I am not a mall person and prefer to shop online these days. However, there's something about my childhood mall, the one I walked in the 90's, that is so nostalgic to me. I can just picture myself browsing Claire's, walking through Kay Bee Toys, or past Spencer Gifts. Of course I had to read a book set at a mall during the summer of 1991. Although I liked reading about the stores, in particular Bellarosa Boutique, I found the characters a bit dramatic and crass. I did enjoy the step back in time though.

Oh the nostalgia!!! And the feels! I just loved reliving the 90's mall scene especially the mall book store and music store which I remember spending so much time in. The only thing missing was Claire's but maybe that came later. And all those super niche stores that sell one thing and no longer exist. The era of no cell phones where you could have a fling and not even know his name! It was so romantic how he just showed up in the rain. That was an 80s movie moment. A treasure hunt with no internet! The Cabbage patch party room. I loved the cameo from Bethany Darling. I wasn't bored for a minute and loved the mall setting. I've been reading Megan Mccafferty for almost 20 years now and hope she makes a return to YA especially with this book. This book made to want to re-read those ghostwritten books by Snooki about the Jersey Shore, "A Shore Thing."

wow I felt like a drifted through time with this book.It was such a carefree and nostalgic glimpse at the mall scene during the 90’s mixed with an unexpected journey of self discovery.

Such a fun read! Megan McCafferty has long been one of my favorites because of the Jessica Darling series and I was so excited to get my hands on an ARC of this book.

I was definitely not disappointed by the hype around this book. Set in a New Jersey mall in 1991, it's a fast-paced, fantastic retro trip back through time to the days when malls were actually busy and bangs were sky-high.

Main character Cassie was a bit hard to like at first, but she grows on you. I especially loved the random callbacks to the Jessica Darling books with cameos by past Pineville residents. I hope this is the first of several books in this expanded Pineville universe and am so glad to see McCafferty is back!

I really enjoyed this! I love Megan McCafferty's JESSICA DARLING series and I was so excited to see that she wrote a new book. I loved the MC and all of the characters she meets, and the setting of the mall was really fun. It felt so 90s!

As a big fan of Ms. McCafferty's earlier works, and a child of the 80's, I was excited to read The Mall. While there were a lot of sections I did enjoy, and the level of attention to detail, overall I don't think this book hits the same emotional levels as the Jessica Darling series. A bit of a nitpick, but I also find the title incredibly generic.

Thank you, NetGalley for a complimentary copy to read and review.

What do you do when you have your whole future planned out, and then it falls apart in a matter of days? Cassie Worthy is about to figure it out. Life is rough, and she’s counting down the days till she can flee New Jersey and her job at the mall, surrounded by people she’s trying to avoid, for the rarified streets of NYC, where Barnard College awaits her. But Cassie has valuable lessons to learn about life before she can go. And to her surprise, the mall is the place to be, not just for clothes, but for friendship, confidence, love, and fun.

This upper-ages YA book, set in the early 90s, will hook readers interested in that vintage feel. They’ll snort as Cassie reads a cassette tape cover and wonders at this new band, some guys calling themselves Nirvana. Anyone who has had the rug pulled out from under their feet will relate to Cassie. She’s no Mary Sue though- Cassie has her own flaws, and is luckily surrounded by characters not afraid to point them out. Overall, The Mall is an enjoyable read, for current teens learning about the 90s as a history lesson, to the people who would have been Cassie’s contemporaries.

Megan McCafferty is a gift to us all.

McCafferty’s Jessica Darling series in the early-aughts was literally the voice of my high school years. I loved the wit of her characters and her ability craft stories poignant and real, yet also fun.

When I saw that we the people were going to be BLESSED with a new work by the one and only McCafferty, and that it was going to be set in the MALL, I knew I would not be disappointed.

This book is as if the Melanie’s Mall toy had a love child with the Goonies with a sprinkle of Dynasty and 90210 and it’s everything I ever wanted from life.

I was too young to be a mallrat at the exact time this is set, but my god, it’s close enough. As a girl who grew up on the Jersey Shore (and spent a lot of time at the Ocean County Mall as a teen) there’s a local flavor to McCafferty’s work that sparks so much joy. I literally get every reference. I tabbed every mention of Toms River and Casino Pier. I may have grown up closer to Jenks than Seaside, but my god every word she writes hits a cord of nostalgia so strong I found myself inadvertently cheering. I always entered the Mall through JC Penny. All I was missing was the Auntie Anne’s.

