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Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
When 16-year-old Tessa suffers a shocking accident in gym class, she finds herself in heaven (or what she thinks is heaven), which happens to bear a striking resemblance to her hometown mall. In the tradition of It's a Wonderful Life and The Christmas Carol, Tessa starts reliving her life up until that moment. She sees some things she'd rather forget, learns some things about herself she'd rather not know, and ultimately must find the answer to one burning question—if only she knew what the question was.
Written in sharp, witty verse, Wendy Mass crafts an extraordinary tale of a spunky heroine who hasn't always made the right choices, but needs to discover what makes life worth living.
Written in sharp, witty verse, Wendy Mass crafts an extraordinary tale of a spunky heroine who hasn't always made the right choices, but needs to discover what makes life worth living.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
173 people are currently reading
4358 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Mass
91 books3,695 followersWendy Mass is the author of thirty novels for young people, including A Mango-Shaped Space, which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, the Willow Falls, Space Taxi and Candymakers series. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled "Mr. Monk Goes to the Theatre," which aired during the show's second season. She tells people her hobbies are hiking and photography, but really they're collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 652 reviews
October 26, 2015
Wendy Mass lived in my town (I'm not sure if she still does) so when I was in middle school, she came to our school library once to sign books and answer questions about the writing process. I got a free copy of this book, read it, and wondered, "Is this what teenagers are like? Will I be this way when I'm a teenager? Getting drunk and making out with people and just generally being reckless?"
Nope. As it turns out, Tessa just makes really terrible decisions. And I turned out to be the type of teen who rolled her eyes at people like Tessa, and wondered how they can have so little regard for their lives. There's not much I remember about this book except that the main character was a TRAIN WRECK and it had some pretty ~risqué~ topics when I read it.
In essence, when old people say, "Kids these days," in a disapproving tone, they're talking about unlikeable dolts like Tessa.
Nope. As it turns out, Tessa just makes really terrible decisions. And I turned out to be the type of teen who rolled her eyes at people like Tessa, and wondered how they can have so little regard for their lives. There's not much I remember about this book except that the main character was a TRAIN WRECK and it had some pretty ~risqué~ topics when I read it.
In essence, when old people say, "Kids these days," in a disapproving tone, they're talking about unlikeable dolts like Tessa.
November 13, 2014
After being hit by a dodgeball, Tessa finds herself at the mall (she's in a coma and so her subconscious generates the environment she's most familiar with). Tessa is given a shopping bag filled with items from the mall, items that each represent an experience that has shaped her. She is instructed to watch and analyze each memory so that she can find the answer to her Question.
Tessa is extremely flawed—she lies and cheats and steals. I do not condone Tessa's actions, but I find it ridiculous when readers condemn Tessa for being that way. The author intentionally made Tessa undisciplined to convey the message that it doesn't matter if you don't get caught, because your own conscious will arrest you.
My main issue with this book were Tessa's parents. At the end, she forgives them for their shitty parenting. No. NO! Just because you love your child does not excuse you from the responsibility of raising them. -___-
Final Assessment: This book was Good. Capital G, though it's not for everyone. Definitely targeted to a more mature audience. It's short (written in verse), but speeding through it won't give any enjoyment: it's the details in this story that are significant, the universal yet unacknowledged truths, the anxiety and angst that teenage girls go through.
Tessa is extremely flawed—she lies and cheats and steals. I do not condone Tessa's actions, but I find it ridiculous when readers condemn Tessa for being that way. The author intentionally made Tessa undisciplined to convey the message that it doesn't matter if you don't get caught, because your own conscious will arrest you.
My main issue with this book were Tessa's parents. At the end, she forgives them for their shitty parenting. No. NO! Just because you love your child does not excuse you from the responsibility of raising them. -___-
Final Assessment: This book was Good. Capital G, though it's not for everyone. Definitely targeted to a more mature audience. It's short (written in verse), but speeding through it won't give any enjoyment: it's the details in this story that are significant, the universal yet unacknowledged truths, the anxiety and angst that teenage girls go through.
