interesting read, and the main characters were really relatable.

This book was a complete surprise. The YA Truman Show I didn’t realise I needed!

While I loved the premise of the story: a really thought provoking commentary on the dangers of social media, reality TV and where our society is going in general, my only criticism (but not really) is that I wanted more. I would have like the characters to be explored more in depth and the build up to Jess’ discover to be longer. The world that Carey creates outside of the ‘set’ was also really interesting and I for one would have loved to find out more.
This isn’t, by any means, me saying I didn’t love the book because I did. But I would love either a prequel or sequel to satisfy my curiosity!

This is not my normal read but I needed something different. I was not completely disappointed.

Growing up through the nineties myself, I was somewhat intrigued by this Truman Show premise with a nineties twist. After the first few chapters, I was regretting this decision. Although the story was interesting and I wanted to know how everything would pan out, I was so inundated with everything 90’s that I wanted to scream. Carey appeared to have had a list of everything she could think of from the 90’s and didn’t want to waste one. References are great, but so is moderation. This did die down to only a few here and there after a while, but it really took a lot to get through. I feel that most references would be lost on the current, and future, young adults. Unfortunately, they are not going to look them up and will be wasted. Those readers who lived through the time may find enjoyment in some of these.

As for the story, I enjoyed Jess’ predicament and how some things went a bit differently than I expected. The “set” had a great vibe that was slightly off which left the reader thinking of how Jess would find out and react. Everything happened fairly quickly and made reading exciting and fast. It was a cute love story/ action adventure/ sci-fi dystopian, and somehow it all worked. Carey’s future world took a stretch of the mind to comprehend. Although the there was a solid base to this narcissistic society, a couple scenarios were quite unbelievable.

All in all, I did enjoy this story. I feel that it could have taken place completely in the present and been a little less distracting at times. Hopefully, with a little editing and a few minor changes, this book will be all ironed out. I look forward to more from this author.

This was super entertaining and interesting, and definitely a comparison to The Truman Show. I loved the reasoning and the world building, as well as the overall portrayal of humanity in this. I’m not sure why I didn’t rate it higher- it was a good book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was just something about it that had the overwhelming quality of “meh” to it. Still, I would read the next one, and see what kind of fallout happens because of the ending of this one. Definitely pick this up if you need something quick and unique!

This book was not what I was expecting at all, and I would suggest going into it without reading the synopsis. Jess is a teenager growing up in the 90s— she is funny, self-deprecating, and full of questions. It was easy to root for her as her world unraveled around her.

This would be a great book club pick that raises questions about privacy and social media. I’m sure it might make someone who enjoyed the 90s feel nostalgic for that time period. Overall, this was an enjoyable YA read that was different from pretty much everything else I’ve read in the genre.

I received a free arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't really have high expectations for this book, because I felt like the topic of "your life is actually being broadcast" has been done before. I was pleasantly surprised at how well done this was, with quite a few unexpected twists! It had a Running Out of Time vibe (which is a huge compliment from me)! The 90s references in the beginning were super fun, and Jess was a really strong person to root for. Recommended for grades 7 & up.

This was an interesting one. Not a new idea, and I’ve always wanted to know what happened after The Truman Show, but this was a fresh take on the story. At first I was concerned that it was just another rewrite of Truman but it definitely came into it’s own once it got established. I loved the idea of Jess living in the 90s within the show with the outside world being way more advanced, and the 90s references were brilliant. The best bit for me, though, was finding out what happened after the show. Would definitely recommend!

Did I choose this book because it had my name in the title? Yes. Was I expecting a lot from it? Not really. Was I pleasantly surprised? Yes, I was.

"This is Not the Jess Show" is Black Mirror (but less traumatic), meets The Hunger Games (but less death), meets Westworld (but less robots), and it was such a fun read! It's 1998, and Jess Flynn has lived a normal life in the small town of Swickley. Jess has never traveled outside of Swickley, but she's never really questioned why. But one day, a thin metal cartridge with a Apple logo falls out of her friend's backpack, and Jess begins to question her world.

This book was a lot of fun to read. The pacing of the book wasn't perfect, it started off fast then petered out a bit before hitting a sprint, but I found the plot moved pretty well. In terms of characters, they could have been more developed, as the book was largely plot driven, but I found that when I began to question Jess's reactions (or lack thereof) to certain events, the author would then provide it. While this satisfied my need for a character reaction, it would have been nice if the author had gone a bit deeper into the character's psychology. In general, I felt the author could have gone much deeper into this rich premise, and at times the book was a little shallow on explanations. That being said, Carey has certainly left a lot open for a sequel and I can't wait to see where Jess goes next!

In the meantime, this Jess will be listening to Alanis Morrissette and shopping for a plaid babydoll dress and Doc Martens.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of This is Not the Jess Show in exchange for an honest review.

This is Not the Jess Show is a really unique, fun read! Part Truman show, part coming of age, this book follows everyday 17 year old Jess when things in her life suddenly start seeming a little off. After these discrepancies become too frequent to ignore, Jess is shocked to find out that she wasn't as 'everyday' as she thought, and everyone but her knew it.

