A heavy dose of early-’90s nostalgia, “The Mall” takes us back into a time period when six-thousand square feet of stores could provide the setting for a teenager’s entire social life, including work, fun, friends, love, and sometimes, family.

Cassandra always had a plan, that is, until the summer before she’s supposed to head off to college in New York City and actually put all that preparation into action. A bad break-up, a new job, and reconnecting with her childhood best-friend spur Cassie into a whole new set of experiences, including a Cabbage Patch Kid party, several questionable fashion experiments, and a hunt across the mall for hidden treasure. Luckily, Cassie has well-developed problem-solving-skills thanks to her years in Odyssey of the Mind to figure things out, at least when it comes to treasure hunting…the life part is a bit more tricky. 

Spurred by a strong narrative voice, and interesting characters and relationships, “The Mall” will be a reminiscent ride for those who can remember the ‘90s and enjoy the references. Although likely less interesting for modern-day teens, younger readers will still be able to engage with the fun friendship dynamics, alt-rock romance, and mystery elements, even without having lived through the era.

A love letter not only to the ’90s but to the heyday of malls, the story never steps beyond the parking lot. Luckily, there’s plenty of drama to keep things interesting within the tight premise. However, readers will likely end up wondering when these teens get a day off, what they’re doing on weekends, and what’s going on in the world outside the walls of the mall.  

More frivolous and fun than it is anything serious, the book lightly explores both platonic and romantic relationships, starting anew, and being yourself. But above all else, the book savors its trip down memory lane, and the setting stands starkly at the forefront of the novel, which sometimes makes the characters and their descriptions take a backseat, leaving readers in the dark for far too long on certain aspects…like the appearance of our main character.

A successful snapshot into the time period it portrays, “The Mall” is a light-hearted, lovely, and enjoyable read. And, despite not being particularly suspenseful or deep, it’s a difficult one to put down! I rated “The Mall” 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy and a chance to host a stop on the blog tour!