When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars).
The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.
Special thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. Going Vintage arrives in stores March 26th, 2013.
Going Vintage is definitely as fun and fabulous as its cover! In honor of the list that Mallory finds and all the lists she writes, I’ll be reviewing this book in “list” form.
Top Reasons I Enjoyed This Book
1. Ginnie
I adored Mallory’s sister, Ginnie, and wanted her for my best friend. Smart, hilarious, opinionated, “always right,” and protective and supportive of her family, Ginnie was one fabulous character! The chapters that featured a lot of Ginnie were my favorites.
2. The Lists
Each chapter begins with a short list about a topic Mallory’s thinking about, which I thought was very cute and fun.
3. Disneyland
Here’s something you should know about me: I love Disneyland. So I may have gotten super excited during the chapter where Mallory and her family are walking around “the happiest place on Earth.” (Conversations while on the Jungle Cruise! Lots of references to Disneyland rides!)
4. The Humor
I love all of the humor and all of the hilarious lines that Lindsey Leavitt puts into her books! Going Vintage had so many great, funny moments that if I didn’t have an ARC copy, I’d be flooding this review with quotes from the book.
5. The Ending
The conclusion that Mallory reaches, the confidence she gets, by the end of the book is such a great thing to see. I definitely liked seeing how independent and comfortable in her own skin Mallory was by the end of the book.
6. All the Vintage References
I loved seeing the pros and cons of going vintage. On one hand, there’s a hilarious scene where (in retaliation at Mallory trying to set Ginnie up on a date) Ginnie removes all the technology that wasn’t available 50 years ago from Mallory’s room and we wonder if we would be able to stay sane enough to go vintage. On the other hand, we also get to hear about so many great “vintage” things (and plenty of talk about vintage fashion)!
Cynical Cindy Says:
Honestly, I didn’t really like the first few chapters of Going Vintage. In fact, I read the first two chapters and then put the book down. However, after I did pick the book back up again (and after Mallory started really trying to “go vintage”) I enjoyed it. I couldn’t exactly connect to Mallory and wondered about a lot of her choices. I also definitely didn’t like what you found out Mallory’s mother has been doing, it seemed unnecessary and (in my opinion) like she got off too easily. But overall, Going Vintage was a fun read.
Extras
Here’s another cover for Going Vintage:
Which cover do you prefer?
Could you go vintage?
4 out of 5 teacups
