I absolutely loved this book! Tatum's story was witty, romantic, and in some regards, a soul-searching read. It takes a lot to know who you are and what you want to do when you grow up. Tatum manages to figure this out, start her own business, and prove those close to her wrong and help out others all in one go!

IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE BY CHRISTINA JUNE

There is no doubt that this is a modern retelling of the fairytale Cinderella. Except our protagonist Tatum is definitely no shrinking violet. Although at times she thinks of herself in the club of missed opportunities club. This was a feeling good type of read. No matter how dismissive her step-mother and step-sister were of her, Tatum responded with spunk and a much wiser soul and self acceptance than her 16 years. Tatum was in the wrong place at the wrong time with her BFF and her BFF's boyfriend who stole a few Iphones. Tatum receives a misdemeanor a fine and community service for not knowing she was driving the getaway car.

Her step-mother and travelling father further punish her by putting her on house arrest for the summer. So begins Tatum's community service of pulling weeds of Ivy and honeysuckle from one of Virginia's larger parks. Tatum does not for a minute feel sorry for herself for her circumstances and always makes the best of her situations. She is talented and develops website building and graphic design. Her fairy Godmother relationship is borne out of her ice queen of a stepmother's mother who is always fair and positive and seeks Tatum's company while she is supposed to be visiting for the summer to help keep an eye on Tatum. Tatum and her step-grandmother were my two favorite main characters along with a host of background characters who Tatum deals with from her day to day experiences.

This novel is brimming with snappy dialogue which makes for a fast beach read or just pure delightful reading. This is really a Young Adult genre that readers of all ages can enjoy. Self actualization, a young romance, rising above adversity with a positive outlook, creativity in the arts and the Chilean culture and family redemption are all wonderfully explored in this cosy debut novel. It hit the spot with it's hot sunshine as a back drop during an old fashioned, short lived New England blizzard. Cheers! I hope you get as much enjoyment and take a few hours to curl up with a novel that is sure to inspire you.

Thank You to Net Galley, Christina June and Blink Publishing for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It Started With Goodbye is an interesting book about love and loss, growing pains and friendships! It is, in all of its pages, a real teen contemparary read. Most part of the book were predictable, especially when it came to love and friendships. The most entertaining part of this book had to be the family dynamic and the overall main character, I thought it was interesting how she had her own online graphic designing buisness. The reason that I gave this book three stars is because of the fact that it is predictable and not as entertaining as many of the books that I have read this year. Not to say that some parts of the book were not enjoyable, but for the most part the book had some dry points that read more like a middle grade book.

So this book follows, a 16 year old girl who was caught up in the wrong situation at the wrong time and ends up under house arrest for the summer. Tatum, a girl who is a creative free spirit is now spending her days at community service, has a best friend who hates her and was sent to boarding school and a father overseas dealing with work and not her. Tatum is alone and this is where the story really begins.

But not only that, Tatum decides to begin her own designing company where she begins to get clients looking for her to do work for them. It’s from there that she starts to talk to a guy called SK, their emails and messages to one another become less client based and more friendly.

One of the great things about this book are all the characters and their individual storylines. Starting with Tatum, she had an incredible voice and a really likeable attitude. Although she allowed herself to be upset with the numerous things that had gone wrong in her life, she was funny and sarcastic like a teenager should be and she made a great main character. I loved how Tatum’s stepfamily really grew on you throughout the book despite the dislike that Tatum had towards most of them at the beginning. I loved Tilly (Tatum’s step-sister) and all of her own secrets, the way that she developed into a character who was so unlike the one you were introduced to.

Then came all the new friendships that Tatum was able to make. Abby , Hunter and his band. I loved the way that Tatum let herself accept the people in her life that wanted to be there for her and even if her Dad was distant and tough-loving she didn’t let that get in the way of any of her other relations. Finally came SK, who through the emails and messages that he wrote, sounded like an amazing guy The conversations he and Tatum had were funny and gripping, mostly just had a good time reading them. One of my favourite parts of this book was definitely the emails and messages that were sent and received. Whether it was to SK, Ash or her Dad I loved reading how she related to people through words.

This was a really beautiful coming of age story. The writing was amazing and heartfelt and the whole story was genuinely moving. The characters were all so relatable and everything pieced together really well. I definitely do recommend it to everyone. Look out for it when its released on May 9th and I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

What a great debut young author book!!  

