I love Maurene Goo's books (The Way You Make Me Feel is one of my top three summer-y YA books ever) and it's been a few years since her last one came out, so getting to read this was a real treat. And it was wonderful! I was about three-quarters of the way through last night when I picked it up for a couple of chapters of bedtime reading, and I just had to finish it.

This reminded me a little of Portrait of a Thief in that the premise has a cool hook that it then uses to explore themes around identity in Asian/Asian American diasporas, with Throwback specifically focusing on the contrasting experiences of different generations of immigrants. Through Sam's time travel, you really get to learn about the things that have shaped her, her mom, and her grandma, and how those sometimes leave these characters at odds with each other. Even with these intergenerational conflicts, though, the book as a whole remains a fun read with a generally lighthearted tone.

I definitely recommend this and I'm excited for more people to read it! Also, it would make an amazing movie. Someone should make that happen.

CW: hospitalization of a grandparent, past parent/grandparent death, racism, sexism, dementia, underage drinking, mention of a fatal car crash caused by drunk driving

The plot of this book is back to the futureish with a lot of exploration about how the mainstream attitude about women and Asian Americans have changed.

Sam and her mother Priscilla are totally opposites, and oven in opposition. Sams grandmother ends up in the hospital, and then due to a magic Uber ends up in the past, in high school with her own mother. In order to get back to her own time, she has to help her mother win prom queen. Along the way, she gets a deeper understanding of how her mother was treated as a Asian American woman in the nineties, helping her to understand why her mother is the way she is in her own time.

Overall, this was a quick read with a lot of funny situations as well as some deeper themes (sexism, racism, and mother daughter relationships). It was a good book, however it took me quite some time to warm up to Sam and Priscilla at first as they aren’t particularly likeable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Projects for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

This book is about the mother/daughter relationship and highlights the struggles of children/grandchildren of immigrants.
Sam has always had a conflicting relationship with her mother, Priscilla, and never understood why her mother doesn’t get along with her own mother, who came to America from Korea. After a huge fight with her mother, Sam magically finds herself in high school in the 1990’s with her mother during the homecoming week.

Wow, I think I found my new favourite time travel book!

Samantha Kang is teenager doesn't get along with her mother, and is always at odds with her, whether it's about her friends, her boyfriend, or her low enthusiasm for homecoming. But on a rainy day when she ends up taking a strange cab, she ends up travelling back in time to.... the 90s! It's there she meets popular queen bee Priscilla Kang- her mother! As their friendship grows, time is running out for Sam, and she needs to find her way back to her own time, or consider being trapped in the 90s forever.

Following the immigrant experience in the 90s, this was an eye-opening and unique story that leaves you with a lot to think about. The racism and working life that Priscilla has to go through in the 90s shapes her into who she is and how she raises Sam. I love them both so, so much.

Navigating the 90s with Sam was so much fun. She learns more about herself and her mother's past, learning why exactly her mother and grandmother are so cold towards each other. I love these characters so much. Young Priscilla and Sam's friendship was so so wholesome. I adored the dynamic between them, and the way Sam introduced new ways for Priscilla to try and win homecoming.

There is also a slow romance buildup in the past and it just made me so sad to think about what would happened to Sam when she travels back home. But I was so pleasantly surprised! I loved the writing. I have all of Maurene Goo's books on my tbr now, because this was so much fun! I already want to reread it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

Maurene Goo was one of my favorite authors a few years ago, so I was so excited to hear about her return to YA with this book! The premise also sounded so fun, especially returning to the ’90s. In Throwback, a girl suddenly finds herself stuck in the ’90s — alongside her mother as a teenager.

Samantha Kang has always had a contentious relationship with her mother, Priscilla. She can’t understand her mother’s obsession with her being an all-American teenager when all she wants to do is live her life the way she wants to. When Sam’s grandma, who she’s incredibly close with, has a heart attack, Sam has a huge fight with her mother and orders a rideshare from a random service, only to find herself at her high school but in the ’90s. And who does she find as the queen bee there? Her mother as a teenager. Now, Sam must help her mother win Homecoming queen in order to get back—and just maybe, start to understand her mother more.

The ’90s are in right now, and I found it so funny how Sam finds herself there and realizes the trends now are much more watered down than the original trends then. She also has to learn to live without technology and a car readily available to her and what life was like before the Internet and search engines.

There’s also a small romance plot that I found really cute. Sam has a boyfriend, Curren, in her time, but even before she time-traveled, she was starting to realize that their relationship really hinged on Curren doing whatever and expecting her to follow along. When she meets Jamie, she can’t help but feel a connection with him. Their scenes were really cute, and it was also funny seeing Priscilla tease her about her crush.

