WELL THAT WAS UNEXPECTED

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝
𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐐 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲
𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: 𝟑𝟖𝟒
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒


"Well, That Was Unexpected" follows the lives of two teenagers, Sharlot and George. Sharlot, hailing from LA, is caught by her mother in a compromising situation, prompting a sudden trip to her mother's homeland, Indonesia. Meanwhile, George's father decides to find a girlfriend for his son by creating a dating profile and pretending to be George while messaging a girl. This girl turns out to be Sharlot. When Sharlot's mother discovers this, she takes over the messaging, pretending to be Sharlot while corresponding with George.

The story is divided into three parts and alternates between Sharlot's and George's perspectives. I found myself somehow connecting with George but initially struggled with Sharlot. Raised in America without knowledge of Indonesia, Sharlot's first impressions are judgmental, and her anger towards her mother is quite off-putting. However, as the story progresses, Sharlot experiences significant growth. Spending time with her family in Indonesia, she learns about its history and culture, realizes her mistakes, and sheds her preconceived notions. Watching her transformation and her growing appreciation for Indonesia was very satisfying.
However, George's character is likeable. His situation is both mortifying and humorous despite the circumstances. George appears as a big kid burdened by the expectations of being the only male heir in one of Indonesia's wealthiest families.

I struggled with Sharlot's character, finding her actions towards her friends and family quite mean-spirited and hurtful. Her treatment of her mother, in particular, was difficult to overlook. Even though Sharlot often expressed regret, her repeated behavior felt frustratingly contradictory, making it hard to sympathize with her. The story's tone was too goofy, and Sharlot and George were rather bland and uninteresting. However, the side characters and setting were delightful, bringing the environment to life through beautiful descriptions. Despite these positives, the plot felt chaotic and stretched believability, which made it challenging to engage fully.

My favourite aspect of this book was the opportunity to learn about Chinese Indonesian culture. I always appreciate when authors draw from their own experiences, as it offers a unique window into different ways of life. The vivid descriptions of the food, family expectations, and daily life in Indonesia were fascinating. My rating is primarily based on this cultural exploration, as I felt the plot and character development could have been stronger.
Despite being older than the target audience, I still enjoyed reading this book. The excitement I felt when I first saw it was palpable- it's finally here! A novel published by a major publishing house with Indonesian characters, set in Indonesia, and written by an Indonesian author. I’ve been waiting for ages to see a story with Indonesian representation in the mainstream, and I’m thrilled that it exists. I had some expectations for this book, but the experience after reading it? Well, that was unexpected!!

My Rating:

3.5/5

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