*ARC Review* This is Not the Real World by Anna Carey

Title: This is Not the Real World

Author: Anna Carey

Publisher: Quirk Books

Release Date: May 24, 2021

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Summary:

In the explosive, thrilling sequel to This Is Not the Jess Show, 18-year-old Jess is out for revenge as she confronts the corrupt media empire that documented every moment of her childhood.

Finally free of Swickley and a life that was broadcast to the whole world on Stuck in the 90’s, Jess is doing her best to adjust to existence on the outside–but she can’t outrun her past forever.

Like-Life Productions has tracked down Jess and her boyfriend, Kipps, and forced Kipps to come back to set for the rest of his contract. Determined to rescue Kipps and exact revenge on Like-Life Productions for what they did to her, Jess teams up with a reporter who’s investigating the seedy underbelly of the TV production company–including a series of suspicious disappearances. Jess agrees to return to set under the guise of missing her friends, family, and old life. Then she can take them down from the inside.

Jess must play along in order to gain the power she needs to expose the truth–but fact and fiction blur as Jess struggles to stay one step ahead of Like-Life Productions. How far will she go to maintain control of the narrative, and what will it cost her?

Packed with twists that race toward a shocking ending, this second book will keep you guessing.

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My Mini Review

**PLEASE NOTE: This review is on the sequel to This is Not the Jess Show, and may include some spoilers from the first book. Read at your own risk.**

I love a great sequel, one that continues an intriguing story and truly captures the emotions I felt in the first book. This is Not the Real World does a fantastic job of continuing Jess’s story and providing more twists and turns as Jess works to expose Like-Life Productions.

At the end of This is Not the Jess Show, Jess escaped Like-Life Productions and the horrors of her life actually being a TV show. She now resides in a secluded area with her TV show sister and her boyfriend, who helped save her from Like-Life Productions and her parents. But Jess knows she won’t stay safe for long, especially when Like-Life Productions finds them and forces Kipp back to the set to finish his contract. Jess will do everything she can to save Kipp and expose Like-Life Productions. To do this, Jess teams up with a reporter and must return to the set. But doing so puts her in the heart of what she had hoped to leave behind and a life she thought was 100% real.

Once again, Anna Carey has outdone herself with this sequel! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next, especially as the book creeped closer to that explosive ending. Carey kept me on my toes, as everything I thought would happen next actually didn’t. I was always left guessing and always left flipping the next page to see where the story goes. Like This is Not the Jess Show, Carey does an amazing job bringing this story to life.

I loved Jess’s character development. In the first book, Jess questioned everything. And even when her life that she thought was real was brutally exposed, she chose to be brave instead of cowering in the face of the unknown. In this sequel, Jess continues to be brave and continues to show that she will not give up her life for a show full of lies. Even if it means giving up the people she loved.

If you read This is Not the Jess Show and thought that was a wild ride, then you’re in for quite the treat because This is Not the Real World intensifies that wild ride. Filled with mystery, shocking twists and revelations, and some sweet moments, you won’t want to put this book down until you get to the last page. This is Not the Real World is out today!