Going Vintage

by Lindsey Leavitt

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.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Chick Lit, Fiction, Humor

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2013

About the author

Lindsey Leavitt is a Leo sun/Sagittarius rising, which makes her skilled at traveling, studying and sleeping in. She grew up in Las Vegas and now lives in the snowy mountains with her big, blended family. She is the author of over fifteen books for kids and teens. Lindsey had an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Visit her online at https://lindseyleavitt.com

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual rating: 1.5

"‘Don’t whine to your spouse about your daily troubles. He’s had a harder day providing for you and your children.’ This is what you’re aspiring to? To be some guy’s house slave?”

Ginnie hops out of her seat. “I hope you’re not romanticizing this too much. That prefeminist movement crap is scary.”

“What do you know about the feminist movement?” Um, what did I know? I’d meant to read some books on that too, but when I thought of old feminists, I thought of armpit hair and bra burning and lots of angry, political yelling, which is not nearly as fun as party dresses and school clubs.

This book is vapid, at best. It's cute, sure, if you don't really want to think about it too much. There was a lot lacking from this book, mainly, depth. The main character comes off as a whiny, selfish child who can't stop crying, instead of an actual young woman growing up and trying to overcome her heartbreak in a realistic way. It tries too hard to be cute, and the "vintage" premise was executed so halfheartedly that there was really no fucking point.

There is a love triangle involving two cousins, a insipid, whiny 12-going-on-16 main character, who can't stop thinking about ME ME ME ME ME ME. Her sister. Her mother. Her grandmother. They need to pay more attention to poor wittle Mallory.

If she has time? Doesn’t she get what I’m telling her? [Grandma] has changed, and not for the better. I know she’s still dealing with the loss of Grandpa, but we’re all dealing with something, and she should be more aware of that. More aware of me.

This is what I want to do to the main character.



This is the story of a girl who decides that life would be REALLY, REALLY AWESOME IF SHE WENT VINTAGE. That is, live life as she would if she had been a teenager living in 1962.

Let's see, let me rack my brain. What was life like in the 1960s?!

- Sexual inequality! Women made 2 cents (a rough estimation) for every dollar a man made. Why hello, there, Don Draper, how you doin'?!
- Segregation! If you're black, get back! To the back of the bus, that is. Don't touch the white-only drinking fountains!
- War movements! The Vietnam war and shit, give peace a chaaaaaaaance, man! All those war protests in Berkeley and throughout the country? Whatever.

Mallory? Fuck all that shit. For her, the 1960s means wearing pretty vintage clothing and be secretary of a pep club! Not the president, just the secretary. That's the woman's place, after all!

The Summary:

"I am so over this decade, this century.”
“I don’t think this century is your problem.”
“You’re right. Technology is the problem.”
“But you’re using technology right now,” Ginnie says.
I hold my phone out, giving the gadget a look of severe disgust. I switch to speaker, so I don’t have to get too close to The Battery-Operated Evil. “Yep. And do you know what cell phones cause? Cancer....And people die texting while driving. They’re villainous contraptions. Computers? Oh man, Internet predators lurk, lurk, online."

Mallory has the most wonderful boyfriend in the world. Jeremy is a dream come true, even if his cousin, Oliver is pretty awesome, too! I mean, right in the beginnig, we get this lovely little passage about dear ole Oliver.

I don’t know much about Oliver, but who does? I think that mysterious aloofness is part of his image. He was nice enough to give me a birthday card that night with a twenty-dollar gift card to Outback. Outback? That’s the way to get in good with your cousin’s girl.

It's not like it's a hint that Oliver's going to be the future love interest while she's still dating Jeremy or anything, no! *rolls eyes*

AAAAANYWAY. Jeremy's the most wonderful boyfriend in the world. I mean, he's good-looking, he makes fun of how much she eats.

“Really? You’re hungry?” he asks. “Even after Pizza Hut?”
“That was lunchtime.”
“You had two slices. I swear, on the weekends you eat more than the entire wrestling team.”

He makes her do his homework for him. This guy is a keeper. Best. Boyfriend. Ever.

So it comes as a total blow when Jeremy does something like cheat on Mallory with an online girlfriend. That's right, Jeremy the Amazing Asian Tool has a SimCity-like account, where he's been slutting it out with an avatar named BubbleYum. Mallory is furious. She "hacks" into his "FriendSpace" account, exposes him for the cheating cheater he is, and breaks up with him. And then she gets tons of hate messages blaming HER for their breakup.

Clearly, technology is to blame. Evil, evil technology.

“If Jeremy didn’t have a computer or the Internet, he wouldn’t have met BubbleYum. If I didn’t have this cell phone, strangers couldn’t text me threats. Technology is the reason my life is falling apart.” My voice rises. I’ve never felt this passionate about anything before—the world, or my world at least, is suddenly so much clearer, like everything before was a big surface float, and now, for the first time, I’m diving into the deep end of life.

Uh huh. So dramatic. Much passion. Wow. Solution = go back to the past, specifically, 1962. Mallory finds a list that her 16-year old grandmother made in 1962, and seeks to emulate it.

Junior Year: Back-to-School Resolutions:
1. Run for pep squad secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous

Uh. Ok. It doesn't quite turn out as planned, because the only thing Mallory has down pat is the clothes. Sixties dresses are so cute! Other stuff...doesn't work quite well. For one thing, she really didn't think the situation through at all. Like how the fuck is she supposed to give up the Internet when she SIGNED UP FOR A CLASS ABOUT THE INTERNET.

