Throwback by Maurene Goo

The quick cut: A girl who doesn't see eye to eye with her mom ends up transported in time to when her mom was in high school.

A real review:

We don't always understand our parents, especially when we're teenagers. While it may seem like they have odd rules or requirements, the truth is that they're often based in their own teenage experiences. For Samantha, she's about to discover this for herself when she goes back to the 90s and her mom Prescilla as a teenager.

Samantha doesn't get along with her mother, especially when it seems like she's trying so hard to live with a very specific image. So when Samantha is nominated for homecoming queen and decides not to campaign for it, her mom gets angry about it. What Samantha didn't expect is to be picked up by a ride share and dropped off when her mom was in high school and nominated for homecoming queen. How can she find her way back?

This story is so cute and wholesome in the kinds of ways that make you feel lighter in the end. Samantha doesn't understand why her mom is the way she is and one time trip gives her that exact understanding. In the process, she also helps make her mom's life better, along with their relationship.

Samantha just wants to enjoy her high school experience, but she's not all that interested in her mom's image of it. She loves the parts of herself that are Korean and her mom seems he'll bent to avoid them. Seeing her understand why she has opposing views helps her heal from the conflicts they've had. Watching Samantha try to help her mom win homecoming queen also makes you happy to see them try to succeed together.

There's also a romance element, but it's a minor plot point and feels a little thrown in at the end. I wish it was woven in earlier on so it felt more organic.

A fun and light hearted time travel trip.

My rating: 4 out of 5