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‘Well, That Was Unexpected’: A novel filled with charm, wit and growing pains
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Summer holiday: 'Well That Was Unexpected' follows the story of Sharlot Citra and George Tanuwijaya as they get to know each other during a trip to Jakarta and Bali. (Courtesy of Delacorte Press) (Courtesy of Delacorte Press/Courtesy of Delacorte Press)
I
em>In her new novel for young adults, Jesse Q. Sutanto again cooks up a humorous story that includes intrusive parents and overbearing but lovable relatives.
One and a half years ago, Indonesian writer Jesse Q. Sutanto landed the literary surprise hit Dial A for Aunties. For the hilarious combination of romantic comedy and murder mystery, Jesse was awarded the United Kingdom’s Comedy Women in Print prize. At the same time, Netflix picked it up for a film adaptation.
But Jesse is not one to remain idle. This year alone, she followed up Four Aunties and a Wedding with the children’s book Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit and published the young adult novel Well, That Was Unexpected on Sept. 27 through Delacorte Press.
While some may struggle to switch between genres constantly, Jesse is clearly up for the challenge and enjoys writing for readers of all ages.
“I don’t ‘dumb things down’ [when working on a young adult novel]. I simply shift the focus and ask myself, what would a teen care about vs. what would a 25-year-old care about?” she said.
“Teens would be occupied with school and friends and have more boundaries set by parents, whereas adults are most likely concerned about their career paths and maybe finding a partner to settle down with. These things naturally shape the story.”
In Well, That Was Unexpected, we meet Sharlot Citra, a teenager who has lived in Los Angeles, the United States, all her life – until she is caught red-handed in a rather R-rated situation by her mother. Without losing any time, Sharlot’s mother quickly decides to take her to her native Indonesia for the summer holidays. It’s the first time Sharlot sets foot in Jakarta.
