In I'm not Jessica Chen, Ann Liang perfectly captures that feeling of desperation, that you want something so badly, it is almost a need that you might die without. I found Jenna to be such a relatable character, it is so easy to put those around you on a pedestal when you don't know the kind of work they put into their studies, or themselves, and have such a strong belief in your mediocrity. It felt almost validating to read about Jenna's experience, almost giving the book a coming-of-age feeling.

I love the magical realism twist this book takes, it allowed Ann Liang to creatively explore themes of academia, the true value of prestige, and many more. I especially enjoyed reading about the cost of perfectionism, and how Ann Liang idea of leaving a legacy or impact, and just being okay with yourself and your abilities. However, I felt there were minor details, such as the lack of attention paid to Jenna's return to her original self, and weeks-long disappearance, which left me a bit confused and felt like a small plot hole to be filled.

Despite the romance only being a subplot, I found it quite compelling. I only wish there had been more build-up to Aaron's confession to Jenna, or hints of his inclination towards her. Even though we see memories of moments between Aaron and Jenna, since he had left for a year and returned, I wished they'd had a moment before she turned into Jessica to more effectively hint at their romance later in the book.

Overall, this book is fun (unless you find the premise of waking up in somone's body distressing), and almost felt like some kind of mystery-thriller-magical realism-subplot of romance amalgamation of a book. for anyone who has fallen into the pits of academic pressure, I hope you enjoy too.

OH MY GOD !! this one hit home.

this one was written for those people who always felt like they weren't good enough, who no matter how hard they tried always came up short, constantly wishing that they could be better and knowing they somehow can't.

'I Am Not Jessica Chen' follows seventeen year old Jenna Chen who after being rejected by every Ivy League school and disappointing her Asian immigrant parents, wishes to become her smarter, more successful cousin, Jessica Chen. When her wish miraculously comes true, Jenna finds herself living Jessica's life at the prestigious Havenwood Private Academy. However, Jenna soon realizes that being the top student at such a competitive school is far from ideal. As people, including her own parents, begin to forget Jenna ever existed, she must decide if living up to the perfect daughter and student image is worth sacrificing her true identity.

This one was written for those people who always felt like they weren't good enough, who no matter how hard they tried always came up short, constantly wishing that they could be better and knowing they somehow can't. Jenna Chen my relatable queen, constantly wanting and wishing to have what she cannot have, and when she finally does get it . . . she doesn't feel instant regret !! nope, my girl enjoyed her time.

thank you to net galley for this arc <3

This book is for all the girlies who feed on academic validation as if its necessary for survival. It's for those who feel like they're not ever enough. And for those who feel average but crave so, so desperately to be much, much more than that.

When Jenna Chen wishes on a shooting star to be her perfect-in-literally-every-way cousin Jessica Chen, she doesn't expect the universe to actually listen and for the wish to actually come true. But despite all scientific reasoning, it does and she wakes up in perfect Jessica's life. It's all perfect, like a dream come true, except that Jenna is slowly disappearing away.

In a world where human connection is so important to our wellbeing and livelihood, being able to gather the praises and accolades and admiration from other people seems almost vital to life itself. What are we if we aren't recognized by other people? Don't we always want to meet and become this standard that others have set? But to what extent do we finally stop and ask what our expectations and desires for ourselves are? And has that become muddled with what others expect and place on us? I give out five stars very often to books because I just love how the story is told in this exact, specific way that can't be replicated by any other book. Isn't this the same with people too? Yes, but also no, because it doesn't often feel that way. No matter how much someone tells you that you are on your own path and your own timeline, you can't help but compare yourself to someone else, to someone better, to someone who seemingly lives that ideal life that you so desperately wish you are living right now. This book captures that feeling. It tells you that it's okay to feel this way. It's okay that you are jealous, it's okay that you want to be like this person, it's okay to hate yourself. And it sounds so terrifyingly cruel and sad to say that it's okay to feel all of this, but in a world where we do not know a cure to all these feelings, it is wonderful to feel seen and feel the connection to others in knowing that you are not alone in all of this.

