Published by Wednesday Books
Published: July 28, 2020
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New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty returns to her roots with this YA coming of age story set in a New Jersey mall.
The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans...
Set entirely in a classic “monument to consumerism,” the novel follows Cassie as she finds friendship, love, and ultimately herself, in the most unexpected of places. Megan McCafferty, beloved New York Times bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series, takes readers on an epic trip back in time to The Mall.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It has been 8 years since I read a Megan McCafferty book. I remember falling in love with her books in 2002 when I read Sloppy Firsts and continued that love when I read her Bumped duology. So I was really excited when I first heard about The Mall. And then I was extra excited when I read that it took place in 1991. I was a teenager in the 90s so I knew it would be fun to reminisce about a decade I loved. In the end I really enjoyed The Mall, but I didn’t love it.
The Mall is a story about Cassie Worthy, a recent high school graduate who is ready to work in the mall all summer with her boyfriend. But when her boyfriend unexpectedly breaks-up with her the pans she has perfectly crafted blow up in her face. Instead she finds herself single and looking for a new job. Set in a mall in New Jersey in 1991 Cassie navigates a summer she never expected and it might just be the summer she needed.
First and foremost, the thing I liked about The Mall the most was the 1991 mall setting. I loved the 90210 references, the stores that no longer exist, and of course the fashion! And since the time frame was so close to the 80s, it was nice to get a few 80s references too, like the great Cabbage Patch Kid trend. I also really liked Cassie getting back in touch with an old friend and learning her plan may not have been all that great for her and was really just great for her ex. What I didn’t love was the pacing. The time frame jumped really quick and I felt like a lot of story was missing because of those time jumps.
When all was said and done, The Mall was a nostalgic read that was entertaining but not that the level I was expecting from McCafferty. If you grew up in the 90s you will definitely enjoy this for the ride down memory lane.
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