Reading the description of this book, I expected a fun YA take on The Truman Show with a 90s twist. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this book. It manages to take a concept which has been done before (and quite successfully) and put a unique, interesting spin on it.
This is Not the Jess Show is the story of Jess, a girl living her best teenage 90s life. However, soon enough people around her start behaving really odd. She confesses having a crush on her male best friend to her other friends but they act as though she hasn't said anything, pushing her onto some other guy instead. When a strange device falls out of her friend's bag and no one gives a satisfying explanation, Jess starts to suspect there might be more to her reality than she's been told.
I really loved the execution of this plot. Like I said, it goes in quite a unique direction which I won't spoil but I immensely enjoyed. The characters were pretty great and it raised some interesting questions about celebrity and the nature of privacy. I did find Jess frustrating at times, mainly in her reactions to finding out her world was false. I wanted more anger or for her to react in a more direct way. Having said that, she does become somewhat proactive eventually so I did appreciate that.
Sadly I can't say much more about this book because I don't want to spoil it, but if the basic premise interests you then you won't be disappointed. It does more than just copy The Truman Show and it definitely deserves credit for that. The writing is fun, the plot is engaging and I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen. Overall a great read.
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