Didn't See That Coming

Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Genre: Realistic Fiction; Romance

Reviewed by Julia W., 11th Grade

Rating: 9/10

Didn’t See That Coming is full of surprises, twists, and turns, all in the best ways possible! Kiki is seventeen and is a talented video game player. When she plays, though, she pretends to be male in order to avoid any kind of harassment or unwanted comments. What Kiki hadn’t seen coming was that she would actually grow close to one of her teammates. She only knows him by his username, Sourdawg, but after a year of texting and playing online together they become super close. When Kiki transfers to a private school for her senior year, she realizes that Sourdawg is a student there. Kiki makes it her mission to figure out who Sourdawg is, but worries how he will feel when he finds out she’s a girl.

This novel was probably in my top three reads of 2024, which is saying a lot! I couldn’t put it down and by the time I was done, my face actually hurt from smiling. One thing that immediately caught my eye was the author’s use of imagery. The first page alone was so descriptive that I really felt like I was in Kiki’s world. I also really appreciated how it was easy to understand the video game Kiki and Sourdawg played despite my limited video game knowledge. What made this read really fun was that while Kiki was trying to figure out Sourdawg’s identity, so was I, which was really fun! Just like Kiki, I was trying to put the clues together, which I really enjoyed (especially once I realized who Sourdawg was!)

On another note, I found it interesting how this book has a very clear cut storyline but also somehow encompasses so many different things. It touches on school life, building confidence, friends, relationships, family, and so much more! While the video game aspect might not be relatable to the average reader, the above aspects are very relatable, no matter who you are.

Want to read Didn't See That Coming?

Request a copy online with your library card today!