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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
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
4.5
A surprisingly heartfelt, You’ve Got Mail Style Rom-Com that offsets its witty charm and humorous quips, with a deft exploration into sexism, toxic masculinity and online harassment of girls that I found refreshingly relevant.
Though not really a gamer myself (Pokemon and Animal Crossing being pretty much my only experience), I enjoyed exploring both the perks and pitfalls of the gaming community from a female centred perspective.
And what a perspective it was! Kiki was such a confident and compelling protagonist, with flaws and insecurities that brought depth to her character— which I found utterly endearing. Her relatable foray into the world of first love, starting a new school and the awkward task of making friends is certain to be a just as much of a hit with teen readers as well.
As I previously mentioned, we do explore some highly important subject material, such as the emotional and psychological impact of bullying (both on and off-line) and the multitude of problems that an environment of misogyny and toxic masculinity can cause.
However, the biggest highlight for me was the witty banter and character cameos from Jesse Q. Sutanto’s previous YA Rom-Com (Well, That Was Unexpected) which imbued the perfect amount comic relief to break up the more emotionally intense scenes. Especially with the return of the precocious Eleanor Roosevelt Tanuwijaya, whose elaborate (and secret) school wide dating service brings Kiki face to face with her online gaming bestie— who doesn’t know she’s a girl.
The romance was really good, in a slightly angsty will-they-won’t-they-kind of way but I did really enjoy it. Our male love interest was an adorable cinnamon roll and he and Kiki’s IRL interactions are the absolute cutest. My only criticism is that the pace did dip a little in the middle—however, Kiki’s resilient attitude and determination not to give into her bullies,and drive to change her school’s outdated (and sexist) policies, did lead to a satisfyingly uplifting conclusion that did definitely make up for it.
So, if you’re an avid gamer or adore YA Rom- Coms with a message then I highly recommend checking this out!
Also huge thank you to Rachel Quin and Electric Monkey Books for the finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Racism
bellebookcorner's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.25
Pick up this YA contemporary romance if you love:
✨️ friends-to-lovers
✨️ hidden identity
✨️ high school romance
✨️ funny & lighthearted
This book is not just about a simple and sweet teenage love story, but it also brought up several important topics like cyber-bullying, sexism, toxic masculinity, and school bullying that still happen in real life.
Kiki’s (FMC) character is loveable and feels very relatable. I can feel her rage and her sadness of being helpless to the point of losing her old self.
I also admire her for being able to stand up for herself and how she encourage others to do the same with the help of her supportive friends and family.
Kiki’s rebellious act and her relationships with her best friends had me laughing and smiling since I used to did the same thing with my friends in real life like shorten the uniform’s skirt, going to a café after school, texting during class, etc.
I also love the blooming sweet romance between Kiki and Liam. Liam is such a sweetheart and I kinda wished he had his own POV in this book.
I also love the blooming sweet romance between Kiki and Liam. Liam is such a sweetheart and I kinda wished he had his own POV in this book.
The ending was a little bit rushed but overall it’s such a page turner!
As an Indonesian, I can totally relate to a few things mentioned here which I found enjoyable and entertaining.
Highly recommended especially for teenagers and I’m really looking forward to read the next book from this author!
Didn’t See that Coming is a standalone book but a few characters from 'Well That was Unexpected' made an appearance here and if you’re curious about Sharlot and George’s story then you can check that one out.
Nevertheless, you can enjoy reading this book without having to read 'Well That was Unexpected'.
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, the author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment and Racism
lauren_miller's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
TW: bullying, sexism, gaslighting, classism, dashes of racism
Note: You do not need to have read "Well, That Was Unexpected" to read this book (but it might help!)
I was immediately drawn to this book because a) the cover is adorable and b) during the pandemic I went down a gamer drama rabbit hole (think "You Are My Glory" and "Falling Into Your Smile"), so the premise—girl pretending to be a guy online ends up meeting her virtual bestie and falling for him IRL—was totally up my street. And on premise alone, this book totally delivered.
But it was wayyy more intense than I was expecting. Instead of slice of life teen drama, this was like "The Heirs" meets online gaming, and not necessarily in a good way.
