IT'S A MALL WORLD AFTER ALL [Paperback]

Janette Ralliston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2007

While working at the mall, organizing a school fundraiser, and trying to prove that her best friend's boyfriend is seeing another girl, high-school student Charlotte's best intentions always seem to backfire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (April 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545012902
• ISBN-13: 978-0545012904
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,082,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janette Rallison is old. Don't ask how old, because it isn't polite. Let's just say she's older than she'd like to be and leave it at that.

Janette lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as "an eccentric cat lady." She did not do this on purpose. (The cats, that is; she had the children on purpose.) Every single one of the felines showed up on its own and refuses to leave. Not even the family's fearless little Westie dog can drive them off.
Since Janette has five children and deadlines to write books, she doesn't have much time left over for hobbies. But since this is the internet and you can't actually check up to see if anything on this site is true, let's just say she enjoys dancing, scuba diving, horse back riding and long talks with Orlando Bloom. (Well, I never said he answers back.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...will certainly make you think twice about the mall - and the drama that accompanies it, October 3, 2006

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It's a Mall World After All (Hardcover)

While many girls are discovered by modeling-scouts while shopping in the mall, Charlotte was scouted for something much different: to be a perfume-lady at Bloomingdale's. Her job? Spritzing unsuspecting passersby with the fragrance of the day, and praying that they purchase a bottle of the over-priced, oft-times funky smelling stuff. It being the holiday season, of course, Charlotte quickly takes the job, and spends each and every day after school doing one of the easiest things on Earth, while scoping out her surroundings, in an attempt to be ready for the doctoral thesis she plans on writing someday entitled "It's A Mall World After All." But when she spies her best friend Brianna's boyfriend, Bryant Anderson, and his best friend, Colton Taft, browsing through the mall, two Leland Prep girls on their arms, Charlotte believes that it's time to inform her best friend about her boyfriend's two-timing ways. When Brianna refuses to listen, however, Charlotte decides to launch plan two: catching the cheater on film. Sadly, this proves harder than it seems, as Bryant always has the illustrious Colton watching his back. Now Charlotte just has to wiggle her way into his heart to get to the truth. As if that weren't enough, by working at the mall, she's encountered two poor kids named Reese and T.J. who just want new clothes for Christmas. So she proposes an idea to her National Honor Society group, intending to provide these kids with a great Christmas. But to do so, she'll have to practically sell her soul to Colton. Something she never thought she would even consider...until now.

I will admit it, Janette Rallison had me from the title - IT'S A MALL WORLD AFTER ALL. After all, it's hard for me to resist anything that reminds me of the Disneyland ride It's A Small World. Luckily, however, the title was not the only thing that held my interest, for I was pleasantly surprised to open the novel up to an endearing character, whose cynicism and sarcastic wit was refreshing; as was her ability to make a mess out of almost every situation she was placed in. Charlotte's outlook and thoughts regarding shoppers, and the various things that happen within the mall, were hilarious - from break-ups to make-ups; and verbal fights to full-on brawls. Charlotte's interactions with the hunky, yet oft-times conceited Colton were pleasantly adorable; while the chemistry that shined through between these two characters from page one was utterly hard-to-resist. The fact that IT'S A MALL WORLD AFTER ALL revolves around the holiday shopping season gives it that extra-oomph. However, the Christmastime setting never overshadows the plot-line. A sugar-coated addition to the teen fiction genre that will certainly make you think twice about the mall - and the drama that accompanies it.

Erika Sorocco

Freelance Reviewer

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 14, 2006

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's a Mall World After All (Hardcover)

If you like witty and hilarious page-turners that keep you interested and laughing all the way through, then IT'S A MALL WORLD AFTER ALL by Janette Rallison is the book for you! This is the kind of book that keeps you wondering what hilarious twist is coming next.

Charlotte is a girl who works in a mall, spraying perfume on unsuspecting costumers. She's a high school student, has red hair, she's taller than normal, and she has a strict policy against dating guys from her school. Charlotte never understood why anyone would buy those perfumes at the mall. She could never figure out how anyone could believe those advertisements that say the perfume will make you irresistible or if you wear it, or that the guys will be all over you.

When Charlotte sees her best friend, Brianna's, boyfriend, Bryant, at the mall with another girl, she is faced with the tough choice of whether to tell Brianna or to not say anything and hope it was all just a misunderstanding. When she asks Bryant's best friend (and also her study buddy), Colton, about what she saw at the mall, will Colton stick up for Bryant and deny it or agree with Charlotte? Is Bryant deceiving Colton as well as Brianna? Is Charlotte the only one who knows the truth?

What happens when Charlotte goes to great lengths to prove Bryant's lying to Brianna? Will Charlotte get pinned for everything? And will Charlotte's friendship with Brianna survive through all the lies and rumors? And why does Charlotte have a policy against dating guys at her school, anyway? What happens if she breaks the policy?

There are so many unanswered questions. But don't fret--all you have to do to answer them and have a lot of great laughs along the way is to read this book. I can tell you one thing, it has a great ending.

Reviewed by: Cayla Carhart

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I've Ever Read, January 6, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: It's a Mall World After All (Hardcover)

It's a Mall World After All is a page turner that you can't put down. Charlotte's mishaps are not only hilarous, but very true. Her mission to prove that her best friend's boyfriend if a fake, tring to keep Colton on her side, and eating centerpieces is only a few things she must do throughout this wonderful book. I recommend it for 7-12 grade, do to content.