Books by Maurene Goo

Throwback

by Maurene Goo

“No one can blend family, humor, satire, and love into a single perfect story like Maurene Goo can.” ―Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Skyhunter

“Funny and big-hearted, romantic, and delightfully unexpected in the best way.” ―Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Instructions for Dancing

A Gen Z Korean American girl gets stuck in the '90s with her teenaged mother in this fresh, funny adventure full of heart, humor, and time-crossed romance. Perfect for fans of Mary H.K. Choi, Morgan Matson, and Nicola Yoon.

Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one.

Priscilla is first-generation Korean American, a former high school cheerleader who expects Sam to want the same all-American nightmare. Meanwhile, Sam is a girl of the times who has no energy for clichéd high school aspirations. After a huge blowup, Sam is desperate to get away from Priscilla, but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back.

To her shock, Sam lands in the ’90s . . . alongside a 17-year-old Priscilla.

Now, Sam has to deal with outdated tech, regressive ’90s attitudes, and her growing feelings for sweet, mysterious football player Jamie, who just might be the right guy in the wrong era.

With the clock ticking, Sam must figure out how to fix things with Priscilla or risk being trapped in an analog world forever. Sam’s blast to the past has her questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. One thing’s for sure: Time is a mother.

Brimming with heart and humor, Maurene Goo’s Throwback asks big questions about what exactly one inherits and loses in the immigrant experience.

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Throwback

by Maurene Goo

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Somewhere Only We Know

by Maurene Goo

A Cosmopolitan Best Young Adult Book of 2019
A BuzzFeed Pick for "YA Books You Absolutely Must Read This Spring"

Sparks fly between a K-pop starlet and a tabloid reporter in Somewhere Only We Know, a heartwarming rom-com from 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.

With her trademark humor and voice, Maurene Goo delivers a sparkling story of taking a chance on love―and finding yourself along the way.

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I Believe in a Thing Called Love

by Maurene Goo

A funny young adult novel about a Korean-American girl who uses K-Drama techniques to snag the boyfriend of her dreams.

One of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2017
One of Seventeen.com's Best YA Books of 2017
"Hilarious." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Powerful messages of inclusion and acceptance." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Desi Lee knows how carburetors work. She learned CPR at the age of five. As a high school senior, she has never missed a day of school and never had a B. But in her charmed school life, there's one thing missing―she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a known disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet.

When the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides it's time to tackle her flirting failures. She finds her answer in the Korean dramas her father has watched obsessively for years―in which the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. Armed with her “K Drama Rules for True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos. All's fair in love and Korean dramas, right? But when the fun and games turn to feelings, Desi finds out that real-life love is about way more than just drama.

Maurene Goo's I Believe in a Thing Called Love is a fun, heartwarming story of falling in love―for real.

A Margaret Ferguson Book

Praise for I Believe in a Thing Called Love:
“Desi's implementation of measures such as ‘Be Caught in an Obviously Lopsided Love Triangle’ yields hilarious, at times unintended results, lending this teen rom-com a surprisingly thoughtful conclusion . . . [Goo's] funny, engaging narrative also delivers powerful messages of inclusion and acceptance.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The art-centric romance that develops between Desi and Luca is rewarding to follow, as are their parental relationships, particularly that between Desi and her widowed Appa. Goo simultaneously honors and deconstructs romantic tropes, both in general and specific to K dramas, and does so using a wonderfully diverse cast.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“In the tradition of best-laid plans, Desi’s goes painfully awry in ways that elevate the story above the level of fluffy, cross-cultural rom-com. Friends and family are well crafted to inspire discussions about the comfort and complications they afford . . . Readers who crave believability with their fun and wit will be satisfied with the way the plan works out.” ―VOYA

"This is the book I desperately wish I could have read when I was in high school. I love this book so much, and I can't wait to give it to my kids and every teen I know. Fun, snarky, flawed-but-great characters come alive on the pages and make you wish you could hang out with them every day. And a romance so sweet you find yourself rooting desperately for it all to work out. But possibly my absolute favorite part is that it has one of the best father/daughter relationship dynamics I've ever read in a YA novel. I fell in love with the relationships as well as the characters. Charming and awkward and hysterically funny, this is simply awesome!" ―Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy series and founder of We Need Diverse Books

"I Believe in a Thing Called Love is the perfect summer read―really, the perfect anytime read. I laughed and I swooned and I streamed way too many K dramas. Maurene Goo's fresh, funny writing had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved it!" ―Morgan Matson, New York Times–bestselling author of The Unexpected Everything

"This is a hilarious and endearing romance full of zany Korean-drama fun. You'll fall in love even as you're falling into a pool!" ―Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel and Something In Between

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The Way You Make Me Feel

by Maurene Goo

From the author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a young adult laugh-out-loud story of love, new friendships, and one unique food truck.

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? With Maurene Goo's signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.

Praise for The Way You Make Me Feel:

“With massive amounts of humor, heart, and soul, this love letter to L.A. and its diversity is a celebration of friends, family, and food trucks.” ―Booklist, starred review

“A spirited teenager learns about the meaning of love, friendship, and family. . .Snappy dialogue and an endearing cast of characters bring to life this richly-drawn portrait of multicultural LA.” ―Kirkus Reviews

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The Way You Make Me Feel

by Maurene Goo

An NPR Best Book of 2018
A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of 2018
A We Need Diverse Books 2018 Must-Read
A TAYSHAS 2019 Reading List Book
A California Book Award Finalist

From the author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a laugh-out-loud story of love, new friendships, and one unique food truck.

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? With Maurene Goo's signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.

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Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America

by Anna-Marie McLemore, Christine Day, Nina LaCour, Ellen Hopkins, Tracy Deonn, Amber Smith, Maurene Goo, Julie Murphy, Sona Charaipotra, Aisha Saeed, Brandy Colbert, Alexandra Duncan, Martha Brockenbrough, Amy Reed, Somaiya Daud, Hannah Moskowitz, Sandhya Menon, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Jaye Robin Brown, Ilene Gregorio (I.W.)

“Truthful and empowering.” —Booklist

From Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Nina LaCour, Sandhya Menon, and more of your favorite YA authors comes an “outstanding anthology” (School Library Connection) of essays that explore the diverse experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America.

This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors—including award-winning and bestselling writers—touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today’s America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman’s shelf.

This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo. Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie LcLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Deonn.

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Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America

by Anna-Marie McLemore, Christine Day, Nina LaCour, Ellen Hopkins, Tracy Deonn, Amber Smith, Maurene Goo, Julie Murphy, Sona Charaipotra, Aisha Saeed, Brandy Colbert, Alexandra Duncan, Martha Brockenbrough, Amy Reed, Somaiya Daud, Hannah Moskowitz, Sandhya Menon, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Jaye Robin Brown, Ilene Gregorio (I.W.)

From Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Sandhya Menon, and more of your favorite YA authors comes an anthology of essays that explore the diverse experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America.

This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors—including award-winning and bestselling writers—touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today’s America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman’s shelf.

This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo. Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie LcLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Deonn.

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One & Only

by Maurene Goo

In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback— a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.

She knows what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him.

Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their fated. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee…for everyone but Cassia.

For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he’s still nowhere to be found.

And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to do something for herself. She impulsively has a fling with Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she’s surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more—up to the moment he introduces her to his boss…Daniel Nam.

As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she’s ever known. Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate…or make her own.

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