OK, you know what sounds fun: A 90s YA novel set — where else? — in the mall? I spent my fair share of time flipping through CDs and baby doll dresses at the mall in the 1990s, so I was ready to dig into this book — especially since it is by Megan McCafferty, who is delightful. Honestly, though, there was nothing to dig — because The Mall was all surface. There was lots of action, but nothing happened. There were lots of people, but no characters. There were lots of in-jokes and 90s references, but they just kind of hung there like 90s-scented air freshener designed to hide the less-than-fresh scent of the rest of the book. So I say instead of reading The Mall, go back and read the Jessica Darling series again — which is funny and smart and charming and all the things that Megan McCafferty is and The Mall is not.

The Mall

Welcome to “the Mall,” the only name this mecca of shopping is know of by its NJ shoppers. Cassie and her boyfriend Troy have been dating for two years and, after going through a serious case of mono, Cassie is back at the mall in order to save some money over the summer break before heading the New York City along with her boyfriend so they can both start college. Yes, this is all part of the plan. But then Cassie’s plans came crashing down..

This was a surprisingly fun, hilarious, daring, entertaining, smart, coming-of-age story set in a huge mall in the 90s. I so enjoyed all the 90s references to music, entertainment, fashion, lingo,.. Megan McCafferty has a thing with words: she can make a totally cool/teenage-oriented dialogue sounds so smart. Her reference are so intellectually “out there,” I am in awe of her talent.

This book is ideal for YA fans, but can also appeal to anyone who –like me—wants to try something else and not be disappointed. Be careful: the characters might come across as superficial, but please keep reading, there’s way more than meets the initial imaginative eye.

Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just so funny!

The setting reminds me of Saved By The Bell. It was refreshing it was funny, Cassie is coming of age, she almost died from Mono and her boyfriend of 2 years broke up with her to be with someone else, wow kids can sure be cruel! I didn’t even remember the girls name but I wanted to kick her because of the way she made Cassie feel.

Anyway, Cassie is just so funny, it was exactly what I expected in a YA book. Even though I was not a teen yet in 1991, and mentioning Saved By The Bell, I know how important the mall was for teens, especially those who are getting their first feel of being adults, with a job and everything.

The way this author writes it made me laugh so hard I am telling you guys, y’all will laugh at everything that Cassie says and does. I loved her resilience, and how she knows her worth even though sometimes the world is out there to conspire against us sometimes.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this sweet gem.

The Mall is a quick and lively coming-of-age tale set at a shopping mall in the ‘90s. It’s unique, fun, and sure to put a smile on your face!

I really, really loved the setting of this story. The choice to keep the entirety of this novel set in the shopping mall was a really unique decision, and in my opinion, it was brilliant. I loved visiting all of the different stores, but even more than that, I ADORED watching the way that the employees from different stores interacted with one another!
Something that I think would have been a very cool addition to the book is a map of the mall! Books that have maps in them are the elite. It makes the world, or in this case, the mall, seem so much more realistic and immersive!

As a nineteen year old, I could not relate well to the nineties nostalgia of the book. I understood all of the references - I mean, Cabbage Patch dolls were popular when I was young too (which is rather unfortunate because those things are anything but cute), and I’ve worn and loved scrunchies for my entire life - but other than being fun and refreshing, the ‘90s setting didn’t really do all that much for me. However, I feel that this will certainly be an element that anyone who grew up in this era will really enjoy!

This book had very short chapters, which was something that I absolutely adored. It made for a fantastic, quick pace that consistently kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat.
I also very much appreciated the fact that the chapters had titles, which were often witty to boot, and that is unfortunately something that I very rarely see in YA books these days. It’s a real shame because titled chapters make everything better, in my opinion. 

The mystery aspect of this story was fun and intriguing, not to mention totally unexpected! The treasure hunt added a really exciting twist to the book, but I wish we had gotten a little bit more emphasis on it. In all honesty, the ending of the hunt was a little unsatisfying for me.
I did very much enjoy moving from deciphering the clues and traveling from store to store in the mall with the girls, though!

I had expected this novel to have a heavier emphasis on romance than it actually did, which I as a huge romance fan, I was initially disappointed by. Upon further reflection, however, I think it was a wise and realistic choice. A lot of teenagers don’t actually have relationships or fall in love in high school, so it’s really so much more refreshing and relatable to find a YA story that focuses more on personal growth and friendships than a big, dramatic love story. I got so swept up in the thrill of the treasure hunt, and watching Cassie’s personal growth and friendships that I honestly didn’t miss having a romance one bit. 

