I have the immense pleasure of receiving ARCs from Quirk Books now and then. Quirk has been one of my all time favorite publishers for the last 6 or so years. They put out some really rad and unique titles! This is Not the Jess Show (which I’ll be calling “The Jess Show” from here on out), is no exception.
I requested the Jess Show; I had seen that it was listed as a thriller, and was full of late ’90s nostalgia. But I didn’t read more than that until I read the book itself.
The Jess Show is about Jess Flynn, just a regular teen living in 1998. She’s dealing with high school, falling in love, her sister dying, and learning an unspeakable truth about her life: it’s all fake.
After realizing she has some feelings for her lifelong best friend, Jess brings up some of the odd stuff she’s noticed lately. There were weird, chanting noises the other day, and a strange rectangular device fell out of her friend’s backpack. But with her sister Sara’s disease progressing so quickly, she couldn’t really focus on them.
Until one day she does.
She talks to a friend about what she’s noticed. Specifically, an incident where her dog no longer remembered her. It’s then that Jess’s friend pulls her aside. Jess learns that there are hidden cameras and microphones everywhere. She has been living a tv show life and had no idea.
Because Jess is a minor her parents didn’t have to tell her anything, so they don’t.
As you can probably guess, it’s a lot to take in.
I don’t want to spoil anything for you, so I’m not going to go any further. But I need y’all to know something: this book is incredible.
I knew The Jess Show was a thriller, but I wasn’t expecting everything that happens as Jess tries to figure out what she’s doing. It was so freaking good. When I finished The Jess Show (which was quick as it’s gripping and amazing), my only response was:
Holy crap, this book.
It’s truly riveting, and it comes out February 2, 2021.
You’re going to want to preorder this one. It’s a wild ride, from start to finish! You can learn more about The Jess Show on Quirk’s site, and check out Anna Carey’s Instagram and Twitter!
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