A review by pucksandpaperbacks
Throwback by Maurene Goo
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
CW: racism, generational trauma, mention of dementia/character living with dementia, death of a parent, grief, alcoholism, mention of a drunk driving car accident, mentions of the pandemic, heart attack,
Maurene Goo nailed this Back to the Future inspired novel set in 1995. Through Samantha "Sam/Sammy" Kang's trip to 1995 - the same year her mother was in high school - she learns about her mother in a whole different way. The references to the culture of the 90s vs modern day times had me laughing throughout the book as Samantha tries to hide her identity of being from the future. However, Goo hits each point she is trying to make and further improves Sam's character development. Before the book ended, I felt myself disappointed because I thought it wasn't fair to claim Sam had to "fix" her mother's relationship with her grandmother. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when Sam realized this: There is a romance that I thought was sweet, but I am pretty neutral on whether it was needed or not. I have only read Goo's debut, I Believe in a Thing Called Love which wasn't my favorite but I think this is her best book by far.
If you want a book about a mother/daughter relationship, generational trauma, and travel back in time to the 90's, I highly recommend Throwback.
Now I want to go and watch Back to the Future!
Spoiler
character goes into a coma but wakes up.Maurene Goo nailed this Back to the Future inspired novel set in 1995. Through Samantha "Sam/Sammy" Kang's trip to 1995 - the same year her mother was in high school - she learns about her mother in a whole different way. The references to the culture of the 90s vs modern day times had me laughing throughout the book as Samantha tries to hide her identity of being from the future. However, Goo hits each point she is trying to make and further improves Sam's character development. Before the book ended, I felt myself disappointed because I thought it wasn't fair to claim Sam had to "fix" her mother's relationship with her grandmother. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when Sam realized this:
Spoiler
"Maybe … maybe when I traveled to the past, it was just me that was supposed to change. And I had. Because even with my mom not doing exactly what I hoped she would do, her response didn’t fill me with despair or frustration."If you want a book about a mother/daughter relationship, generational trauma, and travel back in time to the 90's, I highly recommend Throwback.
Now I want to go and watch Back to the Future!
Content Warnings