May 24, 2012
To begin with, the premise of this book was intriguing. A girl goes to heaven, but it looks like the mall? What? But then it turns out she's just in limbo, which makes a bit more sense. In that sense, the book could've been so, so good. But then Tessa happened. Tessa is the main character, and in the beginning she is quite likable. However, whenever she starts to relive some of the memories living up to her death, the book starts to decline. Everyone makes mistakes, but Tessa did things that, although they weren't necessarily serious, were very clearly wrong and she had no good reason for doing any of them. I really lost all respect for her, and I found her to be mostly unlikeable. I continued on until the end of the book, though, and was dissapointed. It could have had a very redeeming, Christmas Carol-esque ending. Actually, I think that was what the author was trying to achieve. But although the memories certainly could have taught Tessa something about herself and how she needed to change, they didn't seem to affect her at all until the very last chapter, when all of a sudden she realized what she needed to do to become a better person and live life to the fullest. The ending would've been really cute if there had been some character development leading up to it and if I had actually cared about what happened to Tessa. All in all, I was not too happy with this book, but it was a very quick read and I don't feel like I wasted time on it, as every book you read, no matter if you like it or not, teaches you something. I'm not sure if I would recommend this to a friend, but by all means, if you're interested, read it. Don't let me decide what books should go on your bookshelf.
June 2, 2013
Heaven looks a lot Like the Mall is about a girl, Tessa, who is about to go to college and is writing her essay. She is asked the question, who are you? She isn't quit sure who she is. One day, while playing dodgeball in gym class, she gets hit in the face with the ball and falls into coma. While she is in her coma, she ends up at the mall. She was raised as a child in the mall because her parents worked for the mall. She meets this boy who takes her to the locker rooms and shows her a bag of things she has purchased. Not all the things but just somethings that she has forgotten she had purchased. She soon starts to live her whole life form the beginning. From when she bought her first pair of shoes to her prom clothes. Special moments in her life keep coming back to her and by the end of the book, she is able to answer the question about who she is.
This book is very relatable. Any teenager/child can relate to her situations in life. When she bought her dolls or even when she bought her first prom dress. It talks about any struggles, problems, anything in a teenager's life and how Tessa got through it.
This book is very relatable. Any teenager/child can relate to her situations in life. When she bought her dolls or even when she bought her first prom dress. It talks about any struggles, problems, anything in a teenager's life and how Tessa got through it.
May 8, 2022
i reread this for the first time in years (fourth time total i think) and oh my god i didn't realize how many small phrases and scenes from this book had become part of me and part of how i write and think about the world
i read it straight through and cried at the end and this book is the reason i touch the sides of planes and know that mirrors in stores are tilted and understand what it means to be someone's favorite person and how much it hurts to realize when you aren't
i read it straight through and cried at the end and this book is the reason i touch the sides of planes and know that mirrors in stores are tilted and understand what it means to be someone's favorite person and how much it hurts to realize when you aren't
November 17, 2012
Reviewed by Andie Z. for TeensReadToo.com
When 16-year-old Tessa sees the orange dodgeball flying at her from across her high school gym, it never even occurs to her to duck. Soon after, she finds herself floating towards heaven, which looks just like the mall where her parents work and where she has spent a good deal of her life.
She is led to the Lost and Found, where she is given a bag of items: items that she has taken home from the mall during her lifetime, and each item takes her on a journey to her past. She relives several memories, many of which she'd rather forget, and she realizes that it is up to her to sort through her life up until the moment the dodgeball hits her and finally answer the most important question of all.
I really enjoyed HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL, and would definitely recommend it, especially to fans of stories like A CHRISTMAS CAROL. It is written in verse, but if that's not your thing, don't let it stop you! About a quarter of the way through the story I stopped noticing the verse because I was so engrossed in the story, and Wendy Mass does a wonderful job making the reader feel for Tessa, even if she's not always the most likeable person.
Whether you're looking for a fun summer read, an interesting verse novel, or a deeper story about life and death, you shouldn't miss HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL.
When 16-year-old Tessa sees the orange dodgeball flying at her from across her high school gym, it never even occurs to her to duck. Soon after, she finds herself floating towards heaven, which looks just like the mall where her parents work and where she has spent a good deal of her life.
She is led to the Lost and Found, where she is given a bag of items: items that she has taken home from the mall during her lifetime, and each item takes her on a journey to her past. She relives several memories, many of which she'd rather forget, and she realizes that it is up to her to sort through her life up until the moment the dodgeball hits her and finally answer the most important question of all.
