It’s simple. I see a book with an Indonesian-American MC, and I click. I’m Indonesian-American, and I feel like I’ve been waiting since the dawn of time (dramatic, but justified) for this kind of beautiful, important representation in the YA space.

So thank you, Jesse Sutanto, for writing this book to begin with. (And for all of your other books, which have blazed the way forward for Indonesian MCs in YA literature.) As described in your acknowledgements, WELL, THAT WAS UNEXPECTED is definitely a love letter to Indonesia — but it’s also a love letter to all of us with Indonesian ancestry, those of us with mixed, multicultural heritage and anyone who has grown up wanting to see themselves reflected in the books they read.

I smiled every time I came across references to Indo foods and phrases I’ve been around my entire life — let’s GO, nasi goreng! — and that happened so often, my cheeks started to hurt. It was also really fascinating to read an MC’s perspective who visits Indonesia for the first time after growing up in the US, which is very similar to my experience as a second-gen American who didn’t visit Indonesia until I was in my mid-twenties. I just love seeing this kind of inclusion and ode to Indonesia — and it is honestly way, way overdue.

That said, I am obviously biased, because I went in wanting to love this book just based on the premise alone. Thankfully, it’s also a delightful read; one that I’m genuinely thrilled to recommend. WELL, THAT WAS UNEXPECTED is lovely and light and the perfect kind of escape.

A quick recap: Sharlot and George are two very seemingly-different people brought together thanks to a series of events that see their respective families meddling in their personal lives by posing as them on an Indonesian dating app. LA-bred Sharlot is with her mom visiting estranged family in Indonesia for the summer, thanks to being caught in a pretty compromising position with her ex-boyfriend back home. All Sharlot wants is to go back home to California, no matter how ridiculously nice Jakarta might be. George has always lived in Jakarta but has long not been interested in having a girlfriend; something he finds difficult to do because he’s heir to a very, very wealthy family and girls in the past have used him for it. Instead, he’s been pouring all of his time and energy into preparing to launch an app that combats toxic masculinity (hello YES).

This book is wonderfully bizarre, featuring several plot twists that drive some almost unbelievable antics. For one, Sharlot and George are forced to fake date to drive some press around his upcoming app launch — only to discover that perhaps they have more in common than they thought. This is an arrangement which, while first presents a major headache for everyone involved, might just result in a happy ever after.

One of the best parts of the whole thing is Sharlot’s mom and her character arc. Once we eventually learn why she left Jakarta to begin with, and witness her happy reunion with the one person who stole her heart all those years before, everything starts to make more sense. Her story, and the things she bravely endured, is beautifully told.

Another of the highlights is George passionately working to help teen boys unlearn deeply problematic behaviors and attitudes. (We LOVE an MC who works to dismantle the patriarchy!!!)

WELL, THAT WAS UNEXPECTED will make you laugh at some of Shar and George’s misadventures, but it gets much deeper than that. It’s a book that reminds you about the importance of embracing your heritage without losing sight of what’s right. A big theme in this is the need to challenge how things have always been, while still honoring the beauty of tradition. Indonesian culture — like any culture, really — is big on respecting the past, which can sometimes be a major detriment. That said, it’s absolutely lovely to read a book about some cultural nuances that really demands more than just blind acceptance of the way things have always been.

This is a story about the places, and the people, we discover we belong to. It is an ode to community — both new and old — and what magic could happen if you open yourself up to an unlikely journey. It might just end up being exactly what you needed all along.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Jesse Sutanto is an newly popular author who does a great job of combining intrigue and humor. So when I saw that she had a new book out, I knew I had to request it! "Well, That Was Unexpected" is Sutanto's first YA book. This book centers around George and Sharlot, both teenagers who are overwhelmed by their parent's overbearing ways. When circumstances throw them together, chaos ensues, and sparks begin to fly.

I thought the idea of this book was better than its execution. However, I'm not the target audience for this book, so that may have skewed my opinion. There were also some elements that I felt were unnecessary (casual mentions of porn, etc.) Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The beginning of this was rough for me. Sharlot didn't feel like a real person. The way she swore every other sentence or just was really rude to her mom made her feel like a meme of a teenager. Then the invasiveness and manipulation of George's family also made me uncomfortable. Eleanor's character was also just entirely confusing for me. She's supposed to be 13, but the way she's written I'd guess she's like 7.
The plot of this book is bonkers. It is what intrigued me about the book after all. Two parents catfishing each other's kids!? Wild. I didn't expect it to get as deep as it did. There's an LGBTQIA+ moment that I feel was kind of just thrown in there. It gave insight to Indonesian culture, but I feel the reconciliation of two certain characters could have been handled without that.
As the book went on, I enjoyed Sharlot and George falling for the true versions of each other. But it was kind of ruined by all the pop culture references.

