THE MALL

Bright and bubbly Caitlin Kelly is perfection as she narrates snappy prose sprinkled with "likes" in this retro novel. It's 1991, the summer before Cassie leaves for college. A brutal breakup leads Cassie to change jobs, connecting her with an old friend and the opportunity to find treasure rumored to have been hidden at the mall years ago. Over the course of events, Cassie learns to loosen up and try new things. Kelly perfectly portrays squeaky kids' voices in a radio jingle and sing-reads Barbara Streisand's lyrics on an often-played cassette tape. Cassie's parents alternate repeating her name in an ultra calm tone when she is stunned by a piece of news, a comedic moment nearly as good as Kelly's delivery of a New Jersey teen's honking laugh. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]