I really enjoyed HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL, and would definitely recommend it, especially to fans of stories like A CHRISTMAS CAROL. It is written in verse, but if that's not your thing, don't let it stop you! About a quarter of the way through the story I stopped noticing the verse because I was so engrossed in the story, and Wendy Mass does a wonderful job making the reader feel for Tessa, even if she's not always the most likeable person.
Whether you're looking for a fun summer read, an interesting verse novel, or a deeper story about life and death, you shouldn't miss HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL.
July 7, 2009
Hmm... little weird, little inappropriate. Just like me!
April 18, 2022
Not what I expected. I read this before but stopped because I got sucked into a reading slump but boy oh boy! I liked how it was written, the stories within the story and the overall moral of it. Definitely enjoyed it.
December 23, 2007
When Tessa gets knocked into a coma by a rogue dodgeball, she has a near-death experience in her local mall. Guided by a druggie kid with a drill bit stuck in his head, she relives a number of memories, forcing her to look inside herself and decide whether or not she likes what she sees. I thought this book was both hilarious and insightful. The protagonist's honest and sarcastic narrative is easy to enjoy and identify with. Pick it up, it's a quick and excellent read!
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January 24, 2013Tessa Reynolds is finishing up her junior year of high school. She's just had a humiliating experience at the prom, and she's constantly struggling with her weight and her obsessive mother. When she sees a dodgeball zooming toward her head in gym class, she doesn't bother to duck. As she falls to the gym floor she finds herself in heaven that looks a lot like the mall, well at least what she thinks is heaven and where she spends most of her free time over the years. Tessa's not very athletic so playing dodgeball in gym class is maybe not her idea of fun. At the mall she meets Nail Boy (the boy that she saw when she was taken to the hospital). He had a nail stuck into his head but even after he was cured, she keeps on seeing him with the nail stuck in his head and him giving her a bag that's fill of things. For example, in the mall she sees him handing a bag that had A pink shoe a yellow plastic cup with a daisy printed on it a glass bowl a red t-shirt a roll of toilet paper a blue prom dress and all things she’s bought at the mall.
I thought this book was really good but I thought the book was too short. Even though the book had many pages, in each page there was not a single page that had a full page of writing. I would recommend this book to girls because I felt like this book was mainly for teenagers that are interested in fashion. I would get this book four stars because it was really good but I felt like there needed to be more details. Lastly, I thought this book was kind of inappropriate for children because it had some bad words and so I wouldn't recommend this book to children that are under eleven.
I thought this book was really good but I thought the book was too short. Even though the book had many pages, in each page there was not a single page that had a full page of writing. I would recommend this book to girls because I felt like this book was mainly for teenagers that are interested in fashion. I would get this book four stars because it was really good but I felt like there needed to be more details. Lastly, I thought this book was kind of inappropriate for children because it had some bad words and so I wouldn't recommend this book to children that are under eleven.
March 19, 2008
Well, this book was no A Mango-Shaped Space (the other book that I've read and enjoyed by Wendy Mass/the inspiration for reading this one). To start, it was written in poetry form, which was OK, but I've seen done better (see Sonya Sones). Also, the premise of the book was walking a fine line between being something that could have really worked, or sucked. Unfortunately, I think it fell more toward the "sucked" side. It didn't suck completely, mind you - but it was definitely on the "suck" side of the line.
The main character in the book is a semi-overweight teen who lives with the constant criticism of her mom and the disinterest of her dad. Both her parents work at the mall, and she spends a lot of time there. So when she gets hit in the face by a dodgeball (what better way to check out when you're in high school?) and loses consciousness, it's only appropriate that the limbo/heaven zone she winds up in is at the mall.
I was semi-on board up to this point, but of course when she hit the "heavenly" mall, she met an angel-type guy there that gave her a bag containing past purchases that she'd made there, and each successive chapter is named after a store. The story unfolds through what she bought at each, and how it affected her life.
(I'm feeling maudlin just writing this.)
So, like I said - it definitely falls on the "suck" side of the line.
If you're interested in Wendy Mass, I'd skip straight over this one, and pick up A Mango-Shaped Space instead.