Sixteen year old Tatum couldn't have started her summer vacation out any worse.  She was arrested for shoplifting except she didn't commit the crime.  Her best friend's new boyfriend did.  And now her best friend is mad at her to boot and won't talk to her.  Tatum has to perform community service and pay a large fine which her dad and stepmom have made clear she is paying for out of her own pocket.  Tatum is grounded except for when she goes to work.  Her dad goes away on a business trip before their relationship can be smoothed over and leaves Tatum under the very watchful eye of her overbearing stepmom.  It has all the makings of the worst summer ever.  

I just adored Tatum.  I really felt like like I was 16 again.  That feeling that nobody understands or takes you serious.  The isolation when you are in a fight with your best friend.   The teenage angst was strong with this one.  In fact, all the teenage characters were very realistic.  The dialogue was witty and entertaining.  All in all this was a quick, fun read.  

I also thought it was cool how there was a Cinderella theme to the book but with a modern twist.  There is the overbearing stepmom and the annoyingly perfect stepsister (both of which Tatum has very little relationship with other than they live in the same house).  Then you have the dad that goes away leaving Tatum to be taken care of by her stepmom.  I did appreciate how the stepmom is kept realistic and isn't over the top cruel or evil.  Just very rigid.   There is also a grandmother that comes to help out who acts like a fairy godmother.  And of course there is a "prince" but that is not the central theme.  

My only complaint came at the end.  Everything tied up just a little too perfectly.  There might as well have been a big fat bow at the end.  

***Advanced copy obtained from Blink via Netgalley****

It Started With Goodbye is a contemporary Cinderella retelling. I personally love fairytales retellings, and that paired with all the buzz that I’ve been seeing around this book, my expectations going into it were high. Maybe that was my mistake. Because I probably would have enjoyed the book more than I actually did.

It tells the story of Tatum Elsea, a sixteen-year-old girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up arrested for a it. And because of that she lost everything dear to her; her best friend was sent to boarding school, she was put in house arrest by her family to follow her step-mother Belén’s rules for the summer, and on top of that, she had to go to community service as her punishment.

After the misunderstanding, and with the incentive of her new friend Abby, she decides to open a graphic design business to earn enough money to pay off her fee for the incident and for a new tablet. But she keep it a secret, only telling her step-grandmother Blanche about it, afraid her step-mother wouldn’t be as encouraging of her plans.

Tatum was an amusing character, I didn’t hate her or love her but she did hold my sympathy and interest. I liked that she wasn’t annoying to me like a lot of protagonists are, I felt for her and I enjoyed seeing her development through the book.

Belén was a character that I just couldn’t swallow, I mean I guess that was the point with her being the ‘evil step-mother’, but honestly even at the end I still hated her. Tilly is a different story completely though, I absolutely loved her, she’s such an interesting character and I wanted to know and see more and more of her. Blanche was fun, it was a good addition to it all but I didn’t really feel much towards her. And same with her father, he was irrelevant to me, I wish he would defend her more instead of treating her like a criminal.

Seamus Kipsang aka SK, I actually really liked him, he was fun and charismatic, and there wasn’t nearly enough about him in this book, when I got to the end I was dying for more of him and his interactions with Tate, in real life this time. Although, ‘we met online first’ is absolutely one of my favorite tropes so I just wanted more out of it.

Ashlyn was horrible, I didn’t like her and no matter what happened the way she acted wasn’t okay at all. Abby and Hunter were incredible though. I loved their friendship with Tatum and how it developed. It was so sweet and pleasing. I also completely adore them together as a couple and would totally read a book about them. Hint hint.

Overall, this was a nice and quick read and I would definitely recommend it if you’re feeling up for a cute summery story.

Full review to come!

3.5

It started with goodbye started really, really slow for me. So slow, that I almost did not keep reading. Which is rare for me. I looked at all the 4 star reviews and scratched my head - what was I missing? So I kept at it. Then this book began to grow on me. It found it's stride or perhaps I found mine while reading this book. It started with Goodbye - this modern take on Cinderella - slowly grabbed my attention. Although it did start slow for me, it did build and became a cute, enjoyable read. This book is most likely going to appeal more to the YA crowd.

Sixteen year old Tatum Elsea is out with her best friend and her boyfriend when things go wrong. She is waiting for them in the car when they jump in the back and things turn horribly wrong. Tatum is falsely accused of a crime and her father and step - mother do not believe her and she is basically placed under their house arrest and assigned community service. This all goes down right before her father goes out of town on business. I did find it strange that her father and step Mother really didn't listen to Tatum and her version of events. They were quick to be her judge and jury. How sad to be falsely accused and not have anyone believe you or even give you a chance to tell your side of the story.

