A review by ljesica
Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto

funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

 

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Sutanto this year.  I didn’t realize she wrote YA books until I started reading this one.  It was really cute.

Jesse bases most of her stories on her Indo Chinese family experiences.  And they’re both heartwarming and laugh out loud hilarious.

Sharlot lives in LA.  Her mom has never gone home or talked about her life in Indonesia.  She never talks about her family.  But then her mom catches Shar in her bedroom with her boyfriend, and 3 days later the two of them are on a flight to Jakarta.  Shar is SO MAD and swears to hate every minute of it.

George is from a very wealthy Indo family and is being groomed to be part of the family business.  When he gets caught “doing what normal, healthy teenage boys do” by his dad and his sister, the family freaks out and decides he needs a proper girlfriend.  So they get on an app.

And then Shar’s mom and George’s dad and sister end up catfishing each other.  And shenanigans ensue.

I really liked this one.  It was super fun and sweet and made me want to go to Bali.  It’s always nice to get a line of sight into other cultures and I’d recommend it.