The main character in the book is a semi-overweight teen who lives with the constant criticism of her mom and the disinterest of her dad. Both her parents work at the mall, and she spends a lot of time there. So when she gets hit in the face by a dodgeball (what better way to check out when you're in high school?) and loses consciousness, it's only appropriate that the limbo/heaven zone she winds up in is at the mall.
I was semi-on board up to this point, but of course when she hit the "heavenly" mall, she met an angel-type guy there that gave her a bag containing past purchases that she'd made there, and each successive chapter is named after a store. The story unfolds through what she bought at each, and how it affected her life.
(I'm feeling maudlin just writing this.)
So, like I said - it definitely falls on the "suck" side of the line.
If you're interested in Wendy Mass, I'd skip straight over this one, and pick up A Mango-Shaped Space instead.
October 18, 2013
Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall
Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall is an amazing, unique novel about 16 year-old Tessa, who has a near-death experience and goes to a place that seems like heaven, but looks identical to her local mall. When someone, who seems to be her spirit guide comes to help her, her whole life story begins to replay as her spirit guide brings the memories flooding back to her. Tessa goes through each and every memory of everything she bought at the mall and when. The items bring back upsetting feelings that have gotten her to wear she is today, lonely and confused. In the end all of the memories bring her to answer one important question that will change her life. Tessa relives the twists and turns of her insane life one by one to figure out who she truly is and staying alive is the last thing on her mind.
" Who Am I? I have no idea. I mean, I don't even have the slightest, vaguest clue. Well, I know the basics. My name, shoe size, bra size, favorite color, and what I ate for breakfast, but I don't think that's what they mean." Page 5.
This realistic-fiction novel by Wendy Mass is deep and exciting. This was a story I could never stop reading and loved every chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind books written in verse and enjoys a more realistic concepts. I would give this book a 10 out of 10 because this was a book I could never put down. I loved Heaven Looks A Lot like The Mall.
Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall is an amazing, unique novel about 16 year-old Tessa, who has a near-death experience and goes to a place that seems like heaven, but looks identical to her local mall. When someone, who seems to be her spirit guide comes to help her, her whole life story begins to replay as her spirit guide brings the memories flooding back to her. Tessa goes through each and every memory of everything she bought at the mall and when. The items bring back upsetting feelings that have gotten her to wear she is today, lonely and confused. In the end all of the memories bring her to answer one important question that will change her life. Tessa relives the twists and turns of her insane life one by one to figure out who she truly is and staying alive is the last thing on her mind.
" Who Am I? I have no idea. I mean, I don't even have the slightest, vaguest clue. Well, I know the basics. My name, shoe size, bra size, favorite color, and what I ate for breakfast, but I don't think that's what they mean." Page 5.
This realistic-fiction novel by Wendy Mass is deep and exciting. This was a story I could never stop reading and loved every chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind books written in verse and enjoys a more realistic concepts. I would give this book a 10 out of 10 because this was a book I could never put down. I loved Heaven Looks A Lot like The Mall.
February 21, 2017
Kniha vo veršoch, pri ktorej by ste si to ani nevšimli, keby to nebolo v popise napísané. Veršované knihy majú takú svoju neopísateľnú náladu a poetiku, táto kniha sa číta úplne ako súvislý text. Len akoby autorka svoje vety náhodne rozhádzala do strof.
Hlavná hrdinka Tess sa ocitá v kóme a musí si zrekapitulovať svoj doterajší život. V tomto svojom stave sa jej duch/duša prechádza v obchodnom dome a zo začiatku to vyzerá, že všetky spomienky budú s obchodným domom nejako súvisieť, ale kým dôjdete na koniec, zabudnete aj na obchoďák, aj na to, že hrdinka je vlastne v kóme, takže tak trochu premýšľam, či autorka proste nenapísala jadro svojho príbehu ako prvé a potom ho len oblepila úvodom a záverom a kóme.
Pointa príbehu mi tak síce chýbala, ale celkovo vzaté to až tak nevadilo, lebo (a teraz rozmýšľam, ako to povedať slušne) hlavná hrdinka je neuveriteľná potvora a celú knihu ťahá dopredu to, ako naschvál alebo omylom robí popri bežnom živote (teenagers' stuff and so on) zle ľuďom okolo. Od "raných liet" Tess klame, hádže vinu na iných, podvádza pri testoch, rozhádže párik aby mohla dostať chlapca... nie je to úplne "mean girl" štýl, ale je to príjemne iné oproti príbehom, kde sa hrdinkin morálny kompas nevychýli z kurzu ani na minútu.