And honestly, maybe we're all Jenna Chens and we're all Jessica Chens at the same time. We don't feel enough, but we may be these shining idols for other people. I know the main part of this book isn't the romance, but it reads so much like a romance to me. Sometimes, you really do feel the most loved when someone recognizes you and tells you that you are good enough. Even if all the compliments slip away quickly, forgotten and covered by all the subsequent failures, sometimes that one person's words will seep through continuously, carving a picture until you can see yourself in that way too.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC!

I Am Not Jessica Chen is an amazing book that follow a failing artist, Jenna Chen who is a good but not perfect student like her cousin, Jessica. Jenna who is jealous of Jessica and wanted to be like her then wake up in Jessica's body after making a wish to be her.
The book follow Jenna's discovery about her cousin, Jessica with twisted truth. The book show how students are always working hard to be better, to be perfect, and to have validation from others. It show the students struggles of keeping up with their work and social status. And that someone who is view as perfect can also have their own struggles. Besides from learning more about her cousin, Jenna also becomes aware of what she had and learned to accept and appreciate them more.
I also really like the dynamic between Jenna and her family but I will not go about it because it is better to read it yourself. As for our golden boy, Aaron Cai, he really is a golden boy. Like all of Ann's male lead, Aaron is also the perfect boyfriend material. Though romance is a subplot in the book, I was dying and screaming while reading their scenes together (especially that one chapter). Their chemistry and trope is
amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for this ARC! "I Am Not Jessica Chen" by Ann Liang follows seventeen-year-old Jenna Chen, who wishes to become her seemingly perfect cousin, Jessica Chen, after facing rejection from Ivy League schools and falling short of her parents' expectations. When her wish comes true, Jenna finds herself living Jessica's life at the elite Havenwood Private Academy. The novel explores themes of identity and self-worth as Jenna grapples with the reality of Jessica's life and the cost of losing her true self in the process.

Even if you're not a YA romance person, I'm convinced you're bound to love Ann Liang's books. Her writing is just so good and she writes such convincing, relatable characters. Not to mention the absolute loveliest romances.

And she's done it again! I was so hyped to get to read this early, and I absolutely flew through it. This book reminded me a lot of early 2000s romcoms, with its supernatural twist. But it also had a lot more depth to it than I remember from those movies.

Yes, this is a romance, and such a wonderful romance at that. I was afraid there would be a lot of lying, so I was really glad to see Jenna open up to Aaron very early on, and them trying to fix the situation together. They were truly so precious together.

But I also loved the focus on dealing with the pressure to be a high achiever, struggling to feel like you're enough, not feeling seen for who you really are. Both Jenna and Jessica deal with these issues in different ways, and I loved how this situation made them learn they're more alike than they thought.

i didn’t know i needed this book until i read it. ann liang the woman you are OH MY GODDD ive never felt so seen before and the way she creates such relatable and comforting characters never fails to impress me. im so glad i found this book ESPECIALLY at this time as im around jenna’s age and completely understand what she’s going through as im approaching one of the scariest years of my life 😭😭😭 i would 100% recommend this book to my fellow ambitious girlies who crave academic validation (no judgement im one of u 😓😓), reading this book has made me feel so seen and has given me hope for the future ❤️❤️❤️

jenna. she gets so caught up in this fantasy of living jessica’s ‘perfect life’ that she starts losing herself and only realises when it’s too late. when she starts to find out that jessica’s life isn’t as perfect as she thought, i feel im able to see myself in her character even more. her concern of always slipping into the shadow of her cousin jessica, the star student, is a concept im sure many of us are familiar with, myself included. the way aaron helps her feel seen again and makes her understand that she IS valuable and loveable makes me go soft 😭

aaron. AARON CAI THE MAN YOU AREEE MY GOD aaron’s been through so much i just want to give him the biggest hug ever. while both aaron and jenna aren’t perfect people, they’re perfect for each other. when jenna’s lost or struggling, he’s always there for her no matter what 😞 the definition of she fell first, he fell harder. through the story i loved getting to see aaron’s development, the way ann liang writes seriously isn’t a joke ❤️

overall im so excited for the release of i am not jenna chen in jan of 2025!!!!!!!! thank you so much for this masterpiece ann, i guarantee ill be rereading this VERY frequently 😓


thank u harpercollins for the arc!!!