Tatum is a typical teenager but with mad design skills. She is quirky, sullen, secretive, funny, and believable. To earn money she has started her own web design business and takes on clients. She is also pet sitting at night while doing her community service during the day. Along the way, she is given some insight from Blanche, her step-Mother's Mother. Blanche is wise, fun and likable while her daughter comes off as severe, harsh, stiff, and unlikable.

Tatum also meets a young man and he unknowingly becomes one of her clients and after some cute correspondence they realize that they have met before. He is essence her prince.

As I mention, this is a re-telling of the Cinderella story but with modern issues. While Cinderella was more about finding your prince, It started with Goodbye was about growth, family relationships, friendship and young love. I liked how Tatum grew over the summer and accepted responsibility for some of her actions.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, although I didn't find it amazing. I liked the writing but I thought the plot was a little lacking. But I overall enjoyed it.

A sweet if somewhat predictable summer story. The title only vaguely relates to the plot,  and it's too reminiscent of the Sarah Dessen comparisons

Tate is entering the worst summer of her life, just before her junior year. She is under her "stepmonster's" house arrest, she has hours of community service to complete in the sweltering heat, and is physically separated from her best friend and father.  To make matters worse (or maybe better), Tate's babysitting job has been cancelled. However, with Blanche, Tate's step-grandmother, Tate finds a friend and sage. Additionally, Tate's new business client has created a life-line of sorts with the outside world. Where will this lead?

A good read about making relationships work and self-reflection.

At the end of her school year, 16 year old Tatum finds herself the unknowing getaway driver for her best friend's dropkick boyfriend as he steals a whole bunch of goods from a retail store. Tatum is arrested as an accessory, and is required to do community service, while her best friend refuses to speak to her and her parents decide she can't be trusted and essentially put her under house arrest for the summer. And so we follow Tatum over the summer as she discovers more about herself and those around her through her fresh eyes.

Tatum is a great character. She has a realistic teenage voice and is someone you'd like to be friends with. I also thought that all of the characters were quite well written and this was a nice coming-of-age story.
What I didn't buy was that her parents would punish her consistently for her role in the robbery. All she did was drive to a store, buy a few things, and drive her friend and boyfriend from the store , with absolutely no knowledge of what the boyfriend had done. This is not a spoiler because we are given this information at the very start of the book. The best we get from the parents is that she should have somehow "known better" or talked to someone about her concerns the boyfriend was a drop kick (she never suspected him of being a criminal). I also don't buy that she would be arrested whereas her best friend would have charges dropped, and worse, that the said best friend wouldn't talk to Tatum anymore because she was honest with the Police. 
It is very difficult to get past this when it is basically the premise of the book and I'm reading it, but not believing it. So for that reason this is a 3.5 star, rather than a 4 star book.
I would still recommend this to fans of Contemporary YA, and I look forward to reading more from Christina June in the future.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 
When Tatum was arrested as an accessory to a crime, she was unable to convince her family of her innocence. Her father and step-mother sentenced her a summer long grounding in addition to the fine and 100 hours of community service she earned courtesy of the Commonwealth. She lost her freedom. She lost her best friend. Worst of all, she lost the trust of her family. The summer began under a grey cloud, but Tatum was determined to atone for her discretions, and earn back the trust from those she loves. 

My reaction at the end of this book:
*So sweet!*

I can honestly say, that this book charmed the pants off of me. I have an affinity for books like these, where the protagonist embarks on a journey to self discovery, and also where the author ties things up so nicely. 

With all the extra time on her hands, Tatum began to take a look inward. She had definitely suffered some setbacks in her 16 years, which left her with some open wounds, but during this summer of imprisonment, she was able to find the girl, who was always there. She was smart, witty, talented, giving, and loyal. I really enjoyed getting to know the Tatum that was just waiting to be discovered, because she was a wonderful young woman. 

I am all about the characters when I read a book, and June gave us some great ones to fall in love with in It Started with Goodbye. Other standouts for me, aside from Tatum, were: Abby, SK, and Blanche. Abby was a fantastic example of the type of friend everyone should have. She backed Tatum up, supported her in her endeavors, encouraged her to grow and try new things. She was definitely a friend I would want in my corner. And then there was Blanche, who was an awesome step-abuela. She was so many things for Tatum. She was a calm in the storm, when things were getting really tense at home. She was a voice of reason, when Tatum could only see her own side of things. She was love and support and exactly what you want in a grandma. I just found her delightful. Finally, there was SK. *heart-eyes* You may be able to tell, that SK was the love interest, and he was perfect. This romance played out predominately online through emails. I always find that approach sort of fun, and it was fun and cute in this book too. The things he said, the way he said them, it was all so endearing and sweet. I swear! I may have gotten my first cavity. 

