A lovely YA from Jesse Suntanto who has mastered the art of writing a good, compelling book. A sure hit this year. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

A sassy, lighthearted YA romcom with hidden depths. This genre can be predictable but it didn't detract from the charm. Kiki is 17, super confidant and, unusually, a female gamer. She kicks ass at her liberal high school, But that is all about to change when her parents decide to enroll her in a conservative, elite private school. Not only is she challenged with making new friends, but her new school is decidedly sexist and her particular brand of sass poorly received. Overnight she turns from the most popular girl in school to the pariah...and its crazy how quickly her confidence is affected.

On the surface, this is a cute romcom, coming of age saga but look a little deeper and issues like online abuse, bullying and misogyny are exposed. Kiki's fiery character is easy to love, and I enjoyed the insights into the Asian culture. The many issues were cleverly covered and weaved into the story, and Kiki's reactions felt plausible. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue which felt fresh and relevant and made the characters feel real. A perfect holiday to read - for any age of reader.

What a fun YA read to end the year! I read this in just a couple of hours and enjoyed every minute.

This is Crazy Rich Asians for teenagers (there was even a reference to it!) with all the fun and shenanigans you’d expect, but also addressing serious issues.

This was a witty and enjoyable read and I’ll be recommending it in the new year.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Didn't See That Coming' by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

'Didn't See That Coming' is kind of the sequel-companion novel to 'Well, That Was Unexpected' and it focuses on fan favourite Kiki. Kiki's story speaks about sexism in video games and how it is hard to be a women in a "man's world"
I loved Kiki in the first book and I grew to love her a thousand times more in this one to the extent that this book trumps the previous one. Jesse Q. Sutanto is just a glory.

Okay first off I want to say I think this is a really great book. It had great characters, a strong plot and a good message of feminism and standing up to bullies. The only reason I'm rating it so low is because it hit really really close to home with me and I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

The main bulk of this book is about school trauma and misogyny. It showed a very real situation in a school that had a really toxic environment. It really sheds light on the situation that exists in many Asian schools, where standing out or making waves is punished harshly. I really respect the author for taking a stance on this.

The friendships in this book were my favourite part. Not only the main friendship between Kiki and Sourdawg, but the female friendships she has before the novel. It really shows a feeling of girls banding together and sticking up for one another.

I'm really sad that I couldn't enjoy this book because of my own trauma, but I want to emphasise that this is a really good book that everyone should read.

I absolutely adore reading about girls and women in STEM fields and this playing undercover in an online game really tickled me. I loved the premise and Kiki was such a fun character to follow. The banter and general self-deprecation was funny and kept me invested in the story long before the romance plot got started.
Highly recommend to fans of RPG, gaming in general and tearing down stereotypes!

Well thought out & put together & something all Teenage Girls can relate too no matter where in our World they live , but particularly in the Asian Countries. It also showed the differences in the Educational system especially with regard to Homework, I know my granddaughter in Japan has to do up to 100 pages of Homework in her Summer Break from School alongside Art & Science projects.
So in this story our heroine Kiki or crazy Kiki as she becomes known as at School overcomes all the Bullying & Sexism at one of the most revered educational institutions & finds her true self. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, # <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

I’m a fan of Sutanto’s other works so I thought I would enjoy this YA work, but I just really couldn’t get behind the gaming aspect or the terminology.

I've enjoyed Sutanto's novels and thought I would give her YA a chance. I enjoyed it and how it delved into the struggles of girl gamers. It was a nice view into teenage relationships in and outside of school in the context of Indonesia as well.

Kiki is sent by her parents to a new, more conservative school and struggles to integrate. She quickly gets bullied from her strong opinions that stand outside the norm. Outside of school she's a gamer who takes on a 'male' name to stop being bullied on the internet. I thought Sutanto dealt with these delicate subjects really well.

I thought the friend-to-lovers arc between Kiki and Liam was super cute. I really felt their connection.

Generally, I enjoyed the majority of this novel, but the weird twist in the last third of the book was unnecessary and I found myself not as keen to read this book. This knocked a star off for me. Anyway, still enjoyed it and will definitely be giving "Well, That was Unexpected" a chance next.

I'd give this story 4.5/5 stars. Of all of Jesse Q Sutanto's books, I think this is my favourite.

Kiki is incredibly relatable - being a girl/woman who just wants to live her life and enjoy her interests in the world built to exclude non-men from feeling like we fit in. Her boldness is sometimes childish and brash, but it's also borne out of not being forced to curb herself from being scared of what the world will do to her.

The author tackles difficult topics in a high school environment pretty well and keeps the book light for the most part in spite of the heavy topics through showing female friendship and support, as well as with Kiki's slightly silly personality and her younger friends, Eleanor Roosevelt and Sarah Jessica Parker.

It was really cute to see her interactions with Liam both as Sourdawg and in person. Learning more about Indonesian culture and Jakarta was also really interesting.

Altogether a very wholesome and cute book.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC via NetGalley.

"Didn't See That Coming" by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a charming and delightful romantic comedy that is sure to captivate readers with its blend of humor and heart. The novel follows the lovable protagonist, Kiki, as she navigates the ups and mostly-downs of a new high school, love and relationships, leading to a series of hilarious and heartwarming events.

Sutanto's wit and engaging storytelling brings the characters to life, making Kiki feel like an old friend and inviting readers to root for her romantic escapades.

The book skillfully balances genuine emotion with a lighthearted and humorous tone, creating a captivating narrative that captures the modern complexities of Kiki’s self-discovery.

With endearing characters, humor, and a swoon-worthy romance, "Didn't See That Coming" is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedies. Jesse Q. Sutanto has crafted an enchanting tale that will leave readers with a lingering smile and a heart full of contentment.

