I really like Tatum! The main character of this sweet, YA read. I wanted to take this girl away from all the shady people in her life. I spent most of the read internally screaming and fuming about how those in her family treated her. I took a step back, reread the synopsis and realized instantly that this is a retelling, a reboot of Cinderella. Now calmed and appeased, I indulged in Tatum's well written voice. The author nailed her personality, allowing us to see Tatum the way others failed to. Any reader immediately will become Team Tatum. Watching this resilient young lady triumph over so much stacked against her. 3.5 stars

This is an excellent contemporary showing a normal teenager struggling with something she didn't do. But, i love how it showed her starting her own business and the way music was incorporated into the book as I'm a musical person.

So, I was not a huge fan of this book, and I feel kind of sad about it? I couldn't connect to the main character, like at all. My favorite characters were all side characters that, to me, were way more interesting than the main story-line. Much of this was incredibly blah. My biggest issue is how awful everything was going for the MC and there was nothing good to balance it out for the first half of the book. Even the romance, which was kind of cute, didn't really progress until the book was almost over. Don't even get me started on the stepmother! She was awful, and the way it played out, there was nothing within the text of the book that made the way it ended make sense.

I'm giving it 2 stars because I did really like Abby, Hunter, and Seamus. Would love to read a story focused on Abby and Hunter, to be honest.

I wouldn't rule out reading another book from this author because I didn't mind her writing style, this story, however, just wasn't for me.

I give it 3.5 stars. It was better than okay, but not anything special or something that I would re-read. I did like how the book was not solely focused on the romance. I like the issues of family and understanding that were brought up. I think contemporary readers would enjoy this book, but it is very predictable. You see things coming from a mile away and that loss of surprise it what knocked it down half a star for me.

Plot

For me Happily Ever After endings are a bit too twee. In romance, they can work. But for my personal preference, I prefer for the hero to at least come out with some wound, no matter how small.

In a way, this book had the reverse. It started out with the protagonist Tate, having been caught up in something illegal, but (and minor spoiler here) it's obvious from the outset that she didn't do it.

The thrust of the story is her summer spent doing community service and building a business.

There isn't much plot. Not a lot goes on, and it's very family centric. So it felt a little flat to me. It also has an extremely happy ending.

Characters

Despite that, I actually REALLY liked the main character, right up to the point she caved. I loved her in the first 85% of this book, her rebellion, her determination, her mindset. It was fantastic. But she basically rolls over and apologises when she didn't do anything wrong. So it was a very hard pill for me to swallow that she understood the situation from her parents perspective. I'm a parent... and I didn't. They over reacted.

Romance

This is ultimately a romance story. Have to say, I loved the romance between the two characters. The mystery lover boy wasn't much of a reveal to me, it was blatantly obvious from the start, but perhaps that is because I am an adult reading a young adult's novel. Despite it not being much of a reveal, I really did adore the romance, it was beautiful, and funny and I laughed several times in the story.

Overall

The characters are great, June nailed them, the romance also made me smile, and at times the story made me laugh out loud. For me, the ending could have been tweaked a fraction to make it a smidge more grounded, and I would have liked a little more up and down tension in the plot. But overall an enjoyable read, nice and quick too if you fancy an easy read one evening.

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Loved the voice of the main character in this book. Comparison's to Sarah Dessen are right on the money. I would recommend this to girls seeking romances with strong, interesting female characters.

Wonderful YA story about finding your path and your passions in life. After having her life derailed by being arrested for being an accessory to a crime, Tatum struggles to come to terms with the consequences of her actions while dealing with her difficult stepmother. Readers will enjoy watching Tatum's character grow, mature, and find her way throughout the book. As she grows and changes so does her relationship with those around her . The paths of those around her also morph and change due to Tatum's influence and they are richer because of it. Definitely recommend!

SUCH a fantastic debut. There is so much to love about this book: an authentic, realistic plot, conflicts you'll relate to, and a main character you'll wish you were friends with in real life. Plus, there's lots of humor and heart, and I adore a book that can make me laugh and make me think. Tatum's voice is fantastic and so spot-on. Teen me wouldn't have been able to put this one down, and adult me couldn't either!