The biggest part of this book was Sam getting to know her mother better and why she acts the way she does. Sam was always close to her grandmother but never understood why her mother didn’t get along with her. Now that she sees their lives when Priscilla was younger, she better understands the reasoning for this. It also becomes clear that her mother has always tried to force things, like being popular and becoming Homecoming queen, on Sam because they were things that made her happy so she thinks they’d make Sam feel the same way.

Priscilla has also never really embraced her Korean culture in the present, or at least, it seems that way to Sam. As Sam experiences the rampant casual racism in the ’90s, she begins to understand why Priscilla has always just wanted to fit in, including not wanting to be known as the “Asian one” in the group. As much as Korean culture is popular in the present, Sam begins to understand how hard it was to be “other” in a time where assimilation was survival while also helping Priscilla realize that it’s not the end of the world if she stands out.

My biggest issue with this book is that it just dragged so much for the entire middle part. I know she wasn’t going to help her mom win Homecoming queen in a couple of days, but I feel like the campaigning parts went on for a little too long. Sam is stuck in the ’90s for about eight or nine days, but it felt much longer to me. I did enjoy this book for the most part though!

Overall, Throwback was a story about a girl getting to know and understanding her mother better. I liked the characters, as well as the character development throughout the book. If you’re intrigued by a time-traveling contemporary and/or a fan of Maurene Goo’s previous novels, you’ll enjoy Throwback!

Samantha Kang is a Korean American teenager struggling with her relationship with her mom, Priscilla. Samantha doesn’t really understand Priscilla or her strained relationship with her own mother, Halmoni. After a huge fight, Samantha finds herself in a time travel ride share and is sent back to the 90’s. Samantha is still in high school but now with her teenage mom shortly before homecoming. In order to return to the present, Samantha must help teenage Priscilla win homecoming queen. Can Samantha adjust to high school life in the 90s? Will she be able to help her mom win? Will Samantha learn something about her family along the way?

Review:
This YA novel has a broad audience and might appeal to Korean Americans, children of first-generation immigrants, teenagers, and adults who grew up in the 90’s. As someone in high school in the early 90’s, the setting was nostalgic. The story focuses on mother daughter relationships and the challenges of being a child of immigrants. It is a fun read, witty at times and the differences between now and the 90’s are surprisingly vast in technology, terminology and more. Samantha really grows as a character and gains some understanding of her mom and grandmother. It really makes the reader wish they had an opportunity to spend a few weeks in their parents’ teen years. This story is entertaining, and a fun read made even better with the return to the 90s.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is did not impact my review.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It was like reading a version of Back to the Future where the past was relevant to me since it was the same year I graduated high school. All of the nineties references really took me back & made me laugh/cringe to think of high school then. I enjoyed the premise of this book & how Sam's story took place between the two time periods. It would be very strange to travel back to the time that your mom was a teenager & the same age as you. Highly recommend reading this book for a magical ride. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Sixteen-year-old Sam does not see eye to eye with her perfectly manicured mother. Instead of living up to her mother’s expectations of being a straight-A student and a country club candidate, Sam prefers to spend time with her Halmoni while living her life on her own terms. When Halmoni ends up in a coma after a severe heart attack and things between Sam and her mother reach a fever pitch, a fateful rideshare deposits Sam back at her high school—thirty years in the past. In order to return home, Sam must fulfill her specific mission while navigating life alongside her teenage mom.

Fans of Back to the Future will find similar themes and storytelling in this novel. While it is predictable for this reason, readers will nonetheless find the story to be entertaining and unique in its own way. Themes of family, support, and acceptance are threaded through the narrative, and teenagers will appreciate the frequent reminder to accept one’s parents as they are, knowing their behavior is done for specific reasons. Occasional strong language emphasizes Sam’s feelings, and references to Korean culture and food anchor readers in Sam’s world. Engaging and fast-paced, this story has all the hallmarks of a contemporary teen novel, and it is filled with characters that readers will both recognize and remember.

No family is ever perfect, and Sam’s family is no exception. Especially as a teenager, there are frequent conflicts between Sam and her mother that lead to intense reactions. The transition back to the nineties lays bare many of the reasons why Sam’s mother behaves the way she does, while also shedding light on the differences that exist between the two featured generations. From non-binary characters being commonplace to the ability to participate freely in one’s culture, Sam’s high school experience varies greatly from her mother’s. A satisfying amount of nineties nostalgia is incorporated into this novel, while frequent reminders of modern life provides its own sort of comfort for readers. Charming and heartwarming, this is a fun addition to young adult contemporary fiction collections.