The writing style of this book was very unique. It was written in past tense first person, but also as though the protagonist is directly speaking with you.
For instance: Wood World was the only store at the mall devoted to the boner arts. Ha! Get it? Gotcha! Just joshing! Wood World sold quality woodcrafts but whee! That’s how giddy I felt - giddy enough to come up with a dumb dick joke with no one to share it with.

An element of this book that I really enjoyed was the humour. This story ended up being way funnier than I had been anticipating, There were countless moments that had me laughing out loud, which helped shape this book into such an easy and light-hearted read! Here are a few examples:

With the tiniest push of a pinky, I sent my ex sprawling backward into the massage chair - for all I knew - he might be to this very day.

”It didn’t seem random,” I said.
“She screamed, ‘Die, Mono Bitch.’”
“What?” Troy asked. “Are you sure?”
I held my head under the faucet, swished water around my mouth, and spit it out. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
“No, it was definitely: ‘Try Melon Spritz,” Troy replied. “Maybe the mono damaged your eardrums.”

Furthermore, having read The Mall while in quarantine due to the coronavirus, it was oddly ironic that the protagonist had just emerged from self-isolation at home because she had caught mono.
After six weeks of quarantine, I was finally reunited with my boyfriend, Troy. [...]
But  forty-three days of social isolation and physical deprivation had taken a major toll. 
(Oh, how I wish that this quarantine only lasted 43 days…)

Can we all take a minute to appreciate the cover?!? It’s bright, unique, and fun, which I think perfectly encompasses this story! I feel like many of the covers for recent YA contemporary releases have been very similar, and as much as I do enjoy an illustrated cover, it’s getting a little boring. This one really stands out and I appreciate how original it is. 

All in all, this was a quick, atmospheric, and zesty coming-of-age tale with a focus on friendship and self-discovery! 

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Sarah Dessen because this novel shared a similar vibe to her work. This story had the same fun, summery feel, except this was a lot less romance-heavy than many of Sarah Dessen’s more popular books.

Review will be available on my blog, The Reading Fairy on 7/27/2020

TW: Divorce, teen drinking, sexual references, references to drug use, rumors, mention of oral sex

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion.

“In six weeks, I’d be packing up all my stuff and getting the hell out of Pineville. But until then, my life at The Mall would really, really suck.”

I'm not going to lie, but honestly I was really hoping this book was going to be good. It's set in the 90's, and set in the Mall who gets a breakup and from the expert it was really interesting. 

Unfortunately, that was probably the only good things about the novel. I flew through this book mostly because I was bored and had nothing to do, but it was kinda interesting until I wanted t pull out my hair because Cassie's behavior and attitude annoyed me to no end. 

I really did not like Cassie at all. She was really annoying and evolved around Troy for the most part until she kinda got over him, but she was so damn right selfish, rude, and obnoxious. She was not a likable protagonist at all, and I'm really not sure if she was supposed to be, but honestly her attitude was the worst. 

Her thoughts are so rude even to other people, including her description of people. I'm sorry but who spends a long time making a description of a person. When I see a person it's usually simple like 4 words of appearance and that's it. But even with people I hate, I don't use long or annoying words especially with inner monologue. 

The writing was seriously juvenile and probably made me want to scream. I hated it quite a bit, and it made it sound like Cassie was so relatable when teens don't act like that, nor is she really relatable.

Quickie Plot: Back when we didn’t have Tik Tok and not everything is cake and just lived our lives tbh (e.g. the 90s era)

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK:
* That book cover is giving me ~THE VIBES~
* A nostalgic trip to the past with 90s references
* Not all fun and games – Dabs on real-life issues

Check out my full, in-depth review here: https://pamwhocriedbooks.wordpress.com/2020/07/25/blog-tour-the-mall-megan-mccafferty-nostalgic-fun-read/

Cassie Worthy has a plan. She's going to Barnard in the fall, where her boyfriend, Troy, will be attending Columbia and they will be a New York Power Couple. Except after Cassie contracts a horrific case of mononucleosis, causing her to miss out on both prom and graduation, her plans take a direct hit: her boyfriend of two years has CHEATED on her. AND she's no longer employed with him at the mall cookie store.

