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mbenzz's review
5.0
I loved this book so much. No, it's not the latest literary masterpiece, nor did reading it make me any more intelligent, but it's just a really good story that takes place in a really nostalgic place for me....the mall.
I was born in 1980, so my entire teen years took place in the 1990's. From 1993 when I turned 13 to 1999 when I turned 19.
I spent an ENORMOUS amount of time at our local mall in Southeastern Connecticut...The Crystal Mall. I even worked there briefly at, I'm sorry to say, Sears (a Sad, Sad Scott Scanlon).
This story follows Cassandra in the summer between her graduating from high school and going off to college. She's lost her boyfriend, her job, and her comfortable sense of security at home. We follow her as she comes to terms with all the changes in her life, the new friends she makes and the old friends she gets reacquainted with. It's funny, it's sad and it's real. I loved it.
I absolutely recommend this to any teens of the 90's. The references to all the stores and the trends will bring back all kinds of memories (they did for me at least), and I really enjoyed it.
One thing though...Nirvana's Nevermind album was released in September of 1991...not July. It's ok...I can forgive that since I believe inserting Nirvana at that time represented all the change that was on the horizon not just for Cassie, but for everyone in the story.
Highly, highly recommend this book. I loved every minute of this.
I was born in 1980, so my entire teen years took place in the 1990's. From 1993 when I turned 13 to 1999 when I turned 19.
I spent an ENORMOUS amount of time at our local mall in Southeastern Connecticut...The Crystal Mall. I even worked there briefly at, I'm sorry to say, Sears (a Sad, Sad Scott Scanlon).
This story follows Cassandra in the summer between her graduating from high school and going off to college. She's lost her boyfriend, her job, and her comfortable sense of security at home. We follow her as she comes to terms with all the changes in her life, the new friends she makes and the old friends she gets reacquainted with. It's funny, it's sad and it's real. I loved it.
I absolutely recommend this to any teens of the 90's. The references to all the stores and the trends will bring back all kinds of memories (they did for me at least), and I really enjoyed it.
One thing though...Nirvana's Nevermind album was released in September of 1991...not July. It's ok...I can forgive that since I believe inserting Nirvana at that time represented all the change that was on the horizon not just for Cassie, but for everyone in the story.
Highly, highly recommend this book. I loved every minute of this.
jess_mango's review
5.0
4.5 stars
Campy, really fun read! I am not ashamed to admit that I loved this book. It could be that what I needed was some fun, early 90s nostalgia in this time of COVID and being stuck with two anxious kids.
Cassandra has just graduated from high school and is looking forward to working at the mall cookie shop with her boyfriend Troy before they both head off to college. And then, she finds out that while she's been out of circulation with mono for two weeks that Troy has dared to cheat on her with the crunchy haired girl from Bath & Body Works. After she is assaulted by said girl with cucumber melon body spray, Cassandra also finds out that she's been fired from the cookie shop. So, now she needs to find another job. She ends up getting a job as a bookkeeper at Bellarosa Boutique, a flashy women's clothing store owned by the mom of her former best friend Drea. Drea also works there and ropes Cassandra into a treasure hunt to find a treasure that was hidden somewhere in the mall in the mid-80's.
OK, this was total fun. I could SMELL the Aquanet and cucumber melon body spray. I could hear the 90's soundtrack. I could taste the Cinnabons! I loved this! It was a nostalgic ride through a mall in the summer of 1991.
What to Listen to While Reading
How Soon is Now? by The Smiths
Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Gonna Make You Sweat by C + C Music Factory
Trouble Me by 10,000 Maniacs
Losing My Religion by R.E.M.
Come as You Are by Nirvana
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Campy, really fun read! I am not ashamed to admit that I loved this book. It could be that what I needed was some fun, early 90s nostalgia in this time of COVID and being stuck with two anxious kids.
Cassandra has just graduated from high school and is looking forward to working at the mall cookie shop with her boyfriend Troy before they both head off to college. And then, she finds out that while she's been out of circulation with mono for two weeks that Troy has dared to cheat on her with the crunchy haired girl from Bath & Body Works. After she is assaulted by said girl with cucumber melon body spray, Cassandra also finds out that she's been fired from the cookie shop. So, now she needs to find another job. She ends up getting a job as a bookkeeper at Bellarosa Boutique, a flashy women's clothing store owned by the mom of her former best friend Drea. Drea also works there and ropes Cassandra into a treasure hunt to find a treasure that was hidden somewhere in the mall in the mid-80's.
OK, this was total fun. I could SMELL the Aquanet and cucumber melon body spray. I could hear the 90's soundtrack. I could taste the Cinnabons! I loved this! It was a nostalgic ride through a mall in the summer of 1991.
What to Listen to While Reading
How Soon is Now? by The Smiths
Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Gonna Make You Sweat by C + C Music Factory
Trouble Me by 10,000 Maniacs
Losing My Religion by R.E.M.
Come as You Are by Nirvana
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
3.0
3/5
I like going through Book Outlet and finding deals. Bad thing is, that every time I find a book on their website that I'm interested in, I always end up not liking it as much as I thought. I don't remember why I wanted to read this book in the first place, but I have a guess that it has to do with the fact that it's set in the early nineties. I had started reading this book the night before while reading Illuminate by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I explain why I started reading two books at one in that review. I speed read this book and from what I could collect I don't know what I think of it. was it cute? Yes. Was it good enough for me to want to purchase the book? Not really. I guess on top of trying to distract myself, at the same time I felt this book was missing the action I was getting from Illuminae.The good thing is that I will be able to get through some of that pile today. hopefully.
I like going through Book Outlet and finding deals. Bad thing is, that every time I find a book on their website that I'm interested in, I always end up not liking it as much as I thought. I don't remember why I wanted to read this book in the first place, but I have a guess that it has to do with the fact that it's set in the early nineties. I had started reading this book the night before while reading Illuminate by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I explain why I started reading two books at one in that review. I speed read this book and from what I could collect I don't know what I think of it. was it cute? Yes. Was it good enough for me to want to purchase the book? Not really. I guess on top of trying to distract myself, at the same time I felt this book was missing the action I was getting from Illuminae.The good thing is that I will be able to get through some of that pile today. hopefully.
marieintheraw's review
3.0
Overall, this is a case of right location, but wrong characters for me.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
whendles's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Cute! Cutesy thing I’ve read in a long time!
myriadreads's review
3.0
A really fun read with a great narrator on audio. It was a bit neat and easy in the end, the 90s references were very much the obvious ones, and it was a bit heavy on the agenda, but still enjoyed the story.
shaunashares's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ladytiara's review
4.0
I was so excited when I heard that Megan McCafferty, author of the fantastic Jessica Darling series, was coming out with a new book. Then I got approved for the ARC from NetGalley during a really rough week, so I dropped my other current reads in favor of The Mall. It’s a great book, and it gave me a lot of laughs when I really needed them. I would have loved this book anyway, but it came to me at just the right time.
Cassie Worthy has a plan. After high school, she and her boyfriend Troy will spend the summer working together at ABC Cookies at the local mall food court. Then it’s off to college (Barnard and med school for her, Columbia and an MBA for him). But then she gets mono, and she emerges from a six-week quarantine to find that she’s lost both her summer job and her boyfriend. Now she has to figure out how to live without a plan.
The Mall is a perfect coming of age novel. Cassie is a great character, someone who thinks she has it all figured out, only to have it all blow up in her face. She’s forced to take chances, including an unexpected new job, reconnecting with her childhood best friend, investigating a mystery at the mall, and a flirtation with an annoyingly hot guy who works at Sam Goody. While the romance is very sweet, the book focuses much more on friendship and self-discovery.
The book takes place in 1991, so it’s basically the pinnacle of American Mall culture (and this mall is the social epicenter of the New Jersey town it's set in). There are lots of nods to the 90s. Cassie and her ex-boyfriend rate mall jobs on a 90210 scale. The best jobs are the Dylan McKays and the worst jobs are the Scott Sampsons. New Kids on the Block is the summer soundtrack, but the hot record store employee introduces Cassie to an up and coming new band named Nirvana. There’s so much nostalgia, and I loved it.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
Cassie Worthy has a plan. After high school, she and her boyfriend Troy will spend the summer working together at ABC Cookies at the local mall food court. Then it’s off to college (Barnard and med school for her, Columbia and an MBA for him). But then she gets mono, and she emerges from a six-week quarantine to find that she’s lost both her summer job and her boyfriend. Now she has to figure out how to live without a plan.
The Mall is a perfect coming of age novel. Cassie is a great character, someone who thinks she has it all figured out, only to have it all blow up in her face. She’s forced to take chances, including an unexpected new job, reconnecting with her childhood best friend, investigating a mystery at the mall, and a flirtation with an annoyingly hot guy who works at Sam Goody. While the romance is very sweet, the book focuses much more on friendship and self-discovery.
The book takes place in 1991, so it’s basically the pinnacle of American Mall culture (and this mall is the social epicenter of the New Jersey town it's set in). There are lots of nods to the 90s. Cassie and her ex-boyfriend rate mall jobs on a 90210 scale. The best jobs are the Dylan McKays and the worst jobs are the Scott Sampsons. New Kids on the Block is the summer soundtrack, but the hot record store employee introduces Cassie to an up and coming new band named Nirvana. There’s so much nostalgia, and I loved it.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
distant_ships's review against another edition
4.0
Yes, Megan McCafferty, this takes me back!! I laughed so had at the ranking of mall stores with 90210 characters. Solid reference.