Mne sa to páčilo, aj keď to nie je nič extra. 8/10
Hlavná hrdinka Tess sa ocitá v kóme a musí si zrekapitulovať svoj doterajší život. V tomto svojom stave sa jej duch/duša prechádza v obchodnom dome a zo začiatku to vyzerá, že všetky spomienky budú s obchodným domom nejako súvisieť, ale kým dôjdete na koniec, zabudnete aj na obchoďák, aj na to, že hrdinka je vlastne v kóme, takže tak trochu premýšľam, či autorka proste nenapísala jadro svojho príbehu ako prvé a potom ho len oblepila úvodom a záverom a kóme.
Pointa príbehu mi tak síce chýbala, ale celkovo vzaté to až tak nevadilo, lebo (a teraz rozmýšľam, ako to povedať slušne) hlavná hrdinka je neuveriteľná potvora a celú knihu ťahá dopredu to, ako naschvál alebo omylom robí popri bežnom živote (teenagers' stuff and so on) zle ľuďom okolo. Od "raných liet" Tess klame, hádže vinu na iných, podvádza pri testoch, rozhádže párik aby mohla dostať chlapca... nie je to úplne "mean girl" štýl, ale je to príjemne iné oproti príbehom, kde sa hrdinkin morálny kompas nevychýli z kurzu ani na minútu.
Mne sa to páčilo, aj keď to nie je nič extra. 8/10
January 24, 2010
Young Teen books don't get better then this! I just finished this over the course of a couple hours but I still feel I haven't fully absorbed everything that this book has to offer. I am going to pick this book up with full alacrity but not before handing this to my little sister. I don't know why I love this book so much but it probably has something to do with the anecdotes of micro crystallizing moments that Tessa lives. I loved the story in every way I loved moments, I love the ending (although I'll have to admit I wasn't completely drawn in by the conclusion it was still fantastic.)
I figure I'm too much of a mess to read anything else for a while, I really will read this book once more, I just feel so compelled...
I figure I'm too much of a mess to read anything else for a while, I really will read this book once more, I just feel so compelled...
November 11, 2014
A fast, free verse novel about a girl who needs to come to terms with the fact that she is not a very good person. An interesting premise (Tessa is able to self-analyze her past mistakes while in a coma) and offers an uplifting ending.
Sex and underage drinking are frequently mentioned so this is best grade 8 and up. I'm going to move this one from my middle school section to Teen.
Sex and underage drinking are frequently mentioned so this is best grade 8 and up. I'm going to move this one from my middle school section to Teen.
March 31, 2017
I liked this book because it confronts a fear of mine. Getting knocked out by a dodge ball and going into a coma. I also found it funny that when Tessa was knocked out she went to "heaven" and it looked just like her hometown mall. Tessa was true,funny and sarcastic all at the same time. The thing that kept me reading was to find out what she saw in the mall that was so scaring to her. I did enjoy this book but it is not my favorite. I recommend it to people who enjoy cliff hangers and sarcasm. However, I think that Wendy did do a good job in creating this book. :)
December 31, 2014
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall was like a book I have never read before. The novel was written in verse form, which I really liked, and the time kept changing, which kept it interesting. The book starts off with Tessa getting hit in gym class with a dodge ball that puts her in a coma. While she is in a coma, her mind takes her to where she spent most of her time- the mall where her parents work at. Tessa then meets Nail Boy, a nickname she gave the boy, who takes her on a tour of the mall. She then relives many of her childhood and teen memories. The memories she does relive are not good ones, however. Tessa had a very tough life growing up. Her mother was very hard on her about her body image and her weight. As a result, Tessa did some bad things that she has to now live in guilt about. Now the things she did were not necessarily that bad, but they were not good either. I had a few reactions to this book. One of them being little lies you tel can escalate into worse things. You then start to think that lying or stealing is okay, but it's not. Or you might start doing that kind of stuff because you feel bad about yourself or your life. I think that is why Tessa did it. My other reaction to Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall was during the ending. Tessa used to have all of these bitter feelings towards her mom and towards her old friends, that when she woke up she was just happy to see them. I think that no matter how mad you are at someone you just need to forgive them because one day you may never be able to see them again. Tessa realized that also, when she woke up from her coma.
