Customer Reviews

IT'S A MALL WORLD AFTER ALL

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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

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.

What happens when the ugly duckling becomes a swan? Is life really "happily ever after"? High school senior Charlotte is tall, green-eyed, and glamorous, but she's still haunted by the gawky girl she was in sixth grade, complete with glasses and braces. And now her best friend, Brianna, is dating the boy whose bullying once made Charlotte's life miserable.

When Charlotte spots Bryant, the former bully, with another girl at the mall, she tries to warn Brianna of his two-timing. Brianna, however, doesn't want to hear a word against her boyfriend. To complicate matters, Bryant's best friend Colton, a gorgeous, wealthy, and sophisticated star of the school wrestling team, seems interested in Charlotte--or is he just trying to distract her from exposing Bryant?

The book is funny. Charlotte's quixotic quest to reveal Bryant's duplicity results in wacky situations from a sticky fruit disaster at a posh country club party to a fire sprinkler soaking at her high school Christmas dance. And then there's the faux-fur-and-jingle-bells elf costume she sports at the mall. . . .

Skillful writing gives the reader good reason to wonder how reliable Charlotte's version of events really is. Clearly she's good-hearted: when she catches a little boy trying to shoplift a pair of work shoes for his waitress mother from Bloomingdales, where Charlotte works, she lectures him about stealing, then buys the shoes herself and lets him earn them from her by picking up trash in the mall. Her dealings with her friends, however, might be considered much less generous. Is Charlotte seeking justice--or revenge?

Beauty and grace are both outer and inner qualities. Readers will watch with hearty laughter and even some eye-rolling as Charlotte, through trial and error, figures that out. A lighthearted read with lingering value, It's a Mall World delivers both humor and insight.

Charlotte's miserable job of spraying perfume on women doing their Christmas shopping at the mall lets her observe people and learn a lot about human nature. For example, she learns that her best friend's boyfriend is cheating on her, but nobody will believe her, because she has never forgiven Bryant for putting live spiders in her desk two years ago.

She gets into all sorts of trouble just trying to get proof of Bryant's infidelity, including inviting herself to a swank party at the Country Club where she eats...the table decorations. She gradually falls in love with Bryant's best friend, and the two of them attract more trouble while dressed as Santa and his Elf at the mall.

However, if you want to know if she ever gets the goods on Bryant, and whether or not her friend ever believes her...you'll have to read the book.

Janette Rallison is one of my favorite authors, and one of only four whom I would recommend finding, buying, begging, whatever it takes to get a complete set of her works.

I really liked this book. It was a quick fun read that kept me smiling and laughing all along the way. Some books are a great abdominal workout!

I really enjoyed this book. I had never read this author before.

This storyline if far from being heavy or deep - it is basically a cute story about two girls falling in love.

At times, I found that the author made the lead character a little too silly and some of the dialogue was also corny, but as I mentioned, I like the interaction between the two main characters, especially the character development of Colton - kind of a nice surprise there!

This is cute and I wilo buy other books from the author.

Are you kidding me? This book kept me laughing until the end--Janette Rallison is a master of comedy, embedding delightful humor throughout her YA novel, It's a Mall World After All.

Charlotte, a senior in high school, holds down an afterschool job at the mall `spritzing' perfume on any woman who dares come near her. While spritzing, she discovers that Bryant, her best friend Brianna's boyfriend, may be two-timing Brianna and sets out on a hilarious journey to prove it to Brianna--who thinks she just `has it in' for him.

I enjoyed her well-rounded characters and her keen sense of the teenage world. I felt like I had stepped back into the rush of high school years. Janette's characters are superb! Her setting--a mall--and the hilarious antics that happen there are delightfully amusing. And yet, there is a tender side to this story that gives the reader just the right amount of thoughtful self-reflection.

It's a Mall World After All is a fast and entertaining read--one that will truly make you smile. I highly recommend this novel--especially to anyone who just needs a good laugh!

It's a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison follows Charlotte who works as a perfume sprayer at the mall. Charlotte is working when she sees her best friend's boyfriend Bryant flirting with another girl in the food court. Colton, Bryant's best friend, foils her attempts to catch Bryant over and over. The two work together for NHS organizing a dance and a community service program that's close to Charlotte's heart and sparks start to fly.

This was a great light and fun romantic comedy. Charlotte is the type of girl that I'd like my daughter to grow up to be. She's not perfect but she's smart and cares about others. A large part of the plot revolves around her helping a needy boy get shoes for his mother. The relationship between her and Colton is healthy and sweet. The supporting characters are all well written and play their parts perfectly. I finished this book in a few hours and was unable to put it down.

Appropriateness: There is no adult content in this book. The romance which is the focus of the book is sweet and the characters are good role models. I would recommend this book to teens 11-14 with it not being inappropriate for younger girls who want to read a romance.

This book was absolutely awesome!! I coudln't put it down. I had to read it twice in one sitting. It's funny, and creative, and heartwarming at the same time. It had been a while since I'd read such a good book and as soon as I finished reading this book I had to buy most of the other books by this writer. IF you are looking for a funny book to read, this is it :D