I just finished reading Maureen Goo’s latest YA novel, Throwback, and I cannot wait to order it for my classroom library. This book would be the resulting child if the movie Freaky Friday (the mother-daughter not understanding one another aspect, not the body swapping) married, say, Back to the Future. And listen, I am really here for that combination!

Our main character, Samantha, constantly is at odds with her mom. It all comes to a head with a huge fight in the rain where Samatha tells her mom that she hates her. Post-fight, she is without a ride to school, so she downloads a ride share app (Throwback) and instead of arriving at school in 2025, she arrives in 1995. Her way to get back to the future? Befriend her the teenage version of her mom and help her become Homecoming queen.

Listen, I know that that sounds a little cheesy, but it was exactly what my heart needed right now. What I loved about this YA novel was that the mother-daughter relationship was the main point. This is so rare in YA. Usually the parents are either absent, irrelevant side-characters, or the story’s villain. To put the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the story was extremely refreshing. Yes, there’s drama. And yes, there’s a romance. But all of that is secondary to this story about mothers and daughters, generational differences, cultural divides, and communication breakdowns. In the end, it’s such an uplifting story. I hope you check it out when it’s published on April 11.

I had so much fun reading this book! The humor was great and the dynamic between the grandmother, mother, and daughter was very relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects / Zando Young Readers for the ARC of this novel. I had not read a book by Goo before and enjoyed this one. While I do not have personal experience with immigrant parents, this novel gave a lovely look into the different dynamics therein and how first generation and second generation immigrants can have very different expectations placed upon them while also being subject to the same pressures. Sam has her moments where I found her character annoying but those were few and far between. I did see one small twist at the end coming but another was a complete and happy surprise. I greatly enjoyed this and will need to seek out other books from Goo and hope they are just as lovely. 4.5 stars.

Another minority opinion so far, but I haven't seen anyone mention the main issue I had...Two and a half stars rounded up.

Note: I've altered my review to remove my main dissatisfaction, as I was able to confirm with the editor that Val's name and pronouns were edited sufficiently in the print form. Still upsetting this was in the ARC, but oh well.

I did not enjoy this book, sad to say. As usual, Maurene Goo does a fantastic job of including prolific references to Korean food and other cultural aspects that I loved. But the protagonist, Sam, was very unlikeable from the start and I found it difficult to sympathize with or root for her. Her POV was very...hostile? to read from, and she's spoiled. I did not find the character growth through the book very satisfying. The romance felt forced as well.

The cover is very cute, and Sam's gentle handling of her elders, even with her personality, was charming to read. I enjoyed the nineties vibes when she went back in time, too. I hope this book finds its audience!

This was a lot of fun! I think if you were going to look too closely at the time travel mechanics etc you might find some big coincidences/flaws but like who cares we're here to have a GOOD TIME with NINETIES HIJINKS, I'm not a cop!!

I really loved Sam's ~journey~ of understanding where her mom was coming from, and as a millennial myself I really felt her mom Priscilla'ss pain. Also as a white millennial I don't personally know what Priscilla was going through but I've heard accounts from other Asian Americans how frustrating/conflicting it can feel to see K-pop and Japanese pop culture etc being super mainstream and popular now when it was stuff they got teased about as kids. So I thought having all of that in this book was really sharp and added a lot to the Back to the Future of it all.

A really fun read for millenials but I think teens who are intrigued by the 90s (and aren't they all now?!) will love it too, with added bonus for Korean American teens but also anyone who might relate to the kind of generational/cultural differences between Sam and Priscilla.

Omggg, Maureen Goo never fails to bring smile to my face. I love her works and I am thankful that I was approved with the eARC. I love this book Throwback, but I don't want to spoil any further. Just read it, okay. Lol. I loved how Samantha lived and learned about her mother's and Halmoni's past and how she applies it in her future plus the short romance aaa I want more.

I absolutely loved this book! Throwback is a fun, heartfelt story with a totally fresh take on the time-travel trope. Samantha Kang has always struggled to get along with her mom, Priscilla, and is much closer to her grandmother, whereas Priscilla is not. Priscilla, who was a popular cheerleader in high school, wants Sam to run for homecoming queen, but Sam wants nothing to do with the typical cliched high school experience. When the two get into a huge fight, Sam is desperate to escape and uses a rideshare app to get to school. But when she gets there, she finds that she's arrived at her high school...back in 1995, where her mom is currently a student. Can Sam help Priscilla win homecoming queen—and heal her mother and grandmother's fractured relationship?

