This (very) loose retelling of Red Riding Hood is a heartwarming follow-up to June’s debut novel and features some familiar faces as well a new batch of characters. The diverse mix of cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds lends dimension and authenticity to Tilly’s pursuit of her passion. In the process, June immerses readers in the world of dance and leaves even those with two left feet wanting to sign up for classes. This exploration of relationships – the struggles, dynamics and triumphs experienced by a small troupe – expands beyond the dancers to delve into the subtle (and not so subtle) intricacies of friendship, romance, and family. At the same time, the combination of contemporary dance and New York City leaves room for a lot of fun! (And the hot drummer doesn’t hurt either.) Perfect for fans of Kasie West and Miranda Kenneally, this compelling novel inspires you to chase your dreams!

first appeared on RT Book Reviews, May 2018 / TOP PICK

Even though this book was listed as a YA - I highly recommend it for everyone!! I did not read her prior book - but it didn't matter. This book is a stand alone!! Perfect combination of romance, friendship and completely heart warming!!

Labeled as a retelling of Red Riding Hood, Everywhere You Want to Be goes deeper with life lessons that hit home and should be taken to heart.

After a serious injury takes Matilda Castillo away from her dream of becoming a dancer for a year, she is afraid all hope of achieving her dream is lost. But when a once in a lifetime chance comes her way, she jumps at it. She has been offered the opportunity to spend the summer in New York and perform. She has already made a commitment to go to Georgetown in the fall and doesn’t want to disappoint her mother but also knows she can’t pass up the chance to finally chase down her dream. Her grandmother has given her a pair of bright red sunglasses as good luck and she uses them to help her launch herself into her new career. Day one finds her making herself a target as the one to beat and Sabrina Wolfrik is intent on doing everything she can to stop her competition. Matilda also has a second chance at love when the boy she lost her chance with is in the city for the summer and willing to give them another shot. Not only is Tilly’s future with dance on the line, but also much more, and she is going to give her all to make her dreams come true.

For me, the best thing about this novel was the lessons taught. I loved how June brought bullying into light but in such a different way than would be expected. Tilly was able to show that even though it might be hard, being the bigger, better person always pays off in the end. She had some tough choices to make but showed how it can still be done. Her interactions with Charlotte and Paolo were well played out, as well as the dynamic between her and her family. The teenage years are hard with many life decisions that need to be made and learning to deal with what comes your way can be very difficult. I loved the way the story line with Sabrina played out. Very different than I would have first expected, but still very natural. I recommend this book especially for teenage readers, they will gain a lot from what is written on the pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A subtle retelling of red riding hood this book captured my attention completely. I love tilly and really felt the emotions as she experienced them. I received this ARC for an honest review!

Book never fully caught my attention. I wanted to love it, but i couldnt relate to the main character, and I just wasn't interested in her story. However, writing was good, and author seemed to really enjoy Tilly and her story.

clicked on this YA contemporary fiction ARC for the Red Riding Hood retelling label and I stuck around for the incredible female friendships that Tilly has with her roommate, Charlotte and stepsister, Tatum and also for the world of contemporary dance. As an aside, when I owned a television I spent a couple of summers totally obsessed with SYTYCD USA & SYTYCDCanada. So many great routines, but it was the contemporary dance routines that were my absolute favorite. I have so many students that have been and are dancers and I see so much of them in Tilly and her classmates. Dance is blood, sweat, and tearsand I loved that the author explores how hardworking and passionate a person must be to navigate the dance world.

Although there is some conflict between Tilly and a fellow dancer, I absolutely am thrilled that Tilly continuously tried to make headway with Sabrina rather than resort to being a mean girl. There is also conflict with a love interest of Tilly's, but this might have been the only area of the story I was a bit ho-hum about. I guess it's a given that Tilly must have boy troubles, but IMHO the story had tons of meat without him. The third of the conflicts is between Tilly, her mother, and the future each sees for Tilly. So relatable because so many of us (me definitely) have been there and it developed and resolved in a fantastic way.

