(Courtesy of Full Quiver Publishing) About the authorĪn avid reader and history buff since childhood, author, journalist, professional proofreader/copy editor, actress and screenwriter Amanda Lauer fulfilled a lifelong goal with the publication of her debut novel, A World Such as Heaven Intended, in 2014, the first story in her Civil War Heaven Intended series. It doesn’t take long for Morgan to discover that living life as a seventh-grader in the ‘70s and dealing with everything going on in her mom’s life back then - from uncool parents, to annoying older brothers, balancing friendships, and to ultimately doing what she can to survive bullying at the hands of the school’s biggest jock - is anything but groovy. But after a collision on the volleyball court, she wakes up on the first day of school trapped inside her mom’s teenage body circa 1974.

Morgan is looking forward to junior high school and all the adventures it holds in store for her. Unlike the Freaky Friday book and movie, in which mom and daughter gain greater understanding of each other’s challenges in their stage of life, this novel gives 12-year-old Morgan insight into her mom’s adolescence, family dynamics, and friendships.

It was easy to get lost in the story (and amusing to watch Morgan as she plots ways to make sure her mom had cooler clothes – and not mess things up for her mom in other ways – defying that Back to the Future advice of not messing with the past). The ’70s fashions, foods, and music might be different, but middle-school problems are always the same: misunderstandings with friends, pushing back against parental restrictions, sibling conflicts, and bullying at school. When no one else notices anything amiss, Morgan figures this will just last a day or so and decides to roll with it. For me, it was a fun look back at those trends that marked my growing-up years.Īnything But Groovy is actually a time-travel novel, in which modern-day Morgan suffers a concussion and wakes up in 1974 … in her mother’s body.

Amanda Lauer’s new novel, Anything But Groovy, took me right back to childhood days of moon boots, bikes with banana seats, and penny candy.

Anything But Groovy by Amanda Lauer