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katievallin's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
The ending was a bit ridiculous. I think I need a break from YA. Also though Kiki was a bit annoying, although I did respect her ability to speak her mind. Didn't like the glorification of progressivism, but also got really angry at the school's blatant sexism and misogyny. I did like the gaming aspect of the book and the friendship between Kiki and Liam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual harassment
stindex's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Misogyny, and Bullying
Moderate: Cursing
fkshg8465's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really like this author. She has a wide range of genres, and I think I’ve read all her books - at least the ones I could find at the library. As an adult, I’d probably give this book four stars because it’s way too cheesy for me. But given it’s a YA book, I think she’s captured the heart of how most teens think and talk and hope and feel. So five stars it is. Plus, I love that she tackled bullying of women both online and in person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Bullying, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
mezzythedragon's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
A constant reminder to be thankful social media wasn’t when I was in high school, because what Kiki goes through is horrible. Bullying unfortunately has been around forever, but social media amplifies it so grossly.
Aside from Kiki’s parents,and that’s not until the end when she can’t hold in her frustrations any longer , there was no trustworthy adult for her to turn to. The principal was a complete jerk-off. Frankly, this book is a lot more serious than marketing made it out to be. The romance was secondary.
Aside from Kiki’s parents,
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Ableism
Online harassmentshector1's review
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Gaslighting
serendipity421's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Cursing
bookishmillennial's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Oh my gosh, this has to be one of my top young adult coming-of-age/romance reads of the year! Jesse Q. Sutanto writes fierce young characters so well, and I adored this story about Kiki fighting the patriarchy of her uppity, conservative private school!
Kiki's parents transfer her to a new private school (the same one George Clooney goes to in Well, That Was Unexpected) against her wishes and she tries her best to fit in. However, once she gets there, she quickly realizes that she is up against a vehemently strong status quo, which is led by billionaire nepo-baby and top student, Jonas. After she challenges him during a group project meeting, a target lands on Kiki's back for major bullying and side-eye from the rest of the student body, deeming her "Crazy Kiki". Kiki attempts to go to the school principal for assistance, but repeatedly gets gaslighted, mansplained, and dismissed.
On top of all this, she has been battling it out virtually via the video game Warfront Heroes as "dudebro10" and finds out her online bestie "sourdawg" goes to her new school too! The only problem is - sourdawg thinks dudebro10 is a boy because of the username! Kiki only did this to be treated with respect and dignity, as the rampant misogyny in the gaming world was exhausting emotional labor that she did not want to navigate - she just wanted to play the game!
Additionally, Kiki agrees to be part of her younger classmates'/friends' new app "Little Aunties," and hopes to be matched with someone she develops a friendship with, Liam! However, Kiki also makes new friends with Tris, who also likes Liam! At her core, Kiki is a girls' girl and gives us lovely examples of healthy and strong female friendship, which can sometimes be rare in high school representation! Gosh, so much going on hahaha.
Amidst all the hijinks and drama, Kiki's journey is unfortunately not unique. I felt this was an empowering, relatable, and timely story of a young woman fighting back for her agency, dignity, and respect in a world that was set up for men to run it. Kiki encounters misogyny and sexism in almost every space she enters - home, school, online, and she refuses to let it define her. The examples that JQS highlighted in Kiki's story were too familiar - during a time where more and more femmes and nonbinary folks are entering spaces that were once predominantly spaces for cis-men, we need more and more stories like this and more conversations about recognizing the harms of the patriarchy, and combating it in every damn space!
The final scene where Kiki gives a presentation about the ways in which she was treated differently when online gamers knew she was a girl versus when they assumed she was a boy was chef's kiss. I felt so satisfied with this ending, and I was so proud of her!
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it - the narration by Risa Mei is excellent!
Oh my gosh, this has to be one of my top young adult coming-of-age/romance reads of the year! Jesse Q. Sutanto writes fierce young characters so well, and I adored this story about Kiki fighting the patriarchy of her uppity, conservative private school!