“You knew when you signed up for the class that most of this unit involves the Internet.”
I feel close to tears. When I made my oath, I didn’t think about schoolwork or other justified reasons to use technology.

And she throws a fucking fit when her sister Ginnie actually makes her follow through on her promise and bans her from using technology.

Another Post-it note where my alarm clock used to be.
LED digital alarm clocks weren’t available until the mid-seventies, and they sure didn’t have docking stations.
NOT AUTHENTIC.
Ginnie’s handwriting is on another note on my now computer-less desk.
Personal computer? Please.
NOT AUTHENTIC.

My sister, my insane sister, has removed every bit of technology not available fifty years ago, which basically is all technology in my room. Like my phone. Not my cell, but the cordless landline. Now I have no contact with the outside world.

Who cares about historical accuracy, anyway! Block all the bad stuff out!

I check out the Industrial Revolution books, but don’t bother with the sixties stuff. I’m worried history will only discredit my sunshiny hypothesis.

Uh huh. Way to make a plan and not follow through with it. Not to mention, Mallory cheats on both her "vintage" vow and her paper---she plagiarizes from the Internet.

I type Industrial Revolution right onto the main page search engine, and instantly a million possibilities pop up. Thank you. Thank you. Ask and you shall receive. I could probably type in Completed Industrial Revolution Paper and find five reports to combine into one.

So really, what's the fucking point?

It's ok, though, no matter what she does, dear Oliver will always thinks she's so quirky and beautiful and adorkable.

“Because I like being around you.” He’s still looking out the window, and I wonder if he’s focusing on one object when he says this and what that object is. “I probably shouldn’t, but I do. And I can’t say why. I mean, I can think of a bunch of reasons why.”

Mallory:

The way he describes me, like I’m this vapid girl who doesn’t care about deeper things … that’s so off.

Except, it's not off. Mallory behaves like an idiot child.



She cries over hula figures. To clarify, these things you put on your dashboard.



Reaction (over-reaction?): "He has three hula girls on the dash, three more in the back. I wonder what they think behind those vacant smiles, their plastic shells. These are women who will never wear a shirt, who must spend their existence dancing on demand. There’s something so sad about that, about me, about this situation, that the tears come hot and fast."

Mallory is immature. She doesn't think things through. Her reaction to the most minor fucking thing is to pat herself on the back.

I should push a little more than usual, make this something worthwhile. I’m here already, right?
Wow, so this is what follow-through feels like.

She sets a challenge for herself, to "go vintage" only she constantly whines about it, and constantly cheats on it. And her "living dangerously?"

I just need to figure out living dangerously, which might involve eating the cream cheese and sausage mixture Ginnie is presently concocting.
I can do something dangerous.
Or I can take a sewing class at the community center.

Pfffffffffft. To take a phrase from my friend Emily May. This is Sunday School rebellion. It's sad, pathetic, and so insipid it's not even cute.

She doesn't really want to think about the deeper side of the sixties, all she wants to see is the pretty pretty clothes and simple times. She hates it when people don't pay attention to HER. She expects people like her mother and grandmother to know just how she's feeling, and leave her alone when she wants to be left alone and give her attention when she wants it.

“It doesn’t sound fine. Are you sure you don’t want to talk?”
“No,” I say flatly. “It’s okay. I’m okay. Don’t worry.”
Mom pinches her glossed lips together. “If there’s any way I can help—”
“You can’t,” I say.

Her Mother:

She thinks she has a right to know my everything just because she had a forty-hour natural labor with me. My life would be so much easier if she would have just taken that stupid epidural.

There is a constant attempt at villifying her own mother that I just don't quite get. From what I read, her mother is just the right amount of attentive, only our dear little Sally Mallory here can't see it. She shames her mother for her looks.

When we walk into a store, guys always check out my mom first, taking in her tight body and large chest before noticing that she’s in her forties, not twenties.

Her mother is a hard working mom who is the family breadwinner. She is a caring mom, and Mallory, in her selfish way, can't see it. She constantly complain about her mom not understanding her, when she's doing everything she can to shut her out whenever her mother asks her any sort of question about her life. Mallory comes off as nothing more but a selfish, stubborn, childish girl.

The Romance: There is a love triangle between Mallory, her ex-boyfriend Jeremy, and his cousin, Oliver.

Why am I thinking about Jeremy?
I’m not.
Why am I thinking about Oliver?
I’m not.

She is. She constantly thinks about Jeremy after their breakup, which is annoying, but believable.

I look down at my wedge, and notice the head of lettuce looks like Jeremy’s head, that the bits of bacon could easily be his eyes, the tomatoes his mouth, and—

But meanwhile, she's got feelings for Oliver, too. Jeremy is doing everything he can to get Mallory back, while Oliver plays the kind, understanding, all sorts of supportive friend who wants to be something more.

In order for me to understand the romance, I have to support the characters. I liked Oliver, despite his "hipster" ways, but I can't, for the life of me, understand why the fuck he's in love with the utter birdbrain that is Mallory.

Overall: this book is the equivalent of a 6-year old refusing to eat bacon for a week after reading Charlotte's Web, and the main character has the same mental age. Not recommended.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Going Vintage was cute, funny and sweet. It was an easy read one you could get through fairly quickly.

