Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Liga às Tias

This book was a hoot and a half, an expression I've never used before in my life but feels incredibly appropriate. It was just fun! The plot was absolutely absurd, but hilarious if you approach it the same way you would a movie romcom - with a willingness to suspend your disbelief and just have a good time. Towards the end, the plot got perhaps too unhinged, but it still made for an enjoyable read.

Despite it being labeled as a romance book, that element really came secondary to this absolutely bizarre plot. That said, I actually (for once!) enjoyed the male lead in a contemporary romance. He was a little one-dimensional, but I'll take that any day over the toxic men I've read about in previous romances. Sutanto showed how you can write a fun, non-problematic romance that's definitely original. (Pssht, no this definitely isn't a dig on The Hating Game. Definitely not.)

Throughout all the sheer ridiculousness of the book, however, was an undercurrent of strong Indo-Chinese culture. You could see it in the family expectations, in the wedding traditions, in the meals that they ate and the languages they spoke. Meddy's struggle between supporting her family and becoming her own person really shone through. The dynamics between the aunties were both entertaining and, I'm sure, incredibly realistic. Also realistic, unfortunately, were the racist slights that the main characters were occasionally dealt. I absolutely adored these additions to the book, it grounded this incredibly absurd plot in something very real, which made for a special reading experience.

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kylasmv15's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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konstantine's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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kejianming's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

boy did i enjoy this book.

i truly loved the family dynamics and laughing at the relatability. it was just really nice reading a story with SEA rep because i understood the language and the familiarity of it all. there’s just so many things i could relate to! the book was definitely plot-heavy, but i do feel like there’s a lot of development on meddy’s part as well as she struggles with adhering to her culture and her family whilst also finding her own footing in the world.

the second part of the book was a bit messy in the sense that so many things were happening at once! especially towards the end of the wedding. also meddy and nathan seem to have gotten back together pretty quickly despite how their relationship ended abruptly years before. it was refreshing not to have to deal with much relationship drama, but i figured it would have taken nathan some time to actually forgive her. anyways, that’s really my only issue with the book! overall, i really enjoyed it.

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