I Am Not Jessica Chen

By: Ann Liang

Narrated by: Katharine Chin

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?

* Kids' Indie Next Pick *

Tells a unique story but still hits the must-haves

I was really impressed by this book! I saw it on BookTok, which I'm always hesitant about, but was really intrigued.

Jenna is a complex character that struggles with some very real insecurities that most readers can relate to – Striving for perfection and approval, relishing in validation and recognition. Jenna is not too stereotypical anything. Although "not like other girls," the author does not push this narrative to an extent that gets boring. Although crushing heavily on a guy named Aaron Cai, Jenna has persona outside of that fixation. She is heavily motivated by her grades, but moreso by being accepted and celebrated by her parents and peers.

Aaron is a wonderful MMC who breaks up the heavy topics with some whimsy and excitement, is the perfect comfort character to what Jenna is navigating. I also appreciated the conversations about the Asian American experience – I'm a white woman, but it felt very within reach and certainly helped me understand that perspective more.

I loved the book and look forward to the author's other work.