When Mallory finds out her boyfriend of over a year has been cyber cheating on her, she feels betrayed not only by her boyfriend, but by technology. If there were no such things as “Friendspace” or “Authentic Life” her boyfriend wouldn’t have been betraying her with a girl named “BubbleYum” his cyber wife. When Mallory finds a list her Grandma made back in 1962, when she was sixteen, she decides to ditch modern: cell phones, computers, internet, and go vintage. Mallory decides to fulfill the goals spelled out on the list. She wants to get back to a simpler life where girls only had to worry about sewing their homecoming dress or starting a pep club. Sticking to authentic 1962 proves to be more difficult than Mallory imagined, but she’s determined to get her life focused on the more important things in life.

“Find a steady,” number four on the list may not be a hard acquisition since Oliver, Jeremy’s cousin has stepped in to join her pep club. Oliver gets Mallory more than Jeremy ever did. Should Mallory move on when she’s so recently out of a long-term relationship? Often times these things are not our choice.

He pauses. “You’re not going to homecoming?”
“I am. But not with Jeremy.”
“That’s the thing. It shouldn’t matter. Nothing you do should matter to me. Not like it does.” Oliver holds out his hand and yanks me off the float with surprising force. His grip is possessively tight…..*

I’ll let your imagination fill in the rest.

This was a cute and funny novel dealing with heartbreak and moving on. There’s a sweet romance that’s slow to develop, as well. Ms. Leavitt did a wonderful job with the wisecracking and witty humor. Although, I must say that best lines and jokes were delivered by Ginny, Mallory’s younger sister. She got to say fun things like this:

“Did you find pictures of Grandma's hidden lover, Eduardo? And if so, is he atop a horse? How many buttons are undone on his shirt?” *

She was pure spunk and fun. While I liked Mallory, she was a little distant to me and some of her decisions I couldn’t quite relate to. I wish she spoke up for herself a little more or maybe we saw a little more character growth. Also, Mallory’s mother left a bad taste in my mouth and I felt she got off way too easy in the end. Still, this story and the supporting characters made for a fun and easy novel to read.

When reading this I was struck by how reliant we are on technology. If I forget my cell phone at home when going to work, I just about have a panic attack and feel so naked without it. It’s a wonder that we all got by without one. Remembering the information I was limited to for school reports was brought back to mind when Mallory had to write a school report on the Industrial Revolution just by going to the library. We are so spoiled by immediate access to vast amounts of research and information at the tip of our fingers. Yet, we still managed. Do all parts of technology better our lives? It’s something to think about. Face to face interaction is becoming more of a rarity nowadays, with online communication becoming the norm .

All in all, Going Vintage was a fast and fun read that had me laughing throughout.

*Quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am guessing that not a lot of 31 year old dudes read this book. I did, and I loved it.

[Keertana · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that is cute, fun, and a complete time-pass, Going Vintage is the book for you. If, however, you're hoping to get a little more depth from this novel, a little more insight into the life of a teenage girl, I'd suggest Melina Marchetta's Looking for Alibrandi instead. You see, Going Vintage isn't a bad book - not at all - but it's kind of silly. It seems like that from the cover and synopsis too, but I guess I was just expecting something a little more, especially with all the praise for this author. In other words, this was interesting and engaging, but ultimately, just kind of forgettable.

Going Vintage starts out with Mallory, the protagonist of our tale, discovering that her boyfriend, Jeremy, has an online girlfriend he's been cheating on her with. Upset over this obvious betrayal, Mallory decides to swear off of technology, which seems to be the bane of her existence at the present, and live life like her grandmother did in high school - vintage. Ever since finding her grandmother's high school yearbook - where her grandmother looked more than just a little happy - and a list of goals, Mallory decides to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and find happiness again. What she doesn't quite count on is the interest of Oliver, Jeremy's hipster (but VERY hot) cousin, family secrets, or even that a research paper could be so hard without the internet.

Within the first quarter of this novel, I considered dropping it on probably...three or four occasions. Really. Going Vintage gets off to a slow start, telling us of Mallory's messy break-up and then just...continuing on with it. We see Mallory's family, all which are important to the tale, but the real story doesn't really begin until we meet Oliver. Mallory and Oliver have known each other for awhile, but when Oliver helps Mallory form a pep club in their school and then finds out his cousin dumped her, he begins to hang out with her more and, surprisingly to her, Oliver actually gets Mallory. Unlike Jeremy, he understands her witty jokes and the two of them become close friends...until something even more begins to brew between them. What I love about the budding relationship between Mallory and Oliver is that it is solely based on conversation. We can see how compatible these two are from their discussions and understanding of one another and best of all, Oliver knows how to treat a girl right. Mallory, just through with a messy break-up, needs space, which Oliver truly respects. Without a doubt, this romance is very easily the best aspect of the novel.

Unfortunately, that's the only part of Going Vintage that is truly great. You see, family plays a big role in this book, which I appreciated, but it was a little...underplayed, I guess. Mallory, first of all, is a rather endearing protagonist, despite her silly habits. I found her relationship with her younger sister, Ginnie, to be charming, full of realistic squabbles and affection. Leavitt obviously attempts to build a bond between the women of this novel, establishing their solidarity; this is a more successful plan in the mind rather than on paper. Ginnie and Mallory have a complex relationship with their mother, who has a complex relationship with her husband, who in turn has a complex relationship with his mother. Ginnie and Mallory also have an ever-changing relationship with their grandmother and these threads were all set-up to come together perfectly - which they did - but without the desired effect.