At its heart, this book is about girls being mistreated, sometimes violently, because of their gender. Our main character Kiki opted to start playing under a bro handle b/c of rape and death threats, knocks to her intelligence and strategizing abilities, and being punished for speaking up. Which is then mirrored by her new high school experience; at Xingfa, the students are cruel in person and on social media, wealth means power, and being a female makes you a second-class citizen. Kiki becomes a pariah, #CrazyKiki, because she dares to question the social hierarchy and incredibly conservative expectations of students and, more importantly, faculty. She gets bullied in the classroom and online, gaslit into remaining silent for the sake of image, and ultimately ends up emotionally traumatized.
And the saddest part?? At one point, a few female side characters commiserate with her over experiencing the same thing when they started at Xingfa. The culture of misogyny is so prevalent, so deeply ingrained at Xingfa that instead of speaking up for Kiki, they apologize for remaining bystanders; they've been pushed down, snuffed out, silenced for so long that ALL they can do is apologize.
While this book made me laugh and smile and swoon, it also had me crying literal tears of frustration. And in the end, I'm not sure if the ending was cathartic enough for me. The resolution, while totally acceptable by kdrama standards, was pretty unbelievable and convenient, and Jonas—the main perpetrator of the bullying—and the faculty didn't *really* learn their lesson.
The romance was cute. The female friendships were good. The characterization and atmosphere were perfect for the age range of the book (seriously, are the author's kids teenagers yet??? b/c the voice and tone were spot on!). The look into the hodgepodge of cultures and expectations that is Jakarta was fascinating. There were parts I genuinely had fun reading! But I came away kinda exhausted and under-satisfied. This could be the empath in me; this could be a more universal experience by readers. Only time will tell...
That said, I definitely see myself picking up more from this author. Like, even though I'm potentially setting myself up for the same emotional rollercoaster, I desperately want to read Sharlot and George Clooney's installment now. And I imagine if you liked that one, you'll for sure like this!
4 out of 5 stars
TW: bullying, sexism, gaslighting, classism, dashes of racism
Note: You do not need to have read "Well, That Was Unexpected" to read this book (but it might help!)
I was immediately drawn to this book because a) the cover is adorable and b) during the pandemic I went down a gamer drama rabbit hole (think "You Are My Glory" and "Falling Into Your Smile"), so the premise—girl pretending to be a guy online ends up meeting her virtual bestie and falling for him IRL—was totally up my street. And on premise alone, this book totally delivered.
But it was wayyy more intense than I was expecting. Instead of slice of life teen drama, this was like "The Heirs" meets online gaming, and not necessarily in a good way.
At its heart, this book is about girls being mistreated, sometimes violently, because of their gender. Our main character Kiki opted to start playing under a bro handle b/c of rape and death threats, knocks to her intelligence and strategizing abilities, and being punished for speaking up. Which is then mirrored by her new high school experience; at Xingfa, the students are cruel in person and on social media, wealth means power, and being a female makes you a second-class citizen. Kiki becomes a pariah, #CrazyKiki, because she dares to question the social hierarchy and incredibly conservative expectations of students and, more importantly, faculty. She gets bullied in the classroom and online, gaslit into remaining silent for the sake of image, and ultimately ends up emotionally traumatized.
And the saddest part?? At one point, a few female side characters commiserate with her over experiencing the same thing when they started at Xingfa. The culture of misogyny is so prevalent, so deeply ingrained at Xingfa that instead of speaking up for Kiki, they apologize for remaining bystanders; they've been pushed down, snuffed out, silenced for so long that ALL they can do is apologize.
While this book made me laugh and smile and swoon, it also had me crying literal tears of frustration. And in the end, I'm not sure if the ending was cathartic enough for me. The resolution, while totally acceptable by kdrama standards, was pretty unbelievable and convenient, and Jonas—the main perpetrator of the bullying—and the faculty didn't *really* learn their lesson.
The romance was cute. The female friendships were good. The characterization and atmosphere were perfect for the age range of the book (seriously, are the author's kids teenagers yet??? b/c the voice and tone were spot on!). The look into the hodgepodge of cultures and expectations that is Jakarta was fascinating. There were parts I genuinely had fun reading! But I came away kinda exhausted and under-satisfied. This could be the empath in me; this could be a more universal experience by readers. Only time will tell...
That said, I definitely see myself picking up more from this author. Like, even though I'm potentially setting myself up for the same emotional rollercoaster, I desperately want to read Sharlot and George Clooney's installment now. And I imagine if you liked that one, you'll for sure like this!
4 out of 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Racism
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