Here I Go Again

Last week I read a post at Stacked that talked about books set in the 1980s as being historical fiction.  Considering this is the decade I associate most with my childhood, the idea of it being considered historical is a tad bit disturbing. 
Needless to say, Jen Lancaster's new book, Here I Go Again, was a perfect trip down memory lane for me. Lancaster is within a year or two of my age, so her music references and descriptions of 80s fashion let me relive some great memories. Lissy Ryder also gets to relive her high school years.  At her twentieth reunion it becomes obvious that there were many classmates that Lissy hurt by her selfish, *itchy behavior.  When a classmate, Deva, gives her a solution to drink, Lissy wakes up with the chance to relive some of her high school days.  This time around Lissy makes a point to be nice to some of the people she hurt.  However, when she returns to the present day, the people she thought she helped by being nice, have achieved far less than they would have had Lissy been mean to them.  Back Lissy goes after drinking Deva's potion again, this time to makes amends for what she changed on her previous trip to 1992. 
This novel was a lot of fun. Yet, despite the fun, there was also more to it than just being a fluff read.  I've read a few of Lancaster's memoirs, and her first work of fiction, If You Were Here, and despite the fact that I am a memoir-lover, find Lancaster's fiction writing to be my favorite of her work.