It Started with Goodbye (Book 1)
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It Started with Goodbye by Christina June is a young adult realistic fiction novel with a twist on a Cinderella inspired trope. Told from the first person point of view, Tatum Elsea is essentially on house arrest for the summer due to an unfortunate incident towards the end of her sophomore school year.
Chapter 1 opens with Tatum and her parents meeting her attorney to discuss her options and sentencing. She has a $500 fine and 100 hours of community service to complete before September 1st. Why? You might wonder. Tatum, trying to be a good friend to Ashlyn - her BFF since middle school, goes to the mall with Ashlyn and her sleazy boyfriend, Chase. Unbeknownst to both of them, Chase is stealing merchandise from the department store. They are quickly caught and since Tatum was driving the car she is considered an accomplice.
Despite Tatum’s attempts to explain her situation to her parents, it all falls on deaf ears for the summer. To make matters worse, Tatum’s father, who works for the State Department, is leaving for eight weeks to Africa. Meanwhile, Tatum is stuck under the dictatorship of her “stepmonster” Belén. Tatum also has a step-sister that she refers to as an ice princess who attends a prestigious high school and is enrolled in a prestigious summer dance program. Her one ally in her house this summer is Blanche, her step grandmother who comes to live with them while Tatum’s father is away.
Tatum’s world feels pretty much rock bottom at the start of the summer. Her one bright hope is that she starts a graphic design business at the prompting of a client who becomes friend, Abby, in the opening chapters of the story. Her logo is based on a keychain her dad gave her after the death of her mother. It is this keychain that she loses at her stepsister’s end of year school exhibit while talking to a mysterious young man interested in her opinion on selected artwork. She also leaves her business cards on a table that later brings her some additional clients for the summer.
In addition to her graphic design work to occupy her time outside of her community service work, she is pet sitting for a family that is away for the summer. However, Tatum is keeping a secret. Her stepmother actually believes she is babysitting the young girls. Tatum is hesitant to tell her the truth because the time in the house with the animals is her reprieve from the oppressive environment Belén has instituted at home.
As far as her community service endeavors go, she is helping to remove invasive plants with the local park authority. Fortunately, two friends from school are her working companions - Hunter, a musician and Abby, a budding journalist. As the readers find out early on, Abby is smitten on Hunter and her goal this summer is to spend more time with him. All their time together brings together an almost end of summer music festival in which Tatum creates the promotional materials and Abby is writing a feature story for the school newspaper. Of course, as it would happen - Abby and Hunter do end up together by the end of story.
In the midst of all this, Tatum is learning and growing as a character. Blanche, the visiting step grandmother, is really the “fairy godmother” in the story as she gives Tatum advice and insight as the one person in the house she can actually communicate openly with. This grandmother also gives her a special dress and pampering for the upcoming music festival.
While conducting her graphic design business, Tatum takes on her stepsister, Tilly, as client. This is unbeknownst to Tilly at the time when she emails Tatum’s business. This actually thaws the ice and closes the distance between the two of them as they are able to actually be more like sisters. In addition to the growing relationship with Tilly, there is a mysterious young musician - SK - who is emailing Tatum as she works on making a website for his college application process. By the end of the story, the readers learn that SK is the mysterious boy she met back at the beginning of the story and there is, of course, budding romance through their email exchange and when they finally meet at the music festival. He is her Prince Charming.
The story ends coming full circle with her father’s return, their reconciliation, a reconciliation with her friend Ashlyn who has been distant all summer, and ultimately a reconciliation with her stepmother as they both express their part in the failed relationship thus far. The story ends on a happy note full of hope.
Some noteworthy quotes/ points of interest:
On page 11, Tatum tells more about Ash’s boyfriend, Chase. Basically, how he is a high school dropout and “bad boy.” On page 13 there is a mention of “Ashlyn and Chase making out in the cell phone aisle.” And further in the paragraph, “I liked kissing as much as the next girl, but in the middle of a story, where anyone could walk by? No thanks.”
