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A review by ashwaar
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
Dial A for Aunties is a book with about a family trying to hide a dead body whilst they cater an extravagant wedding on an island in California. It’s an incredibly silly, unrealistic storyline but its also pretty entertaining and funny. You just have to suspend your beliefs about how people realistically act when confronted with a murder and go with it because otherwise you’ll end up questioning everything that happens.
The main character, Meddy, runs a wedding business with her mum and three aunts, and after she accidentally kills her blind date, she enlists her family to help her hide the body. But they’re also busy helping at the biggest wedding of the season, at a luxury hotel that Meddy soon realises is managed by her ex-boyfriend, Nathan, who she hasn’t seen in four years.
Meddy and her family are pretty funny, and the writing is fairly sharp. However, other side characters are literal cartoon people and by this I mean both that they act so goofy they’re unrealistic, but also they’re very undeveloped, making them seem basically 2D. Our romantic lead, Nathan, is somehow the most unrealistic out of all of these because he’s a a fantasy man, has zero flaws and is incredibly understanding that his ex has killed a man.
The story is funny and sweet but also incredibly stressful and chaotic. It gives you whiplash with the juxtaposition of the scenes, with Meddy going from trying to hide the body, to making out with Nathan, to crying over family feuds. It does feel like too much is being crammed in at some points, but I loved the scenes of the family and their dynamic together, especially how keen they are to help Meddy. Overall its a bit silly, but it's easy to read and its a lot of fun. I finished it in about two days and I think its very well suited for a younger audience.
The main character, Meddy, runs a wedding business with her mum and three aunts, and after she accidentally kills her blind date, she enlists her family to help her hide the body. But they’re also busy helping at the biggest wedding of the season, at a luxury hotel that Meddy soon realises is managed by her ex-boyfriend, Nathan, who she hasn’t seen in four years.
Meddy and her family are pretty funny, and the writing is fairly sharp. However, other side characters are literal cartoon people and by this I mean both that they act so goofy they’re unrealistic, but also they’re very undeveloped, making them seem basically 2D. Our romantic lead, Nathan, is somehow the most unrealistic out of all of these because he’s a a fantasy man, has zero flaws and is incredibly understanding that his ex has killed a man.
The story is funny and sweet but also incredibly stressful and chaotic. It gives you whiplash with the juxtaposition of the scenes, with Meddy going from trying to hide the body, to making out with Nathan, to crying over family feuds. It does feel like too much is being crammed in at some points, but I loved the scenes of the family and their dynamic together, especially how keen they are to help Meddy. Overall its a bit silly, but it's easy to read and its a lot of fun. I finished it in about two days and I think its very well suited for a younger audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Sexual assault, Murder, and Death