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A review by hanarama
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
The Good:
• Funny family dynamics
• Indonesian-American representation
The Bad:
• Characters were caricatures
• Misplaced romance
You Might Like this if You Like:
• Slapstick and antics
• Weekend at Bernie's
I really wanted to like this book. The premise had so much potential, but in execution it just fell flat for me.
The biggest issue for me was the titular Aunties themselves. They really had the makings of great comic characters, but Sutanto fumbled in writing them. With Meddie's mother plus the aunts, there's just too many characters for any one of them to stand out. This is compounded by Sutanto numbering the aunts. Seriously, she calls them "Big Aunt," "Second Aunt," etc. It really makes it hard to think of them as individuals. Which is a shame, because there was real opportunity to write an engaging and fun family.
Meddie was the only character that didn't feel like a caricatures or a paper cup. From the aunts, to the love interest, to the villains, and everyone in between felt like a cardboard cut out. It was really exhausting. And it might have been forgivable if the aunts had been given names, or if Meddie hadn't been such a non-communicative idiot through the majority of the book.
Secondly, the romance just felt tacked on. It was easily the most boring part of the plot, and only really served as a distraction from the "hide the body" main plot line.
Overall a major disappointment. Might be good as a movie and after a few edits, but as a book it's a total miss.
• Funny family dynamics
• Indonesian-American representation
The Bad:
• Characters were caricatures
• Misplaced romance
You Might Like this if You Like:
• Slapstick and antics
• Weekend at Bernie's
I really wanted to like this book. The premise had so much potential, but in execution it just fell flat for me.
The biggest issue for me was the titular Aunties themselves. They really had the makings of great comic characters, but Sutanto fumbled in writing them. With Meddie's mother plus the aunts, there's just too many characters for any one of them to stand out. This is compounded by Sutanto numbering the aunts. Seriously, she calls them "Big Aunt," "Second Aunt," etc. It really makes it hard to think of them as individuals. Which is a shame, because there was real opportunity to write an engaging and fun family.
Meddie was the only character that didn't feel like a caricatures or a paper cup. From the aunts, to the love interest, to the villains, and everyone in between felt like a cardboard cut out. It was really exhausting. And it might have been forgivable if the aunts had been given names, or if Meddie hadn't been such a non-communicative idiot through the majority of the book.
Secondly, the romance just felt tacked on. It was easily the most boring part of the plot, and only really served as a distraction from the "hide the body" main plot line.
Overall a major disappointment. Might be good as a movie and after a few edits, but as a book it's a total miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Car accident, and Murder