I firmly believe that, while the nostalgia was a highlight for me, this book would be enjoyable for any age. Did you enjoy Stranger Things season 3? Great, then picture less Demogorgon and more Dawson’s Creek meets My Cousin Vinny and then you have THE MALL. The coming-of-age tale and humor can be appreciated by someone of any age.

Like always, McCafferty’s characters feel fully fleshed out and believable. The surprise treasure hunt plot was absolutely delightful and it led Cassie and the delightful Drea throughout all the best spots in the mall. I adored Cassie and Drea both, but I myself having a real fascination with Zoe, a surprisingly compelling side character. I loved every aspect of this book and cannot recommend it enough as a welcome distraction.

Best enjoyed with: An Orange Julius, America’s Best Cookie Fat Free Fudgie, and Panda Express – or whatever else you can find in the food court.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

Loved the minor characters, especially loved remembering the 90s mall scene.

Spoilers: I have to admit, I had a hard time with Cassie, the main character, for much of the book. She just seemed very self-centered. By the end, however, I understood her more and felt like she redeemed herself.

I just turned the last page of The Mall and I wish I could start it all over again. Set in the summer of 1991, at a New Jersey we meet Cassandra Worthy. Cassandra, aka Cassie, has just missed the end of her senior year to mono. Having recovered and needing to work before starting college in NYC in the fall she finds a job in a mall. What she anticipated for the summer turns into an unexpected adventure that leads her to learn more than she could have ever imagined.
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Let me start by saying this book brought back a whole lot of memories. I was going into my sophomore year of high school that summer and can completely remember all of the cultural references. Plus I absolutely adore the use of cabbage patch kids to solve a mystery and to provide a tour of all the old stores in the mall. Simply brilliant!
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But what I most love about this book was Cassie, her summer of growth, and the female friendships that she develops. Riot grrrls indeed!
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If you are looking for an entertaining read that showcases the early 90s and the beauty and empowerment of true female friendships then this is the book for you! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #themall is out June 9th - so be sure to add it to your TBR list.

It's 1991 and Cassie Worthy is counting the days until she can get out of her old life in New Jersey into her "real" life at college in NYC. She and her boyfriend, Troy, have a Plan to be together for college and beyond. After Cassie recovers from a tough bout of mono, she comes back to work at her job in the mall to find out that the Plan has gone awry. Reeling from the double-whammy of losing her boyfriend and her job all at once, she tries to come up with a new plan to get her through the last month of summer. She finds a different job at a clothing store as the bookkeeper where her new co-worker is none than Drea Bellarosa, her saucy ex-best friend from middle school. The girls slowly rekindle their friendship and go on a scavenger hunt throughout the the mall to find long-lost treasure. The book is a predictable but fun nostalgic romp through the natural habitat of Gen X youth: the shopping mall. The references to the culture of the early nineties will resonate with older readers but may fall flat with teens.

Okay, so I was 11 in 1991, not a teenager, and was not working at the mall (obviously) but I grew up in a smallish town that didn’t boast a lot for tweens and teens to do other than roam the mall and spend as little money as possible. There were so many references to early 90s things that just made my nostalgic little heart burst.

The interesting thing about this book was that based on the description I went into it thinking it was a romance book, but it was more a mystery than anything. I won’t say too much lest I spoil it, but Cassie and a new/old friend follow a scavenger hunt around the mall looking for a treasure.

Nostalgic, hilarious fun, exactly what I have come to expect from Megan McCafferty. Will today’s teens enjoy it as much as me? I’m not sure. But Gen Xers and Xennials should definitely give this one a try.

It’s the summer before college and Cassie is excited to spend the summer working alongside her boyfriend of two years before they both head off to NYC for school. Coming off being stuck home with mono, Cassie plans are ruined when Troy dumps her, and she loses her job at the food court. Lucky for Cassie, she manages to find another job, and her summer job at the mall takes a few interesting turns.

3.5 stars. Throwback to the 90’s mall years? Sign me up! This book took me right back to my mall days, which honestly these days, you have to drag me kicking and screaming to a mall! During my middle/high school years though, the mall was an absolute treat! I look back and cant believe how much time I spent there. Overall this book was a cute and fun read! I enjoyed the story but did have some trouble relating to some of the characters. I enjoyed the throwback aspect which is what kept me reading! This one is tough, because I feel like the writing and storyline would do better with a younger audience, but the 90’s aspects will draw an older audience, so its tough to decide which audience this was written for.