“It Started with Goodbye” is a wonderful modern-day retelling of Cinderella. Tatum has always felt like an oddball in her family with her “wicked” (maybe just misunderstood), helicopter stepmother, Belen, and distant stepsister, Tilly (Matilda). Her father is frequently out of town for business and she is left with her extremely strict stepmother watching her every step (or misstep as the case may be). The book begins when she takes her BFF, Ashlyn, and her boyfriend who spells trouble, Chase, to a store- and then, without knowing it, becomes an accessory to theft. Her father and stepmother don’t believe her that she didn’t know what was going on, but their lawyer helps her make a deal to identify the other two (Chase and Ashlyn) in exchange for community service and a small fine.

In addition to the legal punishments, Belen is putting Tatum under house arrest for the whole summer, and since her father is out of town, she has also brought her mother, Blanche, to stay and watch Tatum whenever she can’t be there. Tatum is suffocating and lonely- Ashlyn won’t speak to her and she is already isolated from her stepmother and stepsister. Luckily, she makes some friends at community service, Abby and Hunter, plus she has her stepgrandmother, who looks after her like a fairy godmother. Tatum also begins a business of graphic/web design, and she is going to earn back the money to pay for her fine, as well as build a portfolio for future college applications. Ultimately, Tatum learns some bigger lessons about empathy and honesty during the book.

This is a fantastic retelling of Cinderella, and I really loved Tatum’s character- she grows a lot during the book and is a wonderful example for a teenager to try to see the world from someone else’s point-of-view. Blanche was a really fun character, and I instantly caught the fairy godmother vibe from her. There’s just a touch of romance in the story, and it was like icing on the cake- nice but not necessary. The biggest aspects of the story were Tatum’s personal growth and familial/friend relationships.

There is also an undercurrent about the value of creativity and the arts/music, which was a lovely touch. The Cinderella aspect was really interesting, and none of her situations seemed as bad as she thought they were (of course, all stories are a matter of perspective) and it gave an interesting spin to the overall concept. This is a really clever debut of a talented author from whom I’ll be interested in seeing more!

Overall, this is a really fantastic read, and I enjoyed it! I read it pretty fast, as it was hard to put down and the perfect length for a one-sit reading. It’s a feel-good book and a perfect holiday/summer read! Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

It Started with Goodbye was a great read. I loved the retelling of Cinderella and I found Tate’s character very charming and relatable. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Great for young teen or pre-teen girls. I am WAY past that stage of my life--but, I was still able to enjoy the story this book told. There is a lot of teen-aged drama lived through by Tatum, the main character, and she learns some good life lessons too. Though the book does not dive in too deep, it still manages to make you care about the characters. They are really likable. They were just a bit to perfect to be believable to a middle aged woman like myself. The main reason I rated this a four star book is that I know that my 13 year old self would have really liked this book-like-totally, like, liked it..:)
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and give an honest review on this book..

It Started With Goodbye by Christina June is just a fantastic book. The story was realistic, as were the characters - as the saying goes, "they came to life on the page." Tatum is a girl that I would have wanted to be friends with in high school, Like Tatum, I would have found myself friends with the other characters, and infatuated with SK.

I hope that in the future, Ms. June continues with other books in this universe. Prequels, sequels, other characters' stories - there is so much left in this world to discover.

IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE
January 28, 2017

Not entirely what I was expecting.
I loved the cover art when I saw it and then read the synopsis. I know, I know, “don’t judge a book by its cover”! I am very guilty of doing just that as that is what grabbed my attention first. After reading its synopsis I put it on my Netgalley wish list and the publisher granted my wish. The synopsis makes the story seem like it is going to be a dark low key thrilling kind of book and that it is not. Not that I didn’t enjoy it. It is really a book about truth, family relationships and trials of friendship. Its a good book for teens and maybe young adults. I happen to like almost all genre of book in some capacity so though it wasn’t what I expected it was still worth reading. I also have no clue what the title has to do with this at all because events get rolling well before there are any goodbyes. And there ally isn’t any permanent goodbyes either.

Abuela Stepsister Tatum
It Started with Goodbye explores the trials of friendship after a major life altering event and the relationship of a stepfamily, that may just be misunderstood. Tattum is our darling self absorbed teenager who finds more than herself during the worst summer of her life after she is arrested and charged with a from she did not commit. Her sentence? A hefty fine and community service, invasive plant removal from the park.

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Practically on house arrest and her dad out of the country she struggles with how to connect with her best, or former, best friend, her stepmother who is over barring and her disappointed father. She starts a graphic design business which she keeps a secret for some reasdon, finds new friends and finds a new understanding of the stepmother she thought hated her. And along the way she also finds the perfect boyfriend, so was her summer really all that bad?

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I will give this a 3.5/5 rating and hope that the publishers will tone down the synopsis to be more aligned with what the story is actually about.