...how to explain this? Looking for Alibrandi, Melina Marchetta's debut novel, is a perfect example of contemporary done brilliantly. Why? Well, it explores the life threads between three generations of women in a deep and heartfelt manner, truly touching the reader. Going Vintage attempts to do something similar with the family situation in this novel and while a valiant effort for sure, it doesn't even begin to compare to Marchetta. Nevertheless, what it does manage to do is establish the fact that although life may have seemed easier without technology in the past, it was still full of heartbreak and confusion. I love that Leavitt made this such a modern story as it really does appeal to today's teens and connect to issues that we all have with technology from time-to-time.

Ultimately though, I have to say that if you're used to reading deep, heartfelt contemporary, you might want to skip this. If you generally pick up a contemporary read for the romance, then you definitely don't want to miss the love story in this book - it's perfect. Yet, it wasn't enough to make up for the lack of connection and depth I felt with other aspects of this novel. It was a very cute story and sweet read, one that I don't regret spending time with, but I doubt I'll remember it for very long after.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think most people will fall into one of two camps with Going Vintage. It'll either be a fairly enjoyable reading experience, because it's a cute, fluff read - or, it'll be an about average reading experience, precisely because it's a cute, fluff read. I on the other hand fall into a third camp, I actually think Going Vintage is more than a cute, fluff read, and it only seems like one because its message is scattered and ineffective.

First of all, the message is right there, in the summary. Mallory's cheated on, she eschews technology, it's a whole expose on the excesses of technology and social media thing. And ends with Mallory learning how to improve as a person and engage in real life, offline, of course. I actually totally digged the beginning - the first few chapters just rolls with the premise and Mallory's indignant reactions are really good, like:

My boyfriend is cheating on me with a cyberwife.

And then:

I click on a book and chuck it at his head. His icon starts to bleed. I laugh. This game is addictive.

Yeah, nothing beats random acts of petty revenge. Then again, too bad the book opens with a bang with the better quotes before falling off as the story progresses, although the writing's still good for the type of contemporary.

Really, the problem is that Lindsey Leavitt has the whole cheating scenario down, but then doesn't really build on the excesses of social media premise for the rest of the book. There's some stuff, like all the mean things random people say to Mallory online, but besides Mallory just insisting how the sixties were better because the internet didn't exist to strip away a vital layer of social interaction between everyone, I just didn't see a coherent message, so a lot of what ends up happening just seems totally random. Like it's not clear exactly what Mallory 'going vintage' actually entails - she starts off with no phone, no computer, nothing that's not available in the sixties, but then there's one scene of her sister Ginnie going through her room and removing all her stuff, leaving only hilarious Post It notes to the effect of how so and so item wasn't available in the sixties and had to be removed - huh? I mean, sure what Ginnie does is funny, but what is Leavitt saying with that scene? I'm not sure, so Mallory ends up feeling wishy washy and insincere, her vintage agenda seems to be riddled with more holes than Swiss cheese, and I just kept asking myself, what is Leavitt trying to do?

If you haven't figured out by now, the rest of this review is one big I didn't get it. I didn't get the subplot with Mallory's mom and her blog (which is mentioned out loud by Mom at one point when it was still supposed to be a big secret hidden from the family - huh?) and what it says about Mallory's anti-social media slash pro-vintage campaign. I didn't get her attitude towards Mallory and Oliver, especially the Jeremy's cousin thing - is she the one character actually living in the sixties? I didn't get most of the scenes with Grandma, because it seemed to me like she was supposed to represent how Mallory's relationship and social problems aren't just exclusive to modern girls but were around in the sixties too, but that was never made explicit or clear. I didn't get what the point of the List was except as more filler, because Mallory originally treats it as some sort of empowering thing to do but the idea seemed to be dropped completely by the end with the way Mallory takes shortcuts on some tasks and the book brushing over others. And it goes on, so much so that I felt like Going Vintage is one idea - Mallory discovering the cheating and ending up with Oliver - split between a few chapters at the beginning and a few at the end, with the rest just random, weird filler that somehow was supposed to go with the return to a better time theme but really just jumbled up whatever message Leavitt had in mind.

Don't get me wrong, I still wouldn't call Going Vintage empty fluff because Mallory does learn things and grow as a character by the end. But the middle is so muddled I just can't say the whole plot was all that effective.

[Sophie Riggsby / allthingsequilateral · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Review published on Mundie Moms on 3/20/13*

First, this book is already on my "going to share it with my kids when they're older" shelf. Yes, it's that good. Lindsey always writes these layered stories that are full of moments of sweetness and surprise, and Going Vintage is just that story.

Who hasn't said that they want to go offline for a while? I think I say it at least twice a day, but I was fascinated by Mallory's determination to do just that in her post-Jeremy world. Mallory's smart, sarcastic and surrounded by family and good friends. Forget Jeremy, I shouted at the book. Lindsey captured that first love-break-up-back-and-forth so believably and you know, in the end, I even understood Jeremy.

Lindsey also built in these tricky little subplots that wound their way around the story. Mallory's younger sister's first date/kiss reminded me of the best, classic romance subplots and the subplot with the grandmother was just brilliant. I'm warning you, Lindsey will cleverly steer your emotions into moments so touching and deep that you will sit back and think -- I didn't see that coming at all.

