Book: Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Reviewed by Deb.Reads.Books
Rating: 5/5
Between fighting the patriarchy, struggling with her identity, and being forced to make gut wrenching decisions, Magnolia has always tried to do what is best for everyone else. She spends much of her life trying to fulfill her role as the perfect Chindo daughter.
Inevitability, Magnolia loses herself along the way. She tries to please her parents & impress her sister, Iris, whom she has a strained relationship with. She finds the truest love in Ellery, but the relationship is plagued with circumstance. Her relationship with her sister grows into something wonderful as they mature. She begins to find her voice more and more as she endures what seeks like never-ending heartbreak. Tragedy shapes her life, and make her the bad bitch she is today. Magnolia challenges the next generation of the family, specifically her granddaughter, Izzy, to not repeat mistakes of the past out of fear and familial obligation, like she did.
This book WRECKED me. I read it in one sitting. Next Time Will Be Our Turn is a heart wrenching story. It made me ugly cry several times. It’s so easy to immerse yourself in the story and feel everything that Magnolia does - her college experience, her first love, her joy, her heartbreak, and everything in between. I felt all of it, so deeply. This novel touches on the patriarchy and purity culture- specifically within the Chinese-Indonesian community, queer awakening, spousal abuse, mental health, and so much more. This is by far the best book I’ve read this year. If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy style tragedy and heartbreak, this book is it. Everyone needs to read this book, just be sure to have a box of tissue on standby!