I would recommend this book if you're looking for a YA contemporary romance. Set around the lives of two gamers in high school in Asia, this book hits some awesome topics like gender, bias, and stereotypes. Entertaining but not life changing. Thanks #netgalley

I VERY MUCH ENJOYED THIS BOOK! I don’t normally read Contemporary YA Fiction but
When I do it has to be relatable and captures my attention. This read went above those expectations! I don’t know much about gaming or Asian culture and it was eye opening learning about the hardships of sexism that girls and women are experiencing; the author really portrays that well through the book.
I found myself raging with the protagonist KiKi and wanting justice for her so bad. The novel is loaded with pop culture and I found myself relating to a lot of the bullying aspects that KiKi experienced throughout the book. I rooted for her to have a happy ending and for her to remember who the hell she was and not forget the amazing person she was. I found myself pulled right into the world that the author created and once the novel ended I felt my self in crisis that this wasn’t reality. I love this book so much and will very much be recommending it to anyone who will listen, and also to the librarians at my place of work. I enjoyed learning about a culture unlike my own I enjoyed learning about a hobby unlike my own. I was intrigued through the entirety of the novel and I couldn’t put it down!

POOR KIKI!!!!
OVERALL I LOVE IT

High school romance is definitely my jam. BUT high school romance in JAKARTA?! sign me up!!!

I love how this book managed to wove online gaming sexism, cyber bullying, school bullying, and mysoginistic into a still sweet tender love story. A story of becoming a woman. Of becoming unapologetically YOU. Of a girl stands up on herself and managed to find courage with her friends.

F*** the racist mysoginistic school that only want to SAVE FACE among other bullying problems. Sadly, it happened a lot in Indonesia, and it reflected clearly here. I love love how Kiki finally take "revenge" on this.

Oh my sweet green flag boy🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Hope u rot in hell for those red flags boys yikes

If you're into gaming, high school romance, friends to lovers, and problematic school, give this book a go!!! 💖💖💖💖

Ps. It's a standalone book. However, if you have read Well That Was Unexpected, you'll find one or two familiar names here. EVEN IF YOI HAVEN'T (bcs I haven't too), it's okay. The story is still very much understandable and enjoyable.

Jesse Q. Sutanto never ceases to surprise me with her ability to navigate various genres, including mystery, twisty thrillers, highly entertaining humorous women’s fiction, family dramas, and, of course, YA romance and fiction stories. I've never rated any of them lower than four stars because each genre is crafted with great intelligence. Her enjoyable writing style and the creation of likable characters allow me to engage with her books right from the opening chapter.

Is there any genre Jesse Q. Sutanto can't write? Has she written a historical yet? I'm sure she'd do that well, too. Mystery, thriller, romance, YA: she is the rare author who crosses genres with ease. In "Didn't See That Coming," Sutanto takes on the patriarchy as well. Readers will cheer for Kiki as she navigates a conservative school in Jakarta in this YA romance. It's been 25+ years since I've been in high school, and Sutanto has shown me that there isn't enough money in the world to make me want to do that again! I'm looking forward to seeing what she does next.

I enjoyed this read! Interesting setting and a unique perspective from the author. The struggles of the main character felt unexpected in a refreshing way. Some cool insight into the gaming world as well. I enjoyed Kiki and really enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC of this middle grade novel.

I am a big fan of Jesse Q. Sutanto. I find she's able to hit on some heavy topics for young readers in a light-hearted manner and this novel was no exception. She keeps the story moving quickly as she tackled topics of cultural expectations, feminism, and bullying.

I think young readers will be able to see themselves in some of characters of this book. From the idea of changing schools, making new friends, or even from the perspective of the love of gaming.

This will be high on my list of recommendations this year for young (and young at heart) readers.

I've been a fan of Jesse's work since Dial A For Aunties and am always so excited to read a new one. This didn't end up being a favorite of mine, but I still really enjoyed it. One of the things I love about Jesse's books are the different cultures that are woven in the story either through the setting or the characters, and sometimes even both. This book is a companion to her book Well,That Was Unexpected but I don't think you need to read that one in order to read this.
This follows a girl living in Jakarta, Indonesia who's a gamer. She's starting her senior year at a new school because it's one of the most elite schools in the country. It's also conservative, and the entire school has a lot of sexism ingrained into its teachings. She acts as a boy online when playing games because of the sexism and threats she gets as a girl. There's major trigger warnings for bullying and sexism in this story. But I love Kiki and her willingness to go against the status quo.

