Author: Anna Carey
Published by: Quirk Books
This is Not the Jess Show was, above all else, a fun light-hearted read, which is surprising considering that the main character discovers that her whole life was fabricated and everyone she loved was lying to her. The premise is amazing and original, however, I don’t think it was executed as well as it could’ve been. There are not enough scenes of Jess and her (supposed) friends and family, we don’t get to see much of their interactions and family dynamics before Jess becomes suspicious and finds out the truth. Because of this, the reader doesn’t feel betrayed or hurt the way that the protagonist does, a big opportunity that the author missed and something that could’ve been achieved if the novel was longer. The brevity of that section of the story also results in Jess’s connections seeming shallow and wooden, the only relationship that has a bit of depth to it is between her and her “sister”, Sarah.
Although the romantic interest is a bit more developed than the other characters, his and Jess’s crush on each other is sudden, coming out of nowhere, and feels rushed. Actually, the whole book feels rushed and a tad unpolished. Had the author stretched it out and developed the characters better, this would’ve easily been one of my top reads of the year. Kip and Jess are not believable as a couple exactly because their relationship is not based on anything other than their current situation during the plot, so all of their scenes fell flat for me.
The best aspect of this novel is that the pace is quite fast, which makes the reader feel as frantic and agitated as Jess does during the story. It’s for sure a page-turner and, due to it being so short, less than 300 pages, it can be read in one sitting. Overall, it’s a fun read to pass the time during vacation or a lazy afternoon, just don’t go into it with high expectations. As I’ve mentioned, I didn’t connect with any of the characters, so it’s safe to say that I won’t be picking up the sequel.
Originally written in 2022
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