Throwback

I was not entirely pulled in by the premise, and let me tell you how I absolutely adored this book. The time travel device is one that made me think this was going to be a “freaky friday” re-make, and it ended up being so much more. I couldn't put it down. Sam is a FANTASTIC character. She's relatable, she's flawed, she's brave, she's angry, she's hilarious, she's willing to stand up for what's right. The novel addresses several important themes without ever feeling heavy-handed. The pressures immigrant parents put on their children, the ever complicated mother-daughter relationship, the reality of being a high school student and needing to figure things out within certain social constructs. I thought the resolution was very neat (but not too neat) and so satisfying. This book felt so authentic, despite the time travel. I also think it will seriously resonate with Gen Z teens, and I'm excited to rec this and hear their thoughts.

Also. JAMIE. I think I could read a whole other book from Jamie's side of things.

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's 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.