But wait, I know, I know, tell me about the swooning moments full of chemistry. Mhmmm, Mundie Moms, one word -- Oliver. Wry. Witty. Eagle Scout. A boy who knows that proper phone etiquette includes an intro and small talk before moving on to your real reason for calling. He's adorable, sarcastic and looks good leaning on on just about any vertical structure. One small complication -- he's Jeremy's cousin. See what I mean? Lindsey creates the messiest situations for her characters.

So if you want to meet an smart, organized, so very real teen girl who wishes for simpler times in our tech-is-more world, you'll have to pick up Going Vintage. As for me, I'm going to re-read one heck of a kissy scene on page...never mind, not going to tell you...you will just have to read it yourself.

Don't forget to stop back next Wednesday (March 26th) and read the Going Vintage Blog Tour stop right here on Mundie Moms.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Cute! Wasn't a huge fan of the actual "going vintage" part, and there were things that were strangely glossed over. But I like Mallory and her relationships with her family and friends, and I like Oliver, too. Bonus points for characters who behave as they should (well, except for Jeremy, of course.)

Would definitely try another book by this author.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Stars: A fun contemporary that makes you pause and reflect on technology.

Mallory feels so lucky to have a great boyfriend like Jeremy, even if she does grow tired of the constant make out sessions. They have been dating for over a year and have a great relationship, so she thinks. Mallory logs onto Jeremy's computer to help write his paper. His social networking site is open, and Mallory notices he has been playing an online game, and worse he has an online girlfriend. Hurt and confused, Mallory posts that Jeremy is a tool on his wall and dashes out of his house without an explanation. That weekend while helping her Dad pack up her grandmother's house, Mallory runs across a list that her grandmother made at the start of her junior year in 1962. Looking at the list, Mallory thinks that her grandmother must have been happy and that life must have been simpler back then. Mallory in attempt to soothe her broken heart, swears off technology and decides to fulfill her grandmother's list. She doesn't realize, though, just how hard it is to eliminate modern technology from her life. Can Mallory really go vintage and complete her grandmother's list?
What I Liked:
*What drew me to this book was the focus on technology in modern life. I admit, that I am not in my twenties anymore and that cell phones, social networking, texting and all that were not a part of my teenage experience. The internet came about when I was in college, and I remember the good old days of dial up modems. I am still amazed at how quickly technology and social networking has seeped into our daily lives. You can't go anywhere these days without seeing someone yapping on a cell phone, whether it be in their car, the store or a restaurant. Perhaps I am in the minority in that I am not a big fan of these new social norms. I am the type of person who still believes in leaving the house to get away, and I don't need a cell phone as an electronic leash. When I leave home, I don't want to be disturbed. Many people will tell you how frustrating I am because I refuse to have my cell phone on and answer it at all times of the day and night. I do admit that I have my technology addictions, such as I can't go without logging onto the internet or using my ipad daily. I loved that this book really made me stop and examine technology in our world today. Sure it is convenient and wonderful, but on the other hand, I am not a fan of people having to post every aspect of their lives, personal details and all, for everyone to read. Especially as a teenager, growing up is hard enough without having to deal with the added pressures of social networking and such. We all know how detrimental online bullying has become. This book is an excellent way to reexamine your technological habits and even start discussions with your kids. Are we losing part of our humanity because we no longer take the time to converse, instead we resort to instant messages and texts? Who writes letters anymore? Is it cheating when you carry on an online relationship with someone, even though their is nothing physical? There is definitely plenty to ponder in this one.
*I enjoyed Mallory as a main character. She is witty and fun, but she also has plenty of flaws, granted sometimes some of those flaws drove me crazy, such as her inability to confront a problem and stay and talk it out. There are numerous times in the book where she gets into a confrontational situation with someone, and then instead of discussing it she chooses to run away. Even though I didn't agree with her fleeing it made her realistic. I admired her courage and willingness to go vintage even though it was difficult. I liked how close she was to her younger sister and the wonderful relationship the two had. What I loved the most about her was that she learned to stand alone and be strong without a boyfriend, and she found her own identity and vowed to be true to herself. In this busy modern world it isn't easy to be different, sometimes it takes courage and Mallory shows how it can be done.
*Oliver, how I adored Oliver. He is not your typical swoon worthy love interest. He is a young man who refuses to conform and he is comfortable in his own skin. He beats to a different drum and colors outside the lines, whether in his refusal to participate in online social networking, to his wardrobe. He is kind, and considerate and just adorable, even if he does wear a bright orange shirt that says STAFF. I loved how he respected Mallory and was a good friend, and especially how understanding he was. Truly, he stole my heart!
*The romance in this one may not please everyone, but I loved it. It never really fully develops, all the pieces are in place, but instead of jumping into another relationship Mallory walks away and decides to find herself first. I thought this was fantastic and such a positive message for younger girls. You can't be comfortable in a relationship unless you are confident in yourself and willing to let someone else see your not so perfect parts. This is what Mallory comes to realize at the end of her going vintage experiment.
And The Not So Much:
*I struggled a bit with the grandmother. At first, I thought when Mallory discovered the list that the grandma had passed away, but that is not the case. Mallory's grandmother is alive and recovering from the death of her spouse. She is obviously dealing with some intense personal issues, which become clear at the end. Up until that point, I found her to be cold and I did not like her. I didn't feel like I got a clear picture of Mallory's relationship with her grandmother in the beginning. It didn't appear that they were close since the grandmother tended to brush Mallory off. I also couldn't understand why Mallory didn't talk to her grandmother about the list and why her grandma wasn't more forthcoming about her teenage years when Mallory pressed, this is resolved by the end, but it was frustrating up until that point. I liked the way everything turned out with the grandma, but she has some issues and it was obvious that Mallory and her grandma struggled with the emotional connection. I guess I was looking for a warmer relationship, but like Mallory, her grandmother isn't perfect and she has made mistakes and she reminds Mallory growing up is difficult no matter what decade it is.
*I was disappointed that there was not more expansion on the conflict that arose between Mallory and her mother over the blog. I liked that Mallory finally confronted her mother and actually discussed her feelings about it, but I didn't like that she and her mother, and the rest of the family, didn't come to agreement about the future posts on the blog. I was hoping that Mallory would relate some of her experience with going vintage to her mother and make it clear that she did not want every personal detail about her life shared online. Her mother obviously needs to learn some lessons when it comes to social media.
*I was shocked at the end of the book, when Mallory was almost done with her list and contemplating how she would share some very important events with her younger sister. She actually was considering texting her and telling her instead of talking it over with her. I thought she would have learned a thing or two about being without the cell phone and texts.