" A laugh-out-loud YA rom-com about a girl who's whisked from LA to her mother's native Indonesia to get back to her roots and finds herself fake-dating the son of one of the wealthiest families there, from the bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and The Obsession"

This author was new to me but they did not disappoint! There were a lot of plot twists, fun, fake dating, and just the right amount of cheesy for a YA book! It does have a way of balancing serious teen issues without being a heavy book. It was a lot of fun to read and look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed the lighthearted nature of this book that also managed to be serious about issues facing teenagers around consent and social media drama. I would have appreciated if there had been more obvious distinctions between the narrators so if you stop in the middle of a chapter, it’s easier to catch whose story you are in the middle of.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm convinced that Jesse Q. Sutanto never misses, regardless of what genre or age group she writes for. This delightful rom-com made me very, very hungry with its descriptions of Indonesian food and the country's coffee culture. But since it was 2am and not the best time for a meal, I binged this book in one day instead.

Just like the author's Aunties series, this YA novel had me chortling out loud and was exactly what I needed after a string of heavy, intense reads. I love how it's essentially a love letter to Indonesia and enjoyed learning about the culture.

I was totally onboard with the romance. The two main leads were well-developed and had very satisfying character arcs, though I felt that they sounded a bit childish for teenagers at times. The rest of the cast was just as wonderful. I would love spin-off and sequels centered on the other characters such as Kiki, Eleanor and the mothers!

All in all, an extremely enjoyable book that I flew through!

This book reminds me of why I love Young Adult novels so much. They're so fun, fast, and just the right amount of cheesy. Mentions of things like Instagram feel much more natural than in Adult books and they're just so enjoyable that I usually find myself finishing them in one sitting. This has easily become one of my new favorite YA Romances and I loved learning about Indonesia.

Sutanto brings a sassy and witty voice to Shar and her multicultural adventure in this new YA novel. With themes of healthy sexuality, relationships, internet citizenship, LGBTQ, and coming of age in a world that watches your every move, this novel was refreshing! I felt as if I was in Indonesia with Shar on her travels and the writing was smart and fun. Definitely an easy feel good read!

This is more than a young adult ron-com, this is a travel log, and love letter to Indonesia and Fiji. The closest I have been to Indonesia is Australia, which is nowhere near. Like Sharlot, the main character, I know very little about Indonesia, other than what @jesseqsutanto has posted inher instagram site about Jakarta. LIke Sharlot, I always have the images that the BBC shows, of huts, and shanty towns.

The story is very cute, with mix-ups, and fake dating, and all the fun tropes that romance novels fall into. The characters are both very likable, despite being forced into a romance they didn’t seek. The dialogue of these teenagers is *very* realistic, with the odd-swear word thrown in all over the place, and having living with a teenager, I can tell you, that is how they speak.

So much fun. I didn’t want the book to end, though I also wanted to know how it would all work out.

Highly recommend this, even though you might think you don’t want to know about Indonesia, or teen romance, you really do.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

This book was so fun to read! I read the whole thing within 3 days so that tells you how much I liked it. There were so many funny shenanigans afoot while riding the emotional roller coaster of being a teenager.

Only criticism was I’m not quite sure a teenager would publicly cuss as much as Sharlot does. I remember being that age and yes I cussed around my friends and under my breath but there is no way I would have gotten away with saying any of the stuff she said in front of adults. I didn’t grow up saying yes ma’am/no sir or anything that extreme (which I still find ridiculous and refuse to say). But maybe that’s the difference between California and Midwestern/Midsouth kids? But this didn’t hinder me from enjoying the book.

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for this ARC.

This was such a cute fun book! Sharlot is caught in a compromising but typical teenage situation by her mother and her mother's reaction is to take her to Jakarta. While in Jakarta, Sharlot's mom creates a profile on the Indonesian version of Instagram in order for her to find some friends. George is also caught in a typical compromising teenage situation by his father and sister and their reaction is to set him up on the Indonesian version of Instagram to find him a girlfriend so he will not be seen as such a loser. Sharlot and George match and the parental catfishing and fake dating ensues.

Jesse Q. Sutanto's writing is hilarious and her characters are extremely loveable. This was a fun YA twist on fake dating where the people in the fake relationship did not agree to the catfishing or fake dating.

Sutanto's hilarious voice, large cast of characters, and rich exploration of Indonesian Chinese culture is present as always in this new YA romance. The absolute most ABSURD inciting incident leads to our main characters fake dating at this beautiful Bali resort. The setting was lush. All of the characters were well fleshed out with poignant background stories and clear motives. In addition, there was sapphic rep, and an incredible mother/daughter storyline.
Im simply obsessed.