Be well my little booklings!

This was such a fun read.. The author did such a good job

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would given that I'm not big on romance books. Some of the YA aspects of this were cloyish and annoying (the stepmother's inexplicable coldness doesn't sit well with me) but overall I liked it, especially the peripheral characters.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
“It Started with Goodbye” is the newest YA contemporary fiction novel from author, Christina June. In “Goodbye”, Tatum Elsea is sixteen years old and confined to her house, under the supervision of her stepmother, after being charged for a crime she didn’t commit. While she is adapting to what is sure to be her “summer of solitude”, Tatum unexpectedly finds new friends through her community service project, strengthens bonds that previously were broken- or at least chipped- and discovers surprising new talents in herself.
This novel was described as having a “Cinderella arc” and that is evident right from the beginning, with the “evil stepmother” and “stepsister” roles of Belen and Tilly. However, that is about as far as the comparisons go to the classic fairy tale.
This novel was YA in every sense of the genre- it was overly cheesy and extremely predictable, with young “misunderstood” characters who clumsily discover themselves while struggling with angst-y teenage dramas.
I kept waiting for this novel to start. Tatum was a great character at first, however I found it hard to pick a focus for the plot. First, she’s arrested and has a falling out with her best friend. Then, she is on house arrest and the plot changes to her developing her home business. Then she meets a boy, and some new friends, and the plot changes again to Tatum’s social life. Than a step grandmother is introduced and the plot switches to Tatum building relationships with her step family. All very confusing, none of it very interesting.
To a modern-day teenager, I am sure this novel would speak to them, as it details the day-by-day doldrums of teenaged Tatum. However as an adult (who perhaps is biased because I work with teenagers and am surrounded by their drama all day long), this novel did not really keep my interest. It was a quick read so I wanted to finish it, as I expected a dramatic ending (which didn’t happen). The plot line was cheesy and predictable and the characters were overly ordinary and I did not really form a bond with any of them. The writing was well done, however, and the novel was an easy read with quick chapters and a simplistic, non-pretentious style.
This novel is definitely worth investigating if you are a pre-teen or teenager. Hard-core YA fans that are NOT adolescents (like myself) will find the novel a bit dull and again, cheesy. I have not read any of June’s other books, so I have nothing to compare this novel to, but this one did not quite have the impact I thought it would.
The cover was pretty though.

3.5 stars. Cinderella retellings are one of my favorite things in the world when done well, but this one was very light on the fairy tale.

The book is well written and well edited and for the most part I really liked Tate's voice and sense of humor, except when she would out of the blue contradict herself and "understand" where the "wicked stepmother" was coming from. I have 2 problems with that premise. The first problem is that the stepmother was completely in the wrong (in my opinion) and the second is that no 16 year old is that self aware and forgiving, particularly not in the circumstances in this book. (Trying hard to avoid spoilers here.)

The romance was very back burner, which is unfortunate because the "prince" was one of my favorite characters. Would have loved to see more of him.

I think overall this book tried to shoehorn a message of coming of age growth onto a character who didn't really need it and to get us to sympathize with the villain, because, well I am not sure why. Maybe I missed the why.

I would try this author again, because the writing was solid and I didn't want to stop reading it. I just hope for a better story next time.

Highly recommend this book. very interesting storyline, and interesting characters. found it difficult to put down which is when i know ive found a good book

This story of Tatum Elsea and the journey she goes on for a summer is a sweet story that sucked me in.
Tatum is in the wrong place at the wrong time and finds herself being arrested along with her best friend and her best friends delinquent boyfriend. Her parents are extremely disappointed in her decisions. They work with a lawyer to have her punishment lessened. So with a $500 fine and 100 hours of community service and her Stepmonster's house arrest rules at home, Tatum begins her summer. You will follow along as she learns to navigate the rules, starts her own business, pulls weeds in the park, makes new friends and crushes on a very handsome musician.
This book had all the good stuff that I enjoy in a Young Adult novel, friendship, new love, family turmoil/reconciliation and self discovery. This is an enjoyable read!

I loved this story! I've mentioned before that I really enjoy fairy tales and reading retold fairy tales. It Started With Goodbye is my very favorite kind of retelling, since it was a Cinderella story while being totally original too. I loved the characters and that Tatum isn't the only one we connect with. I highly recommend this one, since it was delightful and surprisingly deep. It also is clean, which can be hard to find in a YA title.
I look forward to reading more by Christina!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.