Going Vintage by: Lindsey Leavitt
Publication Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Contemporary
Page Count: 320
Source: e-ARC from Publisher (Thanks!)
Author Website: Lindsey Leavitt
Pre-Order the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Summary from Goodreads:
When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to “go vintage” and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma’s list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy’s cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she’ll get it done. Somehow. Lindsey Leavitt perfectly pairs heartfelt family moments, laugh-out-loud humor, and a little bit of romance in this delightful contemporary novel.
My Review:
I resolved in 2012 to read more contemporary novels, and I did, just not as man as I would have liked. I love contemporaries! Going Vintage was an amazing start of the year for me in contemporary reading! Bloggers have been abuzz about this book for a while now. I hadn’t read anything else by Lindsey Leavitt, which is probably why I didn’t understand all of the anticipation. I can tell you now that I’ve read Going Vintage, the hype was well deserved!
Mallory decides to abandon all forms of technology after her boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with a girl online. She found a list written by her grandmother in the 60’s and decided to complete it and go vintage all the way. I love the concept of going vintage (even though it would be admittedly very hard for me). Something about going back to the simpler times is nice to think about. Mallory goes all out; fashion, technology, food, etc. I can definitely understand where Mallory was coming from as well. I mean, after your boyfriend cheats on you with someone he’s never even met? Who wouldn’t want to take a break from all of that virtual stuff?
While I really disliked Jeremy’s character, I think he was vital in the portrayal of Mallory’s determination to revolutionize her life.
Mallory gets the help of her grandmother in accomplishing some of the things on her list. I found Mallory’s grandmother to be very wise and a great role model for Mallory. Mallory’s entire family plays a big role in Going Vintage. Her slightly younger sister, Ginnie, is ever the advisor and friend to her. Her parents relationship is spotlighted a little in the book as well. There are some laugh out loud moments and some deeply emotional ones as well.
Now, let’s not forget Oliver! Being Jeremy’s cousin, Mallory was more than a little hesitant about being anything more than friends with him. Oliver is my vision of the perfect book boy (in contemporary, at least). While I love a lot of different boy personalities, his never seems to disappoint. He is humble and carefree about things that most people worry about (like appearances, etc.). I love him!
Lindsey Leavitt is an author I might just be exploring more of this year. Her contemporary style is light while still being meaningful and deep in parts. I think I literally stood up for an hour reading this, not even knowing I was standing up!
I highly recommend Going Vintage to ANYONE!
Official Rating:
Four and a Half Un-birthday Cakes!
Nice review! Love the sound of this one, even if I doubt I could let go of modern technology completely. Still, sounds like a fun read!