I received this book from Netgalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own and completely honest.

Kiki loves gaming but is fed up with the abuse she suffers online simply for being female. To allow her to game without receiving regular death threats, she creates an online persona. Those playing with her assume she’s male and as she’s not there to make friends Kiki sees no harm in keeping her identity secret. Unfortunately, when she finds herself drawing closer to someone in her online world tings become tricky.
Forced to move to a new school it’s somewhat inevitable that her online friend will happen to be a student there. It’s also no surprise to learn the identity of this friend, and for Kiki to be falling for him.
While it’s rather predictable, the story was fun and it certainly encourages readers to think about their online persona and how we all play our part in keeping people safe.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication.

I enjoyed this book, it was so well written and is a great book for both the young adult and adult market, I didn’t feel like this had to be exclusively marketed at young adults. The writing was great and I liked the setting and the story idea.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3⭐️

I really enjoyed the first 60% of this book. The romance is cute. The main character is brilliant and I liked her friends. The lil aunties are my favourites. I'm not a gamer, but I found the inclusion of what was happening inside the games to be entertaining.

I have never been so genuinely angry at a group of characters as I was at some of the students and teachers in this book. The sexism was really hard to read but also very realistic. As a woman who studied a STEM course that was primarily male students, the notion that people believe girls should stay clear of certain activities is something I've experienced first hand.

It's unfortunate that the book lost me with the plot twist. It was clear that part of it was coming, but the other part really just made me feel ill. That was probably the point, but it almost put me off finishing the book. I did like the ending of the book, though.

Overall, I've gone with 3 stars mostly because of the plot between 60-90%. I can understand why the author went in that direction, but sadly, it just didn't work for me. I haven't read the cousins book, but I kind of want to now.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, jessie Q Sutanto, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I know this review is coming in a little late, but to be honest, I only asked for this book a few days before release. So it did take me a little longer to get to than I’d have liked. But this was a book that I knew I had to read.

Didn’t See That Coming is technically a companion novel to Well, That Was Unexpected, but you don’t have to have read the first book as I DNFed that one early on whilst I really enjoyed this one!

This book follows 16-year-old Kiki, a gamer girl who is starting at a new school. But when Kiki finds out her online bestie also goes there, she worries she’s in trouble. Because Kiki has been playing as a guy online, and she thinks she might like Sourdawg.

One of the things I liked about this book is that it does discuss sexism in the gaming world. Kiki has to play as a guy as she was being harassed whilst playing an online FPS game. When she says she’s a gamer at school, she’s dismissed as mobile games don’t count, etc. The game one of the guys wants to make is misogynistic as well. I do feel that in some ways, it could have been handled a little better, but because the main focus is the romance, it was pushed aside a little. That said, there is definitely pushback against sexism in both schools and gaming, so that is a positive message to put out there to teenagers.

I did still have a good time with this book.

I liked Kiki, I liked her friendships, and I enjoyed the romance. This book was an overall good time and has honestly helped me get more back into reading.

This book was a super easy read, too. There are texts and chat app messages regularly, which usually made me chuckle, and it was nice to see. Especially with the online friendship focus.

Plus, y’know, the scenes where Kiki was trolling and sniping a bully in the game they play regularly and laughing about it. Yeah, that was pretty great, too.

So yeah, overall, it’s an enjoyable read that I would recommend. It’s been my favourite book by Jesse Q Sutanto so far, so I guess I will be giving her another chance in the future!

A sweet and romantic concept, perfect for YA audiences, but also discusses some important issues such as sexual harassment and sexism.

Although I liked the writing, I found this to be too slow. I wasn't very invested in any of the characters, but the concept sounds like something I would love. The cover is gorgeous and some parts of it felt so realistic. I did like the plot- it kept moving and kept me interested for the most part. Although the romance was sweet, I didn't really feel any chemistry between the two mc's. But this was a short, fun read and I would definitely recommend it to YA audiences looking for a cool contemporary book!

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the e-book!

This was another part of series from amazing author who been entertaining me since her first book which I absolutely loved. This is about Kiki and her struggles which ends with happy ending. What else to say; it simply wasn’t very deep story but I loved storytelling anyway.

I did wonder at first whether I had made a mistake requesting this book but in the end I am glad I did. Although I am well over being classified a YA this book, nonetheless, captured my imagination. I did struggle with the gaming passages but the underlying message of bullying and sexism resonated and was very well dealt with. I wouldn't recommend it my own age group (70s) it really has so much going for a younger reader. Interestingly I could relate to some of the school rules which were around in the 50s and 60s, particularly the uniform ones, believe or not we weren't allowed to be seen in cafes or shops in our school uniform including school hats had to be worn until we got home and this was UK not Asia, and I suspect a lot of people can relate to the length of the school skirt!

Not something I would normally read as I am not into gaming. However I do love a good romance and found this an enjoyable read. Will certainly be recommending this to my niece.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was basically everything I wanted it to be, I'm so happy to have had a chance to pick it up! The way it deals with women in gaming, bullying, and the way women are perceived in general is just great. There are additional layers about women in Asian society too, that I definitely can't speak to, but felt like it was done really well.

Kiki is a great main character, if a lot at times! She's fun though, and I think she'd be a good friend. And I love the lil aunties! They are terrifying and will honestly one day rule the world. Kiki's female friendships are lovely too, and feel so supportive. I'd have liked to see that as a bit more of a two-way street, but it was still nice to see. Her relationships with both Jonas and Liam were interesting in different ways - but really liked getting to see them change with time. And finally, Kiki's parents - love that they figured out how to talk (or at least once!)

I'd also have liked to have seen more of the fallout, but that's just wishful thinking :D

Overall, it's probably my favourite of Jesse's books I've read so far! 4 stars.