Sharp, funny, and emotionally rich—I Am Not Jessica Chen is a powerful journey of self-discovery, identity, and owning your true story.

We all want to be someone else, something more until we actually get exactly what we want. A Freaky Friday twist on a coming of age story that was a absolutely worth the listen. Jenna wanted a life her cousin had until she lost herself, literally. Nearly wiped from her loved ones memory, Jenna had to discover the value in her existence and fight to reclaim her identity. Great story for any tween or teen that might be struggling with their identity and self worth. Great lessons to learn.

I really enjoyed this YA book about Jenna Chen, the daughter of Asian immigrants who always feels like she can't live up to her parents' high expectations for her especially compared to her all-star cousin, Jessica who just got into Harvard. When she makes a wish to be more like Jessica and then wakes up in her body the next day, Jenna struggles with whether she wants to embrace this new 'better' identity or if she can finally learn to accept herself for the good person she is (so-called flaws and all). Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Tashie Bhuiyan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! I'm glad I finally got to this just in time for the author's new book to come out!

I have yet to find an Ann Liang book I didn’t love, and I especially love reading them via audiobook so I was very glad to continue that streak. I think that there were a lot of elements of Liang’s books that you would expect here, but I also really liked how the kind of coming of age and self identity moments took the forefront (even though the romance was also great.) The main character, Jenna, was frustrating at times but that honestly made her feel more real, and it made it so much more satisfying to watch her learn to love her actual self, and to not only focus on Jessica’s flaws but also the importance of relationships. Definitely recommend!

Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Jenna "this is me trying" Chen is just a girl who wants to make herself and her parents proud, get into Harvard, and get over her life long crush. When things don't go according to plan, she does what any teenage girl would do and makes a life altering wish on a shooting star. When Jenna wakes up trapped in Jessica's body, will she realize she has everything she's ever wanted, or realize she already did?

Oh my gosh, this book hurt. As a 30 something year old, this book was such a wonderful reminder that good writing and storytelling can immerse you into any world. I related to Jenna a little too much, and I don't think the connection I had with her would've been possible without Ann Liang's ability to put you in her characters headspace and tell their tale. Katharine Chin's expert ability to take these words and narrate in a way I saw the story play out in my head was such a treat, and definitely added to my reading experience!

I wish I could give Jenna the biggest hug. This girl went THROUGH it. Although I'm happy with Jenna's ending, it was so hard listening to her hardships and realize the pressure she was putting on herself as she recounted her past.

While logically parents want what's best for their children, it was so frustrating watching Jenna's build her life around milestones and compare her to their niece, Jessica. I would've loved to see what Jenna's parents thought of her art, and I think an extended ending could have added some much needed redemption to their characters.

As for Jessica, I felt for her as well. Learning what Jessica's life was like behind the scenes and discovering her inner thoughts as Jenna read her diary heartbreaking. Although Jenna felt like she never did enough, Jessica was the reminder that for some people, nothing will ever BE enough and someone will always want more of you. This is such a hard lesson for people, especially women, to learn, and even hard to be okay with.

Aaron Cai! I love a man who yearns. While romance is not the forefront of this story, I loved the crumbs we got as the love between Aaron and Jenna came together. I am a sucker for flashbacks, and I feel like they were sprinkled in at the right time. I think Liang did an excellent job ensuring Aaron added to the story instead of taking away from Jenna's conflict. In addition, Chin did a wonderful job with his voice through her narration.

I hope that readers takeaway that validation isn't everything, comparison is the thief of joy, and you are enough. When I feel self-doubt creep in, I will try to reflect on the lessons of this story.

Something about Ann Liang’s writing style just calls to me.

I Am Not Jessica Chen is such a good take on the high school (but also lifelong) feeling of wanting what you don’t have and comparing yourselves to others. I felt for both Jenna and Jessica. Jenna for always being compared to her *perfect* cousin, Jessica. And Jenna for having to be the perfect student/daughter/cousin constantly.