Ann Liang has done it again. Reading this book was like watching my very soul be laid bare. I have never related to a book more, and like Ann said, it did make me feel less alone in my struggles. The book itself was beautifully written and masterfully executed. I don’t know if Ann is capable of writing a bad or mediocre book, but if she is, it sure isn’t this one. If there’s one thing I beg you to do, it’s add this book to your tbr. You won’t regret it.

Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing this ARC!

Don't you have that one person either it's a relative or a friend that you feel is so much better than you and had it easy with life?

And wonder what's it like to live their perfect life and be them..

This book embodied that concept pretty well... and it really hit so close to me that i could relate to it.

Jenna wanted to be her cousin Jessica and suddenly got that wish. The story covers high pressure that students like them get in this academic system with such crazy high expetations.

Well yes, the characters are not perfect. But the characters feels realistic that's why i feel like i can relate.

As for the romance sub plot i think it's cute and a nice addition to the story.

This is the first Ann Liang's book that i have ever read and it definitely give a good first impression to me.

I enjoy Ann Liang’s engaging writing style and her well-developed, relatable characters. "If You Could See the Sun" was one of my favorite fantasy works by her, and I was thrilled to discover she has returned to that genre with another unputdownable YA fantasy titled "I Am Not Jessica Chen." I eagerly got my hands on it and devoured it in one sitting. The mystery, character development, and exploration of issues such as success pressure, rivalry, and high competition in high school are approached realistically. The character development is well-rounded. The only thing that confused me was the similarity between the names Jenna and Jessica. Perhaps the author chose them specifically to emphasize the body change element!

The plot reminds me of a "Freaky Friday" style body switch with one twist: one girl's soul invades the other's body, but we have no idea what happened to the other girl's soul and body! Confusing? Let me start from the beginning.

Jenna Chen thinks she's mediocre at everything, which worries her parents. She is artistic and creative, drawing great portraits, but she's not good at school and has been rejected by nearly all the Ivy League colleges. She's not good at extracurriculars or sports. Recently, she found out that Harvard also rejected her application, which was the last straw. On the other hand, her cousin Jessica is worshipped by the entire high school for her beauty and intelligence. She’s valedictorian, great at sports, and wins trophies in every category, from math competitions and debate to swimming contests. Can a person be perfect at everything? Yes, Jessica is the proof of pure excellence, and now she’s been accepted to Harvard. Everyone at the academy adores her, including Jenna’s longtime crush Aaron, who has just returned from school in Paris and might have a crush on Jessica.

Jenna wants to know what it feels like to be perfect like her cousin: to be adored, seen, applauded, and to shine. She wishes to be her cousin, and the next day, she wakes up in Jessica's body. Her dream has come true. She’s now Jessica, the smartest, most popular, and most successful student at the academy, friends with the most popular girls in school. She catches the spotlight and, for once in her life, doesn’t feel like a failure. But what happened to her own body? What happened to her cousin’s soul? And what if being Jessica Chen comes with a high price, revealing that her perfect cousin is hiding a big secret?

Jenna starts receiving threatening messages that her cousin did something really bad, and she has to uncover Jessica's dirty secret before it ruins her life. Interestingly, she finds help from the person she least expected: her longtime crush Aaron. He might be the only one who knows what happened to Jenna, as the real Jenna hides in Jessica Chen’s body. He may be the only person who can see the truth about herself and help her face the reality of her life.