Kiki's parents transfer her to a new private school (the same one George Clooney goes to in Well, That Was Unexpected) against her wishes and she tries her best to fit in. However, once she gets there, she quickly realizes that she is up against a vehemently strong status quo, which is led by billionaire nepo-baby and top student, Jonas. After she challenges him during a group project meeting, a target lands on Kiki's back for major bullying and side-eye from the rest of the student body, deeming her "Crazy Kiki". Kiki attempts to go to the school principal for assistance, but repeatedly gets gaslighted, mansplained, and dismissed.
On top of all this, she has been battling it out virtually via the video game Warfront Heroes as "dudebro10" and finds out her online bestie "sourdawg" goes to her new school too! The only problem is - sourdawg thinks dudebro10 is a boy because of the username! Kiki only did this to be treated with respect and dignity, as the rampant misogyny in the gaming world was exhausting emotional labor that she did not want to navigate - she just wanted to play the game!
Additionally, Kiki agrees to be part of her younger classmates'/friends' new app "Little Aunties," and hopes to be matched with someone she develops a friendship with, Liam! However, Kiki also makes new friends with Tris, who also likes Liam! At her core, Kiki is a girls' girl and gives us lovely examples of healthy and strong female friendship, which can sometimes be rare in high school representation! Gosh, so much going on hahaha.
Amidst all the hijinks and drama, Kiki's journey is unfortunately not unique. I felt this was an empowering, relatable, and timely story of a young woman fighting back for her agency, dignity, and respect in a world that was set up for men to run it. Kiki encounters misogyny and sexism in almost every space she enters - home, school, online, and she refuses to let it define her. The examples that JQS highlighted in Kiki's story were too familiar - during a time where more and more femmes and nonbinary folks are entering spaces that were once predominantly spaces for cis-men, we need more and more stories like this and more conversations about recognizing the harms of the patriarchy, and combating it in every damn space!
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it - the narration by Risa Mei is excellent!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Classism
battyaboutbooks's review
reflective
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
3.0
🦇 Didn't See That Coming Book Review 🦇
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
❝ The patriarchy is very far from being smashed. In fact, maybe they're even a little bit worse, because we pretend that the patriarchy is done and we're in a society with gender equality, so we can't even fight it because the fight's over. How do I fight something that's already playing dead but is still very much alive behind closed doors? ❞
❓ #QOTD What are your favorite video games? ❓
🦇 Kiki Siregar is a badass gamer girl brimming with confidence and sass. She never hesitates to be herself...unless she's online. When she gets harassed as a girl playing a single-shooter game, she decides to recreate herself and anonymously starts playing as a guy. She even makes a friend--Sourdawg, who loves baking so much that he's the human equivalent of a sweet cinnamon roll. When Kiki's parents transfer her to an elite private school her senior year, she learns that the harassment doesn't only happen online. Worse yet: Sourdawg attends the same school. Can Kiki be herself in such a strict school, and uncover Sourdawg's identity in the process?
💜 Kiki is FIRE. She's sassy, independent, and refuses to sit silent when the world tries to pre-package her into the pristine image of what men expect her to be. Kiki is perhaps one of the most self-assured, confident YA characters I've encountered this year. Unfortunately, the misogyny and sexism she faces lead to reverse character development, causing Kiki to doubt herself. She's forced to fall in line with ultra-conservative rules that favor boys over girls. Sutanto does a wonderful job of conveying the realities women face both on and offline. Even if you're not a gamer, the messages here are universal. Sutanto is also skilled at creating realistic, likable characters. Did I agree with every choice Kiki made? No, definitely not. Did I feel for her and want to give her a huge, warm hug? Definitely. The interactions between Kiki and supporting characters (namely Sourdawg online and her love interest at school) are the adorable fluff you need to offset the disgusting misogyny she experiences from both GROWN MEN and frustrating teenage boys. Thank you, Sutanto, for not dragging out Sourdawg's identity, either. Every secondary character is a delight as well.
🦇 My only real hangup with this story was the pacing, which does drag a little. However, Sutanto does a wonderful job of demonstrating how a "rebellious" female in a conservative, Asian culture can defy outdated concepts of misogyny and sexism without disrespecting her culture or elders outright. Kiki also defies every stereotype and bias thrown at her as Sutanto demonstrates the reality of our times. Whether in Asia or America, these problems still exist. We're not done fighting for gender equality. It's just playing dead, making the fight all the more difficult.