“I gave up trying to defend myself when my dad started using words like ‘disappointed,’ ‘unsafe,’ and ‘poor judgment.’ Hearing how I wasn’t living up to my potential stung. When he said it made him sad that I hadn’t come to him when I first realized by friend was dating someone I didn’t trust, my heart broke a little” (16)
On page 28-29 Tatum discusses the strictness of her home and Ashlyn’s father - who sends her away to a “private, girls-only school” after the event with the shoplifting.
In chapter 3 Tatum gives context for how her family came to be. Her mother left her “for the supposed better offer from her boy toy.” And “[She’d] always been told [her] mom had been a ‘free spirit’ and ‘her own person,’ which pretty much means she was selfish and decided being a wife and a parent weren’t for her anymore.” Belén and her father met on a dating site (35). On page 45 readers find out that her mother died in a car accident when she was seven years old.
On page 63 Tatum is describing the mysterious boy she meets at the exhibit. “The bright-green eyes were attached to a face with the most flawlessly perfect skin I’d ever seen.” She goes on to describe his look during their interactions as they discuss and critique art work.
On page 64, the boy uses the word “crap.”
In chapter 5 there is a discussion about Abby’s crush on Hunter. Tatum then tells Abby about the mysterious boy she met at the art exhibit.
When SK and Tatum start emailing there is mention of their flirting, but it is cute and harmless. Nothing is appropriate for readers.
The movie Carrie and The Shining are mentioned on page 111. At the end of the story, SK and Tatum are going on a date to watch Carrie in the theater.
On page 127 Tatum gives more context about her friendship with Ashlyn even though they are not speaking at the moment and she mentions a boyfriend she had in eighth grade for three weeks.
On page 160-161 Tatum fantasizes about a family vacation where she gets along well with her stepmother and stepsister. The purpose of this scene just shows how much Tatum really does want connection with her family - to understand and to be understood.
“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” (163).
On page 177, Blanche gives context about Belén and her upbringing. Belén struggled as a girl immigrating to the United States and dealt with bullying and a lack of confidence until she attended college.
“I knew Blanche was trying to get me to stop being so stubborn, and I guess deep down I agreed with her. Even I could brush away my righteous indignation to see it was possible that all of Belén’s rules for life came from a place of good intentions. Care for me and a desire to protect me” (183).
On page 192 Tatum realizes she can look SK up on the internet to see what he looks like, but she can’t find any pictures of him. She concludes, “My efforts thwarted, I reminded myself that the best things were worth waiting for. And, somehow, I knew that finally seeing SK’s face would be worth it. I could wait.”
As a Cinderella connection, Belén leaves Tatum a cleaning list that must be complete for her outing to the music concert. Fortunately, Tilly helps her so they can complete it in time to leave.
There is a joke made on page 222 that Abby should have given Hunter a “good luck kiss” before his performance.
On page 225-241 is the moment of realization of who SK really is (he is a member of Hunter’s band). He even plays a special song just for Tatum and then they go off to roast marshmallows and hold hands. There is a mention of him being the “hot” guy she met at the start of summer. There is a mention of their perfect hug and his kiss on her hand and head.
On page 250 Tatum wishes Seamus (SK) was there for her to kiss and on page 260 they do kiss and mention a middle of date and end of date kiss as well. Seamus is also a gentleman in the novel; it mentions him opening the doors for her to get in and out of the car, meeting her parents, and him dressed nicely. I appreciate the details to show young ladies how young men should act on a date.
“Whatever Belén, or my dad, or Tilly, or even Blanche said after this, I felt good I had gotten it out. Emptied my closet of all the skeleton I had collected over the last two-and-a-half months. I would probably sleep better than I had all summer” (253). This is a great reminder to readers of what confession does to the soul.
Overall, I really did enjoy this story and could not put it down. It is a story I know my niece will enjoy. It is a clean YA romance/realistic fiction novel. The characters are engaging, and I can definitely see teen girls who like this genre really enjoying the story. The romantic elements are not too much or inappropriate and as far as profanity goes - crap- is the only word. Additionally, the story has good themes about responsibility, considering situations from other people’s perspectives, and provides strong parental influences that are trying to guide and teach their children. Those same parents are also seen asking for forgiveness when they know they got it wrong in the way they handled a situation. There is much to like in the messaging of this novel. Furthermore, in doing a little digging on the author, I found two more books by her that utilizes the same characters from this novel, but include another “twist” on other fairy tale stories. I have added those to my reading list for Summer 2025, so keep an eye out for more from Christina June.
