OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: It’s the summer of 1991 and the mall is the place to be. It’s where all the high school kids hang out and work. Cassie is planning on working through the summer with her boyfriend before they both head to college in New York City. But when her boyfriend suddenly dumps her and she loses her job, she needs to make other plans. Luckily she finds a new job at the mall and reconnects with an old friend. The summer is an adventure!

ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: I enjoyed all the references to popular 90s culture. Cassie and Drea were a fun duo, and I loved their treasure hunting adventure. However, it seems the character development never really got below surface, which made it harder to connect to them with any depth. But for nostalgia and humor, I would definitely recommend this one!

ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Mall by Megan McCaffery is a unique young adult romance that takes place in 1991. I was excited to read this book, but it did not live up to my expectations. It was fun going back in time, and sparking my memories of hanging out at the mall. Overall I liked this book, but I didn’t love it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is set in ‘91 is the perfect nostalgic summer read! The chapters are short and the writing is quick and witty and it’ll have you hooked from the start. Cassie, our protagonist is a girl with a plan and just needs to get through this summer working at a mall in Jersey before she’s off to college in New York.

What she didn’t expect was mono, getting dumped , an unlikely new ally, and a treasure hunt through the mall. Sounds good right?! This book is fun and all the 90s references make it even better! I’m a 90s baby through and through so reading this made me smile.

DNF-ed at ~50%. I'm so sorry but I think I fell asleep way too many times trying to go forward in this book. I will try giving this another shot in the future though!

Rating is based on what I've read so far.

As a huge fan of Megan McCafferty’s Jessica Darling series, I was absolutely delighted to find out that she was publishing a new book! This book is set “pre-Jessica Darling” (but still has a couple cameos that Jessica fans will recognize!) in the 80’s– and as a late 80’s baby with an outdated mall in a small-town where I, yes, spent many days hanging out in my youth… this brought back some STRONG memories.

I always appreciate when McCafferty includes characters that are whip smart– especially when it comes to school– but always have so much to learn about themselves…. and this book was no different. I appreciated that it was so much more about Cassie learning about herself and coming into her own, and less about romance or obsession over a boy who “created” the changes. There is a hint of romance and heartbreak, but it’s much more of a “D Plot” that echos what a lot of “summer relationships” can be. I do wish there was a little bit more development of some characters– Sam Goody, for instance, I would have liked to get to know more, but the development of Cassie and Drea were so well done, I can give that a (small) pass.

All in all, a fun read from Megan McCafferty, and a great one for the end of the summer.

A book set in the 90s? Yes please! This was such a fun read and brought me back to my teen years. It didn't feel very fleshed out but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I would recommend this book to readers that need something quick and fun.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this title in exchange for a review.

Cassie has a plan. She always has a plan. Graduate High School, work at The Mall all summer to save money, and head to NYC with her boyfriend of two years to attend nearby colleges. When she gets mono and her boyfriends breaks up with her, her plans have to change, but can things get even worse?

I lived this book. I worked at the Mall in the early nineties right after graduating high school and I was Cassie, so this book was just pure fun for me. It was like a trip down memory lane including all those excitements and worries of becoming a young adult, new relationships and responsibilities, and even familiar store names I’ve missed. Easy to read and entertaining, if you belong in Gen X, you should read this book!

the mall is like mallrats in book form to some degree. so totally 90s in feel. the nostalgia is real.

i'm not always a fan of stories that take place in the recent past. and in this case, i'm not convinced that it couldn't have worked in the here and now, except for the fact that the here and now is an insane pandemic where no one is hanging out at a mall and online shopping is the only game in town.

so for sweeping me away to the good old days, to the days where i spent time at the mall with my friends and we didn't have cell phones and social media to perform for, the mall was the perfect escape.

**the mall will publish on july 28, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/wednesday books in exchange for my honest review.

Where did you hang out when you were a teen? Where did you work? Did you work and hang out in the same place, filled with a food court, clothing stores, and specialty gag gift shops? I sure did. My go-to place was Cottonwood Mall.

The Mall
Megan McCafferty
Young Adult
St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books
July 28, 2020

Cassie Worthy had the perfectly planned-out life. She knew where she was going to college, she had the perfect boyfriend, and she knew she was spending the summer working with her boyfriend at America’s Best Cookie shop at the epicenter of their town in New Jersey, the place for all the teen scenes — “the mall”. Everything was perfect until it wasn’t...