❝ I guess it's much easier for the school if a harassed girl keeps her head down and learns to accept abuse, but I am done keeping my head down. I'm done swallowing my anger and pretending that everything's okay. I'm not crazy just because I speak my mind. I'm a person with equal rights to those of everybody else here, and I am done staying silent to make boys feel comfortable. ❞
🦇 Recommended for fans of You've Got Mail and Jesse Q. Sutanto's Well, That Was Unexpected. This is a sweet, thought-provoking YA romance with a refreshing perspective on inequality, bullying, and feminism; a worthy read!
✨ The Vibes ✨
🎮 Gamer Girl / Secret Identity
🕹️ Friends to Lovers
👾 South Asian Rep
🕹️ Down With the Patriarchy
🎮 Contemporary YA Romance
⚠️ Cyberbullying, Toxic Masculinity, Class Differences, Gaslighting
🦇 Major thanks to the author @jesseqsutanto and publisher @randomhousekids @delacortepress for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #DidntSeeThatComing #NetGalley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
❝ The patriarchy is very far from being smashed. In fact, maybe they're even a little bit worse, because we pretend that the patriarchy is done and we're in a society with gender equality, so we can't even fight it because the fight's over. How do I fight something that's already playing dead but is still very much alive behind closed doors? ❞
❓ #QOTD What are your favorite video games? ❓
🦇 Kiki Siregar is a badass gamer girl brimming with confidence and sass. She never hesitates to be herself...unless she's online. When she gets harassed as a girl playing a single-shooter game, she decides to recreate herself and anonymously starts playing as a guy. She even makes a friend--Sourdawg, who loves baking so much that he's the human equivalent of a sweet cinnamon roll. When Kiki's parents transfer her to an elite private school her senior year, she learns that the harassment doesn't only happen online. Worse yet: Sourdawg attends the same school. Can Kiki be herself in such a strict school, and uncover Sourdawg's identity in the process?
💜 Kiki is FIRE. She's sassy, independent, and refuses to sit silent when the world tries to pre-package her into the pristine image of what men expect her to be. Kiki is perhaps one of the most self-assured, confident YA characters I've encountered this year. Unfortunately, the misogyny and sexism she faces lead to reverse character development, causing Kiki to doubt herself. She's forced to fall in line with ultra-conservative rules that favor boys over girls. Sutanto does a wonderful job of conveying the realities women face both on and offline. Even if you're not a gamer, the messages here are universal. Sutanto is also skilled at creating realistic, likable characters. Did I agree with every choice Kiki made? No, definitely not. Did I feel for her and want to give her a huge, warm hug? Definitely. The interactions between Kiki and supporting characters (namely Sourdawg online and her love interest at school) are the adorable fluff you need to offset the disgusting misogyny she experiences from both GROWN MEN and frustrating teenage boys. Thank you, Sutanto, for not dragging out Sourdawg's identity, either. Every secondary character is a delight as well.
🦇 My only real hangup with this story was the pacing, which does drag a little. However, Sutanto does a wonderful job of demonstrating how a "rebellious" female in a conservative, Asian culture can defy outdated concepts of misogyny and sexism without disrespecting her culture or elders outright. Kiki also defies every stereotype and bias thrown at her as Sutanto demonstrates the reality of our times. Whether in Asia or America, these problems still exist. We're not done fighting for gender equality. It's just playing dead, making the fight all the more difficult.
❝ I guess it's much easier for the school if a harassed girl keeps her head down and learns to accept abuse, but I am done keeping my head down. I'm done swallowing my anger and pretending that everything's okay. I'm not crazy just because I speak my mind. I'm a person with equal rights to those of everybody else here, and I am done staying silent to make boys feel comfortable. ❞
🦇 Recommended for fans of You've Got Mail and Jesse Q. Sutanto's Well, That Was Unexpected. This is a sweet, thought-provoking YA romance with a refreshing perspective on inequality, bullying, and feminism; a worthy read!
