Christina June

An interesting plot about the effects of emotional abuse, but it ended too neatly and lacked enough emotional complexity in its resolution. I did appreciate that it didn't end with a romance as part of the conclusion.

A contemporary Cinderella story, complete with; step-monster, a god(grand)mother, a kick ass Cinderella, aka Tatum, who has mad computer design skills and of course, Prince Charming, aka Shay, who wrecks her with his music. The story unfolds around a catastrophic 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' scenario that catapults Tatum into finding herself and the life she wants. The life lessons abound, and Tatum finds the silver lining in places she didn't think to look before.
Tatum's voice show more and inner monologue are sarcastic and witty- definitely a girl after my own heart. The friends that surround her are interesting and supportive in their own right. The plot itself is masterfully woven, with just the right amount of conflict and the resolutions by the end bring this tale full circle.
The only piece I found annoying was that this teenager was the one to have to act like a grown up and mend the fence with her step-monster and lack luster father. That's not the job of a teenager, but of the adults who are unfairly judging and mistreating her. A few life lessons thrown their way would have made me happier here, but I digress. Still a fantastic remodeling of a tale as old as time, where good prevails, and wise girls get the victory by the end.

*I received an arc from NetGalley for an honest review show less

It Started with Goodbye is the story of Tatum Elsea who starts her summer by being charged with shoplifting after unwittingly being the getaway driver. In reality, Tatum was only with her best friend because she was trying to protect her from her boyfriend who was the real thief. When Tatum tells the truth to the police, her best friend deserts her, she receives hours of community service as her punishment, and loses the trust of her father and stepmother. Nothing goes right for Tatum as she show more spends most of her time in her room resenting her stepmother for keeping her locked up in the house in what amounts to house arrest. Things start to change for Tatum when her stepgrandmother, Blanche comes to visit.

This modern Cinderella story very successfully conveys all of the emotions that Tatum is feeling from anger and hurt to frustration and loss. The "Goodbye" in the title refers to valediction or the closing of letters and emails that are sprinkled throughout the story. Tatum obsesses over these and that adds a level of realism and heightened emotion. A very well written story with lots of depth and feeling. show less

*Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review*

Going into this book, I was not aware that this was part of a modern fairy tale series. However, the books are not necessarily tied together, so they can be read as stand-alones.

When I started reading, the first piece that stood out to me was the dedication, "for the quiet girls." Seeing that, I knew this novel would be important for so many girls growing up. It was also incredibly reflective for me, as show more a 31-year-old, to look back at similar experiences I had during my teenage years. As I worked my way through the story, I could see so much of my high school self in Ashlyn. Ashlyn is the type of character that has had her voice "quieted" by years-upon-years of unrealistic expectations, met with very little praise. While I did not have the same experience she did with family members, I did have some similar experiences with friends. I know how hard it can be to feel like your voice and your opinions are tossed aside like they mean nothing. And in this day and age, it is imperative that we let young girls (and boys) know: we see you, we hear you.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I also read this book as a mom. Ashlyn's dad places very high expectations/standards on her with no praise. He sets goals for her and finds a way to map out her life without any input from her. As a parent reading this, my heart broke for Ashlyn. I understand the importance of setting realistic expectations and knowing that sometimes our goals for our children are just that....OUR goals. It's also crucial to have an open line of communication and be able to talk through mistakes. At the end of the book, I was happy to see there was a little turnaround on her dad's part and that Ashlyn found her strength to be able to voice her thoughts.

Other aspects I enjoyed:
*The wilderness retreat setting
*The focus on developing a friendship with her cousin

Overall, I felt like this book was fairly tame for the YA genre. And I hate to use that word, because I feel the message in this novel is incredibly powerful and important. However, I do feel like middle school age could read this with no problem. show less