Title: The Mall
Author: Megan McCafferty
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult
The year is 1991, and the place to work in Pineville, New Jersey is the Parkway Center Mall. Cassie is looking forward to her last summer in New Jersey before the rest of her life starts in New York this fall. Her carefully planned out life includes her boyfriend Troy, and their futures at Barnard and Colombia. All that stands between her and her future is this summer and her job at America’s Best Cookie. Of course her day is better because it's her first day post 6-week mono quarantine.
Instead of a nice first day back into the real world, Cassie is assaulted by Cucumber Melon Bath and Body spray, delivered by Troy’s new girlfriend. To add insult to injury, she no longer is employed at America’s Best Cookie. With money for school on the line, and a summer that needs to be saved from her parents' expectations, Cassie ends up finding a job with former best friend Drea at Bellarosa, a boutique a little bit outside of Cassie’s tastes. Secret mall parties, a legend of lost money, and maybe a new crush at the Sam Goody, Cassie’s summer is turning out to be better than expected. Of course, as with anything that happens in Jersey, there is drama.
While this is a YA book, it is best suited for those readers who were teens in the 1990’s. If you ever went to a mall food court for a date, argued whether compact discs were the best way to listen to music, or participated in a mall fashion show, this is the book for you. For an extra double feature, watch Mall Rats and read The Mall by Megan McCafferty.
- Katie
Check out The Mall by Megan McCafferty @ the library!