Reading The Mall by Megan McCafferty was like reliving my teen years although I did not work at our local mall. Cassie would walk past the food court and have the senior aerobics classes performing and I could see it all happening at my mall. The only place that Cassie missed was Hot Dog On A Stick with the girls who wore those crazy red, yellow, white, and blue upside-down large popcorn containers on their heads (Well, at least that is what they looked like to me,) all the while making that fresh lemonade with their super-strong arms which I knew I could never do, not only because of the hats, but my arms were like rubber bands — thin, tan and strung back too quick…

This delightful YA book also contained a mystery revolving around those beloved and ugly/cute dolls The Cabbage Patch Kids. It was surprising how much I enjoyed this book, and yet, was annoyed at the teen angst that comes when you deal with relationships. Boys, like Cassie’s boyfriend Troy, don’t deserve who they get, and yet, it still surprised me that douchey boy/girlfriends came out of the woodwork at the mall. Yeah, like it really shouldn’t have though, right? Cassie’s enemy and best friend, no, you can’t call her a frenemy it wasn’t like that, well maybe it was, was the highlight to me in this whole book. Oh, and that one guy at Sam Goody’s Music.

When Cassie arrives at the mall the night before she leaves for college things are tied into a pretty bow of perfection again and this quote that came a little bit earlier in the book reminded me, (and Cassie,) what all us teens understood,

‘…if everything I really needed to know — about family and friendship and love and loyalty and betrayal and sisterhood, “you know, all the most important shit in life” as Helen had put it — I had already learned that summer at the mall.’
Cassie Worthy ~ THE MALL

Ms. McCafferty does a great job of developing her characters, pulling out their personalities, and guiding them through the growth that all teen angst books develop.

I think this book is a 3.75 for me only because I am not sure I would read it again. It makes for a good light-hearted read for the summer.

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and author, Megan McCafferty for allowing me to read this book in lieu of my honest review.

This is my first #MeganMcCafferty book and it was spectacular. I am not the target audience given that I am definitely not in the YA age group. However, this book is a wonderful story about relationships and maturity and friendship set in a NJ mall job setting during the summer following high school graduation. I for one, have that exact experience, with my first real job being set in a NJ mall and then several subsequent jobs after starting college. I am very familiar with the mall worker's life. In fact, one summer between college semesters, I worked two mall jobs that were opposite of each other and loved both of them. Having the references to this era (hard to call something I lived through this but here goes...) and coupled with the mall setting made for a fun and fast paced read.
I have to say, I laughed out loud at the reference to the cheese store employee who was trying to hand out free samples...this was my first mall job! I don't think this even exists now as a thing, but wow, it brought me back to high school and college!
This is a story with all the setting and background centered around two girls from the recently graduated class of the local high school who start to work together after drifting apart since middle school. They embark on a secret, treasure hunt within the mall. They search for clues and through this experience, they reignite their friendship. There is a lot of varied characters who each bring something to the story and it is a fun time.
Highly recommend.

Thanks for the early copy for review.
#TheMall #Netgalley #StMartinsPress

This book was a cute coming of age story that I completely burned through in 2 days! It brought me back to my high school days, and I could relate to Cassie's feelings so well! It covers all the awkward 17 year old issues we faced with such funny and honest commentary. I would totally recommend this one to younger folks who are transitioning to university/college, or just to anyone who's looking for a cute and funny YA story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 20%

I was really hoping to enjoy this book. It has so many fun elements in the synopsis. Unfortunately, the main character is very annoying and really hard to relate to. Very disappointing.

What a fun book! The nostalgia of the mall in the 90’s was so good for my 90’s baby soul. Besides the nostalgia factor, this is a pretty typical teen coming of age story. It was cute and the plot was well-paced with lots of teen angst. The Mall was an overall enjoyable read.
ARC provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you Wednesday Books!

“At last, his innocent blue eyes met mine. ‘Let’s just get through this summer.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Summer Blog Tours! Yay! This novel is super fun and care-free that it was honestly such a nice breather. Didn’t expect that in the slightest. Anywho…consider checking out the rest of the blogs on this lovely tour!

So this book is a big ole mixed bag. A treasure hunt, a summer romance, family changes, fashion shows, and one giant mall to fit it all. Set entirely at the Mall, Cassie attempts to navigate her last summer before she goes to college.

So I feel like this book wasn’t very deep, complicated, or involved. I really liked the adventure feel to it. This is a book that would make a super fun Netflix movie. I feel like it really has the pacing for film. It’s got so much going on, but it can’t really be described as “fast-paced”. It’s a care-free teen drama, so just go from there.

I can’t say that I really liked Cassie the WHOLE time, but I thought she had a great narrative voice and it made the book very entertaining. The book didn’t make me laugh-out-loud too much, but it was definitely humorous. I think it was full of quirky/cute/witty moments. I think Sam Goody was the best character. Only because he has a slight “plot twist” at the end of the book that is the moment that really had me on the floor.

