I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang

Item: I Am Not Jessica Chen
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted March 30, 2025 by karenbaron in Fantasy, Review, Romance, Young Adult / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I Am Not Jessica Chen

by Ann Liang

Published by HarperCollins on January 28, 2025
Genres: YA Romance Fantasy
Pages: 318
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Publisher
Goodreads
Bookhype
BookBub
Storygraph
Get Your Copy at: Amazon

Jenna Chen has spent her life in the shadow of her flawless cousin. Jessica Chen is so smart she gets the top score on every test. Jessica Chen is so beautiful people stop in the hallway to stare at her. Jessica Chen is so perfect she got into Harvard.

And Jenna Chen will only ever be a disappointment.

So when Jenna makes a desperate wish to become her cousin, the last thing she expects is for it to come true—literally. All of a sudden she gets to live the life she’s always dreamed of . . . but being the model student at cutthroat Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she’d imagined. Worse, people seem to be forgetting that someone named Jenna Chen ever existed. But isn’t it worth trading it all away—her artistic talent, her childhood home, even the hope of golden boy Aaron Cai loving her back—to be Jessica Chen?

I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang takes us on a journey to finally understand that not everything is how we see it.

Will Jenna Chen regret her wish?

Jenna Chen

Jenna Chen has always wanted to become successful and, at least for once, be acknowledged for what she can do. She would even love to be able to pass a test with flying colors just once so that she would be on the same standing ground as her cousin. Except for Jenna, that never happens because even doing her best always leaves her behind her cousin. The funny thing is that Jenna has things she is good at that her cousin could never do. Her art, for one thing, is a great thing, but not only that. Jenna has a way of always being there for someone when they didn’t know they needed her until she showed up.

Jenna is an amazing character. She grew from wanting to be like her cousin to finally realizing that being herself is more rewarding.

Jessica Chen

Jessica Chen has everything that Jenna has ever wanted: a big house, successful parents, perfect grades, and winning all the awards. Except Jessica is hiding something not even Jenna is prepared to find out. Jenna takes the reader on a journey through Jessica’s body, and Jenna discovers that maybe not everything is perfect for Jessica.

Jessica is one of those people in high school who is excellent at everything. Yet they suffer from burnout once they finish high school and go to college. She hides things quickly from people she knows wouldn’t care about the fact that Jessica is beginning to suffer from burnout, and that maybe striving to be the best isn’t always the best thing.

Five Stars

My rating for I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang is five stars. Ms. Liang is a fantastic author who can tell a tremendous story about whatever she wants. I loved this book, and I felt so bad for Jenna and how hard it must have been for her not always to be compared to Jessica, but always to feel inferior to her. This book is about self-discovery and realizing that maybe love isn’t too far gone for anyone.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you click on a link to that retailer and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. This helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.

About Ann Liang

Ann Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn’t Find You. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. 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.