‘Throwback’ by Maurene Goo Cover Reveal

As of November 8, Publishers Weekly exclusively revealed the cover to YA contemporary romance author Maurene Goo’s newest novel that has a sci-fi twist, Throwback, which is slated for a 2023 release with independent publisher Zando Books.

The novel follows Samantha Kang, whose never gotten along well with her mother Priscilla, until she’s found herself transported back to the 90’s…with her teenage mother! While wondering where she fits in this analog world, she wonders if her mother is someone she could actually become closer too as she tries to journey back home.

Goo had this to say about the story which “fulfills a long-held ambition” stating “I always knew that I wanted to write a mother-daughter book, but it took years for me to figure out a way to write one that wasn’t just overwrought with angst,” she said. “My own relationship with my mom in my teens was fraught—like Priscilla and Halmoni’s [Priscilla’s immigrant mother]—and I needed to find an entry into the subject that was fun, somehow. I got to thinking about time travel, because I love time travel stories, and realized my favorite movie, Back to the Future, was a perfect inspiration point. What if you could go to school with your Korean mom? That concept alone is so loaded with possibility.”

Cover designer is Natalie Sousa and illustrator is Kemi Mai.

Back to the Future meets The Joy Luck Club in this YA contemporary romance about a Korean American girl sent back to the ’90s to (reluctantly) help her teenage mom win Homecoming Queen.

Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one. Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla—and has never understood her bougie-nightmare, John Hughes high school expectations. After a huge fight between them, Sam is desperate to move forward—but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back.

To her shock, Sam finds herself back in high school . . . in the ’90s . . . with a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now this Gen Z girl must try to fit into an analog world. She’s got the fashion down, but everything else is baffling. What is “microfiche”? What’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And why does it feel like Priscilla is someone she could actually be . . . friends with?

Sam’s blast to the past has her finding the right romance in the wrong time while questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. Will Sam figure out what she needs to do to fix things for her mom so that she can go back to a time she understands?

Throwback by Maurene Goo is set to be released April 11, 2023!

‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ Headed To Netflix

On July 19, it was announced exclusively through The Hollywood Reporter that Maurene Goo’s I Believe In A Thing Called Love has not only been acquired by Netflix, but in addition actor Byung-hun Lee will also star.

The novel follows Desi, a talented and overachieving high school senior who, after being inspired by the K-Dramas she and her widower father watch together, follows their formula to try and find love. Lee will play the role of Desi’s father.

Mary Lee, principal leader of A-Major Media said “Maurene found a way to tap into the fun world of K-dramas through the perspective of a girl who learns that life is something that you can’t control, and Yulin’s voice was perfect for the adaptation.”

Goo’s 2017 YA novel was originally optioned as a film back in February of 2020, where it was revealed that Yulin Kuang and Byung-hun Lee would be attached to the project (screenwriter and producer/actor respectively).

Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends.

So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study.

Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo is out now!

‘Somewhere Only We Know’ To Be Adapted As A Film For Netflix

On June 22, it was announced through an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter that Maurene Goo’s 2019 YA Contemporary novel ‘Somewhere Only We Know‘ is set to be developed as feature film through Netflix with Lana Cho attached to adapt.

Alongside Netflix picking up the rights to Goo’s novel, the “independently financed” motion picture and television production company Escape Artists, will also be producing. Goo has also been confirmed to be an executive producer.

The novel follows Lucky, one of the biggest K-Pop stars on the scene, who’s hoping to successfully accomplish her breakout performance to boost her career. Tabloid reporter Jack runs into the famous star, where the two decide to have an adventure across Hong Kong and romance blossoms.

Cho, producer and writer, is known for projects such as Four Weddings And A Funeral, Timeless, even CW’s Arrow.

Through Escape Artists, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Tony Shaw and Logan Kriete are set to e producers. David Bloomfield will also serve as an executive producer.

10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.

11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious.

12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo is out now!

I Believe In A Thing Called Love Optioned For Film

On February 21, it was announced exclusively through The Hollywood Reporter that A-Major Media has picked up film rights to I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo.

Mary Lee, leader of A-Major Media, says there’s a number of projects in development that “exemplifies the breadth of storytelling that exists within the Asian American community…” according to the THR article.

Yulin Kuang, an independent filmmaker known in the YA community for her “I Didn’t Write This” series, adapting 5-minute scenes from novels such as Fangirl and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, is set to adapt Goo’s contemporary romance.

It was also mentioned that Byung-hun Lee (The Magnificent Seven) and BH Entertainment’s Charles Pak will be producing.

“K DRAMA FANS ACTIVATE 😭”

Maurene Goo Via Twitter

Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends.

So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue.

But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo is out now!

2019 Young Adult Books About Journalists

To celebrate the release of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine from Maika and Maritza Moulite, here’s a list of some wonderful 2019 Young Adult releases that focus on characters in journalism!

Whether its about an aspiring journalist looking to pursue it as a major or career, being a columnist for a newspaper, or writing for a tabloid, check out these Young Adult books featuring protagonists in the field of journalism!

1.Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Co-written by sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite, and told in epistolary style through letters, articles, emails, and diary entries, this exceptional debut novel captures a sparkling new voice and irrepressible heroine in a celebration of storytelling sure to thrill fans of Nicola Yoon, Ibi Zoboi and Jenna Evans Welch!

When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime…

You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything?

Actually, a lot.

Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I’m spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a “spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own…and to hide a rather devastating secret.

All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks…like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse.

You know, typical drama. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.

2.Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo

10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.

11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious.

12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.

3.The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. 

While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.

The Downstairs Girl was also a Book Of The Month YA pick for August! If your interested in signing up, you can do so using my affiliate link here! + use the promo code ‘GROW’ to get your first box for $9.99 this September!

Book Of The Month YA is a monthly subscription box that allows you to pick your next read and if you aren’t sure on which book to read, your credit can carry over to the next month!

5 Young Adult Contemporary Romance Books For Your Summer TBR!

Summer, the perfect time to catch up on all those books and discover some new ones! 2019 thus far, has been filled with such great reads and who doesn’t love a good contemporary with a bit of romance to devour during these long summer months?

Today on The Booked Shelf I’m recommending 5 YA contemporary romance books to celebrate tomorrow’s release of Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud!

1.Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud

Fiercely independent and smart, Zora Emerson wants to change the world. She’s excited to be attending a prestigious summer program, even if she feels out of place among her privileged, mostly white classmates. So she’s definitely not expecting to feel a connection to Owen, who’s an actual prince of an island off the coast of England. But Owen is funny, charming…and undeniably cute. Zora can’t ignore the chemistry between them. When Owen invites Zora to be his date at his big brother’s big royal wedding, Zora is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, along with her family and friends. Everyone is talking about her, in real life and online, and while Owen is used to the scrutiny, Zora’s not sure it’s something she can live with. Can she maintain her sense of self while moving between two very different worlds? And can her feelings for Owen survive and thrive in the midst of the crazy? Find out in this charming romantic comedy that’s like The Princess Diaries for a new generation.

2.Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo

10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.

11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious.

12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.

3.Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.

But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.

As her college decision looms, Rosa collides – literally – with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

4.Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen

Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought… 

5.Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She’s the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win.

Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who’s obsessed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she’s casting her senior film project, she knows she’s found the perfect lead – Sana.

There’s only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since.

Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strong-willed young women falling for each other despite themselves.

You can also check out my full ARC review of Truly Madly Royally here!

Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud releases July 30, 2019!