Book Description 

After Sharlot Citra’s mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother’s native Indonesia. It’ll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.  

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. 

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.

When the kids find out about their parents’ actions, they’re horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?

My Review 

I’ve enjoyed Sutanto’s raucous “Dial A” novels about an over-the-top Chinese-Indonesian family full of meddling aunties, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read a YA version featuring the same theme. 

The crux of the drama here is the double catfish scheme: Sharlot’s mom and George’s dad both pretend to be their teens, each describing what they– the adults– think are qualities that will appeal to a romantic partner. The result is a boy who loves doing calculus for fun and a girl who enjoys cooking traditional meals. 

George and Sharlot end up in a fake dating scheme for REASONS and now the two teens are stuck together for the foreseeable future. The real drama comes in with Sharlot and George knowing what their respective parents did, but NOT knowing that the other parent did the same thing. So there are several moments when they want to confess to the other, but it’s always an inopportune time. 

This book is a love letter to Indonesia, with American born Sharlot having her eyes opened to the sophistication of Jakarta and the beauty of Bali, discovering all sorts of hidden charms. This book is also critical of some of the conservative social mores of Indonesian society and highlights efforts to shed outdated attitudes. 

I would absolutely recommend Well, That Was Unexpected. I might not be the target audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and I think this book will appeal to fans of Sutanto’s Auntie books. I am looking forward to reading more from Sutanto, although I also want to ration out the books so that I’m never without one of her books on my TBR! 

I received a digital ARC of this book from Random House/NetGalley.