One thing, which took center stage, was Tatum's relationships. When this story began, Tatum was feeling disconnected from her step-mother and step-sister. She was also reeling from losing the only friend she thought she had, Ashlyn, and losing her father's trust. There is so much to say with respect to how June handled all these things. She showed that there are two sides to every story, and that sometimes one needs to look at things from a different perspective. She also showed how anything worth keeping, is worth fighting for, and the best things do not come easily. It was beautiful how June had Tatum fighting for her relationships. It was rocky road to redemption, but Tatum kept at it, and was a winner in the end. 

From the blurb, I learned that this is a Cinderella retelling. What I like most about modernized retellings, is trying to find the original story elements present in the book. It was fun looking for all the analogs, and I really liked how June adapted the idea of Cinderella's story. I am a lighter-fare fangirl. Once upon a time, I liked those soul crushing stories, but now that I am older, I am more about the fun, the fluffy, and the HEA. June gave us the "evil" step-mother and step-sister, absentation of the parent, a fairy godmother, and even a prince charming, but it never really went to that dark place like in the original story, and I was ok with that. 

Overall: A delightful Cinderella-esque story, filled with charming and down-to-earth characters, which left me with miles of smiles.

First things first: I loved reading this book! I actually started yesterday in the middle of the night, and even though I was tired, I still wanted to read it. Usually, if I'm tired, I get bored with the book pretty easily and just continue reading the next day. But not this book. I can't exactly put my finger on it. Maybe it was the tone, or the arts component of the book, implementing visual arts, ballet, contemporary dance as well as classical and popular music. It could be that I related to Tatum and always wanted the best for her, or the fact that there was always something to look forward to when reading the book. It could have been all of those things! Overall, for me, this book was unputdownable! Plus, everything I wanted to happen occurred in the end, which is really satisfying in a book. Most of the time, I might get some sort of resolution but it isn't fully realized. Or I'd have questions about certain issues that were left unanswered in the book. I really like how It Started With Goodbye ties up all the loose ends nicely. The only thing I'm wondering after reading this book is why it is called It Started With Goodbye. Seriously, if any of you know why, please let me know! 

Character-wise, I thought that everyone was okay. No one really stood out to me as boring, but there were some flat characters, mainly because the focus is on our protagonist, Tatum, and her family. The relationships between Tatum, Tilly (Tatum's stepsister), and Belén (Tilly's mom and Tatum's stepmother) was interesting to read about. I love how it started off complicated but by the end, they were opening up to each other and to new possibilities. It goes to show that if you  can't expect progress if you don't try to change the narrative.I think that Tatum learns that lesson this summer. She could have just given up on people in general after being accused of a crime she didn't commit, but she keeps on going and actually tries to make things better. It doesn't always turn out the way she wanted, but at least she tried, I'll give her that.  ;) 

Well, that's all I have to say about It Started With Goodbye by Christina June! It was a really great read and I'm so happy that NetGalley granted my wish! I recommend this to anyone whose interested in reading about the arts as well as a contemporary novel concerning family. It Started With Goodbye comes out on May 9th, 2017 for anyone whose interested!

It Started With Goodbye is the YA debut novel of Christina June. It tells the story of 16 year old Tatum who gets caught up in her best friend's ill advised relationship and its disastrous outcome for both Tatum and her friend.  As Tatum picks up the pieces from the experience she has to navigate the relationships in her family including her rigid stepmother and cold stepsister.

I feel bad being one of the dissenting voices about the novel, but to me it seemed very average. Tatum is likeable as a character but not memorable. The plot is one that has been done before so nothing that happens in the book is a surprise. All of the relationship issues (friends, family & romantic) are solved neatly in the last few pages. It's a perfectly good beach or weekend read, but to me it's one that will be forgotten within a few weeks.   I think it's a fine debut for a first YA novel and look forward to seeing how Christina June grows as a writer. 

Thank you, Netgalley, for sending me an ARC of this book  in exchange for an honest review.

Tatum started of the summer in a very bad place, by being arrested for something she didn't do. But her BFF blamed her and they lost touch for a while. During the summer punishments that Tatum parents gave she found out who she is and what she loves, by making mistakes and learning from them one step at a time.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was relatable. I connected with the main character and thought that the development of her character was done extremely well from the beginning of the book through to the end. I enjoyed the love interest for most of the book but did find it a bit too insta-lovey In the end. The Cinderella retelling has been done a time or two but I still thought it was executed well. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute Summer read. 