With only college left of the plan, Cassie has to find a new job, which she does thanks to her former best friend's mother, the owner of Bellarosa Boutique. As the new bookkeeper, Cassie works with her former friend Drea, and as the summer progresses, Drea drags Cassie into a treasure hunt that Drea is sure leads to the finances to allow her to achieve her plans.

The Mall is a cute throwback to 1991, with store and music references that brought back memories for me, since I was barely out of my teens in 91. The characters are fun and engaging, and I loved the arc that Cassie explored from the beginning of the book to the end.

A very cute and fun read.

New Jersey: 1991

Cassie Worthy’s senior year spring did not go as planned—she got mono and missed prom and graduation and a bunch of other stuff. But now she’s better, and she’s starting her job at the America’s Best Cookie store with her amazing boyfriend of two years. They’re going to spend the summer working at the mall together, and then head up to NYC together for college.

And then almost immediately, everything goes wrong. Cassie finds herself dumped, jobless, and wondering what happened. Our intrepid heroine has pick herself up, find something to do all summer, and most importantly, realize that plans can only go so far.

As a child of the 90s—although Cassie is about 7 years older than me—I appreciate the homage to the bygone decade of my youth. The book is full of vintage references and slang, and there’s even a mystery subplot centered around Cabbage Patch Dolls, which are from the 80s, but hey, all the 90s kids played with them, so it’s totally relevant.

I found it a little difficult to like Cassie at first, but I think that’s kind of the point. I’m sure she’d be pleased to hear me comparing her to Lizzy Bennet, but the two have quite a bit in common. Cassie has strong opinions about everything, and her preconceived notions get in the way of her experiencing new things and empathizing with others. Over the course of the book, she learns to let her guard down and realizes that there’s more to life than good grades.

This book includes a delightful cast of secondary characters, most of whom work at the mall. They served as foils for Cassie’s strong personality, and this led to plenty of fun interactions.

I would recommend The Mall. This is a fun YA title, and it’s perfect for a summer read; since there’s a lot less hanging out at the local mall this summer, it’s a nice substitute for an actual trip to the mall.

In true Meg McCafferty fashion the MC is kind of a self involved jerk, the writing is quick and full of wit, and the ending comes together just as you would hope.

I have always been a fan of her work and The Mall will just be added to the list of favorites. So much fun to be had in the nostalgia of a Mall set in 1991, the summer before Cassie Worthy finally gets out of her crap town of Pineville, NJ. I remember feeling a lot of the same things about my super small hometown when I was growing up. I’m glad to say that Cassie and I were both able to pull our heads out of our own butts... eventually.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I asked for this one based entirely on that hot neon cover and it didn’t disappoint.
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What a FUN read. After all of the heavy books I’ve been reading this was such a great palette cleanser. Cassie Worthy has her whole life planned out. Perfect boyfriend, perfect grades, perfect parents, perfect life. In a few months she’s leaving for College in NYC to begin her perfect adult life. Until A Mono diagnosis changes everything.
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While I was not a Teenager in the late 80’s-early 90’s the level of nostalgic pop culture references still just make me so happy. VHS, Cassettes, Cabbage Patch Kids, Scrunchies, Arcades, Etc... It captured mall culture perfectly.
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I LOVED the songs littered throughout the book. An easy playlist to accompany the book. I also think this could easily be made into a GREAT retro style movie, I can already hear the cheesy music.

I originally asked for this book from Netgalley because I loved Megan McCaffery’s Jessica Darling series. Plus the early 90s in New Jersey is such a niche nostalgia, how could I turn that down? I am extra thankful that Wednesday Books asked me to be part of their book tour! So welcome to my stop on The Mall‘s blog tour, and thank you for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Raves, Rants, Reviews

I should start by admitting that while I ventured to the malls some in the 1990s, I was too young to get the full impact to have the nostalgia for malls at the height of their touchstone of society. Still, this book held plenty of nostalgia for me in different ways.

The book opens up with Cassie, our main character, getting ready to get her life back on track after a vicious round of mono that cost her the end of her senior year. Honestly, I’m glad I waited a little while into the pandemic to start reading this because the first chapter’s lay out of everything Cassie missed and why… I would have burst into tears at all the unfortunate seniors who have lost out on their end of Senior Year traditions. Cassie doesn’t seem overly bummed by this, instead she feels she is even more desperate to get on track and prepared to go to college. With the right boyfriend (maybe one who she loses her virginity to?) and with a job that gives her some spending money for when she finally moves to New York City.

