Well, That Was Unexpected
Jesse Q. Sutanto
Electric Monkey, 2022
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN: 9780008501464
Well, That Was Unexpected certainly caught me by surprise. Showcasing chapters from the points of view of Sharlot and George, we are brought along for one interesting journey. Sharlot Citra, a 17-year-old girl living in LA, has never been to her mother’s home country of Indonesia. Her summer is ruined when her mother decides the two will go to Indonesia for the whole summer.
Sharlot’s path crosses with George Clooney Tanuwijaya when their parents decide to meddle in their love lifes and catfish one another. The two agree to go on one date to please their parents. But George, being from the most famous family in Indonesia, can never hide from the media for too long.
The news of George’s new “girlfriend” gets out, forcing the two to pretend to be a couple. Will the two form a real connection, or will it all be for the cameras? You will have to read this book to find out.
I really liked this story. Though the beginning was clichéd and predictable, the story went from strength to strength. There were sprinklings of funny events and conversations throughout the book which had me smiling to myself. You can picture the beautiful settings and mouth-watering food clearly throughout the story. The author was so attentive to describing Indonesia and I feel she did a great job. I learned so much about Indonesian culture while following Sharlot and George’s story . There was such entertaining banter between the characters. Each character had their own distinctive personality and was well written.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cute romantic comedy that will keep you entertained.
Lily Farrell, 16
As someone unfamiliar with thriller novels and the author’s previous work, this was a surprisingly emotional read, especially in the last sixty or so pages. It was very interesting how the characters’ dynamics and mindsets changed, strengthened and even became dangerously warped as the story went on. There were some incredible twists that I didn’t see coming at all. This book covers heavy topics like grief and death, and has a pretty nasty shock that sets off the second half.
The supporting characters are just as strongly written as the main characters, and have diverse and distinctive personalities, such as the sweet and caring Honey-Belle and serious and assertive Danielle. The dialogue is witty, and the humour is used as a way of 
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