I am not Jessica chen

I am not Jessica Chen
Ann Liang
HQ Young Adult US 2025

Jenna Chen is not Jessica Chen, she’s her cousin. And where Jessica gets top marks, has flawless skin and enrols in a multitude of extra curricula clubs, Jenna can only dream to be like Jessica. In fact, that is exactly what Jenna does. She dreams of having Jessica’s life, her wealth, her success and popularity. Nothing Jenna does, no matter how hard she works, ever seems to be enough. When Harvard’s acceptance and rejection letters arrive, Jenna is finally tipped over the edge. While agonising over her mediocre life, she wishes upon a shooting star.

The old adage ‘Be careful what you wish for’ is clearly the theme here. Jenna wakes up in her cousin’s house and her cousin’s body. Everyone else is oblivious to this strange event. If her soul is in Jessica’s body, then where is Jessica’s soul? And where is Jenna’s body? No one seems to know or care.
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Over the course of the story, Jenna learns that her relationship with herself is troubled. Being someone else for a moment is fun, but the realisation that no one has a ‘perfect’ life is something Jenna will need to accept.
25 year old Ann Liang has seven published Young Adult and Adult books, with a rom-com on the way. I am not Jessica Chen would be an excellent pick for your teenager.