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Mall
Set in an alternate world, MALL is a place where everyone is beautiful, and everyone is employed so they have enough income to consume and to experience a myriad of pleasures-drugs, gambling, theater, holographic adventures. No poverty and little or no crime. A lot of sex. But what's the catch? And what happens when Sara, a 21st century woman, accidentally finds her way into this alien yet familiar world? Nona, a MALL mental health practitioner, treats Sara upon her arrival. She goes against Mall code to help her acclimate. But Sara desperately wants to get home, and as she seeks a way out as well as answers about her new reality, she draws herself and Nona into the darker places and practices of MALL--the lower levels with orgiastic dance clubs and black market "spiritual counseling"--until it's not just Sara who wonders where she belongs.
282 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 15, 2023
Many thanks to BookSirens, Pattie Palmer-Baker, and Del Sol Press for a chance to review this book. I was given this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion. I have not felt compelled, in any way, by the author, the publisher, or BookSirens to alter my sincerest thoughts on this book. Every word of this review is solely and completely mine.
Whenever I read a first novel, it fills me with a particular joy. I feel like I'm about to embark on a new journey with this writer who has so courageously decided to share her work. I want to be as supportive and nurturing as possible because it's the beginning of hopefully a forever relationship.
Mall is good, but not great. At its most profound level, it's about the ills of consumption. You have a main character who is unhappy with her marriage. I couldn't stand her. She falls into an alternate reality with vapid characters who are unhappy with their lives. They want to have sex, but even the sex they engage in is meaningless and unfulfilling.
The mall is an enclosed environment that expects the consumers to feel joy in just existing. When that doesn't happen, take a pill. Did we really need another book about consumerism? Sorry! I think that having a main character that is unlikable is always risky and here, walking into a new reality, it hampers the plot.
Whenever I read a first novel, it fills me with a particular joy. I feel like I'm about to embark on a new journey with this writer who has so courageously decided to share her work. I want to be as supportive and nurturing as possible because it's the beginning of hopefully a forever relationship.
Mall is good, but not great. At its most profound level, it's about the ills of consumption. You have a main character who is unhappy with her marriage. I couldn't stand her. She falls into an alternate reality with vapid characters who are unhappy with their lives. They want to have sex, but even the sex they engage in is meaningless and unfulfilling.
The mall is an enclosed environment that expects the consumers to feel joy in just existing. When that doesn't happen, take a pill. Did we really need another book about consumerism? Sorry! I think that having a main character that is unlikable is always risky and here, walking into a new reality, it hampers the plot.
November 28, 2019
The Kardashian Zone
You walk through a door beyond it is another dimension a dimension filled with vapid, vacuous, millenials swimming in a sea of shallow vanity and immense narcissism.
You have entered The Kardashian Zone.
From which there is no escape! Noooo!
This was not good. I struggled to finish to give it an honest review. A poorly told story. Sara was not someone i cheered for. The people of Mall were robotic, mindless, soulless and at times childlike. No humor or clever, witty, sharp dialogue. This read like an episode of Twilight Zone.
"We all just about live for sex. We're talking about one of the most pleasurable activities there is."
Good for you. Now shut up and go read a book.
Thanks to Goodreads giveaway for this books
You walk through a door beyond it is another dimension a dimension filled with vapid, vacuous, millenials swimming in a sea of shallow vanity and immense narcissism.
You have entered The Kardashian Zone.
From which there is no escape! Noooo!
This was not good. I struggled to finish to give it an honest review. A poorly told story. Sara was not someone i cheered for. The people of Mall were robotic, mindless, soulless and at times childlike. No humor or clever, witty, sharp dialogue. This read like an episode of Twilight Zone.
"We all just about live for sex. We're talking about one of the most pleasurable activities there is."
Good for you. Now shut up and go read a book.
Thanks to Goodreads giveaway for this books
February 21, 2020
Terribly written.
January 27, 2022
Some interesting ideas in this as our main character steps into a world where their moods are managed via drugs and commercialisation. I've had this feeling before when walking through shopping centres where the whole thing feels very alien and space age so it's playing on that kind of sensation. It does make me asks the question as to whether the protoganist is actually on an alien planet, or if she's actually so alienated she feels like she is.
March 29, 2020
I really hate it when I have to give a poor review of a book, but there is no way for me to sugarcoat this one.
I was so excited to read this book because the premise sounded amazing: a woman somehow manages to find herself in an alternate universe where everyone focuses on their own pleasure. There was so much potential for a storyline like that.
Unfortunately, the execution really left much to be desired. Sara is an annoying character. She's shallow and self-centered and there was no real depth to her character. There was an attempt to provide backstory for her, but it fell flat. Nona, the person Sara first connects with in Mall, behaves too conveniently. She's all about the rules one minute and without any real reason, she's suddenly willing to push the envelope and disobey. There is no real explanation or reason for why she would suddenly change her behavior.
The ending was open-ended which isn't necessarily a terrible thing, but the rest of the book is such a mess that by the end I didn't even care what was going to happen, I just wanted it to be over.
I did receive a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this book because the premise sounded amazing: a woman somehow manages to find herself in an alternate universe where everyone focuses on their own pleasure. There was so much potential for a storyline like that.
Unfortunately, the execution really left much to be desired. Sara is an annoying character. She's shallow and self-centered and there was no real depth to her character. There was an attempt to provide backstory for her, but it fell flat. Nona, the person Sara first connects with in Mall, behaves too conveniently. She's all about the rules one minute and without any real reason, she's suddenly willing to push the envelope and disobey. There is no real explanation or reason for why she would suddenly change her behavior.
The ending was open-ended which isn't necessarily a terrible thing, but the rest of the book is such a mess that by the end I didn't even care what was going to happen, I just wanted it to be over.
I did receive a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
February 29, 2020
I received this book for free from Online Book Club for an honest review.
Imagine a world with no crime, pain, or unemployment. It is one where beauty conquers all, success is status, and sex is a pleasure disconnected from any sort of love. Pattie Palmer-Baker creates this world in her novel MALL in which Sara, an outsider, unexpectedly stumbles upon this world where all live in pleasant happiness. Her ideas of a world where all live naturally with mostly unaltered bodies and the ability to feel pain are viewed as ‘disordered’. Nona, a Mallite, is assigned to Sara as her Mental Health Practitioner, and she finds herself questioning the ways of her world and wondering if what Sara says isn’t disordered but real.
This is a story with promise of honest critiques of bits of our own world. Palmer-Baker succeeds in proving that a world that seems perfect on the surface has many problems. I found this idea quite captivating. It is made clear throughout the story that what MALL doesn’t have in its world are things that are important in the real world. The pain many experience daily, the flaws of our bodies, the ability to be your own self -- these are all the things that spark the downfall of MALL. I really liked the themes that wove themselves through the lines of this story; each one carried this idea that a perfect world is impossible.
While the idea was more than unique, I found myself disappointed in many ways. The narrative was dull -- whether or not that was the author's choice, I’m not sure -- but I found myself wishing for a narrative carrying more feeling, more color. Dialogue between characters was drab, lacking the usual ups and downs of a conversation. It felt unnatural while I read, taking away from the story. Scenes became too dramatic too fast or were lacking any sort of realism. There were times in which there would be no indication that a character was dreaming, and that would only confuse me. Characters were sometimes inconsistent, affecting the mold of who the character is. I found the jumping between Sara and Nona’s stories unsatisfying; at times I was confused, there was no indication that it was now focusing on Nona. I almost find myself wishing the author had focused on only one of the two characters instead of showing both sides. It could have been possible to still incorporate the change of Nona’s attitude toward MALL through simple dialogue. The ending left me feeling drastically unsatisfied. It feels as if there is no resolution to the story; it’s almost as if the author rushed the end just to finish the novel. The overall execution of this unique story was more than disappointing.
I give this novel 2 out of 5 stars due to the promise of a great story that resulted in an unsatisfactory execution. The idea was something that could have gone a long way, but fell short in the actual writing. I really wanted to like this book because of the idea, of what it had to say about certain topics, but it just didn’t satisfy as I hoped it would.
This is a novel that would appeal to teens and adults interested in the dystopian genre. While it may have not reached its potential, it may still be a worthwhile read due to the themes that persist throughout the novel that give it a bit of appeal.
Imagine a world with no crime, pain, or unemployment. It is one where beauty conquers all, success is status, and sex is a pleasure disconnected from any sort of love. Pattie Palmer-Baker creates this world in her novel MALL in which Sara, an outsider, unexpectedly stumbles upon this world where all live in pleasant happiness. Her ideas of a world where all live naturally with mostly unaltered bodies and the ability to feel pain are viewed as ‘disordered’. Nona, a Mallite, is assigned to Sara as her Mental Health Practitioner, and she finds herself questioning the ways of her world and wondering if what Sara says isn’t disordered but real.
This is a story with promise of honest critiques of bits of our own world. Palmer-Baker succeeds in proving that a world that seems perfect on the surface has many problems. I found this idea quite captivating. It is made clear throughout the story that what MALL doesn’t have in its world are things that are important in the real world. The pain many experience daily, the flaws of our bodies, the ability to be your own self -- these are all the things that spark the downfall of MALL. I really liked the themes that wove themselves through the lines of this story; each one carried this idea that a perfect world is impossible.
While the idea was more than unique, I found myself disappointed in many ways. The narrative was dull -- whether or not that was the author's choice, I’m not sure -- but I found myself wishing for a narrative carrying more feeling, more color. Dialogue between characters was drab, lacking the usual ups and downs of a conversation. It felt unnatural while I read, taking away from the story. Scenes became too dramatic too fast or were lacking any sort of realism. There were times in which there would be no indication that a character was dreaming, and that would only confuse me. Characters were sometimes inconsistent, affecting the mold of who the character is. I found the jumping between Sara and Nona’s stories unsatisfying; at times I was confused, there was no indication that it was now focusing on Nona. I almost find myself wishing the author had focused on only one of the two characters instead of showing both sides. It could have been possible to still incorporate the change of Nona’s attitude toward MALL through simple dialogue. The ending left me feeling drastically unsatisfied. It feels as if there is no resolution to the story; it’s almost as if the author rushed the end just to finish the novel. The overall execution of this unique story was more than disappointing.
I give this novel 2 out of 5 stars due to the promise of a great story that resulted in an unsatisfactory execution. The idea was something that could have gone a long way, but fell short in the actual writing. I really wanted to like this book because of the idea, of what it had to say about certain topics, but it just didn’t satisfy as I hoped it would.
This is a novel that would appeal to teens and adults interested in the dystopian genre. While it may have not reached its potential, it may still be a worthwhile read due to the themes that persist throughout the novel that give it a bit of appeal.
January 3, 2020
MALL is a dystopian novel that I found rather difficult to read.
It’s not the author’s writing style that’s the issue. It’s that the plot is a little dull. Even though the premise is unique (a self-contained dystopian society in a “mall”), what actually occurs in the story feels a bit pedestrian. I did appreciate the point made by the author that some might prefer, or even thrive, in a dystopian environment. However, I wish the story hadn’t taken so long to make its point.
Depending on your tastes, MALL might make a good road trip or airplane.
Please note that I received an advance review copy for free. This did not impact my review, which I am leaving voluntarily.
It’s not the author’s writing style that’s the issue. It’s that the plot is a little dull. Even though the premise is unique (a self-contained dystopian society in a “mall”), what actually occurs in the story feels a bit pedestrian. I did appreciate the point made by the author that some might prefer, or even thrive, in a dystopian environment. However, I wish the story hadn’t taken so long to make its point.
Depending on your tastes, MALL might make a good road trip or airplane.
Please note that I received an advance review copy for free. This did not impact my review, which I am leaving voluntarily.
October 21, 2019
Thanks to BookSirens, I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I personally love this story line. The "perfect" world has been created by someone in power. This world almost always excludes emotions because obviously emotions are the downfall of humanity.
I would have loved this more if the story hadn't just ended.
We spend this whole time following three primary characters. Sara finds herself in the Mall, which is not part of her world. Nona is intrigued by this situation because there isn't an outside for Mallites. Paul is the character I personally spent the most time trying to figure out.
I love the internal struggles all the characters went through. The book took a downward turn when Sara and Nona find themselves being accused of breaking the Mall Code. There were a good 4 chapters of reviewing their feelings about their lives so far, which if you've been reading, you already know, so the recap was unnecessary. The routes Sara and Nona took at the end were predictable and disappointing all at the same time.
Of course the thing that did me in from a 4 star to 3 was the cliff hanger ending. I have to have some sort of resolution or you have to have built the world well enough so that I am okay with not knowing. In this case, Nona had been given insight to not just one alternate world, but two - so what happened to her? I have no idea if there is a second book in this series, but the author definitely needs to answer the "what happened?!" question the reader is left with on this one.
I personally love this story line. The "perfect" world has been created by someone in power. This world almost always excludes emotions because obviously emotions are the downfall of humanity.
I would have loved this more if the story hadn't just ended.
We spend this whole time following three primary characters. Sara finds herself in the Mall, which is not part of her world. Nona is intrigued by this situation because there isn't an outside for Mallites. Paul is the character I personally spent the most time trying to figure out.
I love the internal struggles all the characters went through. The book took a downward turn when Sara and Nona find themselves being accused of breaking the Mall Code. There were a good 4 chapters of reviewing their feelings about their lives so far, which if you've been reading, you already know, so the recap was unnecessary. The routes Sara and Nona took at the end were predictable and disappointing all at the same time.
Of course the thing that did me in from a 4 star to 3 was the cliff hanger ending. I have to have some sort of resolution or you have to have built the world well enough so that I am okay with not knowing. In this case, Nona had been given insight to not just one alternate world, but two - so what happened to her? I have no idea if there is a second book in this series, but the author definitely needs to answer the "what happened?!" question the reader is left with on this one.
November 27, 2019
The first 30% and the last 30% of the book were very strong for me, and I would give a 4 star review based off of that, however, the middle slowed down just a bit, so my overall rating is 3.6 rounded up to 4 stars
A woman is shopping at a mall and stumbles through a portal ala alice in wonderland (is what it reminded me of, but an adult version) or Sara in Mall if you will. Imagine being thrust into a new place where some of the words you use cease to exist, and everyone thinks you are crazy.
In this world, dubbed “Mall,” Looking your best and getting plastic surgery if need be is mandatory. Mallites are the regular mall citizens and follow the code. Junkers exist and are the menaces to society threatening the world of Mall.
Wow, this is such a unique concept which is saying a lot for this day in age where its hard to stand out from the rest. This would make for a Great twilight zone type episode on a show. I was hooked in by the second chapter. It was easy to keep reading because the chapters are so short. I found myself saying just one more chapter often.
You can tell a lot of heart and thought went into writing this book and making this new world of sorts. I would love to read a sequel to this and find out what happens after this book.
*** I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, this is no way influenced my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. ***
October 21, 2019
This book sends our female protagonist through a portal to another world housed entirely inside a mall and focused exclusively on avoiding negative feelings and thoughts through the use of pharmaceuticals with cutesy names like Freedomfrum. I actually think the story sets a good background and believe that the pharms could really be named as they are to promote usage. However, there is so much world-building and discussion of background between the characters that the book always felt like we hadn't gotten to the point yet. Can our protagonist make it back, or will she decide to stay? The ending finds us switching female protagonists and we never get an answer as to what our original protagonist would have done. There was a preoccupation with sex in the story, as a counterpoint to the deeper aspects of relationships like love. The heart-friend contract concept was interesting, and I can see how that could cause problems if not entered into wisely. The book seemed long because we were always waiting for something to happen and then when we finally get close... the cliff hanger ending. Not very satisfying, but two stars due to originality.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.
November 10, 2019
I won this on GoodReads.
The main character of “Mall”, by Pattie Palmer-Baker is Sara, a woman with a needy dependent mother, an alcoholic father who killed himself, and an emotionally abusive husband with roving eyes (and most likely roving other body parts). To say the least, Sara has emotional issues. One day while shopping she goes through some type of portal and finds herself in the Mall, a self-contained world where everyone is beautiful, has a job, and plenty of money for mindless amusements. The top amusements are sex, parties, shopping, and yes, did I mention, sex.
Sara is a well-developed, but emotionally messed up character. The inhabitance of Mall are flat, mindless, and childlike. As time goes on, some of the characters rebel against their culture. As they develop as people, they become more dissatisfied with the culture they live in.
Will Sara escape Mall and get home? Can others escape too? Read “Mall” and find out. Actually, I enjoyed reading this. I’ve always liked dystopian novels. Mall makes you examine the consumer culture we live in. Four stars, and congratulations on a good read.
The main character of “Mall”, by Pattie Palmer-Baker is Sara, a woman with a needy dependent mother, an alcoholic father who killed himself, and an emotionally abusive husband with roving eyes (and most likely roving other body parts). To say the least, Sara has emotional issues. One day while shopping she goes through some type of portal and finds herself in the Mall, a self-contained world where everyone is beautiful, has a job, and plenty of money for mindless amusements. The top amusements are sex, parties, shopping, and yes, did I mention, sex.
Sara is a well-developed, but emotionally messed up character. The inhabitance of Mall are flat, mindless, and childlike. As time goes on, some of the characters rebel against their culture. As they develop as people, they become more dissatisfied with the culture they live in.
Will Sara escape Mall and get home? Can others escape too? Read “Mall” and find out. Actually, I enjoyed reading this. I’ve always liked dystopian novels. Mall makes you examine the consumer culture we live in. Four stars, and congratulations on a good read.
December 2, 2019
The book has a decent story of a woman who steps into a utopia of sorts that isn't as great as it seems. She of course wants to get out and that's the main focus of the book. Everyone in that world is beautiful and they take medicine to get rid of pain and they decide who dies by lottery. Not really a unique idea but not bad and overall interesting. Where the book suffers is the writing. I hated it. The people of the utopia talk different because their world is different and that's fine but the main character sara did as well. It's almost as if I wrote it. I finished it just to see what happened and the end was not satisfying either. It's probably one of the worst books I've ever read and I feel bad reviewing it that way because I got it free in a give away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2019
This story seemed like it could be enjoyable – woman goes out a different mall door than she usually does and ends up somewhere else. For some reason it seemed long. One third way through the story I was waiting for something to happen.
These characters were part of the upper castes but there was glimpses of the workers. I rarely encounter this level of detail in world building; all aspects of Mall life were covered, from cradle to grave and punishment. Perhaps it was meant to be a slow burn story about unhappy people changing places but it didn’t work that way for me.
I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
These characters were part of the upper castes but there was glimpses of the workers. I rarely encounter this level of detail in world building; all aspects of Mall life were covered, from cradle to grave and punishment. Perhaps it was meant to be a slow burn story about unhappy people changing places but it didn’t work that way for me.
I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 19, 2020
I enjoyed this story, but it just wasn’t able to hold my attention throughout. This tale started strongly, but didn’t keep the anticipation going. It was far too easy to concentrate on the other book I was concurrently reading. Don’t get me wrong, overall I found this story offered a unique perspective on freedom and choice. And, created a very interesting environment fraught with things that only sound good until experienced. Welcome to an existence centered around pleasure with no attachments. The reality is not quite what you might desire.
November 9, 2019
So unique of an idea, and so many possibilities for this story line, but the style was a little sloppy and hard to follow, and sometimes the timeline would jump awkwardly, and/or transitions to places or people and not show properly in the format. It was hard to follow at times.
Want to read
November 24, 2019A good read
July 25, 2020
A good story that flowed nicely. Definitely different from anything else i've ever read. The ending really leaves you wanting more though.
May 26, 2020
While on a shopping trip, Sara finds herself in a smoky hallway with a door at the end of it. As she enters the door she finds herself in a different mall. She cannot find a way out. Apprehended she is put into the hands of a MHP (Mental Health Professional) who does not believe her story at first but gradually comes to believe her. Nona, the MHP, finds herself bored and is looking for excitement. Could Sara and her ideas be the excitement to cure her of her boredom?
I found the book different. It reminded me of 1984 by George Orwell. Everything in Mall is pleasant. There are rules for everything called the Code. Pharms (drugs) are available for everything. Villainy and betrayal are also around. And the villain here is a nasty piece of work--all because of jealousy which no one is supposed to feel and if you do there is a pharm for it.
I hoped that Sara would not fall victim to the Code and would be on the Junker side but then again maybe she does come through and we are waiting for a sequel. Huh?
I found the book different. It reminded me of 1984 by George Orwell. Everything in Mall is pleasant. There are rules for everything called the Code. Pharms (drugs) are available for everything. Villainy and betrayal are also around. And the villain here is a nasty piece of work--all because of jealousy which no one is supposed to feel and if you do there is a pharm for it.
I hoped that Sara would not fall victim to the Code and would be on the Junker side but then again maybe she does come through and we are waiting for a sequel. Huh?
October 27, 2021
The way this book was written had a huge impact on my rating. The missing words and the lingo that was used and was never explained made this book extremely hard to read. This book had a lot of potential considering not a lot of books have touched on this type of subject, but the author just didnt reach that goal.
I think that if there was a follow up novel to this book I wouldn't go out of my way to read it.
I think that if there was a follow up novel to this book I wouldn't go out of my way to read it.
May 13, 2020
This book is a good read that takes time to understand it fully. The writing is very good as is the plot.
I may have to read it again to really understand it.
I may have to read it again to really understand it.
January 8, 2022
Good but the ending left you hanging. I dislike that a lot. Great premise to the story. Neat take on dystopian books.
September 25, 2019
Mall is...Mall. I honestly think this book is one of the most unique dystopian novels I've read in a long while. It's not like the typical "government is bad, female heroine has to do something she doesn't really want to to change things and get rid of corrupt government" plot most dystopian novels tend to have. I guess it's more post-apocalyptic in a sense.
I definitely got a High-Rise vibe, or even a Dollhouse vibe from the story. If you're a fan of either of those, you'll most likely enjoy Mall.
The story is about a woman named Sara who has a sucky husband (he enjoys looking at other women/flirting with them), and while at the mall one day, she runs off after seeing him being so brazen with the cashier at the shop they're in. Instead of making it out to the parking lot or to another part of the mall, Sara tumbles through a strange portal and lands in Mall.
That's when things get really weird.
I honestly had no idea how this book was going to play out. I spent most of my time trying to figure out what Mall was, what the people really were, how they came to be there, and why they lived the way they did.
Everyone in Mall must follow the Code, which is basically the law of the land. Everyone in Mall is also vapid, shallow, and obsessed with consuming and pleasure. Sex is meaningless. Life is meaningless. But everyone is happy and content in Mall...or so it seems.
I really rather enjoyed the whole aspect of Mall. It's an intriguing premise, what with the characters having a life where one only cares about making profit, being pretty, and never experiencing negative emotions. It's a tempting thing, to be sure, but it comes with a price.
The characters are an interesting bunch. I felt for Sara. Her husband was trash. Her childhood sucked. And it made sense that she started to come around to the way of living offered to her in Mall.
I also liked Nona and Stan. On the other hand, I despised Fabriana and Paul.
The plot and world-building were fantastic. Mall feels like an immersive read one can get sucked into and lost in. I felt like I was living in Mall at times while reading. Especially because I related to Sara in so many ways.
The only thing that frustrated me was the ending. I liked how it ended, but at the same time, I wanted more. I needed something to give me a stronger sense of closure.
Overall, though, if you're a fan of dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction that is different and will make you think, Mall is definitely a story you'll want to get your hands on.
4.5 stars from me!
I definitely got a High-Rise vibe, or even a Dollhouse vibe from the story. If you're a fan of either of those, you'll most likely enjoy Mall.
The story is about a woman named Sara who has a sucky husband (he enjoys looking at other women/flirting with them), and while at the mall one day, she runs off after seeing him being so brazen with the cashier at the shop they're in. Instead of making it out to the parking lot or to another part of the mall, Sara tumbles through a strange portal and lands in Mall.
That's when things get really weird.
I honestly had no idea how this book was going to play out. I spent most of my time trying to figure out what Mall was, what the people really were, how they came to be there, and why they lived the way they did.
Everyone in Mall must follow the Code, which is basically the law of the land. Everyone in Mall is also vapid, shallow, and obsessed with consuming and pleasure. Sex is meaningless. Life is meaningless. But everyone is happy and content in Mall...or so it seems.
I really rather enjoyed the whole aspect of Mall. It's an intriguing premise, what with the characters having a life where one only cares about making profit, being pretty, and never experiencing negative emotions. It's a tempting thing, to be sure, but it comes with a price.
The characters are an interesting bunch. I felt for Sara. Her husband was trash. Her childhood sucked. And it made sense that she started to come around to the way of living offered to her in Mall.
I also liked Nona and Stan. On the other hand, I despised Fabriana and Paul.
The plot and world-building were fantastic. Mall feels like an immersive read one can get sucked into and lost in. I felt like I was living in Mall at times while reading. Especially because I related to Sara in so many ways.
The only thing that frustrated me was the ending. I liked how it ended, but at the same time, I wanted more. I needed something to give me a stronger sense of closure.
Overall, though, if you're a fan of dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction that is different and will make you think, Mall is definitely a story you'll want to get your hands on.
4.5 stars from me!
October 23, 2019
3.5-stars.
This one would make a really fun Netflix movie, one that would leave you asking yourself if it would be worth giving up emotions (or suppressing them with pharms, as the Mallites call their drugs) to live in a place free of violence and where rudeness is actually illegal. But also a place where you can't live with a husband, wife, or partner as such relationships don't exist and the term "love" is only used for children (if you're selected to have one and if you are, you only see until age 6, and from a pod exclusively for children on a different floor you live). Also, Mall, is a place where everyone is made to look stunning.
When Sara stumbles into Mall from "our world" and is left with Nona, who is intended to counsel Sara from being "disordered", as she's been labeled, over her fantastic notions of the world we know where thousands of malls exist and people live in houses as family unites, Sara begins to feel released from the stress and sadness of where she came from while Nona begins to ache for the freedoms this place Sara speaks of. And with the help of "Junkers" (Mallites who want to change the system and some to even break free completely, to find this portal to outside the Mall) this begins to seem possible; if they're not caught and memory wiped before they find this portal.
The ending was fitting for each character, even if so sad or happy, but I just really wanted to see a different end for Royce; I rather liked him. Thanks so much to Pattie for the chance to dive into MALL.
This one would make a really fun Netflix movie, one that would leave you asking yourself if it would be worth giving up emotions (or suppressing them with pharms, as the Mallites call their drugs) to live in a place free of violence and where rudeness is actually illegal. But also a place where you can't live with a husband, wife, or partner as such relationships don't exist and the term "love" is only used for children (if you're selected to have one and if you are, you only see until age 6, and from a pod exclusively for children on a different floor you live). Also, Mall, is a place where everyone is made to look stunning.
When Sara stumbles into Mall from "our world" and is left with Nona, who is intended to counsel Sara from being "disordered", as she's been labeled, over her fantastic notions of the world we know where thousands of malls exist and people live in houses as family unites, Sara begins to feel released from the stress and sadness of where she came from while Nona begins to ache for the freedoms this place Sara speaks of. And with the help of "Junkers" (Mallites who want to change the system and some to even break free completely, to find this portal to outside the Mall) this begins to seem possible; if they're not caught and memory wiped before they find this portal.
The ending was fitting for each character, even if so sad or happy, but I just really wanted to see a different end for Royce; I rather liked him. Thanks so much to Pattie for the chance to dive into MALL.
August 2, 2019
Mall is a world filled with pleasure including sex, non-addictive drugs and virtual reality; a place with full employment, little crime, no illness and a code that, in order to eliminate suffering, forbids deep attachments. Sound like paradise? Not for Nona, a well-known Mental Health Practitioner who feels empty and bored. Then Sara, from our world, enters this alternate reality. Hysterical, Mall Guards sedate her and bring her Nona for treatment. Sara’s behavior and emotionality electrify Nona. She begins to care more about Sara than is permitted and avoids administering her the procedure of choice; the mem-wipe, a process that would erase Sara’s ‘erroneous’ memories of her world. She does not want Sara to change.
Sara, too is dissatisfied with her life. Her childhood in the shadow of her father’s alcoholism haunts her. Her marriage is difficult; her performance as a teacher is mediocre. Although at first Sara tries to find her way home, the lifestyle tempts her and begins to erode her moral code. Both Sara and Nona risk involvement with the rebel group, the Junkers, something that leads to harsh consequences. Nona has to decide if deep feelings are worth the cost, and Sara must determine if she can leave behind her former life. Both end up changed in ways neither could have foreseen.
Sara, too is dissatisfied with her life. Her childhood in the shadow of her father’s alcoholism haunts her. Her marriage is difficult; her performance as a teacher is mediocre. Although at first Sara tries to find her way home, the lifestyle tempts her and begins to erode her moral code. Both Sara and Nona risk involvement with the rebel group, the Junkers, something that leads to harsh consequences. Nona has to decide if deep feelings are worth the cost, and Sara must determine if she can leave behind her former life. Both end up changed in ways neither could have foreseen.
September 4, 2019
This is a creative take on the perils of a society that has it all -- literally. What could possibly go wrong living a life like that? Plenty, as we discover, as we traverse the lives of those living in that world, through the eyes of Nona, the Mall mental health practitioner. But to bring some sunshine into Nona's dull life, is thrown in a confused and totally hysteric Sara, brought to Nona by the Mall guards. Arriving from the 21st century, Sara is delusional at first, and attempts to get back to her world. But she realizes the mediocrity and emptiness that she left behind in her world. Nona and Sara have their share of adventures together, as they help each other discover the world around them.
I quite liked the articulation and characterization. The pace was just right and keeps the reader hooked. I'd certainly recommend this to lovers of dystopia and futuristic reads.
Many thanks to Pump Up Your Book tour promoters and Pattie Palmer-Baker for gifting me a copy of this book for an honest review.
I quite liked the articulation and characterization. The pace was just right and keeps the reader hooked. I'd certainly recommend this to lovers of dystopia and futuristic reads.
Many thanks to Pump Up Your Book tour promoters and Pattie Palmer-Baker for gifting me a copy of this book for an honest review.
September 29, 2019
Since the author is a friend of mine and I love her poetry, I was predisposed to like this novel, even though it's not a genre I typically read. An alternative universe, where everyone is beautiful and healthy and everything is provided for them, what could go wrong? Well, boredom and the niggling suspicion that there is another kind of world, thanks to Sara. She has inadvertently entered Mall, the only world its inhabitants know, and while trying to figure out how to get back to her own reality, begins to wonder how that would be better. I found the story suspenseful, and I cared about the main characters; the ending suggests that a sequel is in the works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2019
Mall is a fascinating look at what life might be like if you were able to fulfill all of your desires. At least if you are high enough in society. You can take approved, non-addictive "pharma", have all of the sex you want, go shopping, and partying. Who wouldn't want that? Well Sara for one. Sara suddenly finds herself in Mall, and trying to find a way back to her world. Meanwhile the Junkers are trying to escape Mall as well. Will Sara find her way back, in the end does she want to? If you could live in the perfect society, where everyone obeys "the code", wouldn't you want to? This is a great story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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