Review: Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q Sutano

It is not very often that I have the opportunity to read a novel, let alone a YA novel, set in Indonesia, so when I saw a copy of Well, That Was Unexpected on the shelves at a local bookshop, I just had to snap it up. LA born Sharlot is on holiday to Indonesia with her mother, meeting her family for the first time. Meanwhile, George is from a wealthy family. With each of their families creating a convoluted scheme to match the pair, the last thing Sharlot and George expect is to fall for each other.

While I loved the premise of this one, I found the storytelling a bit lacking. In many ways, it comes across as a teenage version of Crazy Rich Asians, but set in Indonesia and with a few more interfering relatives, particularly aunties. I also became more and more frustrated by the longer it took both Sharlot and George to realise that the online persona of the other was fake. There are a few fun moments though, and the backstory of Sharlot's mother certainly creates some thought-provoking reading. 

Overall, this was a very average read for me. Not great, not terrible, just average.

Comments

Ethan said…
Sorry to hear this one wasn't a hit. It seems like it tried to repeat the success of CRA instead of blazing its own path.
10 February 2023 at 03:06
Kathryn White said…
Thanks Ethan. That's exactly how I felt about it.
14 February 2023 at 21:10
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