This Is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey

This Is Not the Jess Show

by Anna Carey

“A fantastically smart, funny, and thoughtful thriller.”—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star

The year is 1998: Titanic just won six Oscars, boy bands are dominating MTV’s airwaves, and like any other teenager Jess Flynn is just trying to survive high school. Between a crush on her childhood best friend, overprotective parents, and her sister’s worsening health, the only constant is her hometown of Swickley, which feels smaller by the day.

Jess is resigned to her small-town life, until the day she discovers a mysterious device with an apple logo, causing her to question everything and everyone she’s ever known. As more cracks appear in Jess’s world, she faces a choice: can she live the rest of her life knowing it’s a lie, or should she risk everything for the truth?
 
A fast-paced, mind-bending YA thriller packed with ’90s pop culture references and perfect for fans of Riverdale, This Is Not the Jess Show will keep readers guessing until the very end.

And don't miss the explosive and thrilling conclusion, This Is Not the Real World!

Reviewed by Jordon on

2 of 5 stars

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When I first read the synopsis for This is not the Jess Show, I was very excited.

The synopsis I read pitched the book as a YA version of The Truman Show. I enjoyed that film years ago and was intrigued to see how the premise would turn out in a book. Unfortunately, it hasn't adapted well. I think the issue lies in the fact that I already knew the concept, whereas if you look at the new synopsis, it doesn't mention The Truman Show anywhere. So I lost the suspense element.

Most of this story was around the characters running away from their reality, which was disappointing. I didn't pick up this book to read that kind of story. This story wasn't about the main character trying to figure out what on earth was going on, she didn't slowly figure things out, someone ended up telling her outright. And everything that happened before that point hadn't felt natural or real. Everything that happened after that point was kind of bland and predictable.

This is not the Jess Show wasn't quite the story I had hoped, but it was a quick and easy read, so I didn't have to slog through it.

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Reading updates

  • 26 July, 2021: Started reading
  • 27 July, 2021: on page 0 out of 304 0%
  • 28 July, 2021: on page 106 out of 304 35%
    I remember seeing the first synopsis for this book before it was published, so I already knew what was happening. The first 35% was a little slow waiting for the MC to find out the truth. I’m glad it didn’t take longer though!
  • 28 July, 2021: Finished reading
  • 30 July, 2021: Reviewed