The Mall by Megan McCafferty is an ode to the 90s. From scrunchies to jellies to TV shows like 90210 to bands like New Kids on the Block, this book was giving me serious flashback vibes. Set in a New Jersey mall back when people actually shopped at malls and not on Amazon, The Mall is a fast-paced contemporary young adult novel.

Cassie Worthy spent her senior year recovering from mono. Now that she's feeling better, she can't wait to spend the last few weeks before college working at America's Best Cookie with her boyfriend Troy. Sadly, like in any good 90s rom-com (even the YA ones), Troy hasn't been counting down the days until their reunion. Cassie has been replaced and dumped before she can even grab a pencil to rewind the tape.

I enjoyed the plot, though it was often a bit unrealistic, and I had major nostalgia while reading. Even writing this review makes me want to watch Clueless a few hundred times. What I enjoyed most about the book is how it portrayed the simpler times, before technology became rampant. I think we often forget there was a time when cell phones weren't in every hand, Internet wasn't in every household. This was a drive down Memory Lane, leaving me with one lasting impression: will only 90s kids be able to truly appreciate the plot?

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

Interesting book. The mall was my hangout back in my day and I completely loved the 80’s vibes within this story.

Fun coming of age novel set in a 1991 New Jersey mall. Pretty sure this is actually written for those of us who came of age in the 1990s rather than current adolescents, but it's a fun trip down memory lane.

I absolutely adored this book, the geekiness in it, the whole coming of age bit.. I’m having quite a hard time reading these days, but this gem pulled me right through and brought me my reading spark back! Thanks guys!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so fun! Megan McCafferty is great at writing books that are just enjoyable to read. In The Mall we meet Cassie who is figuring out her "plan" isn't going the way she hoped. I really liked Cassie. She was so difficult in the beginning and set in her ways, but working at Belladona with an ex-best friend made her into herself. I loved that two girls teamed up to not only find a secret treasure, but to own up to their potential.

Also the amazing 90's references. This novel was written for the 90's baby in me that wished I was a teen then. The notes to Marky Mark and the present tense discussion of Nirvana made my heart sing. I'm sure there were parts of the book that I struggled through, but I can't seem to remember them much. I disliked Troy but I felt he was a necessary character for Cassie to experience and grow from. I loved this nostalgic book that felt like something I needed in my life. I would 100% read this again and recommend it to anyone feeling a little like they should be brought back in time to a simple 90's mall life.

Reading The Mall, by Megan McCafferty, was absolute joy. It felt like slipping on a worn-in sweatshirt and catching up with old friends, even though all of the characters and situations were new. The way McCafferty writes just invokes a lot positive feelings out of me and I always feel so deeply connected to her characters. If you can't tell already, I loved the Sloppy Firsts series. I read them over and over again in high school. They held up when I reread them in grad school. They are warm and familiar. The Mall continues in this way, even as it brings new characters and is set in an earlier time period (the 90s). There are a few easter eggs to characters from the Sloppy Firsts, which made me smile. But this story is unique and of its own and a great standalone novel that will appeal to current teens, as well as those of us who are bit beyond our teen years.

3.5 Stars

This book was very cute! I loved all the nostalgic references being a 90's girl myself. It is not going to change any lives but it was a cute story that was a quick and easy read.

In the 90's, the mall was the place where it all happened--shopping, socializing, finding your first job. For Cassie, the mall serves as a considerable stepping stone to her big plan--getting out of her hometown, getting a good education, and doing it all with her boyfriend Troy.

Cassie's plans are foiled from the beginning--when the reader meets her, she is returning to her job at America's Best Cookie after suffering a bout of mono. It is here where she has a summer job with her boyfriend Troy, but as soon as she steps through those mall doors, she realizes that her whole life is being turned upside down. Troy has found someone else, her manager has filled her position, and she's stuck taking a job at Bellarosa, a clothing store that caters to the big-hair, skin-tight, high-heeled crowd. On top of that, her former friend Drea is her coworker.

But the job isn't the only thing in store for Cassie in the summer--she crushes on a boy at Sam Goody, parties with the mall workers in a hidden basement room called the Cabbage Patch, and goes on a secret treasure hunt, bringing her and Drea closer than ever before. Outside of the mall Cassie is dealing with the separation of her parents, but it still influences the thoughts and actions she takes in every situation that comes her way.

The entire story takes place at the mall, and it is interesting how that didn't take away from what was happening in Cassie's life outside of her mall life. The story is a familiar one because everyone understands what the mall represents, particularly for teens, and how those first steps of freedom inside the mall make a big difference in how a person takes those first steps of freedom outside of everything they know. The writing is so vivid and honest that this would definitely make a fun, entertaining movie.

Arc provided from NetGalley. Cassie has just graduated from high school and is ready to go to college after working at the mall for the summer. She is planning to have the perfect summer with her boyfriend but when her plans go wrong she learns there is more to life than best made plans. I enjoyed The Mall but not much really happened in the plot. The book is set in 1991 so there are a lot of early 90s references. Overall a 3 star read.