Ah Manhattan. Don’t we all wish to run away to you for one thing or another, but always with the hopes of finding our best self.

Unfortunately for Cassie, man plans, and god laughs. And at this point, I really wasn’t sure what direction the book was going. I worried it would be an entire book about Cassie trying to win back her ex-boyfriend (who cheated on her while she was out with mono, with a girl who will forever leave me terrified of Bath and Body Works sprayers) or a book where she ends up realizing small time life is so much more fulfilling than life in the BIG CITY.

Instead, this book offered a fun mystery that reminded me of all my summer wishes. Cassie ends up finding a job at her former friend’s mom’s boutique, which her former friend (Drea) agrees to in exchange for Cassie helping her find the hidden mysterious treasure in the mall.

My brain definitely made a record scratch noise at that.

Sorry, if I had the opportunity to spend a summer looking for a secret treasure while working my mundane summer job?? SIGN. ME. UP.

Of course, it isn’t always about the treasure, but the adventure along the way. The fact that Cassie has to learn that you can’t plan everything in the future, no matter how much you want to. And that perfection isn’t always the only option. (Also I spent so much of the book yelling “JUST FLIPPING GOOGLE IT” while also knowing it is 1991. Man, I never have been so appreciative of my college classes that didn’t allow computer research or I would feel lost forever.)

Since this book is entitled “The Mall,” I didn’t expect a deep dive into Cassie’s relationship with her parents. And yet, that relationship is a side I found lacking some true depth. It is clear she doesn’t have a deep relationship with either parent, and they’re definitely to blame for the goal setting plan Cassie embodies as a personality. Yet their divorce plays out as a weird side plot to the main story. Cassie seems to be upset by it, incredibly so, but they don’t seem to want to help her come to terms with the whole situation? It has a quick resolution that shows it’ll take a long time for any resolution to come, but it is also really clear that true resolution is going to take much, much longer.

Also, what was it with parents and telling their kids they wanted a divorce over a meal? Did they just want to ruin that kind of food for their kids?

Divorce discussion aside, the romances and friendships in this book have the exact vibe of summer, where they feel like they can last forever, even when you know they are likely not to survive past Labor day (maybe one will, one important friendship). The flings are left exactly where they should be, and fulfill their palette cleanser for what college is to bring.

Final Thoughts
This book, even with the quarantine discussion in the first chapter, is the perfect nostalgia summer book. It is best read on a Brooklyn fire escape as the sun goes down, with a glass of hard lemonade and a hand-made fan to keep you cool. It will make you miss your teen summers, even if yours were nothing like the summer in the book. I never worked at a mall, and my summers were spent in the sweltering Southern heat. But after this book, I can feel a little bit of Jersey in me.

So go pre-order this book (out Tuesday, July 28th!) for a perfect way to end your summer with some nostalgia….and maybe an orange julius. If you can find a recipe.

Throwback to the 90’s mall years and this amazing cover, sign me up! Reading this book took me back to the days of hanging out at the mall. I can’t believe how much time I used to spend there in high school! I thought this was a cute book. It was a fast paced and easy read, and I loved all the mall nostalgia in it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I am just not sure which audience to place it with. It’s targeted to people who grew up in the 90’s, but it’s written for the younger crowd.

Thank you Netgalley for my eARC, all thoughts are my own.

The Mall by Megan McCafferty takes the readers back to the early 1990's where some might say the times were simpler. With loads of references to popular bands, fashion, and movies, as well as the main setting being inside of the mall, it was easy to be transported back to the 1990's.

We follow Cassie as she goes from having The Plan to having no plan at all. She's had her whole life mapped out from what school activities to be involved in, what scores to get on tests, what colleges her and her boyfriend should go to, and what both of them will do after they graduate. When he boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her and she simultaneously loses her job, Cassie now is in a place she never thought she'd be. She finds a new job, a new romantic interest, and new friends which help her figure out that not every moment needs to be planned out.

This book was an extremely quick read. Even at 300 pages, it was easy to get immersed in the story, and to keep flipping the pages. This story is easy to read and follow, which many people will really love. There was also a little bit of everything from romance, friendships, self-discovery, and a treasure hunt. Having all of these elements in the book made it so there was never a dull moment. I loved the treasure hunt part of the book as it was clever and interesting to explore different parts of the mall.

