Author Interview: This is Not the Real World by Anna Carey
I absolutely loved This is Not the Jess Show, which is the reality I thought I might be living as a youth who watched The Truman Show! This is Not the Real World, the sequel, is out in two weeks (May 24th!) so we thought we would check in with Anna and get ready to dive back into Jess’ world. Check out our interview below and be sure to pick up Jess‘ new beautiful cover and Real World, out soon!
This Is Not the Real World (This Is Not the Jess Show, #2)
by Anna Careyon May 24, 2022
Goodreads
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.
Interview with Anna Carey
If you were to wake up in 1998, like Jess, what 5 things would have to be included in your room?
An extensive CD collection with all the 90s greats (Alanis, Nirvana, The Fugees, Fiona Apple, Oasis), Plumeria body spray, a pair of Doc Martens, a stack of Delia’s catalogs and my old Baby-sitters Club books.
This is Not the Jess Show has quite the ending. What made you pick that spot to end her story before starting up in This is Not the Real World?
I love surprises, and the best ones are the ones that even I didn’t see coming. The end of This is Not The Jess Show was supposed to be different, but as I was writing it I could only see one way out of the story. With Jess’s parents being who they are, and the culture at large worshipping what it worships, everything was always leading to that moment.
Can you give us any hints about what happens in This is Not the Real World?
Jess is feisty and brave, and although she’s out of her element as soon as she leaves the set, she’s not the type of person to sit back and wait for things to happen to her. When Like-Life Productions messes with someone she loves, she sets out for revenge.
