SPOILER ALERT: If I'm doing the math correctly, this is a cautionary tale. Cassie would be her mom's age this year . . . and if she had followed "the plan" with Troy, she would be the one going through the divorce. You can't plan your life, you have to follow the mystery as it comes, one Cabbage Patch Kid at a time. When Cassie catches mono and misses the end of high school, her boyfriend of two years moves on without her. All her plans fall apart, all the things she's counted on disassemble. But her rebirth comes among the backdrop of an Ocean County NJ mall. It is a typical Jersey story - girl thinks the way out is through NYC. And it might be. If you aren't from the Garden State, you may hate on the cultural details because this is a stereotyped portrayal, complete with Italian American depictions in a sort of one-dimensional fashion. (Fashion is the operative word.) Still, the heart of this story is the only the strong survive, and Cassie has the feminist strength that emerged in the early nineties that will help her solve the mystery of who she is and what she really wants.

I loved this, and that’s not just the Sloppy Firsts nostalgia talking! Megan McCafferty is wonderful at capturing the angst and personality of teenage girls, especially those nerds dead set on a professional career that have a weakness for long haired rocker kids with a feminist vibe.

The Mall is set in the 90s and invokes those days of wandering around with your friends, checking out the stores (Spencer’s Gifts! Sam Goody!) of a capitalist past, pre-iPhones and online shopping. It follows Cassie before she heads off to college and after a bout of mono, and features some excellent dialogue (a McCafferty mainstay) between her and the other women in her life. As she reconnects with ex-bff Drea, navigates a new job and rumors abound, you are sucked into a treasure trove of humor and love. I can’t wait for everyone to read this, thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC and an early glance!

This is an incredibly fun romp that is not only perfect for 90s loving-young adults, but also the many 40-something readers who will remembers these classic cultural touchstones. A funny mystery, and McCafferty's classic, finger-on-the-pulse of smart young women P.O.V. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. As a person who grew up in the 90s the idea of the mall brought up so much of my childhood memories. I absolutely love the character of Drea and Ghost Girl, would love a whole book about her. The only confusing part was when she would constantly switch between her parents names and calling them mom and dad.

While this book was a fun nostalgia trip, I found it was a little heavy handed. I love the concept, the setting, and thought it was a fun read, but even from the first page, I found there were just too many name drop references to stores and brands. While I did get all the references, it completely took me out of the story. I also personally had a hard time connecting to the main character. While this book wasn't for me, I have no doubt that others will really enjoy this fun trip back into the 1990s.

Perhaps it's because I wasn't born in the 90s, so I didn't not get the references and the same nostalgia from this book, but it was really hard for me to get into this one. I tried, I really did, but I simply didn't connect with the characters or plot. The idea was pretty cool, but the execution did not work for me.

The Mall was a fun, coming of age story set in the 90s following our main protagonist Cassie.

Cassie and her boyfriend Troy have a plan - both go to college, stay together and build for their future together. Voted as most likely to succeed in their graduation yearbook, Cassie can’t wait for college and her life with Troy. But when she is harshly dumped and loses her summer job, her future plans are ruined.

The Mall was just an ok read for me. It was enjoyable and I really loved the setting and 90s reference. I was born in 91’ so had all the nostalgia. I found Cassie to be a loveable character although she did frustrate me at times. It was a fun book but it didn’t have me pulled in or fully invested compared to other books from the genre and found it at times to be a little babyish.

Overall, a quick read that was amusing and engaging.

very cute and fun. and i really liked that it wasn't ENTIRELY about romance but also just about female friendship.

thanks to the publisher for an ARC, this is my honest review.

As a girl who graduated in 1994 and spent most of her weekends at the mall, I loved this book.

Megan McCafferty is an awesome writer. I loved most of her Jessica Darling series, and she hit it out of the park with her ode to the early 1990s and teenage mall culture.

When Cassie's life takes a sudden shift after she recovers from a bout of mono, she begins to explore life beyond her Barnard success "plan."

I do not want to give even one detail away, as almost every paragraph included some small detail that made me feel nostalgic.

The book is about friendship and individuality, and just like the mall, there is something for everyone, including a quest.

I cannot say enough about this book.

Thanks to the author, www.NetGalley.com, and the publisher for my ARC.

Megan McCafferty’s ‘The Mall’ is a perfect throwback coming-of-age story that will resonate just as well with Generation X as it will with Generation Z. (Millennials will love it too.) Set in the summer of 1991, mostly within the confines of a New Jersey mall, the aptly titled ‘The Mall’ follows Cassie Worthy as she tries to navigate through the summer before she leaves for college. When all of her best-laid plans seem to fall apart, she’ll have to rely on herself to figure out who she really is and who she wants to become. Also, there may be a little bit of a treasure hunt involved…

To me, this book embodies all of the things I crave for in YA, and in fiction in general. There’s a compelling protagonist who is profoundly human… flaws, insecurities, and all. There’s a beautiful female friendship that in many ways anchors the story. There’s a little bit of love, a little bit of loss, and a whole lot of personal growth. Add in hilariously crafted scenarios and sharp, witty dialogue? I’m so sold. The fact that it’s set in a mall during a time when malls were at their pinnacle? Perfection. McCafferty adeptly creates a story that is simultaneously of its era and is also timeless, which is a tough balance to achieve.

For me, this is an absolute must-read, whether you typically read YA or not. And I wouldn’t be sad if this got made into a movie. The soundtrack alone would be amazing.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

Can we talk about how amazing Megan McCafferty is? Her books are consistently great and fun; The Mall is no exception. 

This absolutely felt like my teenage years, and I couldn't tell you the last time I thought about mall stores. Kaybee Toys, guys! KAYBEE TOYS. So yes, this book is completely perfect for people my age. It's the perfect amount of nostalgia.

But it's also good for the target audience. Current teens will probably find it to essentially be the Dark Ages (there's no internet! There are pay phones! You have to leave the house to buy things!) but it's also a complete delight. And they'll probably be really grateful to live in this time.

I absolutely loved this book and I hope that we get to spend more time with Cassie.

I read this book in its entirety, but I could not wait for it to end.

The writing style is not appealing to me at all. It felt stilted and almost robotic, which in turn made me not really care about any of the characters.

The central plot is okay, but I really felt challenged to "get into the story"

I had never read any books from this author before, I’d actually never even heard of them. However, when I saw the cover of this book I was immediately interested. Once I read the summary, I was so excited to give it a try. I LOVE that it was set in 1991! It gave it just a feel good feeling. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of this book for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

The Jessica Darling books are my absolute favorite, so when I saw that Megan McCafferty was going full 90s with a book set at a New Jersey mall, I knew I was going to love it. With sky high expectations, I dove in, and holy wow did this book surpass them. I loved the trademark sardonic wit, the unique characters, the full-drawn setting, and all the wonderful quirks (a scavenger hunt through a mall to find counterfeit Cabbage Patch dolls? OF COURSE!). I loved getting to revisit Pineville, and those Jessica Darling easter eggs were there for the taking. I really hope this becomes a series, because I'd love to see Cassie's college life. Her character arc in The Mall was pitch perfect, but it's also clear there's still more for her to learn. And I'd love to watch her fumble through life in New York!

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.

This book brought back soooo many memories. Fun book! Definitely don't miss this one.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.