The Other Me by Sarah Zachrich Jeng
The Other Me is a book about two paths diverging. One day, Kelly is eking out a living in Chicago, living her dream of being an artist. Upon her birthday, Kelly feels a bit sick and walks into the bathroom only to come out of the bathroom into a surprise party in another state and another life. Who is this person? Who is this Kelly who never left her small town in Michigan? What is going on and what will unfold? Will Kelly want her old life back? Can she get her old life back?
This is a really impressive debut novel by Jeng, and my feelings for this book are all over the place. First, I am incredibly biased because I hail from Michigan and loved all of the references to the great Mitten State. The main character, Kelly, was relatable: She had two lives, one where she never left her small town and one where she moved to the big city. The plot itself was pretty unique especially toward the end.
That being said, there were a few things that I just couldn’t over look. This book was unevenly paced, and it should be cut in about half. The second half of the book was the better part. There were also way too many characters, too many brothers and sisters and cousins. However, in my opinion, these last two points really boil down to how good of an editor the author has, if you can find an editor who isn’t afraid to give out honest review notes.
Overall, although unevenly paced, an extremely impressive debut novel by Jeng.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion!