As someone who worked in the mall during the nineties reading this book was a musst! It brought back so many memories and was filled with nostalgic moments. Over all this was a good read with interesting and realistic characters. But what I love the most or all the reminders of how life used to be when malls where the place to hang and experience life. Good character development and the mystery added another level of fun. Not as magical for me as her previous series but a good read, Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The first half of this book really lost me. I just kept wondering, who is this for??? I certainly remember what malls were like in 1991, and just name dropping Orange Julius and the Piercing Pagoda, etc., doesn't do anything for me. I can't imagine the teens I know being eager to relate to that stuff either?? They might be into 90s aesthetics but the mall?

As the book progressed, we got the two running strands I consistently enjoy in a YA novel: romantic drama and friendship drama. That's where the book came back together for me, and I really enjoyed it. And I liked that we eventually saw more of the counterculture that is what I think the teens of today would gravitate to. In that back half I was reminded why I like Megan McCafferty so much! Made me want to reread the Jessica Darling books.

A big nota bene: I can't help but hang some skepticism on the author's inclusion of The Smiths as, like, the key band in this book. Knowing now how blatantly racist/xenophobic/Islamophobic/etc Morrissey is nowadays (and has been for years) makes that an off choice when there was so much other great music in 1991 that has held up just fine. I too can't really quit The Smiths but I don't have to celebrate them in a book I write.

In the end, it's a good story about being yourself and coming into your own power, which is really what that summer after high school should be all about.

*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

Grab your scrunchies, your flannel shirts, put on your Nirvana playlist and get ready to enjoy a truly marvelous book!

The Mall by Megan McCafferty is one of those books that you just enjoy reading. It’s the story of Cassie Worthy and how her perfect summer with her “perfect” guy gets destroyed in a cloud of Cucumber Melon body spray. In the aftermath, Cassie has to reevaluate everything she thought about her life and herself. This book steps away from your normal guy screws over girl, girl meets new perfect guy, girl falls in love, and they run off into the sunset. This book is not about that, it’s about friendship. Complete with a treasure hunt, revenge, Cabbage Patch dolls, and enough 90’s nostalgia to make you want to jump up and do the Macarena, this book is a fun read. The characters were charming and delightful; they made you want to hop into the book and go grab an Orange Juilis together.

My only quibble with this book is that Cassie calls her parents by their first names and very rarely by Mom and Dad, and it’s never explained why? So keep that in mind when you start the book, because it’s not explained at first who Frank and Kathy are, it had me very confused. Though once you figure it out its easy going.

I give this book 5 out of 5. It made me want to ignore the outside world, risk reprimand at work for reading at my desk (which I chickened out and did not do), and miss many hours of sleep that I desperately needed. This book was all that and a bag of chips.

The Mall brought me back to the time I grew up. Some parts are a little slow but the book does keep you interested! I really enjoyed it.

The Mall by Megan McCafferty was a nostalgic roller coaster ride of female friendship and realizing that there is more to people than their appearance. The Mall is set in the early 90s and is a whirlwind of nostalgia for anyone who grew up during that time. This book is great for the younger and older generations. Overall, it was a really cute book with lots of fun elements regarding the 90s and growing up during that period of time.

Another wonderful book from McCafferty. I love all of her books and this is definitely on par with the Jessica Darling series. I would love a sequel and see how Cassie and Drea do in college and if they stay best friends. This book definitely made me laugh out loud and feel nostalgic for how fun going to the mall could be as a teenager.

This was so much fun! It’s THE MALL in the 1990’s! Was there anything cooler than hanging out with your friends at the mall in the (late 80’s and early) 90’s? Listening to music at SAM GOODY’S, laughing at the inappropriate gifts at SPENCER’S GIFTS, playing with the toys at KAYBEE TOYS, making fun of the guys that shopped at CHESS KING. Aahhh, good times. So, yeah, this book is a total blast and a walk down memory lane for Gen Xers. But there’s plenty to attend to today’s teens, too. Gen Z is currently into 90’s music, fashion, and pop culture as “retro” inspiration. But this book offers a lot more than just reminisces of an awesome era. It’s Cassie’s coming-of-age story in the summer before college. And, boy, this girl packs a lot of fun, angst, work, and drama into one summer.

Cassie loves a plan and her summer before college is planned to the letter. She and her longtime boyfriend will work together at the mall (Great American Cookie Company) then go off the city across the river (NYC, of course) to go to their respective colleges. Cassie’s plan got a bit off track when she was down with mono for several weeks but now she’s back. Her parents drive her to the mall for her first day of work. She is so ready to see Troy!!! Only to find out that he has a new girlfriend (who is hilariously terrifying) and is breaking up with her. Troy, would it have killed you to give a girl a call before she showed up to work? What a jerk. Not long after that, Cassie’s parents tell her they are getting a divorce. Fantastic. Summer is off to a great start. Cassie is contemplating a dive into the fountain after a day of not finding a new job at the mall when she is “rescued” by Gia Bellarossa, owner of Bellarossa Boutique, Jersey’s premier shopping destination of overpriced bimbo couture. Gia is also the mother of Cassie’s middle school friend, Drea. In middle school, Drea matured years beyond Cassie and everyone else in school. She started wearing high heels and skin-tight dresses boasting shoulder pads. Anyway, Gia offers Cassie a job straightening up the store’s books. Cassie readily accepts although she is wary of spending the summer with an old friend who abandoned her. It isn’t long before these two VERY different girls find a connection through a treasure hunt (long story) that leads them on adventures all over the mall all through the summer. It leads them to late night parties with other mall workers in the empty corridors after closing. It leads Cassie to a hookup with the guy from Surf*Snow*Skate (revenge against Troy, of course). And so many other experiences. Including a reinstated friendship with Drea that will impact them both. A super fun read with some substance.

Cassie is set to finish out her final summer before fulfilling her dream of moving to NYC for college. Her intellectually appropriate boyfriend, summer job at the mall with said boyfriend, and lack of a driver’s license were all part of the “plan” until it all came crashing down. Instead, Cassie’s summer becomes focused on finding herself, reconnecting with people from her past, and going on a summer-long treasure hunt all of which are centered around the ultimate 90’s Mecca for teens— the mall. Full of nostalgic references of Marky Mark, 90210 and more, The Mall is a quick read that will have the reader reminiscing about their own coming of age summers.

2.5 stars

It's easy to draw in a reader like me to a book like this. I lived through the '90s, after all, spent a lot of quality time at the mall, and worshiped many of the cultural references that can be found on literally every page of this book. So what went wrong?

This novel reads like someone played Mad Libs and made a rule that the only word/s they could choose were overwrought '80s and '90s references. Sam Goody? Check! Every 90210 cast member? Check! Cabbage Patch Kids? Clearly. Velvet scarf? Obviously! Zines? Riot Grrls? Pearl Jam AND Nirvana?! Everyone makes an appearance! Ugh. As a drinking game, this novel would admittedly be a blast.

I'm frustrated that there are so many missed opportunities here. Think about all of the meaningful content that exists in malls. What could be greater than Season 3 of _Stranger Things_?! There is no excuse for these remarkably underdeveloped characters, this frivolous reference dumping, and a plot that goes...exactly where the reader expects.

Fundamentally, the references are written for a 40-year-old, but the novel doesn't even have a teen audience. It's more like a first-year creative writing workshop submission. I do not get what happened here.

I received an advanced readers copy exchange for an honest review.

This one was cute. I related a lot to the time and place so I enjoyed that. I don’t know if it would be as relatable for younger people not familiar with the pop-culture or mall culture. But I liked it. Pleasant and whimsical. 3.5 rounded up

I adored The Mall. It took me back to my teenage years after high school when I worked in the local mall...all the stores, the food court, the friendships within the different stores. Cassie is getting ready to start working at the American Cookie Company with her boyfriend Troy for the summer, when he tells her that he has been seeing someone else--and that someone else attacks Cassie with cucumber melon body spray! When Cassie is forced to find another job in the mall, she runs into her ex-best friend Drea and Drea's mom, Gia. Gia offers Cassie a job at the highest of mall jobs--Bellarosa Boutique. Along the way, Cassie rekindles her friendship with Drea, lets go of and gets over Troy, meets a cute guy at the Sam Goody, and realizes that she does not have to give up everyone and everything just because she is going to college in New York City. I loved that Cassie comes to realize, also, that it is okay to be a strong, feminist woman without losing those who have helped you find your way there. Such a cute book!

The 90s! I mean whats not to love? scrunchies, twin peaks, bomber jackets, love love love. This story made me laugh and so much.

I really wanted to love The Mall because I love the Sloppy First series, but I found it just okay.
I was a baby in the 90's so I'm a little younger than the demographic that would read this book, but the main character was very well written and I felt like I was just wandering around a mall.

The downside is that well, the book is spent wandering and roaming around the mall and that got a little boring for me.
Still a good read, just not something I loved and longed for like the author's previous books. Or maybe I'm just too old now, or not old enough? idk, but The Mall would be a better movie!

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.