I adored Aaron (Jenna’s romantic interest mmc) so much! He’s written so patient and understanding and attentive and just such a breath of fresh air. Also love that while there was a romance subplot it wasn’t overpowering whatsoever.


Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for access to the audiobook!

I just finished a fantastic YA book that had so many surprising twists! It's a dramatic magical realism story filled with amazing character development. I really loved seeing how the different relationships grew throughout the book. It was such an enjoyable read!

Jenna always try hard but never be the best. Meanwhile Jessica seemed to achieve everything without too much effort. Jenna wished she was Jessica, and the next morning she woke up as Jessica, while Jenna’s body (and Jessica’s soul) disappeared.

To be clear this isn’t dark academia IMO. So kinda false marketing? Anyway. This book frustrated me. Jenna’s thoughts were driving me crazy, and she’s in her head A LOT. Apparently I’m not the target audience for this. Aaron was cute, tho.

I enjoyed the narrator’s performance, her voice was soothing but also dramatic when the scene needed it to be. I liked that.

After being rejected from various Ivy Leagues, Jenna finds herself wishing to become her smarter, more successful, and well-admired cousin, Jessica Chen… and surprisingly, her wish comes true. As Jenna navigates life in Jessica’s body, she finally experiences life as the perfect daughter, an academic weapon, and someone who everyone adores and envies. We also uncover the academic pressure and Jessica’s deeper struggles, paired with the fading memory of Jenna’s actual self as she’s slowly forgotten by everyone except for Aaron. I loved the small moments she seemed to want back, and Aaron’s presence. Although there’s some minor romance, Jenna’s struggles of not being enough and feeling seen were raw, beautiful, and a reminder to live for yourself.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper Audio for the copy!

3.5 stars
thank you so much netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook
im actually so happy that i had the opportunity to listen to this because otherwise i know it would have taken me much longer to pick it up and it was such a delightful read
the narration was really good and since its a ya it was very easy to follow along so on the days i was a little tired i would just start playing this and would be entertained for a good while
i really liked the final message of the book and cant wait to read more by this author

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I Am Not Jessica Chen
Author: Ann Liang

Thank you so much Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for this ALC! I love Ann Liang, and the few books I have read by her and this one was captivating just like the others. We have two cousins, Jessica and Jenna. Jessica is perfect in every way. She’s insanely smart, beautiful, just got into Harvard, extremely popular, and top of her class. Jenna is also very smart but compared to Jessica she has to try significantly harder to keep up with everything. After getting rejected by all of her choices for college, and Harvard, she makes a wish that she was her cousin. The next morning she wakes up in her cousins bed, and at her house.. to find she is her! Jenna starts going through daily life as Jessica and starts to uncover so much about her cousins life she did not know. Also, she gets to experience how it feels to be THE Jessica Chen.. however with this comes the questions.. where is the real Jessica Chen, and also what happened to Jenna? I really enjoyed this book and the characters. It flowed, and I really felt Jenna’s pain at feeling not good enough, or less then, or not like she was living up to her parents expectations. Overall it was a good read and I definitely reccomend it! Thank you for the copy. 💕

All Jenna Chen wants is to be is as successful, smart, loved, and perfect as her cousin Jessica Chen and to get into one of the many Ivy Leagues she applied to. But unfortunately for Jenna, life for her is never that easy and fair. So, when she receives latest rejection from Harvard, she makes peace that she will never be able to live up to her parents’ expectation. And to make matters worse – Jessica, of course, is Harvard-bound. So, at a dinner turned celebration (and partial mourning) with their family, Jenna wishes upon a shooting star that she could be her cousin – Jessica Chen.
 
Imagine her surprise, when she wakes up the next day in her cousin’s bed and in her body. It doesn’t take long before Jenna becomes acclimated in Jessica’s body and enamored with her life. However, not everything that glitters is gold, and it turns out her seemingly perfect cousin is full of secrets.
 