Also absolutely loved this passage : 

"I cried for the girl whose voice remained unheard, who did her best to be good but didn't always get it right. I cried for the girl constantly trying to forge a connection, to find someone who took her at face value and didn't ask her to be something she wasn't. I cried for the doors that had closed and cried for the ones that might never open. I cried out of want, out of thirst for something nameless, my heart beating itself into a frenzy..."

An enjoyable modern retelling of Cinderella

Christina June is a new author to me, but when I saw the cover of this book featured on NetGalley I crossed my fingers they would send me a copy.  I received an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.  

I had zero expectations going into this book.  The only thing I new about the book was it was going to be somewhat gloomy according to the blurb written on the cover, “Not all stories begin with once upon a time.”

The protagonist Tatum Elsea is a sixteen-year old girl who was falsely accused of a crime committed by her best friend and her best friend’s boy friend.   While Tatum’s father is away all summer in Africa for work, Tatum’s penalty for her involvement is house arrest under the strict supervision of Belen, her stepmother and Blanche, her step grandmother (aka Tatum’s fairy godmother). Tatum is only allowed to leave the house for community service and “babysitting” duties.  When she is out of the house Tatum fills her days doing community service for the Parks Department and in the evenings she is at the neighbors pet sitting a fish, hamster, and a cat while also secretly setting up her new graphic design business.  The evenings spent babysitting is a lie to her stepmother so Tatum can be away from her and the house.  While working on her business at the neighbors she meets online a potential client named SK also known as her Prince Charming.  By the end of the summer, Tatum discovers that making a fresh start and forgiveness with family and friends is more important then holding on to grudges.

I truly enjoyed the story mostly because how realistic Tatum is as a character.    I was able to relate to everything she was going through as a sixteen year old.  She was both confident in her abilities as a graphic designer but also lacked self-esteem like all teenagers do.  Tatum’s lack of self- esteem is obvious to the reader because she questions every decision she makes and you totally hate the stepmother because Tatum’s esteem issues stem from her cold treatment.   I also loved how this was a contemporary retelling of Cinderella.   There are three things though that didn’t work for me in this story.  The first thing is I don’t understand how the title of this book, It Started with Goodbye ties in with the story.  Is it Tatum’s goodbye to freedom, goodbye to summer, goodbye to holding grudges, goodbye to her father or goodbye to something I have entirely missed from the story?  The second thing I struggled with was there was absolutely no background as to why Tatum’s stepmother was so emotionally cruel to her.  You have to leap to the assumption that all stepmothers are cruel.   There was an attempt by the step-grandmother to explain her daughter’s strict behavior based on her teen/young adult years but for me it didn’t really connect to her treatment towards Tatum.  I kept expecting there to be some very minor infraction long ago that Tatum did to disobey which resulted in her step-mother holding this unreasonable grudge against her.  The third and last thing that I found difficult in the story was there some transition issue from scene to scene.  One particular area was about 34% in.  In this scene, Tatum is in her own house talking to her step-grandmother about her graphic design business.  But then the very next paragraph she is in a pink fairy themed bedroom talking to Mr. Blue, a fish in an aquarium.  I was completely lost as to where Tatum was and why she was talking to a fish.   The next page you learn she is at the neighbor’s house taking care of the pets.  It was very confusing and all it needed was a few sentences in the first part of that paragraph to stage the scene.

It Started with Goodbye is a sweet and touching story.  There is no bad language or violence.  This book is categorized under YA/teen fiction and YA/teen romance but there are very little romance elements to this book.

This had a Cinderella retelling feel to it. I loved how strong the main character is. She starts her own business, sticks up for herself, and keeps fighting when it seems everyone is against her. The book starts with Tatum being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is arrested but later cleared of all charges in helping in a robbery. However, now her step mom has her confined to the house with strict rules of who she can see and where she can go. The characters in this book are amazing and I totally disliked the step mom which of course is the point of her character. I found myself cheering for Tatum the whole time. Highly recommend this fun fairy tale read.

I have a new favourite, and soon you’ll have one too!

If you love fairytales, give this Cinderella retelling a try and you won’t regret it.

This book was everything, the perfect combination of great writing style, strong and loveable characters and great plot.

I enjoyed reading Tatum’s story, and her voice was young and endearing from the beginning. She was a very realistic and vibrant character, and she managed to make the whole story charming and fascinating, despite the somehow heavy subject it started with.

The plot was adorable, it read very easily, I think this book will be perfect for Spring and Summer and I already want to read it again!

I loved, loved, loved it !