This is Not the Jess Show

by Anna Carey

4 out of 5

Synopsis

Like many teens, sometimes it feels as though everything in Jess Flynn's life has been engineered for maximum drama--from her performance at the school talent show, to the reappearance of her childhood best friend and perennial crush Jeremy, to her friends trying to set her up with one of the hottest guys in school. It's almost as if everything might finally be going her way...until one day a tiny black phone with an apple logo on its screen falls out of her best friend's backpack and lands at Jess's feet.

The problem is, it's 1998, and the first iPhone isn't due out for another nine years.

Jess's friends refuse to acknowledge the strange device. Her sister Sara, on hospice care with a terminal blood disease, for once can't tell Jess what she should do. It's almost as if everyone is hiding something from her. Even her beloved dog Fuller seems different...like, literally different, because he definitely didn't have that same pattern of spots on his stomach last week...

Nothing in Jess Flynn's world is as it seems, and as the cracks begin to show, Jess will discover her entire life is nothing more than someone else's entertainment. Except in this reality, the outside world is no place anyone would want to escape to.

Review

Jess is just your average 90's girl. Her sister's illness is overshadowing everything, but at least she has friends to make her feel better. Except... nothing in her life is real.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about the book description by the time I started to read the book, so I thought it was a YA story set in the 90s.

The first third of the book was well-written, and chock full of 90s nostalgia. Jess is easy to relate to, she's not one of the popular kids, but tends to get along with everyone.

She has a tense, barely-there relationship with her parents, and the only person in the family she connects with is her dying sister.

I'm not sure if this next bit is a spoiler, as it's stated pretty clearly stated in the book's description.

It turns out that Jess' whole life is a lie. After she starts to notice some inconsistencies, her best friend/major crush Tyler finally breaks and tells her everything. Full-on Truman Show.

Jess gains an unlikely ally in Patrick Kramer, the handsome, popular guy who has an annoying habit of only talking about the same story.

I really liked how the story went. It seemed to be setting up for one person to step up and be the romantic interest and help Jess uncover the truth; but then Kipps comes along.

Having gone to school in the 90s, I recognised a lot of the shows and music that makes up Jess' life, and I loved the authentic feel.

It was interesting (and made me feel very old) to watch Jess have to deal with the sharp difference in technology between the 90s and her current time.

The story is pleasant enough, but I got to the end with a feeling of 'huh, is that it?'

I felt like it had the potential be much more dramatic, that there was a bigger and more damaged world to explore and fights to be had.

The happy ending was rushed along, and I was surprised to find this is part of a series, because it felt like it had come to a natural conclusion. Everything had been wrapped up and I didn't expect the story to continue.

I would be interested in seeing what happens next.

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