My main problem with this book was Cassie herself. I was okay with Cassie in the beginning in the hopes that she would have a huge transformation over the course of the book. However, it felt like the exact opposite happened. As the book went on it felt like Cassie became even more selfish, more egotistical, and even more snotty. She constantly looked down on anyone who she deemed below her whether it was because of their job, their perceived intelligence, or anything else she didn't approve of. She never made moves to further understand people and instead blamed them for all of her problems. She never took time to self-reflect and take ownership of her actions and behavior. There was a slight redemption at the very, very end where she apologized for her behavior and everyone immediately accepted the apologies and forgave her instantly. I think if I had liked the main character more, I would have enjoyed this book much more than I did.

The other characters weren't much better and felt two-dimensional rather than fully fleshed out characters. There were stereotypes thrown around instead of creating these characters to be their own people, We had the tragic goth girl who was anti-man, creepy, and a loner. Then we had Drea who was self-absorbed, hotter than everyone else, and not book smart. We also had the ex-boyfriend who was a selfish jerk who realized his mistake and begged to be back in Cassie's good graces. We had the mother figure who stepped in because her own parents were absent (but not really). Finally, we have the love interest who loved everything about Cassie even though she constantly blew him off or only used him for her own purposes without actually trying to get to know him, I would have loved to see more of her parents and their relationship. I would have liked to know why Cassie didn't have any friends besides her boyfriend. The only character I was mildly interested in was Drea, but she was constantly shown to be less than Cassie because she was a sales person who liked fashion. Overall, it felt like the characters were lacking, and if these characters had been more fleshed out, then I think my enjoyment of this book would have been much higher.

Overall, this is a quick, fun book that's nice to read if you don't want to have to think too hard like with an adult fantasy. It was very straightforward and engaging, and I think many people will really enjoy reading it.

Not a fan.

I first want to say that this cover is EVERYTHING! Wednesday Books has the absolute best covers.

I know this is a Young Adult book, but this has a major emphasis on young. All of the characters are supremely unlikable. Not like a still-root-for-them underdog way, but an incredibly immature and selfish way. I know there is immaturity level with all teens, but (minor-SPOILER) acting like it's the end of the world and then blatantly being terrible to your parents after they announce their divorce?? Cassie is going to college, what's it to her?? WHY IS SHE ACTING LIKE A 12 YEAR OLD?? (A ~child~ of divorce here, it's not that serious)

Also, Cassie's fixation on Odyssey of the Mind and other people's teeth was super weird.

Come for the teased hair and Cabbage Patch Dolls, stay for the sweet coming-of-age story as a teen spends the summer before college working at the local mall, scouring the mall as part of a treasure hunt and navigating her derailed plans for love and her future.

Like the rest of her life, Cassie has her summer all figured out. It’s not exciting, but working at the mall food court with her boyfriend Troy (both voted “Most Likely to Succeed”) will earn her book money for when she goes to Barnard College at the end of August. A bout with mono is not in her plans, nor is discovering, once she’s recovered, that not only has she been fired from her job, but her boyfriend has dumped her for another mall worker. Unwilling to tell her perfect parents about either event, she sets out to find a new job. Unfortunately, the only place hiring is Bellarosa Boutique, home of New Jersey’s finest tube dresses, catsuits, and bustiers, owned by Cassie’s ex-best friend’s mom.

“Compact discs have superior sound quality,” Sam Goody was saying. “They absolutely will not be replaced by any new form of musical technology any time soon.”
“Yeah, yeah,” griped the customer. “That’s what they said about eight-tracks.”


It’s a bit off-putting to realize I’m now of the age where books about my childhood are, well, vintage. To be honest, though, in 1991 I was still in elementary school, but most of what the book describes was very familiar to me. I was vividly brought back to the local mall I hung out at with my friends when I was a teen, from the music store with its stacks of CDs to Spencer’s with its black lights to my favorite Waldenbooks. Even the never-ending argument among my friends over which mall entrance it was best to park near (never the food court, folks)! There’s a revenge makeover! Orange Julius! That weird store that sells stuff to a very specific subset and you have no idea how it actually survives! So, as a fun microcosm of teen life in the early 90s, it definitely hits the spot. It reminded me very much of a teen movie from that era – very predictable, with the standard teen movie plot, complete with the immediately recognizable love interest, misunderstood female characters, and he-was-never-right-for-you ex. It’s also very much a coming-of-age story in terms of Cassie making mistakes and learning from them. It’s light entertainment, and we never actually get too deep into the other characters besides Cassie and Drea.