Overall, this is a riveting fantasy with inspirational messages, questioning the pressures students face during their school life, which threaten their mental health. I also adore the love story between Jenna and Aaron, which is one of the best parts of the book and pushes me to give it five blazing, fantasy, Freaky Friday-ish stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for sharing this adorable fantasy’s digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

It took me two weeks to sit down and write this review, because I couldn’t figure out how to properly word all these feelings that this book left me with. On the day I got to honor of receiving this arc, I read it in one sitting and have never felt so many different emotions on a six hour car ride. Every time I think about this book there’s this hollow feeling that has to do with it being over, nostalgia, and also a bunch of other bittersweet feelings. This is in no way suggesting that this book is bad, but rather it left such an impression on me that I can’t forget about it, and am constantly amazed at how Ann Liang managed to take all the hidden and most vulnerable parts of me and write it all into a book. I’ve always been an incredibly huge fan of Ann Liang’s books, as she is my favorite author with her ability to write relatable characters and address struggles and vulnerabilities so well. Whenever I read one of her books I can’t help but fall in love with the characters and realize that I’m not alone. This book did all of that but amplified it so much.

I think many readers will be able to see themselves in one of the main characters, whether they’re like Jenna Chen, who tries so hard but nothing seems to be ever be enough, who finds it impossible to not compare herself to other people who seem so much better, or Jessica Chen, who is burdened by the pressure and expectations of everyone around her, the constant need to be perfect in the eyes of the public, while a single mistake can cause everything built up to crumble. Aaron Cai is such an amazing character and I think he’s now tied for my favorite Ann Liang love interest. He’s a very open and vulnerable character, which is so refreshing, being able to talk about his feelings, desperations, and struggles. Minor spoiler alert but this was also mentioned in one of Ann Liang’s old TikToks regarding this book, I constantly think about the fact that Aaron was able to recognize Jenna in Jessica’s body, despite how impossible the concept was and it defying all the laws of physics. Him remembering her habits which she didn’t even realize herself.
I genuenly recommend this book so much, as it is incredible. For anyone who’s read Ann Liang’s books in the past, I do have to warn that this book does feel darker than the others and brings out so many stronger emotions!

this book! THIS BOOK..... GUYS THIS BOOK IS LIKE LOOKING AT MOST OF MY LIFE TURNED INTO A BOOK!!! I can relate to multiple characters in one aspect or another, IANJC literally had me tearing up in the very first chapter(this book has too much kick to it...) exploration of topics identity, family expectations, self doubt, slef loathing, and the pressures of growing up. Jenna's journey from rejected applicant to inhabiting her cousin's body to finding out that her 'shining like star' is also just someone trying to get through life(if i say more, I'll spoil the book) going through an internal war all of the time.

Jenna represents many of us waiting for the acceptance emails/letters, wanting just a bit more all the time, every time.... Having cousins who are just as spectacular, devoted and good, academically as Jessica, who I'll always be compared to and who'll always be the person who my parents brag about instead of me, I can relate to her on a bigger and deeper level....

The author masterfully delves into the complexities of Asian immigrant parents' expectations and the burdens placed on their children. How does some who's always in the back, feels? How does the person who's always second to someone, feels? How does someone who's always the best, the number 1, the model and the example, feels?Jenna's struggles to navigate her new reality as Jessica are a 100% relatable and authentic.

Through Jenna's experiences, the book raises important questions about self-discovery, individuality, and the true cost of success and glory. The supporting characters add depth and nuance to the story, particularly Jenna's parents, who are skillfully portrayed with both humor and heart.

The writing is engaging, and the pacing is well-balanced, plot twists that will have you wanting for just another chapter before you sleep(I was reading until like 5 am and staring at the wall until 6 am) making this a compulsively readable novel. The themes of identity, family, and self-acceptance will resonate with readers of all ages.

Also, i know i didn't said much about Aaron but to let y'all know my thoughts about him all that i can say without revealing too much is that he's the most vulnerable Ann Liang boy, and I'll keep this trio in my pocket and protect them forever and ever!!!