Everywhere You Want to Be (Book 2)
Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina June is the second in the companion series that begins with It Started With Goodbye. This book is told from the perspective of Tilly, Tatum’s stepsister from the first book. Tilly has graduated high school and is in New York City for the summer to be a part of a contemporary dance program hoping to get her one last chance at a permanent job with a dance company. Unbeknownst to her mom, Tilly has deferred Georgetown and is putting all her chips on the line. After a difficult senior year, Tilly has come to realize that there is only one thing she really wants to do in life: dance.
In New York City, Tilly is in a dorm with the other four dancers in her summer program. Charlotte is her roommate, Arden and Ella are two younger girls not quite finished with high school, and Sabrina - Tilly’s antagonist through most of the story. Fortunately, Tilly has an awesome roommate and when they are on one of the first outings in the city, Tilly accidentally runs into Paolo - a somewhat love interest from home that didn’t end on a good note. Because of this encounter, Tilly is not off to a good start emotionally in the city.
Backstory, Tilly broke her ankle in her senior year of high school on stairs. Thinking her dance career was over, Tilly has a lot of anger and disappointment to work through. At the time, Paolo is collateral damage as she pushes him away and ignores him. Seeing him again in NYC of all places is a shock to her system. However, Tilly is putting her life back together and also is determining what she wants her future to look like. With encouragement from Tatum and Charlotte, Tilly gets the courage to meet with Paolo and apologizes for the way she treated him. He accepts her apology and the two of them actually begin dating in the story. There are several references to their kisses and the electricity Tilly feels at his touch. Given that the characters are 18 and about to enter into the fall following their high school graduation, the details and interactions are fairly mild and clean. There isn’t anything beyond kissing and nothing sexual is mentioned.
If rigorous rehearsal and the drama and then development with Paolo wasn’t enough - Sabrina is set on destroying Tilly’s chance at a job offer at the end of summer. When given an opportunity, Sabrina sabotages Tilly. However, Tilly doesn’t just respond in kind. After doing a little digging on Sabrina’s past and overhearing a conversation with Sabrina and her mother, Tilly has compassion for Sabrina and her situation. Before the big performance, Sabrina reveals to Tilly that it has been Sabrina’s mother who has encouraged her to sabotage Tilly’s performance and chance at a job offer. There is a bit of reconciliation at the end as Tilly’s attempts to understand Sabrina and offer compassion instead of anger and retribution wins out.
Quotes/ Noteworthy Mentions:
On page 29, there is a reference to some discrimination Tilly faced (her mother is of Chilean descent) in dance based on her skin color.
The theme of the dance performance is slaying dragons. “‘We’re going to explore the idea of defeating the demons that keep us from living life to the fullest’” (37). “‘Sometimes the most beautiful lessons we can learn are from the people who lived with the biggest demons,’ Sage explained. ‘[...] But if we only live our lives paying attention to unicorns and rainbows, we miss out on all the stuff that makes us human’” (38).
A couple times in the story Charlotte says the universe is bringing Paolo and Tilly back together.
“‘Fight the thing that is fighting you.’ Sage looked pointed at me. ‘There’s a difference between being mad and pouting and being mad about something and deciding to change that something’” (70).
Charlotte does walk home alone in the dark a time or two in the story - page 79 is the first instance.
“I sighed. It seemed par for the course that now I would feel bad for her …empathize with the girl who was basically my nemesis. It was hard to dislike someone you knew was having a bit of a moment” (119).
On page 143 Tilly mentions wanting to kiss Paolo, but that the moment is not right.
On page 173-174 Tilly is again with Paolo on a train and is again wanting to kiss Paolo when an older man tells her to kiss him already. Fortunately, Paolo tells her she doesn’t have to. She does give him a kiss on the cheek. They do end up having their first kiss later that night alone in a flower shop.
Paolo makes a comment on page 179 about dreaming about Tilly. Her response, “No one had ever said such a thing to me. It was one thing to be friends with someone, and another thing entirely to be wanted by someone. Truly wanted in all the ways that made you feel alive.”
