Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: 3/26/2013
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About the Book: After Mallory discovers that her boyfriend has cheated on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides she's had enough of technology. She finds a list her grandmother made in the 1960s of five goals to accomplish in high school and Mallory decides she's going to try her hand at the list-and hopes it will help her get back to a simpler time and get over her ex. With a list made up of things like sew a homecoming dress (Mallory can't sew!) and run for pep club secretary (what exactly is pep club?) Mallory finds that being a teenager can be complicated, no matter what decade you're in.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Five Things I Loved About Going Vintage
1. Mallory makes list-I love lists-we're so totally kindred spirits! :)
2. Ginnie, Mallory's sister, is awesome and hilarious.
3. Mallory's quest to go vintage and find herself is inspiring and heartwarming and very funny.
4. Family secrets always make for a great read.
5. Oliver Kimball-he's just so hipster cute and totally crushworthy
Don't be fooled by the cover of Going Vintage (as great as it is!) This is much more than a fluffy read. It's a heartwarming and hilarious read about one girl's search to figure out who she really is. Lindsey Leavitt has a great way of mixing the cute fluff story with something deeper and it makes for a great read.
Mallory is trying to discover who she is after spending the past year with her boyfriend Jeremy. When Oliver poses the question about what Mallory's things are, she realizes she's become one of those girls-the girls that give up any interests they might have only to throw themselves into everything their boyfriend loves. Without Jeremy around, Mallory must discover who she is on her own-and it's not going to be easy. Mallory thinks life in the 60s had to much simpler-I mean, no technology, right? Mallory's quest to complete her list is encouraging and I liked following along with her as she tried to complete her various tasks. This is not just the story of Mallory and her lists. It's also a story about family secrets and learning other people's stories.
As fun as the whole book is, there were a couple of things though that made the book really stand out to me. The first was the subject of emotional cheating. Jeremy emotionally cheats on Mallory with his "wife" in a Second Life type alternate universe game. I love the exploration of emotional cheating in this novel and the look at the fact that there are various types of cheating-and emotional cheating hurts. The other thing that stood out to me was Mallory's thoughts on giving up technology. At first she has a hard time with it, but she makes observations about how talking on the phone becomes more special than just sending a short message online or a text. Instead of spending time goofing around online, she has to seek out things to do. It was an interesting look at how our social relationships are so very determined by technology and sometimes we take a step back and have a face to face conversation.
There's a bit of a romance, but it's also wonderfully well done and I love that it's also a story about Mallory learning to be on her own. I can't wait to recommend this one to my teens. Great for readers looking for a touch of romance and lots of humor.
Book Pairings: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Oliver reminded me a bit of Owen), Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald (for finding your independence and getting over your first love), Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (for the romance)
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC on Netgalley
I'm excited to read this novel. It looks super cute. I'm glad that Mallory is trying to find out who she truly is without defining herself by what some guy likes.
ReplyDeletei think this is definitely my next book -- looks super cute. ~daphne
ReplyDeleteI have to have this book. Love the premise. Thanks for your review.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book that I need to check out right away. Thanks for the great review! Also loved the trailer!
ReplyDeleteI liked this book and am really appreciating your point about emotional cheating. I saw it while reading this book but didn't consider it as deeply as I think I ought to have.
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