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A review by tagoreketabkhane31
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
5.0
I might be in the minority here when it comes to Sutanto and her second book in the Aunties series, but I loved it better in comparison to the first one! Meddy and her aunties (along with her soon to be husband Nathan) are back in this follow up to the smash hit, "Dial A for Aunties". The story picks up a year after the first book, with Nathan and Meddy engaged and about to tie the knot. In true Meddy fashion of attempting to maintain that balance of being exasperated by her family and also ensuring that she is respectful and loving of them, she has told them that they will not be working her own wedding, and instead find another Indonesian-Chinese family of wedding planners to plan out her big day in Oxford.
Of course, the family turns out to be a mafioso family that is using the wedding as cover for a hit, and Meddy (along with her aunts) have to contend with having the wedding occur, keeping Nathan and the rest of the guests in the dark, while also ensuring that no one gets killed this time around (there is that slight issue that the previous death that Meddy accidentally killing her blind date, and getting away with it.... just continue to go with it)
Sutanto knows her Indonesian-Chinese families, and her blend of Mandarin, Bahasa and English works in crafting the narrative for the Chen family as they attempt to ensure that Meddy and Nathan have what is bound to be a memorable wedding. Unlike most authors, Sutanto does a great job in spending time with the actual wedding in the book, and not as some event that is simply a blip. I also appreciated that she increased the ante with the antics of the aunties - I have seen a fair share of review for the book that many have decreased their rating because of the antics of the aunties - and it just proves Sutatnto (and my own thoughts) that many of you having boring families. My aunts alone can match the craziness of Chen aunties, and I deeply appreciate a book that allows for Asian women to be seen as more than a monolith or tiger moms - and that they can also culitvate a complicated, yet respectful and loving relationship with younger generations.
I hope the set up with the ending does lead to a third book because I am all in for seeing the Chen craziness back in their motherland of Indonesia with Nathan in tow, and I hope you all get to enjoy the sequel as I did (or just admit that you're boring)
Of course, the family turns out to be a mafioso family that is using the wedding as cover for a hit, and Meddy (along with her aunts) have to contend with having the wedding occur, keeping Nathan and the rest of the guests in the dark, while also ensuring that no one gets killed this time around (there is that slight issue that the previous death that Meddy accidentally killing her blind date, and getting away with it.... just continue to go with it)
Sutanto knows her Indonesian-Chinese families, and her blend of Mandarin, Bahasa and English works in crafting the narrative for the Chen family as they attempt to ensure that Meddy and Nathan have what is bound to be a memorable wedding. Unlike most authors, Sutanto does a great job in spending time with the actual wedding in the book, and not as some event that is simply a blip. I also appreciated that she increased the ante with the antics of the aunties - I have seen a fair share of review for the book that many have decreased their rating because of the antics of the aunties - and it just proves Sutatnto (and my own thoughts) that many of you having boring families. My aunts alone can match the craziness of Chen aunties, and I deeply appreciate a book that allows for Asian women to be seen as more than a monolith or tiger moms - and that they can also culitvate a complicated, yet respectful and loving relationship with younger generations.
I hope the set up with the ending does lead to a third book because I am all in for seeing the Chen craziness back in their motherland of Indonesia with Nathan in tow, and I hope you all get to enjoy the sequel as I did (or just admit that you're boring)