On page 202, Tilly asks Sage Oliver about an incident that really caused her to focus so much on team work. Sage proceeds to tell her about an event that occurred when she was in high school. She talks about a school production in which she was a sophomore and states “My girlfriend, who was a junior at the time, a gorgeous, talented girl, had the role of Swanhilda. Some of the senior dancers were jealous of her” and because of this jealousy she becomes anxious due to the relentless bullying. The girl then quit dance after her senior year and “we drifted apart, and last I heard, she was working as a flight attendant” (203). It is difficult on some level to discern if this is a romantic relationship or simply a friendship. There are no mentions of Sage’s life outside of her interactions with the dancers. This one mention can definitely be a note of caution for parents, and I encourage parents to look fully at page 202-203 to determine where they land on the mention. All the romantic relationships presented in the book between specific characters are appropriate male-female relationships.
On page 218 there is another mention of kissing Paolo and the stirring it makes Tilly feel.
On page 231 Paolo mentions being paid back in kisses for helping Tilly with a situation with her grandmother.
There is no profanity in this novel.
Overall, the story has good themes and messages about the importance of friendships and family, unity, hard work, considering perspectives of others, and forgiveness. Aside from the one odd mention by Sage Oliver, the choreographer, there really isn’t anything in the story that presents itself as awkward or unsavory. Of course, the lying between Tilly and her mother is not a good thing - so it is important to have conversations with younger readers so that they can share their thoughts and opinions with their parents. Just a final reminder to make a note of page 202-203.
No Place Like Here (Book 3)
Recommended Ages: 13+ (I would say 15/16+ - the main character is 17).
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No Place Like Here by Christina June is the third in a series that began with It Started with Goodbye. This book specifically follows Ashlyn and takes place during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school. As her junior year is coming to close, Ashlyn learns via social media that her father is on his way to jail for tax evasion. When she speaks with him, she also learns that her mother is going to a rehab facility to deal with her depression. Ashlyn’s summer is definitely not going to be the one she thought she was going to have, but it is definitely the one she needed.
As the story opens with some harsh realizations for Ashlyn, her controlling father makes sure that Ashlyn is cared for as he manages for her to stay with her uncle and aunt in Pennsylvania. Ashlyn’s older cousin Hannah is working for the summer at a local retreat center, and Ashlyn’s aunt has managed to get her a position there as well.
Ashlyn is a girl who has excelled academically and often enjoys indoor activities. Working at the retreat center on the heels of her parent’s departures is only one aspect of her troubles. Surviving the summer with people she really doesn’t know, in the great outdoors, and with a pressing concern of what her senior year of high school is going to look like is at the forefront of her mind.
In order to escape much of her trouble, Ashlyn, unfortunately, strikes up a bit of a romantic relationship with a young man also working at the retreat center - Marcus. One of the reasons I would recommend this book for older teens is due to a lot of kissing that takes place between Ashlyn and Marcus. It is clear to adult readers, not so sure for teen readers, that Marcus is not quite the good guy and that Ashlyn is trying to seek comfort and validation she doesn’t get from her father by quickly pursuing a physical relationship with Marcus to validate and distract her. Parents will be happy to know that nothing exceeds the scenes of kissing, but some of them are passionate and the characters do kiss quite a few times. As Ashlyn is growing and maturing during her summer experience, she does come to see Marcus for who he really is and she confronts him after finding him kissing another girl working at the retreat.
If one guy wasn’t enough, there is another young man who works at the retreat center - Baxter. Baxter is in charge of the ziplining course. He is a bit older, but friendly and encouraging to Ashlyn. There seems to be some sparks between them, but Ashlyn realizes that she can’t and shouldn’t jump into a relationship with him. That is something that should be pursued in a slow manner.
Aside from the boys, Ashlyn is the main helper to the new manager of the retreat - Deb. However, Deb makes quite a few mistakes that puts the lives of the visitors in jeopardy. Ashlyn begins to keep track of the errors and concerns. Along with her cousin Hannah, Ashlyn gets the courage to speak to the owner and make him aware of what has been happening during the summer. It ends well as the owner is grateful for their courage to speak up and reveal to him what has been happening. Ashlyn lacks self-confidence and this event helps bring some of her transformation full circle.
