Summary: I Am Not Jessica Chen
Jenna Chen is tired of living in her perfect cousin Jessica’s life, and when Jessica gets into Havard, and Jenna doesn’t, Jenna wishes she could be Jessica. In an insane twist, she wakes up in Jessica’s body. Worse still, Jenna’s body has ceased to exist. As she begins anew in Jessica’s body, Jenna quickly realizes that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, but can she get her life back?
The Good
This story is absolutely gripping and sucks readers in from the first page. We can smell the trouble Jenna is about to get in from a mile away and when she finally body swaps with Jessica, things only go from bad to worse as we start to grasp the gravity of what she’s done. I went into this story expecting a measure of predictability and I think it really shines from being unpredictable. Every time I felt sure that I could guess what was coming next, the rug was pulled from under me — which, for the record, is what I want when I’m reading a story built on a fairly popular trope.
A major theme of this book is the academic pressure that young Asians — and many private school kids regardless of ethnicity — face. We see from Jenna and Jessica that experiencing prolonged pressure at that level can seriously impact self-esteem for kids who can’t seem to be A+ students and also harm the high-flyers in other more insidious ways.
Art, family, and friendships play significant roles in this story as both girls are shaped by the latter two and Jenna especially loves art. Finally, while there is a heartwarming romance on the side, it is nowhere near being the main plot and for many teens who are tired of a romance subplot in every story, this could be a gentle compromise.
I Am Not Jessica Chen
In I Am Not Jessica Chen, Liang explores the idea that the grass is perhaps not greener on the other side in a chilling, relatable, and accessible teen voice. This story reminds teens that they are worth more than the sum of their academic achievements and that the value of our lives lie in unquantifiable things like our self-worth, relationships, and interests — not in external validation.
Star Rating
Content Notes
Here are some specifics to know about the content.
Content Warnings
- Death: None on the page.
- Alcohol/substance abuse: None.
- Sexual content: Nothing beyond kissing and handholding.
- Violence: None
- Religious content: None
- Language: Infrequent (3-5 instances) use of profanity.
Diversity
- Ethnic: Main characters cued Asian and white.
- Sexual orientation: None.
Recommended for ages: 13+
Good for kids who like:
- Body swap stories
- Stories about academic pressures
- Books by Ann Liang
- YA books with little to no romance
Publisher Details
| Publisher details | HarperCollins |
| Author: | Claire Swinarski |
| Illustrator: | N/A |
| Publication date: | January 28, 2025 |
| Audiobook? | Yes, Libro.Fm |
| Page count: | 320 |
| Cover artists | Designer: |
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