Overall, this book is a fantastic read for anyone looking for a story that will make them laugh, cry, and reflect on what it means to be true to oneself.

Ever since I Am Not Jessica Chen was announced, I knew that it would speak to me. I’ve had my fair share of chasing academic success; I’ve also been disappointed. And given that I’ve enjoyed Ann Liang’s previous books, I came into this one with high expectations. Spoiler: I ended up loving it.

In the end, how could I not grow to love Jenna? She fiercely wants and loves. She desperately craves academic validation and never feels like she’s enough. Aaron says this in the later half of the book: “You think everyone’s so much better than they really are, and you think you’re so much worse than you really are.” Jenna’s weaknesses are raw and real, but we readers see her kindness, strength, and artistry before she sees it herself. As a character, Jenna is relatable and utterly lovable.

I really liked Aaron. He’s cool headed and reserves his playful side for Jenna. Perfect on the surface, the emergence of his flaws only make him more endearing. I find it so precious how clearly Jenna and Aaron can see through another’s masks. As childhood friends, they know each other’s tells, burdens, and joys. They care for each other intensely. They push for each other’s growth, and they support each other when necessary. Ann Liang does a great job of showing how much they mean to each other.

I also appreciated the way Jessica’s life is written. Beloved by all, yet utterly lonely and battling all-consuming pressure. I sympathized with her a lot. In the end, Jenna’s newfound love and understanding of her cousin is really precious to see. Her protectiveness of her cousin against Lachlan really warmed my heart. I’d love to see a spin-off with Jessica’s own story to find happiness.

As for the writing, the lovely way Ann Liang weaves memory into the present really stands out to me. Often, Jenna superimposes the past onto a current situation. Many of these moments are about Aaron, but they also involve her family. We seamlessly learn the roots for her drive, her desperation, the fierceness of how she wants and loves. It was the perfect way to get to know Jenna’s core motivations and beliefs.

Overall, I Am Not Jessica Chen was truly a wonderful book to match its gorgeous cover. A full five stars! I’m very much looking forward to having a paper copy in my hands.

instead of harvard, my dream school was stanford, but looking back there was no way i could've gotten in. in my high school's 75+ year history, only 2 people have gotten in because most of us needed to work another job to be able to afford the cost of living, which meant that we didn't have the time to do all these extracurriculars or to stand out. despite this, i just kept trying and trying, but always felt like i was trying harder than the supposed "genius" students. i wish i had i am not jessica chen when i was in high school feeling all this angst. although there's nothing profound here, it just felt good to get to know characters that fit these archetypes yes, but are much more. some of the magical realism elements have plot holes but that didn't matter in the end because i just wanted a fun and relatable read for once.

4.5 stars !!!

This is for the girls where enough is never enough. The ones who believe they don’t try hard enough. The ones that feel uncomfortable in their own skin and wish they were anyone but themself. Those what wish to be prettier. Smarter. More talented. This book will show you that you belong here and you are not alone.

This was so amazing. The dichotomy of both Jessica and Jenna was so well written and it is impossible to not relate to one of them. They are such real characters in the way that they feel and think. There was romance, but I would not call this a romance book. This is moser of a “learning to love my life” book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the arc <3

4.25/5 ⭐️
i been waiting for this book since ann liang tease the idea on her tiktok 2 or 3 years ago. if you’re an ann liang girlie (like me reading all the books she write) you will love this. her recipe works! “i am not jessica chen” reminds me a combination of her “if you can see the sun” and “i hope this doesn’t find you” the little bit of magical element that you dont think too hard on the logistics, a burnt out academic girl that trying so hard to become the best, and of course the romance.

one my issue outside of the book is that across all socials ann liang has been marketing the book as dark academia. it is not dark academia at all, so if you go into reading the book with that in the back of your mind, you’re gonna be mislead

I knew just from the description that this would be a painfully relatable book, and it was! I've definitely had the same wish as Jenna many many times so it was interesting to see how that wish would have actually played out with all the unintended and unexpected consequences. Because I was able to empathize with the characters, I did rate this book a 5, but I can see how someone who grew up in a different environment might not be able to do the same. There's a lot of telling rather than showing and I think the book could have benefited from being a little longer so that the characters and backstories could be fleshed out.

