Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. Most characters are Chinese Indonesian biracial Sharlot is White and Chinese Indonesian.

Readers are swept along as Sharlot discovers her mother’s home country, including naming quirks, dynamite coffee, layered history, and a conservative social climate. Sutanto gives dimension to the secondary characters, exploring interpersonal expectations and misperceptions. Beyond the fake online personas are two teens with lots to connect over. Can a less-than-honest beginning lead to genuine connection? Sutanto’s novel is full of hijinks, humor, and heart. Horrified but resigned, the teens reluctantly meet, and an awkward coffee date spirals into a fake relationship for the press George is the public face of an etiquette app for teen boys that his family’s company is launching. Mama has whisked Sharlot off for her first trip to Indonesia to spend the summer learning how to jadi orang, or succeed as an adult. The perfect match comes in the form of one Sharlot Citra-or at least Sharlot’s mom, who’s likewise committing a catfishing scheme to set up her daughter with a respectable boy.

George’s dad and sister decide he needs a girlfriend and set up an online profile for him. Meanwhile in Jakarta, George Clooney Tanuwijaya, son of the country’s second richest family, is caught by his father in a similarly racy solo situation. What she did not plan for was her mom walking in on her and her boyfriend. Southern California high school junior Sharlot Citra had everything planned out for her first time.

Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto