A review by lovelymisanthrope
Mall Goth by Kate Leth

emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I stumbled across this graphic novel on Libby and thought it sounded interesting to pick up as a late night read. 
“Mall Goth” follows a teenager named Liv who moves to a new town. It is hard to be the new girl, but Liv’s saving grace is the mall. She loves going to the mall to explore, window shop, and to even earn a little extra money. Can Liv find her place and make new friends in her new town?
This was such a fun read. I really loved Liv as a character and I highly enjoyed watching her explore all that the mall has to offer. Her life is not easy, for so many reasons, and I think she is a highly relatable main character. 
This graphic novel touches upon an adult/minor relationship. One of Liv’s teachers makes her feel uncomfortable, and is paying a little too much attention to her. He even finds ways to talk to her outside of school. Liv does not know how to handle this initially because this is an adult she initially trusted. I really appreciated how the novel chose to handle this and how the other characters help Liv through it. 
The people that Liv meets at her new school are so great. They seem to really embrace her and offer to include her right away. There is one boy that Liv kind of likes, but he is dating someone else. That story arch was executed impeccably. I loved what ultimately happened and I think it highlights a beautiful message about self love and friendship. 
I highly recommend this to anyone teenager, or anyone who wants to feel nostalgic about the mall. 
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