But I think the best part of the book was the aesthetic, time period, and general old-ness of the novel. Yes, I called it old. It’s a historical fiction and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s filled with fun references for those who were alive at the time. These days, who doesn’t like a little nostalgia? Music, fashion, celebrities, I found it all very charming.

Oh yeah, and there’s a secret treasure hunt. Literally, the randomest thing that I could have never seen coming from this book, but it’s pretty fun. And a fine metaphor to outline the book. Because the greatest treasure Cassie finds, is herself.

But honestly, I was a total sucker for Cassie’s development in the book. It’s definitely a coming-of-age story that enforces the idea that you’re never done learning and growing. That you have your whole life ahead of you and it’s impossible to predict where you’ll end up. I think that’s the best part of the fact that it’s a 90’s book. Not just because it makes the setting of the Mall make sense, but because everyone who reads it, knows a about what happens next- big picture wise.

TL;DR: This is a sweet, hilarious story that reads out the Greatest Hits of the 90s, dive into the nostalgia and cringe at the tube dress. It’s got heart and it’s got Cabbage Patch dolls. I say that it’s a really great read to just get away for a bit.

The Mall drew me in from the beginning and had me laughing throughout. I did not expect to become so attached to the characters and what happened to them but I found myself trying to read as much as I could to find out what happened next. I wish I had this book when I had first graduated high school and worked at a clothing store in my local mall.

First of all, apologies to anyone who's upset by hearing that historical fiction is set in the 90s now. Second of all, I read this all in one setting and had a lot of fun with it. Yes, I do think it's something that millennials will enjoy for the nostalgia, but I do think a lot of today's teens are interested in the 90s and will be able to get most of these references. And I think the core story, about a high school overachiever overcoming her snobbishness about fashion and her "not like other girls" attitude, is one that is still relevant to today. I also really loved that Bethany lost a bunch of weight from having mono, briefly experienced life at that weight, and then gained back all the weight but felt better about herself because she was more confident from the next experiences she was trying. Just a nice light summer read!

This was really well done. It’s as simple as that.

How well done? I thought I’d start a book to relax to at the end of the night... next thing I knew, I was finished the book and the sun was coming up.

I completely got lost in this excellent coming-of-age story. The storytelling was so smooth and reading it felt effortless.

Unfortunately this one didn't do it for me at all. I found that the main character was immature, childish and maybe should keep her hormones in check because the level of horny she showed was truly annoying. I get that she's a teenager but come on... Furthermore, the writing felt very strange and the plot was weirdly written out.

The book is about:
Take a trip down to memory lane and drown yourself with all the 90s American culture references with The Mall. This book tells the story of Cassandra (Cassie) Worthy and her last few months working at the mall before heading off to college. She has good grades, loving parents, and a doting boyfriend - but all of that will turn upside down, just when she least expects it. Just as she battles these pains and challenges, she reconnects with an old friend and discover a fun mystery at the mall.

What drew me in:
As a self-confessed cover hoe, I cannot stress enough how striking this cover is. That alone had me dying to get my hands on this book. Also, if you may not know, Filipinos are crazy over going to shopping malls. They serve as our recreational areas.. and everything that you'll ever need can be found there. I don't know how they are treated on the other parts of the globe.. so this book made me want to get a peek.

Characters & connections:
However, here comes the sad part. It was hard for me to connect with the characters. It's not because of their age.. because I'm a fan of YA through and through. It's just that, most of the time, the dialogue was filled with 90s easter eggs, jargon, and a whole lot of catch phrases that got lost on me. And unlike the vibe that I got from the cover, the mind of the main character, Cassie, felt like the mind of a 12 to 14 year old, despite the way she should be about 18, I think..

Everything I liked:
I thought The Mall will just be giving me your usual contemporary, but it gave me a surprise. It was so fun to have a tiny mystery sprinkled within the book, with cool clues, and the promise of (maybe) treasure at the end.

Overall thoughts:
The Mall is a quick and easy read, perfect for readers looking for something light and nostalgic. I was born in the 90s so it was hard for me to relate to some of them, but someone who was a teen in the 90s will have a smiley time after reading this for sure.

Everyone who know me knows I love the 90s! Not only was life simpler back then but the music was incredible no matter the genre! And every 90s kid knows how important being at the mall was for your social life and entertainment.

Cassie, our main character, suffers a heartbreak early in the book but that heartbreak leads to adventure, friendship and most importantly self discovery. This book is about learning who you are and what your boundaries are. It is about learning to be the very best version of yourself despite what life might throw at you or in the case of most teenagers in the world, what situations you find yourself in.

If you want a nostalgic read that takes place in The Mall of old (because lets be honest malls have lost their shine these days) then this is a book for you.