Well, That Was Unexpected

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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. 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! George’s father and Sharlot’s mother both begin texting each other as their children, not knowing that each are not the real George or Sharlot, and they decide to meet up. George and Sharlot know they are not right for each other from the start, but they continue to date, and after several amazing dates, they begin to wonder if their parents are right.

In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'. Although things were weird between George and Sharlot, each thinking that they aren’t compatible, the other is totally weirded out, and the whole meeting is just awkward. Sharlot realized that George isn’t that bad after all. He’s actually really passionate about the app that he’s been working hard on and is not a boring person. Similarly, George’s assumptions about Sharlot were debunked after talking to her for a while. They had really tender moments, talking about parents, love life, expectations of being an Indonesian-Chinese, etc.sharlot is the daughter of a single mom who left indonesia years ago when she got pregnant with her and george is the only male heir of his family's dynasty. An] uproarious rom-com…Sutanto explores the richness of Indonesian culture and history through alternating first-person perspectives, alarge and vibrant Chinese Indonesian cast, well-timed comedy, and soap opera–worthy drama in this summery read.” —PW So: word of George's furry proclivities (I swear he's being framed guys) spread, and George’s dad/sister decide to find George a non-furry girlfriend so that his (AMAZING) Eight Aunt will stop believing that he’s into bestiality (have I mentioned that this book is HILARIOUS? I was dying). At the same time, Sharlot’s mother decides that Sharlot should spend the summer in their native Indonesia so as to, you know, not lose her virginity. Since Sharlot is not exactly happy to be away from California, though, her mom decides to find a good Indonesia-based boyfriend for her daughter, so she won’t hate being there. After Sharlot Citra's mother walks in on her clumsily exploring her sexuality, her mother freaks out. Things are going to change around here! As the teens are forced to continue the charade for a number of different reasons, they begin to get to know one other on their own terms.

George and Sharlot are both caught in embarrassing moments by their parents. Their parents have similar reactions, they both think their teenager needs better influences.

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A delightful, hilarious, captivating love letter to Indonesia, and coming of age in a large meddlesome family, and the thrill of finding your person where you least expect it!"—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis Y'all, I loved this with my whole heart and soul. I was so invested in these characters. Sharlot and George have to be two of my favorite characters ever. After George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father walks in on him clumsily exploring his sexuality, his father freaks out. Things are going to change around here! Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour for choosing me as one of the participants in the #WellThatWasUnexpected tour. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A small development late in the story (70%) provided some very small relief from the tedium, but that development was dropped almost as suddenly as it was brought up, aside from a tiny mention at the very end.whilenobody dies in ‘well that was unexpected’ like they do in ‘dial a for aunties’, jessie sutanto breathes life into indonesia like she has been been waiting to do so her entire life. if you haven’t been, you’ll walk out of this book feeling like you have. if you have been, it’ll feel like greeting family again. First of all, Sharlot as a protagonist was absolute perfection. I loved her personality, I loved her narration style, and I loved how damn ready she was to tell people her opinions. She was a total queen and she managed to own the whole situation (aka all of the plot line) so readily. I am in awe.

The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells... 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 story 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! David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true.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. Well, That was Unexpected is a delightful, hilarious, captivating love letter to Indonesia, and coming of age in a large meddlesome family, and the thrill of finding your person where you least expect it!” — Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis And, one my fave parts of the story: INDONESIA. So: Sharlot grew up in the US, and she doesn't know much about her mother's culture. On top of that she's half white, half Asian: she feels at home nowhere, and often struggles to fit into her loving (but filterless) family. Over the course of the book, her relationship with Chinese Indonesian culture deepens. It’s complicated and layered and something Sharlot is very much growing into-and we, the readers, get to be right with her. So while Sharlot learns more about the history of Indonesia, Dutch colonization, Chinese Indonesian society and customs, and many other things, so do we. We get to experience Jakarta both from Sharlot and George’s point of view, and it's fantastic and unique. Yes, I am ready to visit.