I guess all in all I was just expecting more from this book. Technically set almost 2 decades in the future, this book felt very '2020 with a bit of extra tech'. It actually confused me a bit because it kept pointing out slag differences between the 1990s and their 'modern day' but since that slang was literally the exact same as our current slang, I was a bit confused. I read an ARC so maybe a few of the references to hulu, netflix, and uber will be taken out by the time it gets to official publishing, but I really don't get why this book wasn't just set now.

(it's also shelved as This Is Not the Jess Show, #1 and I have no idea what could possibly come next. This felt like a very self contained story.)

This book had me on the edge of my seat(!) and if it wasn't for me having to go to work I 100% would have read this book in one sitting.
While yes the plot is more or less exactly the same as the plot of The Truman Show, I found this to be an incredibly entertaining read that I just couldn't put down.
I feel like this book also made me think as well which I was not expecting. It definitely made me examine the celebrity culture in our day and age and the fact that I can see this fictional society possibly becoming a reality terrifies me.
I don't know if it was meant to but this read a bit like a dystopian to me, if you change out "corrupt government" for "corrupt production company" and I will not stop recommending this.

I requested this book, got approved and then promptly forgot what it was about.  By the time I got around to reading it, I had to read the summary again to know what it was about and instantly I realized why my interest was piqued by this story.  It's got total The Truman Show vibes, which I absolutely loved.

The protagonist of the novel, Jess Flynn, is fantastic.  She's very interesting and empathetic.  I really liked how she interacted with the world around her and the people around her.  She seems so normal, which in itself is interesting, and it's easy enough to take the story at face value until you can't take her simple existence at face value anymore.  

The instant things start to get complicated, I found myself really devastated for her.  I wanted the people around her to be honest, and then when they were, I found myself crying because I felt so bad for her.  It was really interesting to watch Jess try and put it all together and solve the mystery of her life.

I really liked how Anna Carey wrote this book, and I'm really excited to continue on in this world considering Goodreads says that it's a series.  I'd be okay if it was a standalone, but it was really interesting.  

I highly recommend that you pick this book up when it comes out on January 5th.

I truly enjoyed this book. Just love the 90s theme. It was fun read.
I can't wait for second book.

This was for me 3.5 stars.

This was an interesting read, but there was something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. I really liked the 90s theme, which is partly what made me interested in the book. It looks like there is going to be a second book which I will likely read because I really liked Jess and would like to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this book - it took a while to get into but I'm glad I stuck with it. Built up the drama and made you feel for the characters. Some unexpected twists & turns so keeps you on your toes! Would recommend for a great engaging read!

This was a fun ride and I really liked the main character, the nostalgia, and the story! I just wanted a bit more romance!

THIS BOOK WAS SO FUN. Anna Carey has a brilliant mind and putting The Truman Show into a YA framework with a 90s setting was absolutely genius. I gobbled this book up in a day because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and was surprised at every turn. The premise centers around Jess, a teen who believes she's living in 1998 until she mysteriously sees an iPhone and her reality begins to unravel. In actuality, something inexplicably and possibly sinister is going on and I truly don't want to give too much more away because it's just so juicy and thrilling. Plus, so many pitch-perfect 90s pop culture references that my aging 34 year old heart loved.

My only complaint is that it seemingly ends a bit abruptly, but I think that may because it's part of a series? If so, I would be totally on board for exploring more about the world and seeing what happens with Jess going forward. There is so much of this world to explore and I really think Carey has set herself up perfectly for more. I would also totally be on board for this becoming a fantastic Netflix show which I would probably binge within 1 evening. Have I convinced you to read this yet? Good!

How to write a review without giving too much away? The blurb attached to the book likened it to a mix of Black Mirror and My So Called Life but there’s a much more obvious comparison to be made with a well known piece of entertainment that, if mentioned, would be way too much of a spoiler. I have to say, sticking to the BM and MSCL references meant that when that main plot point was revealed, it was still a surprise to me. So for those that don’t know, I’ll leave out that this book is very much a teenage 2020 take of….

The story starts with high school student Jess who lives in Stereotypical Smalltown, USA. She has two best friends driving her to school and parties, a long term male friend she has recently developed a crush on who she meets regularly at band practice, and she lives at home with her blue-collar parents and younger sister, Sara, who has a life-threatening long term illness.

Then Jess starts to notice strange things happening - she begins to hear things, mysterious objects fall out of her friend’s bag, people start to behave differently and her dog is NOT her dog. Questions are raised and she, quite rightly, wants answers.

I enjoyed this book. The main character is the sort of heroine that you want to be in charge of this sort of adventure - gutsy and thankfully not as gullible as you’d think given the circumstances, and she finds herself with a surprise likeable ally when her past and her future begin to unravel. I have a few very minor quibbles but probably ones that other readers won’t bat an eyelid at. Reading this is a great way to while away a few hours.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quirk Books for this ARC.

The Truman show with a teen twist! Jess is a great heroine and the world in which she has been raised is fun and freaky to think about. As Jess discovers the secrets that have been hidden from her for so long her relationship with Sara, the sister she’s grown to love feels authentic as her desire to be free of “celebrity life”.