Loved this! The author is so witty, the characters are literally so relatable and funny it's hard not to love them! The storyline flows so effortlessly, I enjoyed all the moments that I gasped and didn't expect. Plus all of the humor in between with a few sad moments. Loved that it was set in Indonesia, gave me eye opening views from there as I've never been there but have always dreamed of going there. This novel is such a great, light read! I know it's a young adult novel but me being in my mid-30s still totally enjoyed it. It brought me back to my teenage years and feelings. Definitely read this if you need some laughs and loveable characters in your life!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Well, that was very expected, if I do say so myself. The premise of this novel promised a large meddlesome family, references to Chinese Indonesian culture, a coming-of-age story, and an adorable fake dating romance, and it delivered on all fronts. I think my favorite aspect of this novel was definitely learning about Indonesian and Chinese Indonesian culture and noting the similarities between South Asian and Southeast Asian foods, traditions, cultures, and language. I also really appreciated how refreshing the characters felt (i.e. they never felt into their typical character achetypes), such as Bradley being a supportive ex instead of a toxic one, Kiki and Eleanor being kind and caring towards Shar instead of being catty snobs, and Shar's mother owning up to her mistakes and actually apologizing as an Asian mother. Shar was by no means a perfect person either, and I really loved watching her grow and recognize her ignorance towards Indonesia. I only wish that the resolution after the climax was a little more drawn out instead of ending so abruptly, but overall, this was ridiculously over-the-top in the best way possible. While I haven't read Jesse Q. Sutanto's other novels, such as Dial A For Aunties, based on what I know of her other novels, I think fans of her previous works will definitely love Well, That Was Unexpected!

I’ve not read anything else by this author but had heard good things. I was excited to receive an arc from NetGalley for review. I dove in immediately.

To give this book a 3.5 stars Is a stretch for me. I’ll admit I was pretty turned off at the start. Neither introduction to 2 leads are favorable or even interesting. Frankly I just found it unnecessary. I however loved the setting and cultural influence. The characters were alright but there was quite a bit to keep up on with all of them. Storyline was predictable with a couple twists (that again, I didn’t care for but that’s personal preference). Overall “cute”, sometimes funny, just could have been more.

This is the second book, but first young adult novel, I’ve read from Jesse Q. Sutanto. And much like her adult novels, this book carries the same charm and humor. There is no denying that Sutanto had genuine fun while writing this story; that joy floats right off the pages of this story.

In many ways, this story was a love letter to Indonesia and everything its culture offers. I haven’t learned much about that island country before (which is a huge shame!), and the reader can absolutely feel the love and pride Sutanto has for her country. From the beauty of the settings to the delicious tastes of the food, the details were trying to peel itself off the page. But, with that being said, it was a love letter that was unafraid to criticize that culture, as well. The story made a point of commenting on the conservative nature of Indonesian culture and how suffocating that can become. Despite there being some cultural criticism, it was all handled tastefully and fit well with the contents of the story.

Sharlot and George were both fantastic main characters. They carried distinct voices, which was only supported by the different environments they were raised in. I truly admired George for being a down-to-earth, nerdy love interest—despite his family being billionaires. Sharlot, on the other hand, was difficult to connect with. Early on, I made many notes/comments about her negative attitude and nastiness toward her mother. Again, this is one way to attempt to capture a teenager’s voice; however, it made it difficult to connect with her because she was so negative and angry all the time. It would have been softened if there were clearer details as to why she acted that way, as it felt like the reasons why were brushed under the rug. Did Sharlot grow from that negativity by the end of the story? Sure. But, her rapid development away from those attitudes was stark in comparison to how much time had passed.

I have to say it: there was insta-love. That is difficult to avoid when the events are unfolding across a few days’ span, but it was frustrating to see nonetheless. I wish we had just a few more chapters to slow down the story’s pacing in order to better capture Sharlot and George’s developing relationship. It did feel like you blinked and missed the two of them “falling” for each other. I do believe the insta-love was tied closely to the speed of which the characters developed. You could see where the different story acts ended and began, which signaled the locations where the characters changed and moved away from their previous headspaces. All in all, I wish the character development and romance development was slower; I can’t help but feel it would have built a stronger story.

As much as I enjoyed aspects of this novel, I can’t ignore the ageist comments that were made in the name of making Sharlot sound “younger.” Can teenagers be judgmental? Absolutely yes. We’ve all been there and there’s no denying what your worldview is as a teenager. However, it’s hard to stomach any ageist comments; in the case of this story, the source of Sharlot’s ire was those in the 27 to 30 range. (Do I need to say that 27-30 isn’t old?) There are other ways to achieve a teenager’s voice in a young adult novel and making ageist comments is not one of them.