Going Vintage was a book that definitely had an impact on me. Especially since I am not the biggest fan of social media and technology, and I choose to keep my life more private. I loved that this book brought up some problems that exist today because of our addiction to technology. Ask yourself could you go without technology for a week? Is your life better when you are plugged in all the time? Do you seek validation and worth online? This book will hopefully make you stop and think and possibly reevaluate your choice when it comes to technology. I really enjoyed this one and I loved that it gets a conversation started. I would highly recommend sharing this with the teenage girls in your life. It has a positive message and it makes some strong points. This is a clean read, so hand it to your teenager with no worries.

Favorite Quotations:
"Another thing my mom once said was, when you're with someone, you give pieces of yourself, and they always kept that piece, or at least a piece of the piece. Pieces might have been the code for virginity, I'm still not sure."
"But listing? That is me. I write dozens a week---things I need to do, books I want to read, teachers at our school I'm pretty sure are serial killers. Lists add a number to randomness, give ideas the illusion of order."
"So my dad. He's technically a real-estate agent, but I think he's only still in that gig so he can have something to put on his business cards. What he really does is buy and sell crap, but "crap dealer" doesn't look great on a card, unless you add an s to crap and work at a casino in Reno."
"How can I hate someone and still love him at the same time?"
"So he called our home phone number? I don't even know our home phone number."
"Adolescence is the same tragedy being performed again and again. The only things that change are stage props."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was no compensated for this review.
Rainy Day Ramblings.

[shre ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*A copy was provided for review purposes*

EEEP, what a cute and lovely book! So glad that I got a chance to read and review it because it was the perfect 'get-you-in-your-giggly-mode' read, ha ha. I love the whole idea that Ms.Leavitt came up with about leaving behind cell-phones, computers, and ipods and going back to the 60's when everything was care-free and girls didn't have to worry about their boyfriends 'cyber-cheating' on them with girls called BubbleYum. I think that, in our time and generation, this book fits right in because of how real it is and how much people can connect to it. I gotta say, and I didn't think I'd be saying this ever, but...de-modernizing actually sounds kinda 'fun' and 'exciting' after reading this book, although I don't think I'd ever have the motivation or determination to stay away from my shinies as long as Mallory did, ha ha. Girl's got the will-power of a ballerina next to a three-tiered double chocolate fudge nutella coated cake.

Mallory wasn't expecting it when she found out her boyfriend was 'cyber-cheating' on her for over a year with his online girlfriend. She certainly didn't think he'd actually reject her to keep up the relationship with some chick he'd never met. In retaliation, she decides to take revenge (in a way)..not against her boyfriend...but technology. To her, technology ruined the one and only relationship which she had utter faith in crushing her deeply. So when she finds a list that her grandmother had made in the sixties, she decides to go on a tech-strike by 'de-modernizing' herself and going back to the days when girls only worried about school activities and dresses. Although Mallory didn't think it would be practically impossible to stay away from all the cell-phones and computers that haunt her life, she was determined to keep going on with her plan and complete the list of goals that her grandmother had made. And who knows, maybe finding a steady, number 4 on the list, might bring her true love after all.

Mallory had a funny, strong, and determined personality and I loved reading from her POV. Even the sassy secondary characters gave me a good laugh with their witty dialogue and hilarious antics. Although heart-broken and angry about how she found her boyfriend cheating on her, it was really inspiring how Mallory got back on her feet and decided to retaliate in her own way instead of just staying depressed and crying in a corner. I also really enjoyed the romance she found with Oliver, her ex-boyfriend's cousin. With their intense and spark-filled interactions, it seemed that Mallory slowly started to push Jeremy further and further into the back of her mind. Their relationship was funny, not overly lovey-dovey, and just....perfect. Like I said before, the secondary characters really made this book a riot with their lines and banter, like Ginny, Mallory's sister. Honestly, how can you not love a little girl with some sass?