In the end, Ashlyn is thankful for the summer that has allowed her to grow, and she is committed to continue to grow, use her voice, and speak her mind with her parents - mainly that she wants to return home for her final year of high school.
Specific quotes/mentions:
Ashlyn’s father is extremely controlling and demanding of her. When speaking with her father on page 12 she says, “My chest tightened the way it always did when he criticized me. I wanted to tell my dad it was a very difficult time for all of us right now. Because of him. [...] But I said none of those things.”
On page 21, Ashlyn is describing her relationship with her mother. She shares how the two of them would never confront her father’s behavior. “I knew she worried about me, about us, but just like I had, she’d convinced herself that staying quiet was best for everyone.”
Use of the word hell on page 39, “If my life was going to hell in a handbasket, I’d look cute on the journey.”
Throughout the story, Ashlyn often hears her father’s voice criticizing her and the choices she is making.
“I was a good liar. I should be. I’d had enough practice telling my dad what he wanted to hear” (46).
On page 51, Ashlyn mentions a “father-shaped hole” in her life.
“And perhaps my track record with boys wasn’t amazing, but there was something magnetic about the promise of flirty banter. It had always been my favorite way to take my mind off…other things” (59).
“My father was the one who had taught me to watch people, find their weakness, and use it to your advantage. Such a great role model” (66).
On page 85, Ashlyn discusses kissing Marcus and how it makes her feel like she is in control.
In chapter 11, Baxter has to save Ashlyn on the zipline, but in order to do so he has to wrap his legs around her and use his arms to drag her back to the platform. There are a few descriptions of the embarrassment and awkwardness of the situation.
On page 118 there are mentions of Marcus and Ashlyn kissing again as he “back[s] [her] against a trunk and let[s] [her] kiss him senseless. It continues, “Afterward, when he went to the cafeteria and I to my cabin, I couldn’t help but notice that while the kissing was nice, the emptiness I’d been looking to fill was still there, and I felt exactly the same.”
There are moments where Ashlyn shares happy memories of her family from the past as she is trying to come to terms with what is going on in her life. Hannah, her cousin, challenges her quite often as she is also trying to make sense of how Ashlyn isn’t visibly angry or trying to fully separate herself from her family. She can’t understand that in spite of everything her father has done to her, that she still loves him.
On page 152, Ashlyn is kissing Marcus again.
In chapter 18, Baxter teaches Ashlyn how to ride a bike.
On page 179, Ashlyn gives Baxter a hug and realizes how strong he is and how good he smells.
“I hadn’t started kissing Marcus because I thought he would make a good boyfriend. [...] Whatever was in that kiss, even though it felt nice, was no longer what I wanted” (191).
“I’d had a purpose, making those plans. There wasn’t anyone pressuring me to win an award or be the best. I’d done it solely to make someone else feel good. Which made me feel good” (235).
The word “crap” is used on page 239 and “crappy” is used on page 244.
“My uncle had told me that’s why he does what he does. Not to make money. Not to build the biggest house or to hold the most power. To make others happy. I understood why it was so important to him. It was something I could definitely get behind” (263).
Ashlyn speaking of her dad says, “But I also didn’t want to damage the already cracked relationship. I reminded myself that this was a choice, my choice, and I’d rather repair it than tear it down” (281).
Overall, this story has great themes of friendship, family, bravery, an exploration of what matters most - and it is clear that money and appearances are not it. The story does also touch on some sensitive topics about relationships, depression, and emotional abuse. The story does end on a hopeful note with a bit of reconciliation between the parents and Ashlyn. There are plans moving forward to go to therapy and the parents are committed to staying together and working it out. It is a well-written story about the power of change, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
If readers have read the other books in the series, I would say this one is certainly fine to add to the list, but definitely would encourage parents to have a conversation with their readers about what was wrong with the relationship Ashlyn had with Marcus and the way she was choosing to handle her emotions. It is important to remind our readers to talk about their emotions with a parent or trusted mentor who can guide them in a Biblical manner.
