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Samantha Kang has a hard time relating to her mom. Priscilla Kang is a first-generation Korean-American who has bought entirely into the American bougie dream. She’s a lawyer, Sam’s dad a doctor. And now Priscilla wants their family to join a country club. On top of that, she wants to help Sam campaign for homecoming queen.
One day, after a big fight with her mom, Sam finds herself in a rideshare to get to school. But when she gets there, things don’t seem quite right: her phone doesn’t work, her locker won’t open, all the students are wearing old styles, and she doesn’t know any of them. Well, except one — Priscilla Jo. Her perfect mom is now a perfect high school senior. And she’s a candidate for homecoming queen. Sam knows her mom had lost, but she figures maybe she has to help her win this time so Sam can get … back to the future. The ’90s are not somewhere she would like to stay: no cellphones, research done at libraries with weird things called “microfiche,” and casual racism and misogyny.
Complicating matters, too, are the feelings Sam’s developing for a cute and really nice guy. He’s gonna be old when she gets back home, so that’s not good.
At first glance, it seems Sam and Priscilla have nothing in common. But Sam does persuade Priscilla to let her help her campaign, and as the week between her arrival and the night of homecoming progresses, they start to become friends. Sam has an opportunity to begin to understand why her mom is the way she is — both as a teen and as a mom.
Throwback is a really fun and sweet book. I couldn’t help but chuckle at all the issues and things (or lack of things) Sam encounters in the past that throw her for a loop. The romance plot line is cute. And, of course, the heart of the story is the mother-daughter relationship and the opportunity for Sam to appreciate and understand her mom and become closer to her. Maurene Goo also helps readers appreciate the immigrant and second-gen experience. Loved it.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 14 uses of strong language, around 75 instances of moderate profanity, about 60 uses of mild language, and almost 90 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content includes kissing and some crude references.
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*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