This book was laugh out loud funny for those of us of a certain age, for sure. the concept of the story taking place IN the mall was creative and fresh. I enjoyed this book very much,

For someone who grew up in NJ in the 90s, this definitely had a lot of appeal. Plus, it had a good main character who was finding herself after a nasty bout of mono that changed everything in her life. There was a crazy ridiculous treasure hunt, but even that was fun. There was a whole love interest plot with a guy who worked at Sam Goody whose name we did not know--that cracked me up, but I also spent my teen years shopping at Sam Goody so that might have helped. I do wonder what today's teens will take away from this one. Hopefully, they take away that teens pretty much always have the same problems no matter the year.

I was going to wait until closer to the published date to post my feedback on The Mall but I think by then I will have forgotten even more of the book. Ironic, since it is a book about the past. 😅

We are currently in the age of Nostalgia™. Everyone wants their childhood happiness and/or simplicity back. Looking at the current news all around the World, it's a no-brainer as to why. Nostalgia and memories are a trick our minds play on us. Things aren't always as great as we may have thought they were. 
I recently tried to reread The Baby-Sitters Club series because they were my absolute favorite and what got me into reading as a child. Oh. My. Goodness. They are pretty bad. And my heart is broken to learn that many of the books had ghost writers. I feel betrayed. But, I'm getting off topic. Kind of. 
The Mall is a book looking to play into the Nostalgic magic . (Think... Fuller House) The Mall is set in the 1990s (early 90s) when malls and such were in their prime. I had the discussion with my dad recently about how malls used to be an 'event'. You would go spend hours there shopping, meeting friends, eating, playing at the arcade, or seeing a movie. The Mall has bits and pieces of that. It is a fun read but a bit cliche at times. I never really connected to the characters and I don't feel like it really reflected my 90s. My predominant memories are of the later 90s, which might be part of it. I do think it will resonate with many, though. I don't know how today's teens will react to it as they may or may not get certain references. 

#NotMy90s #StopTryingToMakeFetchHappen

The Mall will be a perfect Summer and beach read and I look forward to seeing the response to it. 

***An arc was provided by St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley.***

The Mall is a super fun throwback to working in the mall in the 80's. Remember Chess King, Orange Julius, Sam Goody's, and B.Dalton? Turn on some Marky Mark tunes and fall into memories about the months between graduating high school and starting college. Cassie's life turns upside down as everything she thought about life, "the plan", gets disrupted. Treasure hunts, secret parties, and fountain brawls are just the start of the hilarious escapades that happen as Cassie tries to figure it all out. This book is about, "family and friendship and love and loyalty and betrayal and sisterhood, "you know, all the most important shit in life". Easy read - would make a great beach book.

This is SUCH a fun YA coming of age, romance, and friendship story. McCafferty flawlessly transports readers to the 90s setting with so much attention to detail. I was super excited when I heard about this book and it surpassed expectations. This will be a fun pick for teens and adults alike and I look forward to recommending it.

The Mall is a likable book, that is hindered by its flat characters and barely-there plot. I'm not sure the 90's references will be appreciated by teens, so I'm not quite sure of the audience for this book.

While I was born in the early 90s, I still had nostalgic memories from this book. This is definitely one of my favorite YA novels to date, and not just because it's set in and heavily influenced by the 90s.

This is a cute book. It starts with Cassie on her way to work with her boyfriend Troy. Both are very smart and she plans to enjoy their graduation summer. Cassie also feels she has some time to make up because she has missed prom and graduation due to mono. However once she gets to work her whole life seems to shift. Troy breaks up with her for some bimbo at Bath And Body Works, she loses her job and has to find a new now asap. She does not want or need her parents to know what a mess her life has become. Then BAM her parents split up too!

I enjoyed hearing music from the late 80's early 90's (as it is 1991). I loved how the author talked about the stores that were in the Mall back in that time period. It was an all and all fun read. But to see how Cassie turns things around well you will just have to read the book!

Fun, and a great flashback to the very early 90s, THE MALL introduces readers to Cassie, a recent high school grad on the verge of a new life but still stuck in her old one. After a break up with her boyfriend, Cassie needs a new job and new outlook, and in finding both (at the mall, of course), she reignites a long-lost friendship.

This book has a lot of great things: a mystery, humor, and of course all of the 90's-era trappings which are so fun to remember. Unfortunately, I didn't find many of the characters compelling, though I did enjoy following the ups and downs of the friendship of Cassie and Drea.

Straddling the line between YA and NA, this book will be a fun summer read when it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Arc provided by Netgalley in return for an honesty review.

The story follows a girl named Cassandra who is dating Troy but after she gets sick and can’t attend their prom he ends up finding a new girlfriend. While Cassandra gets hired at the mall, she is helping Drea (a co worker) look for a hidden treasure.

This book had me laughing and it’s a fun read. It releases June 9, 2020 and its perfect to read during the summer.

Why should you read this book?
1. The cover is amazingly beautiful!
2. There is a scavenger hunt!
3. It’s a cute, funny, and hooks you from the beginning!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. I truly enjoyed this story!

As a child of the 90's, the setting, pop-culture references, and atmosphere of this book was 5 stars! It was easy to overlook things I liked less about the book because this aspect was so much fun. The problem I had with this book is I had a difficult time connecting to the characters or any of their personal strifes. I felt like a lot of the characters were flat, and despite this delightful setting (a mall in the 90's!) I had a hard time staying invested in this novel. Megan McCafferty always holds a soft spot in my heart though.