Thank you to Wednesday books and netgalley for my gifted copy of this book!

I liked the book and it was nice to read something more light hearted from this author. Growing up in the ‘90s I loved all the nostalgic references. Though I feel the targeted age group for this book will not understand any of this, they will relate to the coming of age and being true to yourself message the book has. I don’t think will be a must buy for my library unless someone requested it.

Such a cute poppy read. I loved that it captured all the memories I have from working in the mall in the late 80's and early 90's. All the good stores were mentioned and I LOVED all the 90210 references. Such a fun quick read to get you out of a reading slump. Highly recommend this read. Thank you netgalley, Megan McCafferty and Wednesday books for giving me a review copy. All opinions are my own.

Go grab this book to take a trip down memory lane!

The Mall is a wonderful ode to those who were teens back when the mall was the place to be. (Yes, they used to that important!) As an ode to the past, this is great fun and older millennials and Gen Xers will definitely enjoy, though I wish the writing and the plot were more fleshed out. And while today's teens might not pick this up (although given the pandemic, they might!) I think older readers and those looking for a light, escapist read will be happy. (And if you do enjoy this, please read the sublime Sloppy Firsts by the same author)

This book was so fun! I graduated from high school in 1991, so I loved reading about this time period. This is a sweet coming of age story that is light and funny but with themes of friendship and love. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy. It was nice going back to ‘91 for a while. What a great year. 😊

I had never really been too interested in Megan’s work when I was younger, but the synopsis of the book seemed too good for me not to give it a go! I am so grateful to NetGalley to allow me the opportunity to read this before publication!

The writing style is not my favourite, it took a while for me to get into. It feels like this book is trying too hard to make it relatable to the early 90’s crowd by inserting too many references. With that said, it took me till the 20% mark to really get interested in the plot since the begging was just all over the place and very confusing. I caught myself having to re-read a page over and over to even make sense of what was going on. One of my biggest pet peeves in a novel is when the main character refuses to call there parents “mom” and “dad” and only calls them by there first names, I find it so confusing.


On a more positive note, I love the Bellarosa girls; they’re so entertaining to read about. I also quite like the idea of the plot; the scavenger hunt is exciting and amusing! Certain scenes had me laughing out loud at how ridiculously entertaining they where.

The ending was so confusing the conflict in the novel only really happened around the 85% mark, so the issues needed to be resolved in such little time that I felt very rushed. The book itself could be so good by just moving certain events around and re-organizing the book!

But overall, It is an excellent throwback book, and it does reward itself 3 stars.

“The Mall” brought back so many 90’s memories! I loved this YA title so much - I was always eager to sit down and read more! A nostalgic journey for this 30-something, and an entertaining, humorous read for any young adult. I highly recommend.

Cassie Worthy, newly recovered from a scorching case of mono, is ready to work at her summer job with her long-time boyfriend and count down the days until she can ghost her hometown and head to college in NYC. With her future so bright, she receives the shock of a lifetime as her world begins to crumble bit by bit. Her first day of work at the American Cookie Stand is her last as she finds out her boyfriend has a new girlfriend who has anger issues, and her parents who have seemed like soul mates, calmly announce their impending divorce. As Cassie tries to process all the unexpected events, she accidentally lands a job in a fancy dress store owned by her ex-best friend, Drea's, mother. Drea drags Cassie into a treasure/scavenger hunt that covers the entire mall searching for a stash of cash that Drea thinks will help her dreams of being a fashion designer come true. Cassie reluctantly agrees, and tries to help Drea decipher the clues as she tries to organize the dress shops' fiasco of an accounting system, deal with her attraction to the Sam Goody guy, and avoid her parents and jerk of an ex-boyfriend and his psycho new girlfriend. Through all of it, Cassie realizes that long-term plans need flexibility and that her hometown and the people in it are who helped shape the person she is. Running from them is also avoiding her true self.

As a teen in the 90's I had so many connections to this book: Scrunchies! Mall life as THE hangout spot, the music, the Cabbage Patch dolls! This book is marketed for YA, but I think it will find more traction with my-agers who can relate. Very fun and nostalgic read!