Heartfelt and deeply reflective, If I Could Go Back explores the weight of choices and the longing for second chances. Briana Johnson crafts an emotional journey full of vulnerability, growth, and hope. A poignant reminder that healing often begins with facing the past.

This was a nice slow burn. Aaliyah has a nice character arch whereas her parents… lord help us. This book makes you realize that having kids does not make you a parent. Im just glad Aaliyah still had a strong support system. She is just a good person overall. I don’t know if I needed Tommy’s storyline just because I don’t feel like it was wrapped up fully. I also couldn’t stand Ivy but I think that’s on purpose lol

“... you have to trust that you raised me to be strong enough to take care of myself.”

Eighteen-year-old Aaliyah Campbell has always been raised by her grandparents. Her granddad, Joe, has consistently shut down any conversations about her mom, Lena, and her dad, Quincy. All she knows is that her mom got pregnant at sixteen, and the only parents she’s ever known are her grandparents. When Aaliyah finds Lena’s Facebook and reaches out to her—despite protests from her cousin, Ivy, and knowing her granddad Joe will be furious—she schedules a meeting with the one person she’s always wondered about. As Aaliyah learns more about her parents’ past, she realizes that the things she always believed might not be the whole truth.

I’m usually a fan of character-driven contemporary fiction, and If I Could Go Back was no different. The relationships that Aaliyah has with her family and friends are beautifully complex and representative of just how familiarity breeds contempt and how distance can make the heart grow fonder. While I typically enjoy romantic relationships that are relatively drama-free, it was refreshing to read about Tommy’s relationship with Aaliyah and how his ex played a role in the story. Though hard to read about, Tommy’s situation is one that I feel can use more representation in all types of media. YA books with mental health representation, though more common, are still incredibly difficult to find. It’s made clear from the start that Aaliyah is an anxious person, and as the story takes off, there’s little doubt that she’s also depressed. I’m aware that depression manifests differently in every person; however, my main issue with the book was the way that depression was mentioned and depicted throughout the story. There are plenty of times where Aaliyah acknowledges her depression or depressive episode but then fails to mention it again within her own inner monologue, let alone to another person. The principal point here is that while Johnson does a stellar job of illustrating Aalliyah’s anxiety and her panic attacks, the same can’t really be said for her depression. It seems that her depression is often mentioned but not shown in depth. Regardless, considering how personal a topic depression is, I’d recommend If I Could Go Back to anyone who loves reading about complex familial, personal, and romantic relationships.

Thank you netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC of this YA novel. This was a really good story about a girl raised by her grandfather and trying to figure out her relationship with her parents. She's 18 and a senior in high school, a track star, and also just meeting her parents for the first time. A lot of family history unfolds, and the story also deals with her friends and romantic relationship. I thought the author did a great job of showing how complex family relationships are when the grandparent raises the grandchild.

I really loved this book! It felt so classic YA in a timeless way--if it weren't for referencing FaceTime or AirPods it could've been something that I picked off the shelf as a teenager, but also entirely relevant to modern teenagers. It's a story about girl with an atypical family structure and what that means to her, but also learning what she wants it to mean to her. A true coming of age story, it was about Aaliyah figuring out what she wants and needs, even if she makes some mistakes along the way.

What I loved the most about this book was how true to life all the characters felt, and how they were all allowed to be messy and have their own conflicting wants/needs/opinions in their own ways. Things get MESSY and I loved that, because it felt so real for what the characters were feeling from their different perspectives. The whole thesis of the book is that yeah you might fight and disagree, but it's how you act and grow and care for one another afterwards--or if you don't--that matter moving forward, and it was written with so much grace and empathy.

ALSO IT WAS FUNNY. I was truly waiting for Aaliyah to fight that school secretary.

This is an emotional story. I really liked the way Aaliyah's anxiety was portrayed because it felt exactly like how my anxious brain works. The story also hit me hard with the family dynamics and situations that Aaliyah faces. It's hard to not feel like enough.

The writing style was easy to read and would be good for teens 15+.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Can't lie it started off slow, but once it picked up and became a great book. I love that we got to see the deepness of the main character and how important it is to her to have that relationship with someone you don't know. I could understand a lot because I too, don't have a relationship with my birth father. Overall this was a great book and an amazing debut novel.

This was good but not great. I honestly don’t think the main character Aaliyah developed at all over the course of the book. She’s really unforgiving and her decision making at times seemed clear eyed, at other and more frequent times completely discombobulated and odd. This really confused me even though it had promising moments.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed Briana Johnson’s debut! In ‘If I Could Go Back’ we follow the story Aaliyah who has been raised by her grandfather. However she feels that there is a void in her life without her parents and she decides to reach out to them. She reconnects with her parents Lena and Quincy much to the dismay of her grandfather who is facing some health issues.

This was an emotional read. Aaliyah is faced with her desire to get to know a part of her that she was separated from with the fear of disappointing the only parental figure she has ever had. The author also provides an accurate portrayal of what it means to live with anxiety through Aaliyah’s character.

However I was a bit disappointed about how the dc was handled in the book and I would have like it to be addressed in a more in depth manner. Although I understand that this was not the main focus of the story. I did like how the author made it a point to highlight an important misconception about who can be a victim of dv.

Aaliyah has been raised by Grandpa Joe since she was born, and now that she's eighteen, she has a plan to reach her birth mother, Lena—even when it's against Grandpa Joe's wishes or her cousin Ivy's and overall her family's. She fears disappointment, but much to her surprise her father, Quincy, shows up. And when Grandpa Joe's health worsens and has to be treated intensively, Aaliyah uses the opportunity to connect with parents she never met before. Will things go according to plan? Is there something Grandpa Joe hides from her? What about Tommy, a guy who Grandpa Joe disapproves like he disapproved Quincy years ago? Will Aaliyah find what she longs for so long?

I did expect If I Could Go Back to be an emotional read, but what surprised me is its profound, relatable conclusion. Not only Aaliyah's teenage voice sounds realistic, the way she (and other characters) acts also represents how teenagers behave and how their learning moment happens, and honestly I found it beautiful. The nuances in Lena, Quincy, and Grandpa Joe's characters as adults in Aaliyah's life give extra dimension to Aaliyah herself. There are so many things that she needs to unlearn and relearn regarding to her family's condition and her desire to be in a "complete" family unit. The dynamics among Aaliyah, Ivy, and their friend Jen are believably natural. The dialogue is super fun (even when the characters argue) that I finished the book in a day.

To be frank even though I understand Aaliyah and Tommy's situationship-relationship, I didn't really feel for it, maybe because I'm too old (? LOL) or I need more backstory of them to see why they are that way. BUT Tommy's love life situation is something that must be brought to light, and I'm glad I found it here. Just recently I read a news with the same case and there are still people who blame the guy for being soft, mushy, or a coward. This can be one way to say that it's wrong.

If I Could Go Back is perfect for realistic YA novel fans who like to read stories with focus on family, mental health representation, and characters that are suitable to their age.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing a digital ARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are my own.