This book was amazing it’s like one of those books you wish you could read again for the first time ima keep this short and sweet I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be this good I love the ending kinda wishing for a sequel I posted it on my instagram and Snapchat and saved it on my highlights

“Crazy” is not such a bad word, isn't it? There are worse words out there, so why make such a big fuss about it? Wrong.
I can't physically express my devotion to Jesse Q. Sutantoto for have written an entire book about why we - as in both men and women - should stop using that word. And maybe I'm a little sensitive over it because *some people* in my life love to use it during arguments against me, but it's still a necessary conversation.

What I felt during my reading could only be described as gratitude.
See, maybe I'm a little older compared to her targeted audience, but how much I’d have needed this story when I was growing up? Reading about someone like Kiki, who doesn't give up to express who she is even if nobody stands with her, not only made me feel like a proud mom but set an example that I've never seen in real life.
Reading this story at the beginning of my youth would have shown me that even if I felt like I was alone in the world, someone was going through the same thing as me. And who knows? Maybe I’d still be an extrovert now.

But the past is the past, and now I can just hope stories like this one will help the new generations dealing with important topics such as sexism, bullying and cyberbullying, and the relationships with your peers and your elders - which I’ve always believed should be of mutual respect, otherwise, how could I respect you?!

Game language aside, I encourage Occidental teens to read this book with the specific intent of learning about Asian culture regarding the food, the schools, the cities and many more aspects that we don't think could be so diverse.

Thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

In the beginning, I wasn't a fan of this. I truly couldn't even see myself finishing it. I did though. I am so happy that I did. I loved the topics that we explore. I'm not a gaming person so to see what girl gamers go through was interesting. I definitely get why she felt like she had to pretend to be a guy. I wish she told Liam sooner. I understand though. It's hard to tell people things. I loved the ending so much. The confessing feelings was beautiful and so cute.

Honestly, I was expecting a fluffy romance but was quickly proven wrong with how many topics this book covered! I already loved that the MC was Kiki, a girl gamer, but I'm glad that Sutanto really tackled some important topics that teens today face on a daily basis such as internet safety, bullying, and harassment. Teaching 7th grade, I hear stories daily about my students gaming and spending copious amounts of time online but rarely do I think they realize the dangers that are out there. Because of that, I think any teen, regardless of whether or not they game, could relate, especially with the text and slang!

While this was marketed as YA, I think this could appeal to much wider audiences as gaming and internet trolls are a hot topic for all age groups. Even though we're past that age, sadly, bullying and harassment are still things we face online at any age and on any platform, making it more relatable - even I, at 32, found parallels between Kiki's life and my own personal experiences! Overall, I felt this was a perfect balance between being an easy read but covering important topics that readers of all interests and ages will value!

Kiki loves gaming, but being a girl who plays games makes it hard to be respected. So instead of taking the harassment, she decided to change her username and make it more masculine. With her new persona, she makes a friend. When she switches schools, she ends up meeting her online friend in real life. Neither of them realize for a while though.
I walked into this book thinking it would be more romance heavy, like the other books this author has wrote are. I was very wrong. It was so much more than that.
This book was a love letter to gaming that shows the good sides and the bad. The book explores sexual harassment and bullying, alongside friendships that last a lifetime. There really isn’t that much of a romance, and that’s exactly how it needed to be.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for an eARC of this book.

I had read this author a couple of times, but those stories were more in line with the adult books, and not the YA ones. I love the humor in this author’s books, and had thought this might be similar. I was wrong. But, that is not a bad thing.

This book is an emotional journey. One that even the author said took a turn that she was not expecting. For me, it was a rewind of my own introductions into new schools when I was in a teen, and all the feels of anger, fear, and bullying that were there. I found myself at one point with tears running down my face in one scene, as the text brought back some memories I had thought I had abandoned with age. This is not a bad thing, though, it is a compliment to the writing, and the book that I was brought to these emotions. It shows that this story goes beyond just the audience it was intended for.