This is a much smaller note, but there were 16 uses of “argh.” That was one too many uses of that exclamation for a 300+ paged book.

In the end, this was an enjoyable young adult read. It was another great take on the fake-dating trope, despite how insta-love the romance was in the end. But, I was utterly enchanted by the Indonesian setting and hope to read more books set in this country.

TW: ageism, slut-shaming

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Jesse Q. Sutanto absolutely knows how to get excelled in various genres including thriller, cozy mystery, romance, adult fiction! She has amazing sense of humor promises a week long entertainment!

Dial A for Aunties series is one of her brilliant cozy mystery/ humor/ romance works.

After reading the blurb about YA romance story between Sharlot and George Clooney with a loud laugh, I was so excited to read this book!

At first chapters were reminding me of American Pie movies style crass teenage humor. Sharlot gets caught to her mother when her new boyfriend is about to pop her cherry and George Clooney gets caught by his father and 13 years old sister when he is out of his pants, watching an animated soft porn! You fill the blanks! Both of the situations are absolutely embarrassing!

Two parents decide to play a cat fishing game to match their children via dating app. Both Sharlot and George find each other boring, traditional after reading each other’s comments on the dating app. They have no idea written sections are filled by their parents.

George is only male heir of their family dynasty as Sharlot only has her mother as a parent. And her mother ran away from her homeland under suspicious circumstances.

As she travels through Indonesia, exploring the beauty of the city, getting attracted to George, she also finds the truth about her mother’s past.

Overall: I had hard time to get into the story because of immature teenage sense of humor but later when the main story started, I absolutely enjoyed my time!

In near future I plan to visit Indonesia to see those places and try their delicious food! The author’s depictions were mouth watering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This was my first young adult book of Jesse Q. Sutanto. I fell in love with her writing style and characters after reading Dial A for Aunties and wanted to give this book a try when I saw that I could request an ARC.

It did not disappoint at all! Everything you love about the family dynamics, characters and humor of her Dial A series is fully in this book but through the eyes of a young teen girl named Sharlot, displaced for the summer when her mother takes her back to her home country of Indonesia.

Sharlot goes from having a very cynical, Americanized view of the beautiful country and the bustling city of Jakarta, to a growing fascination and love for her family’s birthplace after she’s thrust into a fake dating relationship with the handsome son of one of Indonesia’s most influential families.

The descriptions of the settings & cultures- specifically within Jakarta & Bali were some of favorite parts of the story. It opened my eyes to how beautiful & interesting the culture of Indonesia is. The love story between the two main characters was sweet and full of typical awkward teenage moments and experiences that brought back so many memories. And as always with Sutanto’s books, the relationship between the main character and her mother really stuck with me.

I really appreciated the discussions of heavier topics (specifically misogyny & LGTBQ+ equality and how it differs in different parts of the world) in such a light fun book because it adds more depth to an already amazing story.

Fantastic story overall and would highly recommend to any YA romance fan!

TW/CW: misogyny, sexism, homophobia

Well, That Was Unexpected takes all of the heart, humor, and meddling family hijinks that I loved from Dial A for Aunties and translates it into such a fun YA coming-of-age story. I loved getting to explore Indonesia through the eyes of these two incredibly awkward teens. I loved how honestly the book addressed topics like sex and sexuality. I loved all the mouth watering descriptions of food. Super fun and highly recommended.

I am definitely older than the target audience, but I had a lot of fun reading this book. Full disclosure--I love reading YA and I especially love discovering new authors, especially POC/BIPOC. There were definitely moments when I thought of Crazy Rich Asians, although our two young people do not meet in school. Rather, their parents set them up in a catfishing situation where neither of them was involved, but they think the other was involved. This resulted in a ridiculous situation where they each think the other one is completely boring and old and uber traditional, which is completely not the case. What is similar to CRA is that George is the sole male heir of his generation to a ridiculously wealthy empire, Shar is the daughter of a single mother who left Indonesia under fraught circumstances and never looked back, and you get to explore Indonesia's beautiful culture (especially the food!). There were definitely moments of implausibility, including the idea that both Shar and George would never guess that the other one did NOT write their end of the conversation on the dating app. As intelligent as they were both supposed to be, it seemed odd that they wouldn't have eventually suspected that the other one was not the writer of the messages.

Still, this wasn't a major issue for me because this is what I would consider a fun summer read and I loved the situations they found themselves in. Her cousin and his sister were hysterical and really added to the story, and I loved what Shar discovered about her mom's past. I also loved how their own family relationships improved as they got to know each other and gained perspective. I didn't realize that Indonesia was such a conservative country, but I thought that the author tackled the subject very well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and will look for other books by this author. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and quick beach read. I suspect that those who enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians would also love this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is being published on September 27, so keep an eye out!