So if you're a parent, educator, or teen looking for a book with a mature female protagonist that is passionate about what she sees in her future and the work ethic to achieve it, look no further than Everywhere You Want to Be

The world has been inundated with coming of age stories, but this book is one that brings something new to the table. Telling the story of Tilly an aspiring dancer recovering from an injury that could have ended her career and her last ditch effort to become a professional dancer with a summer in New York before she is supposed to start University.

This story avoided so many of the stereotypes that I was scared that this book would fall into including girl drama and boy problems. I felt that the book was very engaging and entertaining and something that had both lessons for the main character as well as growth. Overall, this book is a great story for those wondering what to do with their lives, those starting something new, and those who want to remember what those years were like.

Last year, I read Christina June's debut novel, It Started with Goodbye, and could not get enough of it. I'm still recommending it all the time. I feel the same way about Everywhere You Want to Be. In fact, it's possible that I love it even more! Christina managed to make me laugh and cry several times. I also was smiling a lot and nodding in sympathy with Tilly.

I loved seeing New York City through Tilly's eyes. It made the city feel even more exciting than it already is. The whole dance aspect reminded me of a cross between Fame and A Chorus Line. My only concern was that teenage girls were randomly walking around the city at night, sometimes by themselves. I ended up worrying for their safety.

There were times when I was reading the story and it would reference something I had recently said or did. I thought the psychic connection there was funny. (For instance, I had a piece of banana bread one morning and then a moment later, I was reading about Tilly baking banana bread.)

Overall, I just loved this book so much and didn't even mind that it wrapped up neatly. I am excited to hear that there will be a third in this series. I hope there will eventually be a book about Sabrina, as I want to hear more of her story. Everywhere can be read as a stand-alone, but there are spoilers for <It Started with Goodbye, in case you were planning to read that one too. (And you totally should!)

Dream cast (some were chosen for It Started with Goodbye and some may be spoilers for that book)
Tilly: Lilimar
Paolo: Caleb McClure
Charlotte: Tiffany Espensen
Sabrina: Zoé De Grand Maison
Tatum: Rowan Blanchard
Seamus: Jordan Fisher
Sage: Renee Props
Belen: Patricia Velasquez
Blanche: Liz Torres

I don't know where to start with this book because I just love it that much. I read It Started With Goodbye and enjoyed it; was one of my favorite reads of 2017. But this one blow past that one. I don't know if it was because it's based around dance, I love anything to do with dance. Or because of the lead character passion. Or because I already know a bit about this world & characters because of her other book. I just found that Christina's writing had grown in this book, the pacing and characters are perfect.

The lead, Matilda Castillo aka Tilly, is a girl who's following her dreams. Even when it could get her in trouble with her Mom. For me, I love that she's overcome an injury still has the passion and drive to go for her dreams. It inspires me to want to keep going after mine.

The way the New York and the city plays into the book is neat. I always enjoy books more with the characters' environment plays into the story.

I enjoy the balance of different relationships from new roommates, stepsisters, to mother & daughters, grandmother, to her and Paolo. Just a nice mix, that fit together nicely.

I love how this book it is woven together with It Started With Goodbye. I love that you can read these books as stand-alone or together. With that said, I think this will be one of my favorite reads of 2018. This book just warmed my heart.

This is a really smart book. Entertaining? Of course, but above that it's a clever take on the Red Riding Hood story with a smart writing style, plot and characters. Tilly is driven and determined, but she doesn't think about her actions and it could have been so easy to make her naive and separated from the world. Instead this book showed the path's she could take an intriguing and exciting, and it was easy to see why she would go down those paths. This book shows how intoxicating freedom can be and the values of being weary, but not suspicious or naive.

I couldn't put this book down! Matilda (Tilly) Castillo has temporarily moved to New York for the summer to partake in a contemporary dance competition led by a famous dancer, with dreams of making a career out of dancing. The problem is that Tilly's mom is expecting her to attend Georgetown in the fall. Full of drama between her new nemesis and dance teammate Sabrina and love she never expected to find, Everywhere You Want to Be is a true winner!