This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I can admit she knows how to pull the reader in with an engaging premise. However, like her other book, the ending felt rush and incomplete. Overall, I did find the storyline engrossing and relatable, being a high performing academic and the pressure to excel academically, especially in high school and college. Despite my enjoyment of the plot overall, I had trouble sympathizing and relating to Jenna’s character. Honestly, I would have preferred this story more if we had more insight into Jessica’s POV, since I found her more interesting and multifaceted than Jenna.
 
Overall, despite some of my reservations, this was still an interesting read, and I would recommend giving this a try.

One shooting star, one risky wish, two lost souls (literally).

Woah. This was a powerful read. This was my first Ann Liang book, and I’ve got to say I really, really liked it! It was fun, raw, romantic, emotional…

I felt so seen as I read this. Jenna is such a relatable character, in a depressing way unfortunately, but it made it super easy to connect with the story and her, which is a big win in my book. The character development was slower than I’d have liked, but I really loved Jenna in the end!

The romance was light, but it was still there, and I loved it for what it was! Aaron and Jenna were just ugh so cute. That boy loved the hell out of her, and the chemistry was so strong I may have screamed at the really cute scenes between the two.

I really like the aesthetic of this, and the writing is beautiful—painfully so sometimes. I listened to the audiobook as I read along, and it was such a lovely experience. The narration was wonderful; everything was delivered perfectly, even the accents were amazingly done! I can definitely say I have a new favorite way of reading and even a new favorite author, as well as narrator!

A couple of things I’ve taken from this book: never take for granted the life you have, don’t let someone’s facade fool you into thinking they have everything, and never wish for someone else’s life because being you is the best possible thing.

3.6 ★

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!

I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang
•spoiler-free review•

This is the third book I’ve read by this author, and just like the others, I greatly enjoyed it! It’s a body swap story about Jenna, who feels inferior to everyone and thinks that her life would be better if she was her perfect cousin, Jessica.

Although I don’t think this book does anything shocking, it doesn’t need to. The lesson about being careful what you wish for is important, especially for teens. I was very gripped by the second half of this book, and discovering Jessica’s flaws. It took me a bit to get into, but I’m glad I stuck around.

I’m excited to read her other works coming out this year!

4.50 ⭐️

qotd: have you read any of Ann Liang’s work before?

Thanks you @netgalley and @harlequin_audio for the audiobook ARC!

#bookstagram #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #audiobook #yafiction #yabookstagram #arcreview #annliang #booksbooksbooks #newbooks #2025books

THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK. Exceeded all my expectations. It was my first Ann Liang read, and I'm looking forward to reading more books by her.

This is the second of Ann Liang’s novels that I’ve read and I absolutely love her style of writing!
💫💫💫💫💫/5
Jenna Chen has felt constantly compared to her cousin Jessica Chen for as long as she can remember. But what happens when she gets her wish to BECOME Jessica?
This novel was very beautifully written about how sometimes we don’t see our own worth and how self comparison can negatively impact our self view. It also deals a lot with the concept of not knowing what we have and how to appreciate it until it’s gone.

“Sometimes I forget that in the bigger scheme of things, it’s okay to not be the best at everything.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Liang for the audio coly!

4.8/5 stars — it felt like, and I mean this sincerely as a compliment, an elevated DCOM. Jenna’s arc is so relatable and the ROMANCE OMGGGG 🥰 it did reach a point in the middle where things felt a little slow and repetitive for me, but the ending was so strong and I love Ann Liang’s writing so much!

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5

Kept me asking myself “where the hell is Jenna??” Perfect for those who have asked themselves what would it be like to be someone else, specially someone who you admire or feel jealous of. But just as it happened to Jenna, one must be careful what one wishes for.

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

Okay, I am not sure where to start with this. I will say that I enjoyed the audiobook greatly. The narrator was great and the production was very nice and smooth. I just was not a fan of the book itself. The plot felt generic but that has nothing to do with the audiobook. I will definitely pick up whatever this narrator does.