Tessa grows a lot throughout this book. In the beginning of the book she didn't really care about the choices she made, or how they affected other people. But when she relived all the choices she had made, she realized that she could have made better decisions. She also comes to forgive her mom, which is a big step for Tessa.
I would recommend this book for girls in high school or older. Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall has some mature parts that may not be appropriate for students in middle school or younger. I would recommend this book to girls and not boys because most of the topics in here are about girl things, and boys probably would not be able to relate to it as well as girls. But I thought overall, this was a good book with important lessons to learn, and I would definitely read it again.
Tessa grows a lot throughout this book. In the beginning of the book she didn't really care about the choices she made, or how they affected other people. But when she relived all the choices she had made, she realized that she could have made better decisions. She also comes to forgive her mom, which is a big step for Tessa.
I would recommend this book for girls in high school or older. Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall has some mature parts that may not be appropriate for students in middle school or younger. I would recommend this book to girls and not boys because most of the topics in here are about girl things, and boys probably would not be able to relate to it as well as girls. But I thought overall, this was a good book with important lessons to learn, and I would definitely read it again.
December 2, 2014
The book Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall is very interesting. It is written in a poetry form and the time keeps changing. It goes from present to past, and to an imaginary time. But the author does this flawlessly so it all makes sense. This book is not only interesting for how it is written but what it is about. In this book you get the whole story of a girls life. Her whole lifetime is put in one book which is very fun to read. The book is also about family, friends, school, boys, peer pressure, bullying, lying, being fat, and parent problems. All are deeply touched in this novel.
I liked this book because of the story. Some of these situations I could relate to, while others I couldn’t at all. All of these situations made sense, could have happened, deal with a problem, are funny and they are all unique. In some way all these little stories make you smile. One of my favorite situations is when she was at sleep away camp. She didn’t help the cabin win the color war, she did the opposite making all her cabin mates hate her. Since she was angry she did one bad thing to each person. All of these were very creative and funny, since she personalized for each kid.
A reason I only rated 4 stars is because some of the parts are a little bit confusing. For example in the beginning when she gets knocked out, the part where she is in the mall is kind of confusing. After reading it a few times it was fine but it could have been more clear. All in all this is a very good book. Its heartwarming and funny, and it tells you all about one girl's life. All the ups and downs, the funny times and the sad times.
I liked this book because of the story. Some of these situations I could relate to, while others I couldn’t at all. All of these situations made sense, could have happened, deal with a problem, are funny and they are all unique. In some way all these little stories make you smile. One of my favorite situations is when she was at sleep away camp. She didn’t help the cabin win the color war, she did the opposite making all her cabin mates hate her. Since she was angry she did one bad thing to each person. All of these were very creative and funny, since she personalized for each kid.
A reason I only rated 4 stars is because some of the parts are a little bit confusing. For example in the beginning when she gets knocked out, the part where she is in the mall is kind of confusing. After reading it a few times it was fine but it could have been more clear. All in all this is a very good book. Its heartwarming and funny, and it tells you all about one girl's life. All the ups and downs, the funny times and the sad times.
December 8, 2011
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass was a really interesting read. I enjoyed the book, but I felt lost and confused at different points while reading it. Throughout the book there are questions that need to be answered - but no one knows what those questions are. At times there are ghost figures that come into the book and you don't understand why until the last few pages of the book. This wasn't the kind of book you could pick up and put right back down. I had to read this book in one day otherwise I would have forgotten everything. This book fits perfectly in the teen category because, even though the main character, Tessa, is suffering from a serious injury and wakes up in an empty mall, it has many aspects and references to a normal teen life, which many people enjoy reading. Overall, the book was witty, weird, and very thought-provoking which I enjoy more than teen books with no meaning to them. If you enjoy thought-provoking and witty books, this would be a fun book to add to your list.
October 3, 2014
I thought that “Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall,” was a really great book! It created a lot of imagery in my head! Whenever I read it, I always wanted to read more, because it was so interesting. I was surprised that it was so good, because I had never heard of it before. I would definitely recommend the book to the teenage audience, because it was really good, even though it had some weird and disgusting parts. I thought the title was a little misleading, because it wasn’t really about heaven, and more about the main character’s life. The main character, Tessa got hit with a dodgeball, and passed out. She then found herself in her hometown mall where she met a boy. He gave her a bag of toys and other important things that she had as a kid. The boy tells her she’s going to revisit her childhood. After reliving all of her years as a kid, she learns an important lesson, ”That she sparkles,” and when a dodgeball comes toward her again she’s going to catch it. I think it is a very good message and it could apply to everyone!
February 23, 2009
This was a quick read, because of the prose-verse style, and because I couldn't put it down. Would make a wonderful HS girl book discussion book - dig into the whys of the protagonist's actions, or whether we can even discern why she does what she does throughout her life.
I know kids like her, but not to this degree. The holes that exist in her psyche are what drive her, and that needs to be discussed. The concept of running through her life via mall purchases or gifts was interesting and very clever. I don't know if this will become a dated book, because much hinges on current store brands, so perhaps 20 years from now the impact won't be felt as much. But the themes are timeless and universal. I have never understood why people retaliate and do the same thing that was done to them. I still don't, but it's a good thing to discuss.
Does she really learn from this experience? Only time will tell...
I know kids like her, but not to this degree. The holes that exist in her psyche are what drive her, and that needs to be discussed. The concept of running through her life via mall purchases or gifts was interesting and very clever. I don't know if this will become a dated book, because much hinges on current store brands, so perhaps 20 years from now the impact won't be felt as much. But the themes are timeless and universal. I have never understood why people retaliate and do the same thing that was done to them. I still don't, but it's a good thing to discuss.
Does she really learn from this experience? Only time will tell...
June 24, 2011
What an interesting premise. Tessa has been downed by a dodgeball, and now she's having her near-death experience, which for her means reliving key moments of her life. And for her, the daughter of two lifelong mall workers, it all revolves around the mall. For me, a novel in verse like this works best when the voice of the narrating character is strong. And they don't come much stronger than Tessa. The pieces of her life we see, while often hilarious, are also often horribly embarrassing for Tessa. And give her a pretty wicked insight into her own personality and her own life. This book really is quite heartfelt, as well as funny. One of the more fun novels in verse I can remember reading.
March 5, 2009
I really did not get
the point of using a free verse
style of writing to tell
the story of a girl
who is injured in a freak
dodge-ball incident
and finds herself in the mall
where she practically grew up...
since both of her parents
work in the mall
Tessa gets the rare
opportunity to examine her life
we discover
along with her that
she is not always likable
and does not always
make good choices.
Overall I thought it
a bit odd
the point of using a free verse
style of writing to tell
the story of a girl
who is injured in a freak
dodge-ball incident
and finds herself in the mall
where she practically grew up...
since both of her parents
work in the mall
Tessa gets the rare
opportunity to examine her life
we discover
along with her that
she is not always likable
and does not always
make good choices.
Overall I thought it
a bit odd
June 26, 2012
I went back and changed my review of this book from a 4 to a 5 because I found it on my mind the next day and I still find that there are passages that I continue to share with my daughter a few days later. I want to re-read this book and add it to my collection so I am adding a star :)
September 11, 2015
Great book so descriptive you feel like your actually there when its all happening.
November 26, 2019
It was a very good book
July 24, 2020
Going into this book, I have no idea what I was actually expecting it to turn out being. But what I got was a raw story full of imperfect people and unsolved questions which in itself end up being the exact way this story needed to be told. It was interesting to see how it was not just one large life-changing event that led her to this point but instead the phrases and expectations that society places on people, especially on females. I will definitely be taking some time to process this read more thoroughly.
May 31, 2019
I'm reading a huge stack of novels in verse. This is one where I'm not sure why it was told in verse...and besides it making the story move faster, I didn't feel the free verse poetry added anything to the narrative. I didn't care for the main character, so I had a hard time wanting things to work out for her.
March 15, 2020
YA book written in verse. Author visited my daughter’s school and she brought this book home. Story is about a teen who gets a chance to look at her past behavior while there’s still time to make different choices.
February 6, 2018
'twas okay
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