God, this book would have done wonders for ninth grade me, but even though I am 23 now, I was not left unaffected by it.

Ann Liang just seems to get it. She knows what it's like to try and try and try and for that to still not be enough. To still fail and to have that failure absolutely obliterate your self-esteem. Somehow, she has encapsulated in this book what it's like to want with every fibre of your being.

I related a lot to Jenna and could not blame her for her actions because if I were in her position, I'm fairly certain I would make many of the same choices. I appreciated how Liang added depth to Jessica as well. Although she was perfect on the outside, she harboured her own anxieties and flaws.

The writing was remarkable. Probably Liang's best to date. It made me really emotional at times with how...raw it was. There was an author's note at the beginning of the book that detailed how this story was somewhat personal to Liang and I could feel itfrom reading the book.

My only complaint is the addition of the secondary characters: Leela and Celine. They felt a little...superficial to me? Leela was a little more developed than Celine, but I had trouble understanding her relationship to Jenna. Jenna mentions she has no friends, but then also says Leela is her best friend, yet Leela did not seem to care for her much, so this left me somewhat perplexed.

As always, Liang crafts a swooning romance that is perfect for slow-burn lovers such as myself.

Ultimately this is an excellent coming of age contemporary that I would recommend to everyone.

Ms. Ann Liang, the woman that you are. I don’t understand how you can write so beautifully and realistically at the same time. I relate to all of the MCs in your books and Jenna is no different. The way that she feels that she is never enough, that she can’t do anything right, that she is always comparing herself to others, is exactly how I feel too. We both go to competitive schools with so much pressure to be the best, so this book really hit me hard. Ann writes teenage characters so well and the dialogue is also so realistic. I loved the romance aspect and how naturally it came. Jenna and Aaron were perfect and I loved how it didn’t feel forced at all. I cannot wait to buy and reread this the second it comes out!

This book follows Jenna Chen, a girl who, no matter how hard she tries, never manages to get what she wants, particularly when it comes to her studies. When she fails to get into Harvard, she wishes she could become her cousin Jessica, who is a top student and easily got into Harvard. When her wish comes true, Jenna is scared at first, but then starts realizing that she actually enjoys being Jessica, even if it means the real Jessica (as well as Jenna’s body) is gone.

It was interesting to see Jenna *loving* being Jessica. Having a beautiful body, a giant house, lots of money, constantly being praised by her friends, teachers and classmates, getting awards and accolades… The author did a really good job showing how intoxicating it was for Jenna to finally get everything she ever dreamed of, and it made sense why she didn’t want to go back to her old life.

I especially liked the way things wrapped up! I liked that Jenna learned that Jessica’s life wasn’t that easy, and that Jessica herself was exhausted of all the pressure she was under, and the expectations people had of her. Seeing Jenna struggle with wishing for her life back, because, deep down, she doesn’t want it, was reeeeally intriguing, especially because she already experienced how hard it actually is to constantly get really high grades like Jessica did. The fact that, even then, Jenna still preferred to be Jessica, gave her a lot of depth. I also like that people were slowly forgetting who Jenna was, and that she learned to finally appreciate her life. And I LOVE that Jessica had ALSO wished to not be herself anymore, because of how tired she was of her life, which means that Jenna becoming Jessica had basically been BOTH of their wishes! I just thought that was all so interesting and well-done, and I’m glad that Jessica still had some depth, despite not really being in the book. Overall, I think that Jenna’s internal struggles with her self-worth are the best part of this book, which is great, because this is the *main* point of the story.



The secondary storyline is the romantic one, which, unfortunately, didn’t really work for me. 😕 I REALLY liked the LI, Aaron – he is intelligent, attentive and extremely thoughtful, and his actions are always really well explained and make sense with his story. Overall, Aaron is a great LI and a really well-rounded character (that I actually would’ve liked to see more of).