Overall, I thought that this was a really fun and cute read that's perfect for anyone, anywhere, and anytime. It's definitely unique and will be sure to keep you up reading with its smooth flow and humor. I honestly can't wait for more from Ms.Leavitt because she's got the touch!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: I picked up my ARC of Lindsey Leavitt's GOING VINTAGE this week because I was in the mood for something light and funny, and I knew this book about a girl who renounces modern technology when her boyfriend cheats with an online gaming wife seemed perfect. It was...but it was so much more than the fluffy read I was hoping for when I picked it up. Lindsey Leavitt (who also wrote SEAN GRISWALD'S HEAD...which is also great) has a way of writing sweet books that are never too sweet, always hilarious, and always deeper than their covers suggest. I suspect that's because she gets that life is warm and wonderful and hilarious, yes...but also complicated in ways that manage to make it both sad sometimes and even more beautiful. Anyway...I'm rambling, but the bottom line is I loved this book. I got what I was hoping for -- a warm, funny romance -- but also some ideas of family, relationships, and self confidence that I'll be thinking about for a long time. This is one I'd recommend for girls in grades 6 and up, as long as they're okay with some kissing.

I support independent bookstores. Here's a link to find one near you or order GOING VINTAGE from IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978159...

[Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've put off reviewing this book for a while, but not for my usual reasons. I'm not scared that this will turn into a massive rant or a bunch of fangirling nonsense. No, I simply do not know how to express myself here. I know what I'm feeling but I have no clue on how to say it.

GOING VINTAGE is the kind of book that makes you happy while reading even though you know it's absolute fluff. I don't like reading fluff for some reason. My "chick lit" (and I use this term very loosely) needs something more to it. It needs well defined and formed characters. It needs wonderful character interaction. I don't really care if it comes in dystopian, contemporary, or science fiction.

This may or may not be the reason I love The Walking Dead.

Lindsey Leavitt attempted to add the "more" into the book but she simply did not achieve what I wanted. Now, when I say I want chick-lit, it's often very different from what other people would think of when others say the same thing.

GOING VINTAGE will please a lot of people - and has already. It's a cute book with really awesome family dynamics - something sorely lacking in YA literature. It has an adorable romance and with an adorable love interest. My problem is with Mallory, the protagonist and more importantly, her lack of logic.

In GOING VINTAGE, Mallory's boyfriend cheats on her with a girl he met in a Sim-like game. Mallory then assumes that her relationship issues would never have happened if it weren't for electronics and decides to swear them off. Forever.

*facepalm*

What Mallory doesn't seem to grasp is that a cheater is a cheater no matter where or when or how he does it. It doesn't matter what time period it is. Whether it be the 60s or 90s, there will always be cheaters.

Now, of course, if Mallory had thought along these lines, the book wouldn't have happened and that would be sad.

Despite her often blatant logic fails, Mallory is a sweet character. She's not all that bright and she's in love with the spotlight a bit too much, but she's not a horrible person nor could ever be called one. She stands up for what believes in and she's really a good person. She's a pretty awesome example of a flawed, yet strangely lovable character.

She's definitely got her heart in the right place but I think she would have benefitted from some therapy and chocolate. I don't think she gets enough chocolate. *hands over chocolate to Mallory*

The best part of the book was definitely was Oliver who was adorable and cute and squee-worthy. He's not my favorite or even close to my favorite but I really did like him. He was a genuinely nice guy for a genuinely nice girl - something that I don't often say.

As I said, I loved the family dynamics to the story. They were surprisingly deep. For the most part, YA books the families are lackluster. You'd think that a story with teen protagonist, they'd have a realistic portrayal of families.

LOLNO.

For the most part, none of the books have realistic families. They always have either perfect families or families that are so messed up that they become equally unrealistic. The family is GOING VINTAGE is perfectly flawed. There isn't a perfect family in real life and thankfully, this book shows that.

GOING VINTAGE is wonderfully fluffy and light. It's often hilarious. There was substance to the book but I just needed more than what I got. As I said, GOING VINTAGE will be perfect for a lot of readers, but for those who need something more than mindless fluff, this might not be the book for you.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to damn a book with faint praise, but the only thing that comes to mind upon finishing this novel is: blandly inoffensive? Simple, forgettable, if sometimes charming? There are characters that are sometimes funny, sometimes flat, and never really approach what I think of as three-dimensional? They came, they did their thing to various repercussions, but none really interested me worth investing in? A lot of what happened came off as predictable I saw the end of the relationship with Jeremy and new one with Oliver as soon as the latter was mentioned or just silly, but Going Vintage wasn't bad - it was just sort of there.

One day and done, and I doubt I'll think back on or even remember this in a month. Basically, this was 340 pages of fluff. I didn't have to think too hard, pay that much attention, care at all. There is nothing I can point at and say was wrong with it, but neither is there anything I can point out as right or amazing about it. Inoffensive. Yeah, I'm going to have to go with that for my overall impression.

Full review to come!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun!

Mallory breaks up with her boyfriend over . . . well, I hate to spoil it because it was very interesting, but essentially technology was involved. She decides to swear off technology and live like it's 1962, back when her grandmother was also a junior in high school. Using an old to-do list of her grandmother's, she decides to sew a dress for homecoming, join the pep club (after first starting a pep club), and find a "steady" for her younger sister if not for herself. But 1962 was not as simple as she'd thought, nor is pretending 2013 is.

[bookspumpkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne.
Ich mochte es nicht.
Die Geschichte war nicht wirklich etwas neues.
Die Geschichte hat mich gelangweilt.
Die Geschichte hatte eine blöde Protagonistin.
Dafür war das Englisch leicht zu verstehen und das Cover ist wunderschön.

[Brittany S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Initial Impressions:How stinkin cute. I really loved this book! I don't know what I was expecting but I really liked the concept for Mallory's decision to "go vintage" and how she discovers who she is.