This book is aimed at teens, as I mentioned, but as I found, it does resonate with even someone way past that age. The story is simple, one of making friends, and issues of bullying; but it is packed with details, and real situations that have happened for many.

The only thing that I have to say critical is the use of texting and abbreviations of the slang. As someone not in the gaming crowd, or the young texting crowd, I had to have my phone with me to look up many terms. I felt that the abbreviations could have had a dictionary, or a footnote somewhere to help those of us not in the know. Years from now, those abbreviations may not be in use, and the book will be dated because of it. Even though the story is one that I feel will last for 50 years as it, as I pointed out it resonates for all ages, future readers may not want to have to look up abbreviations that they no longer use. A simple fix if the publisher wishes to add, but for those in the age it is intended, it is probably fine the way it is for now.

I recommend this book for the age it is aimed at, but also feel that older adults, and seniors might enjoy the story as well. The story of high school, cliches, and bullying is something many of us can relate to, and the love story placed on top of this gives this a very enjoyable tale. Again, recommend.

I’m convinced that anything this author writes, I’ll read. YA is typically a genre I’m not able to find myself able to remain interested in - however, this book was the exception. Lighter than other books I’ve been reading lately - so I found it a good reprieve. Kiki (the main character) was likable, hilarious, and unafraid to be herself. For a YA novel, I liked how real topics (bullying, sexual harassment) were addressed as well as the the authors note. The authors notes touched on the sexism still alive and well in some places she once lived, and I respected she didn’t shy away from having it as an important part of the story line. This addressed some hot topics in an enjoyable way, and I would recommend!
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

The thing about on-line gaming is that both men and women, boys and girls play it, but for some reason it is considered the realm of guys, and so when a woman shows up, she is harassed. This is the issue Kiki has when she plays her shooter games, so rather than have to fight twice, both the monsters and the nasty remarks, she just becomes a dudebro, in fact that is her name DudeBro10. And the harassment stops.

But then, in real life, she transfers to a new school where guys harrass her for not fitting in, and seeing as she is a strong thinker, she does not take it lightly. Only problem is, the teachers and principal dont’ see her side of it, because to them, everything is fine.

And her best friend online is someone at the school, and she wants to know who.

A fast quick read. I wasn’t sure what twists and turns were going to happen but like the author’s agent who said “OMG, poor Kiki” as worse and worse things happened, I was wondering how she would get out of what was happening.

This is part of the same universe that her other book “Well, That Was Unexpected”, and some characters from that book are mentioned in passing, as are characters that were mentioned in the first book, happen to be in this book. If you haven’t read the first, you don’t need to, but it was a fun book as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is going to be published by Random House the 28th of November 2023

This was incredibly cute and fun. It really reads as a YA novel, so I think it is truly a great fit for that audience. It would also be a great fit for any class library, might I add. But, since I am not that target audience, I did find it lacking at times. However, I see that as no fault of the novel, but simply in the reader. Therefore, I still highly recommend it to those interested in it. I also think it is a great read, with even greater representation. It is nice to read books that center around other cultures, and it provides great relativity for readers from said cultures. It truly was a really fun read!

This book just wasn’t my cup of tea. It felt too young and unrealistic for me. I know it is YA but it felt very young. Overall, maybe good for a high schooler.

SO SO SO CUTE !!! an online friendship x irl friendship with the secret of identity between them, who wouldn't love it?

the only problem I had was the last 40% or so was EXTREMELY rushed, it would've been a lot better to let the novel be a bit longer and have a better developed ending, otherwise, no complaints from me

Thank you Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for the ARC! ❤️💙

The premise of two gamers, one pretending to be the opposite gender, falling in love is intriguing.
HOWEVER, there was one small aspect that i really didn’t like. The incorporation of Gen Z slang felt somewhat off and cringe-worthy. While I understand the desire to make the story relatable to a younger audience, it could have been done with a better understanding of how such slang is used in real-life conversations.
Although, I enjoyed is how the author doesn't shy away from addressing serious issues like sexism in the gaming world.
What a great job on shedding light on the challenges and biases faced by women in the gaming community.