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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I hate the main female character. She's a spoiled disrespectful child who thinks her culture is dirty. She has to resist the urge to roll her eyes when someone tells her to call an older family member by the proper respectful term instead of just by their name. She yells and swears at her mom. She's terrible. The main guy is just a boring rich kid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve become enamored with this author’s writing style. I loved Vera Wong & both Aunties books. The food, the family, the hijinks and the language humor between Indonesian-Chinese-English.
This was a fun book with lots of heart. And I enjoyed that it was set in Jakarta and Bali.
This was a fun book with lots of heart. And I enjoyed that it was set in Jakarta and Bali.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was very light hearted and fun but certain parts were a little dragged out. Also, there were definitely some unbelievable instances that occurred. I liked Sharlot's mom and I enjoyed George's Eighth aunt as well as Sharlot's cousin Kiki. I felt like the other characters were just there and not as necessary other than to move the plot along. I had a good time and I found myself laughing a lot so it gets 4 stars.
A young adult romance, set in Indonesia?
Oh yes! I grabbed it at once. And the love letter to Indonesia was such fun to read, especially the lavish descriptions of food (coffee!) and the gorgeous scenery.
Things I liked: the total over-the-topness of George's family. I was laughing out loud at their no-boundaries antics. I also thought the sly not to "Crazy Rich Asians" was a lot of fun. And I also liked the eventual evolution of Sharlot's thread with her mother, even if it took quite a back seat to all the rest of the shenanigans.
What I didn't like: that the story's substrate was based on non-communication. I hate this trope, especially when there's a perfect opportunity right up front for two supposedly reasonable teens, left alone, to just clear the air. Instead, the story has to bang along with contrived ways to keep the non-communication going, when it wasn't necessary. I thought the story would actually have been a lot stronger if the two had been on the same team from the gitgo, instead of the manufactured "fights" built on no one having the brains to just say what was going on.
That said, I loved the other elements so much that I really want to see what this author does next.
Cw: frank talk about teens under eighteen having sex, and sexual exploration. (I thought it well done, but because this is aimed at the under-eighteen market, thought I'd mention it.)
Oh yes! I grabbed it at once. And the love letter to Indonesia was such fun to read, especially the lavish descriptions of food (coffee!) and the gorgeous scenery.
Things I liked: the total over-the-topness of George's family. I was laughing out loud at their no-boundaries antics. I also thought the sly not to "Crazy Rich Asians" was a lot of fun. And I also liked the eventual evolution of Sharlot's thread with her mother, even if it took quite a back seat to all the rest of the shenanigans.
What I didn't like: that the story's substrate was based on non-communication. I hate this trope, especially when there's a perfect opportunity right up front for two supposedly reasonable teens, left alone, to just clear the air. Instead, the story has to bang along with contrived ways to keep the non-communication going, when it wasn't necessary. I thought the story would actually have been a lot stronger if the two had been on the same team from the gitgo, instead of the manufactured "fights" built on no one having the brains to just say what was going on.
That said, I loved the other elements so much that I really want to see what this author does next.
Cw: frank talk about teens under eighteen having sex, and sexual exploration. (I thought it well done, but because this is aimed at the under-eighteen market, thought I'd mention it.)
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
it's fast, lighthearted read thats often laugh-out-loud hilarious, tho the plot is ofc ludicrous and certain elements mindbogglingly unrealistic, a prime example being sharlot knowing nothing abt indonesia and blaming it on her mum, as if the internet and books dont exist. i wanted to like this more but upon further reflection, i dont even like either of the main characters; sharlot's just neutral + self-sabotaging, while george's a doormat. the climax and ending are also a lil too corny and abrupt for me. a lot of ppl would unsurprisingly love this, but the execution leaves me wanting a bit more despite enjoying this.
I absolutely loved this story. Bit sad due the fast moving ending, but still happy about how it ended. Also loved the dynamics between the two main characters. Some parts were extremely cute, others were hilarious. Also adored those parents and their noisy behavior.
Sometimes the author tried too hard to include different subjects. For example the mother and the aunt. They deserve their own story, for sure. But the whole sideplot wasn't needed in this book. Or I simply needed more dates/moments between the two main characters.
Sometimes the author tried too hard to include different subjects. For example the mother and the aunt. They deserve their own story, for sure. But the whole sideplot wasn't needed in this book. Or I simply needed more dates/moments between the two main characters.