“If you want to forget that loser, I can help you with that,” she said. “Just like you can help me with the treasure.”
“The treasure?” What was Drea even talking about?
“There’s a fortune hidden somewhere in the mall,” Drea said, “and I’m determined to find it.”


While there is a romance, it takes second stage to the relationship between Cassie and her ex-best friend Drea. Cassie looks down on Drea, who seems to be content with working at her mom’s boutique and serial dating anyone who catches her eye, while Cassie’s got her life all planned out and her sights set on more. Never mind how badly her summer plans have gone so far… The driving force behind most of their interactions is Drea’s quest to find a treasure supposedly hidden in the mall, which leads to them working together to find ways into various stores to find, I’m not joking, hidden Cabbage Patch Dolls with Supermarket Spree-style clues written on their birth certificates. The quest takes them from the basement teen party spot to a variety of stores to the mall’s roof, and along the way Cassie slowly realizes exactly how wrong she is about herself and Drea. There’s also some interesting moments contrasting Drea’s relationship with her mother and Cassie’s relationship with her mother, and a bit about female empowerment and friendship.

My big concern is of how much interest this would be to an actual teen reader today. This book is like wallowing in the mall fountain of nostalgia for me, but are teens today really that interested in 90s culture? Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 due to the nostalgia factor. It’s light, it’s entertaining, it’s a sweet confection of a summer read.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Y'all, if you have ever worked in a mall, or shopping complex, then you know how incestuous and lively the employees are. It is basically a journey of insanity and for some of us, even a good time.


The Mall is a story of friendship, love, and treasure hunting (yes, truly). Our two main (AWESOME by the way) characters work together at a clothing boutique. One does the books; the other is a saleswomen, and man oh man, the drama!! What happens when you get dumped by a coworker? What happens when you're young and imaginative and quirky and have the best parents in the world, but then that whole world comes crashing down? These questions and more (with some answers) are what the story of The Mall get into.


It's creative and cute, and almost a little too realistic. Having worked a mall before in a smallish town of no consequence, reality set in hard while I was reading this. While fun and lively, it also has its moments of tenderness.


Check out The Mall when it comes out on 7.28.2020.


5/5 Stars

The Mall by Megan McCafferty is a young adult contemporary novel that takes place in the summer of 1991. I was excited to read this book because of it’s unique setting – a shopping mall! Our protagonist is Cassie Worthy. She has finally recovered from mono and is excited to spend her last summer before college working with her boyfriend at the mall. Unfortunately, when she shows up to work, “The Plan” that she and her boyfriend have carefully crafted quickly falls apart. Cassie must team up with her estranged best friend Drea Bellarosa in order to salvage her summer.

As someone who has spent summers working at the mall in college, I really enjoyed the mall culture aspect of this book. While my local mall did not have any secret underground parties, it’s true that the mall had its own unique community. McCafferty does a great job of demonstrating the fun relationships between the stores and their employees, and I could relate to the funny, and sometimes quite dramatic, interactions that Cassie has with the other characters in the book.

Moreover, I absolutely love it when a book includes a treasure hunt element. Drea explains to Cassie that, according to mall legend, there is a secret treasure hidden in the mall somewhere. This mystery kept me turning pages quickly, because I couldn’t wait for Cassie and Drea to find the next clue. I wish this treasure hunt played a bigger role in the story. Similarly I also enjoyed that Cassie is a vegetarian! It’s always great to read a book where vegetarianism is portrayed positively.

Unfortunately, I did feel like The Mall tried to do too much. This book touches on a lot of topics, but it does not have the time or pages to flush out each topic well. For instance, Cassie is portrayed as a feminist, but she backstabs Drea and makes a lot of derogatory comments towards the other female characters in the book. For instance, I really did not like how Cassie repeatedly calls her ex-boyfriend’s new flame ugly. Thus, I felt like some of the hot topics mentioned in this book were thrown in for brownie points.

Overall, I think The Mall is a quick and summery read that would make for a fun movie. If you also enjoy the nostalgic setting of a 1990s shopping mall, this might be a good pick for you. Plus, it’s fun to go back in time to when cell phones didn’t dictate teen communication! The Mall is available for pre-order now, and releases on July 28, 2020.