Throwback is a true joy to read from start to finish! I could not put it down. It brought out so many different emotions—I was laughing out loud one page and tearing up the next. Maurene Goo's writing style is packed with humor and heart, and Sam is such a great main character. I loved following her on her journey to finding herself and understanding more about her family—I never wanted it to end. I especially appreciated how Sam got to know Priscilla not only as her mother, but also as her friend and someone she could relate to in unexpected ways. The story also covers so many important topics—mother-daughter relationships, generational differences, racism, misogyny, the unique struggles children/grandchildren of immigrants experience, navigating the high school social scene in both 1995 and 2025 (and how things have evolved over the years), and love in its many different forms. This is my first Maurene Goo book, and I can't wait to read more from her! I would certainly highly recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Young Readers for the ARC.

It's so much fun and enjoyable to read Throwback by Maurene Goo. It revolves around Sam, a Korean-American who frequently quarrels with her mother. Sam uses a ride-share app to get to her school following a fight with her mother. She unexpectedly finds herself with her teenage mother back in the 1990s.

This book is AMAZING! This book is both enjoyable and emotional. Sam can relate to anyone, especially those who frequently disagree with their mothers. Sam's development in her mother's understanding and their friendship with her teenage mother in the 1990s was sweet and heartwarming. I adored the characters, the time-travel plot, and the 90s references.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

'Throwback' by Maureen Goo is a fast-paced, difficult to put down time travel adventure. Protagonist Samantha Kang is a high school senior in contemporary Los Angeles. Samantha has a strained relationship with her mom, a no-nonsense businessperson who is somewhat estranged from the family's Korean heritage. In contrast, Samantha's maternal grandmother is a warm and encouraging figure.

A medical emergency in the family followed by an argument between Samantha and her mother leads Sam to an unexpected journey back to 1995, where she becomes classmates with her own mom. Sam takes it as her mission to change the course of her mother's teenage years. Back-in-time romance, complex family dynamics, an unreliable cellphone battery, and homecoming hijinks all play a role in Samantha's quest to return to her own time.

The conversational tone of the narration, brisk pace of the plot, and likeable main characters combine to make this a really engaging read. 'Throwback' is successful in employing plot twists without overly complicating the central narrative. Serious moments of introspection about the immigrant experience, family tensions, and generational differences balance out the story's more whimsical aspects. Since relatively little time is spent in the present day setting some of the supporting characters are a little thin (Val, Julian, Sam's dad). However this doesn't detract from what is all in all a very entertaining and thought-provoking read.

I loved this funny, incisive, unique story about a modern teenager who finds herself thrown back in time to her own mother's teenage years in the mid-1990s. Sam's mission is to help her mother, Priscilla, win Homecoming Queen (a competition Sam considers ridiculous and regressive) and to heal the rift between Priscilla and her own mother. This is complicated at first by Sam's resentment of her mother and by their very different personalities, but as she gets to know Priscilla she develops more sympathy for her and gains a better understanding of her family's journey as well as her own.

Sam was a great main character and her narration was a joy to read. The novel's emotional center revolved less around the Homecoming action than around Sam and Priscilla's relationship and Sam's understanding of her family's immigration journey, which was given a unique and compelling twist by drawing Sam into her mother's past to show both generations as teenagers together.

This is a YA novel, so as an adult I'm not really the intended audience. I bristled at Sam's eye-rolling attitude toward 1990s' politics and aesthetics, and her attacks on native 1990s-ers failure to conform to her 2020s-woke view of race, gender, and technology, came across as insensitive. But her posture softened over the course of the novel, or maybe I became too absorbed in reading to mind.

This book is magic.

Not as in time-travel magic. Although that's the delightful plot premise that holds this book together.

It's really about the magic of finding who you are. And discovering your past. And figuring out that your past (and your ancestors) are part of what makes you who you are!

Sam is absolutely relatable, and 100% the main character we all wish we could be. And 5 stars to Priscilla!

On a personal note? The weird Homecoming traditions described are spot-on accurate, and still alive & well in the American South.

And BTS is, in fact, the best group on the planet.

And you can't sue a magical rideshare. Remember that.

I am a sucker for time travel books, which is what drew me to Throwback. I enjoyed it, especially the insight to what life for a first or second generation immigrant to the United States might be like. I can see using this in a middle or high school. I think it would spark some interesting discussions about fitting in, relationships with parents, and how much high school changed (or didn't change) in one generation.