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A review by gigireadswithkiki
Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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