Review: Going Vintage

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Genre: YA

4 Stars

Goodreads Says: 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 in1962, 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.

I was immediately drawn to this book where the protagonist catches her boyfriend cheating and her way of “dealing” is to try to go back to a simpler time.  She vows to stay away from any type of technology, get back to the basics and re-discovers what really matters.

Going Vintage, was such a light and FUN read.  I loved the concept and the execution. All of the characters felt real especially their reactions and interactions. They were simply likable and as a reader I wanted to get to know them all.

I found that I related to this story in so many ways. To name a few…

1.        I grew up always listening to my parents reminisce about their awesome childhood in Puerto Rico. The friends they had, the salsa concerts they would attend, the prom, the crazy stuff my dad and his friends would get into.  They always said how different times were back then. People would hitchhike all the time without worrying about getting murdered. People helped each other all the time. People lived a carefree life and just wanted to be happy. It’s not to say that bad things didn’t happen or that there weren’t times of sadness. Simply put, there was more good than bad. Listening to these stories coupled with my own wonderful summers spent in Puerto Rico, I could totally appreciate wanting to be in a different place and a different time.  

2.       Just like Mallory, I gave up on Facebook about three years ago. Haven’t looked back.

What I loved most was the fact that there were many great and positive messages found within these pages.  First was how Mallory handled the break up.  She could have totally made things a bigger mess had she stayed on Friendspace engaging in an online war, instead she walked away.  She did make sure Jeremy knew that she knew but after that she kept her distance.

Other messages include:

*Family love and acceptance

*True friendships

*The comfort that anonymity on the internet provides and how easy it is to give so much of yourself because of that sense of comfort/safety.

*Boundaries, secrets and forgiveness.

*That it is completely OK to try to ground yourself even if it means going against the current.

I totally recommend this read for anyone that wants something fun and light. Content-wise, the topics discussed in this book are pretty mild compared to other YA books out there. So young’uns, read up! 

ARC provided by Bloomsbury via Netgalley