The main problem with the romance is that most its development happened off-page, before the book even began. Jenna and Aaron had been friends for a while, and Jenna had a crush on him. At the start of the book, we find out that Aaron had left for some sort of school program right after he and Jenna had a falling out, so there’s a lot of tension when they reunite at the start of the story. It’s clear that Jenna still likes Aaron even though she’s also angry about their falling out.

Throughout the book we get 1 or 2 flashbacks to their friendship, but, mostly, we just get quick mentions of things they did with/for each other. We never actually SEE them fall in love; we’re just TOLD she fell for Aaron. We never really SEE them bond; we’re simply TOLD they had some nice moments together (all of which could just be attributed to friendship, btw).

It’s already hard to make the reader believe in a romance when the characters already like each other, because you have to do a good job establishing a romance that was fully developed before the story even began. If you don’t even bother to write out a lot of flashbacks, and just keep telling the reader that the characters had nice moments in 1 simple paragraph here or there, it becomes really hard to fully believe in the romance… 😐 The culmination of all of this was Aaron’s love speech, which mentioned so many things he likes about Jenna, 99% of which happened off-page before the book even began, which means we never saw or heard about most of them, so the entire speech felt hollow and unearned, which is a shame, because it was really cute! 😢

Don’t get me wrong, Jenna and Aaron are sweet, and their moments in the past seem really nice and show how much they care for each other! However, their relationship was based on telling, instead of showing, which made it hard for me to believe in their romance.

Another thing I didn’t love about their romance was the fact that their falling out was nonsensical. Basically, Jenna tried to kiss Aaron, and he turned his head away, so she got angry at him and said “From now on, I hate you, Aaron. I seriously—I hate you so much.”…………?????? 🤨 I’m sorry, but getting mad at your best friend just because he didn’t reciprocate your feelings??? That is ridiculous. I get that she was hurt, but Jenna literally started acting like those dudes who get angry at their female friends when they friendzone them.

Aaron’s reasons for rejecting Jenna (despite liking her too) were actually really good – he really clocked her by saying that she likes to WANT things more than she likes HAVING them, and he simply didn’t want to be one of those things she quickly lost interest in. I REALLY like that explanation, because it shows that Aaron pays attention to Jenna’s actions and knows her well, and also shows him standing up for himself and calling Jenna out on her crap. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 While I did like Aaron’s side of this conflict, Jenna’s was absurd. It was soooo uncomfortable to see Jenna constantly be angry at Aaron for no reason; she was literally acting like those terrible « Nice Guys™ », and it was just icky to me. 😬😬😬



There are a couple of other things that didn’t work for me:

➤ Jenna didn’t think about her parents that often and barely even visited them when she was Jessica (even though, in the end, she talks about how much she misses them).

➤ Her friendship with Leela was literally never established. She mentions they were friends, but we barely even see that, and, in the end, she doesn’t even mention missing her friendship with Leela, yet when she goes back to being Jenna, she goes and hugs Leela…. This friendship should’ve been established, and I wish it had been a bigger point in Jenna’s life.

➤ Overall, there was a bit too much telling instead of showing: with Jenna and Aaron’s romance, with Jenna and Leela’s supposed friendship (that was barely even mentioned, tbh), with Jenna’s life (at the end of the book she goes on and on for paragraphs talking about the things she misses, most of which we never saw. I wish the author had taken a bit longer to establish her life before the change, so we had seen some of those things). 🙁

➤ The adoration everyone has for Jessica felt very cartoonish. People literally walk around constantly talking about how great and gorgeous and perfect she is, and telling her how they wish they were like her. It became ridiculous. 🙄

➤ The author is advertising this as dark academia, but I don’t really see that, tbh. Yes, it is about a girl who wants to have good grades and be the best in her class, but *dark academia*??? Idk…



Despite these issues, I overall still enjoyed the book, and I’d definitely recommend it!

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!