✨ The Vibes ✨
🎮 Gamer Girl / Secret Identity
🕹️ Friends to Lovers
👾 South Asian Rep
🕹️ Down With the Patriarchy
🎮 Contemporary YA Romance
⚠️ Cyberbullying, Toxic Masculinity, Class Differences, Gaslighting
🦇 Major thanks to the author @jesseqsutanto and publisher @randomhousekids @delacortepress for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #DidntSeeThatComing #NetGalley
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Bullying
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
gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC of this book for my honest review!
From academic rivalries to burgeoning friendships to a "You've Got Mail" inspired romance, this book epitomizes all the elements of a great coming of age story. Devastation hits when Kiki Siregar, online gaming maven and cake enthusiast, is yanked out of the school she's been enrolled at for forever and thrust into the brand new world of an elite, renowned private school. Things begin to look bad as she deals with unexpected adversaries, but they take a turn for the worse as Kiki discovers that her online gaming best friend is a fellow classmate...the problem? The account she plays under assumes the identity of a guy and revealing herself might lead to some dire consequences 👀 👀
There's just something about Jesse Q. Sutanto's writing that makes it so easily devour-able and addictive; reading "Didn't See That Coming" felt like binge-watching a season of a teen rom com, complete with a spunky teen lead and high-stakes teen drama. The themes and plotline of this book felt unique and creative: though Kiki's experiences, Sutato highlights the rampant misogyny in areas from Southeast Asian schools/society to the online gaming community. It was also excellent to see a myriad of healthy behavior surrounding relationships in this story, from development/prioritization of female friendships to Kiki realizing how open and honest communication could begin to patch her mistakes.
However, at times, the perpetuation of Kiki's lying felt rather dragged-out, especially at the 2/3rds mark, where she'd give an abusive character sway over her life rather than tell the truth; teen drama can, understandably, be all-consuming and world-shattering, but the stakes in this book never felt high enough to resort to the measures Kiki decides to take. Additionally, despite the story being marketed as a rom-com, the romance felt a little flat and under-developed. Yes, Kiki has a previously established relationship with her love interest, but it would've been more compelling to see how that relationship translated from screen to real life.
At the end of the day, I had a lot of fun getting dragged into Kiki's drama and troubles, and though I wish a couple of the elements had been a bit more fleshed out, I'd recommend this book for those looking for a fun, lighthearted yet engrossing coming-of-age story.
From academic rivalries to burgeoning friendships to a "You've Got Mail" inspired romance, this book epitomizes all the elements of a great coming of age story. Devastation hits when Kiki Siregar, online gaming maven and cake enthusiast, is yanked out of the school she's been enrolled at for forever and thrust into the brand new world of an elite, renowned private school. Things begin to look bad as she deals with unexpected adversaries, but they take a turn for the worse as Kiki discovers that her online gaming best friend is a fellow classmate...the problem? The account she plays under assumes the identity of a guy and revealing herself might lead to some dire consequences 👀 👀
There's just something about Jesse Q. Sutanto's writing that makes it so easily devour-able and addictive; reading "Didn't See That Coming" felt like binge-watching a season of a teen rom com, complete with a spunky teen lead and high-stakes teen drama. The themes and plotline of this book felt unique and creative: though Kiki's experiences, Sutato highlights the rampant misogyny in areas from Southeast Asian schools/society to the online gaming community. It was also excellent to see a myriad of healthy behavior surrounding relationships in this story, from development/prioritization of female friendships to Kiki realizing how open and honest communication could begin to patch her mistakes.
However, at times, the perpetuation of Kiki's lying felt rather dragged-out, especially at the 2/3rds mark, where she'd give an abusive character sway over her life rather than tell the truth; teen drama can, understandably, be all-consuming and world-shattering, but the stakes in this book never felt high enough to resort to the measures Kiki decides to take. Additionally, despite the story being marketed as a rom-com, the romance felt a little flat and under-developed. Yes, Kiki has a previously established relationship with her love interest, but it would've been more compelling to see how that relationship translated from screen to real life.
At the end of the day, I had a lot of fun getting dragged into Kiki's drama and troubles, and though I wish a couple of the elements had been a bit more fleshed out, I'd recommend this book for those looking for a fun, lighthearted yet engrossing coming-of-age story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexism, and Bullying
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