Well, That Was Unexpected

managed to finish this book just bcs im in the mood of reading something light… if i wasnt, i think i would dnf-ed this book on the first half 😭 this book giving me crazy rich asians type of vibe but THEYRE A TEENAGER… theyre 17… so it doesnt sit well with me. i also dont like the way the story started… and the writing style. but still, i appreciate the way Jesse described Indonesian culture! like i can see the excitement describing how great Indonesia is to the readers

** spoiler alert ** DNF: 92% Okay uhm! Can I be super honest, the plot is amazing, and the characters are great it's just the pacing for me. I felt as though for half of the book they were so persistent on not liking each other but after a few moments, they realize that they do (all in the span of 1 week?). Once again, I love George and Shar but I think the way the story flowed along with the sudden lesbian mother story was incredibly boring and just weird???

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Well, That Was Unexpected

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Book Series: Untitled Book Series Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Chinese Indonesian American MC and characters, Chinese Indonesian MC and characters, Sapphic couple, Bisexual character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, humor, fake dating, Indonesian, Chinese Indonesian, travel, celeb boy/normie girl

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Age Relevance: 16+ (sexual content, cursing, parental death, HP reference, teen pregnancy, romance)

Explanation of Above: There is a lot of sexual content in the book. There is no sex or sexual acts shown, but masturbation (nothing shown, just mentioned and talked about) and talking openly about sex and wanting sex is in the book. There is a lot of romance in this book. There is a lot of cursing in this book. Parental death and teen pregnancy are mentioned. There is one HP reference, but quickly another author is mentioned as being better (N.K. Jemison).

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 352

Synopsis: After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia. It'll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.

When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.

When the kids find out about their parents' actions, they're horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?

Review: This book was so cute! This book is an adorable contemporary romance with multi-POVs. One of the POVs is a Chinese Indonesian American girl who is caught in a compromising position with her boyfriend and taken to Indonesia by her mother for it. The other perspective is a Chinese Indonesian boy who is from a wealthy family, but when he is also caught in a compromising position his family take matters in their own hands via setting him up on a blind date… with our other MC. I loved how it openly discussed sex and sexual desires in teenagers, but also showing and talking about some of the dangers of sex at a young age especially socially in certain countries. While sex is natural, it is not seen that way in a lot of countries and this book talks openly about that. The book has my favorite trope in it (family sets me up on blind date) and the book also showcases the fake dating trope. The book was well written and I loved the story. I also loved seeing Indonesia through the eyes of our MC and I love all of the commentary about the land from an American and Native Indonesian prospective. The book also had well developed characters and world building.

The only issue I had with the book is that I didn’t think it was necessary to have an HP reference, even if it’s slightly bashed. It could have been “oh you’re reading Percy Jackson” or something like that instead.

Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!