I loved the sound of this book and it was such a fun read! It reminded me of watching an episode of something like Saved by the Bell (old 90s reference, sorry to those too young to remember this!). The main character Cassie has your typical teenage boy troubles and throws herself into a new job at The Mall as a distraction. Circurmstances then lead her on a Mall-wide treasure hunt tracking down old Cabbage Patch kids as clues! It sounds ridiculous but it works, and it's so entertaining. Also Cassie's ex-friend / work colleague Drea has got to be my favourite character in this. Anyone that wears a rhinestone encrusted military jacket needs a mention!
The story is full of 90s nostalgia, and while some of this maybe lost if you didn't grow up in America (our UK shopping centres were never as fun as The Malls I used to see on American TV shows!) it's still a really fun, light read. I flew through it in a couple of days.

90s historical fiction is something I didn’t know I needed but now can’t believe I’ve been living without! (Also, the fact that the 90s is considered historical fiction makes me feel ~old~). I absolutely flew through The Mall, which follows recent high school graduate Cassie as she navigates her last summer before college navigating retail life at The Mall. Which should have been a quick summer of serving up cookies and daydream of NYC, she finds her life turned totally upside-down with mall shenanigans, featuring everything from underground parties to Cabbage Patch scavenger hunts.

In many ways The Mall is irreverent fun, with some truly hilarious characters to overzealous stereotypes (from bros working at the arcade and skate shops to the mother and daughter owned boutique serving up the pinnacle of Jersey mall fashion). But in other ways I found it to be a legitimate coming of age story for Cassie as she reckons with becoming her own person and exploring her feminist ideals and beliefs that she’s repressed for so long due to her bland, dentist parents and/or her subtly controlling boyfriend. I adored seeing her rekindle her friendship with her total 90s cliché of an ex-best friend Drea (her honking laugh was sending me) and their adventures together after (and sometimes during) work hours after finding an unlikely quest in the mall’s basement. As someone who worked in a mall for most of my high school and college years, there’s nothing quite like flexing your new found freedom and adult abilities (like driving) than taking yourself to and from your retail job and developing friendships that form between stock room breaks and running clothing from the fitting room back to the floor.

Obviously I have to talk about the 90s nostalgia I experienced while reading this book. I was a kid rather than a teen in the 90s, so my experience was obviously different than that of Cassie’s and her peers, but there’s still so much that made me giddy. I was a devoted Cabbage Patch parent and owner of many a cassette tape (in fact, I can clearly remember at 6 or 7 years old my mom taking me to the music store in our mall and picking out my first cassette that I bought with “my” money, the first Spice Girls album). I loved that Dreas’ hair was big but her attitude and dreams were bigger. I loved seeing Cassie’s starry eyed encounter with a real life Mac computer. I laughed when I saw the alternative to blackmail was a Polaroid picture rather than someone texting proof of “receipts.” But most of all I loved that the classic teen story was still the same as any one set in modern times, and I easily could have imagined the story taking place in a contemporary setting because the characters’ stories and arcs were so relatable- still- to those of teens today.

The Mall was a quick read for me, and at the time of reading it was the perfect pace to pick me out of a little bit of a reading slump. Upon further reflection, however, I do think the story could have benefited from a bit more backstory and closure, because there were so many interesting side characters. I wanted more context as to Cassie’s parents’ marriage, wanted to get to know “Sam Goody” better, wanted to see Drea pursue her fashion dreams. I want a whole second book on Zoe, the mysterious manager of the cookie shop in the food court with a witchy vibe, eerie appearances, and hints at a surprisingly tragic history. I really think there’s a whole world that could be layered onto this novel that I would love to explore!

Overall: The Mall is a story that is rooted in the teenage retail summer experience, serving up a ton of nostalgia for those who were around in the 90s and prioritizing friendship vibes with just a light smattering of romance. It’s a fun, light mystery for those who want a zany yet heartwarming adventure. I can’t wait to see what other 90s historical fiction books the YA genre holds!

When I was sent this book to review I read over the synopsis and was immediately sold on this story! I was born in the early 90s so I was not quite around to truly experience this time but I am a part of that odd generation that still remembers a time before cellphones and the day my parents got our first computer, but I also like to think that I am up to date with all the current technology that has come about.

All that to say that reading The Mall was a trip down memory lane that I didn't know I needed. So while this book maybe a bit hard some some of the younger generations to fully appreciate I still think it is worth reading. In this book we can find a main character that is human, flaws and all. As well as some very strong female friendships. Plus you can't go wrong with a side of romance.

This book was everything I love in a YA novel, so if you are a fan of contemporary YA, I highly recommend The Mall.