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: This book was so stinkin’ cute!!! I honestly didn’t expect to have so much fun reading it, but it was light, funny, and just really easy to read. I simply adored the concept of Mallory’s idea to “go vintage”, mostly because of the rough break-up after finding out about her boyfriend and his “online wife”. I was a little unsure about the idea of going vintage at first because I was hesitant about throwing it back to the sixties… But so was Mallory, even though it was her idea. I really have to commend her character – Although she had a really valid reason to avoid technology, turns out it’s a lot harder than she thought! I TRY not to be glued to my phone & computer, but let’s face it. It’s kind of hard to avoid much less cut out completely! The idea made for some really cute moments in the book too with her sister “helping” her (aka hiding her stuff), talking on the home phone with a boy (it was so much more exciting that way! I mean, they had to call your HOUSE), and all the little silly ways it made her life a little more work!

I want to say THANK YOU to Lindsey Leavitt for NOT forcing us to like Jeremy, even a little bit – Here’s my story. I get mad when the boyfriend of the story does something bad and then our heroine spends so much time legitimizing what they’ve done or contemplating going back to him. We had a clear winner and loser in GOING VINTAGE and Jeremy stayed the loser so thank you!!

Now let’s talk about the winner. [Dreamy sigh] I loved Oliver!!!! It was ALL THE LITTLE THINGS that made him such a great love interest. He was “hipster” but really, he was just true to himself and owned it in a way that people didn’t question him. He knew he liked Mallory and despite the fact that he’s Jeremy’s cousin and she’s his ex-girlfriend, you can see that they’ve got a little something going on and you KNOW Oliver is going to make it work! It was all the little ways he listened to Mallory, made her feel comfortable, helped her… All of the little things added up into one awesome guy! Loved him as the love interest here!!!

I really think the concept was great, but Lindsey Leavitt has some truly great characters in this book. You already know my love for Oliver, but the supporting characters were some of my favorites too. In a way, I felt like I was a lot like Mallory, but a lot in the fact that although we’re perfectly fun girls, there’s nothing too… “notable”. Mallory’s support system was really what caught my attention: Ginny. Grandma. Of course Oliver. They really stole the show for me! I loved Mallory’s relationship with her little sister because my sister and I have always gotten along, but now that we’re adults, we really are like best friends! She truly is the one person who understands (and appreciates) all of my jokes and Friends quotes and movie references. Oh, and all those stupid made-up things from our childhood! I loved seeing that relationship. I also saw the dedication in the beginning of the book using the song lyrics from “Sisters” from White Christmas, which my sister and I used to sing ALL the time and that’s one of my mom’s favorite movies ever so SCORE for a personal note there!!!

Okay. Sorry for being long winded, so let’s sum up: Super cute. Loved it all. Oliver had me at hello. Not quite a favorite, but pretty close!

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew once I saw the cover of Going Vintage that I wanted to read this book. It's cute, fun and the colors really pop out. Plus, I thought the idea behind the book was definitely very original. I'm glad to say that the book definitely lived up to my expectations.

I loved Mallory's character. She was young, confused and was just going through her first break-up. The range of emotions that she went through were palpable and very realistic. She was naive, insecure, innocent, wrong at times and a perfect representation of a teenager. Mallory is the kind of character who's easy to love. The fact that Mallory didn't just go into a depression upon learning that her boyfriend had been cheating on her with a girl he met on an online game, but instead learns to pick up the pieces and continue to go on with her life. Mallory took up the list very seriously and watching her try to complete the list was absolutely fantastic. Throughout the story, she underwent tremendous growth, making her even more likeable. I love a good heroine who's independent and isn't afraid to take up any challenges. That's exactly the kind of person Mallory was. The secondary characters were all fantastic in their own way. Oliver, the love interest, was entirely too adorable. Nerdy, but gorgeous, he was a charming character who made me swoon along with Mallory. If I had to compare him to any love interest, I'd say he's almost as awesome as Etienne St Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. I loved that he was so respectful of Mallory and always treated her like a gentleman. He was also always trying to help her out even though she didn't specifically ask for. Oliver, I'd say, was the adorable good guy that I seem to enjoy so much in my YA books. Mallory's family members also play an important role in this book and really appreciated that more than anything.

Plot-wise, this book was so much fun! Going Vintage wasn't just about a budding romance. It's a book about a character learning to find herself and about family bonds. Like I mentioned above, Mallory's family members were all very pivotal to the development of Mallory as a character. I especially enjoyed the strong bond between Mallory and her younger sister. They seemed to more like best friends than sisters. I definitely enjoyed all the scenes they were in together. The romance too was entirely too cute! It wasn't anything instant, but something that grew throughout the course of the story from a friendship to a romance. Mallory and Oliver made an adorable couple. I loved the amusing banter between them. When they were together, they made one hilarious couple with their multiple jokes. I'm not going to lie, Going Vintage isn't exactly a book with depth. It's simply a fun, fluffy kind of book that you'd want to read to cheer you up. I've never read anything by Lindsay Leavitt before, but after reading Going Vintage, I'm convinced that I should. Her writing style was simple, but so much fun to read. Going Vintage was the kind of book that I wanted to read until I reached the ending because it gave so many happy feelings.

All in all, Going Vintage is definitely a book that's worth the read. If you're looking for something cute, romantic with great character development, then this book is a must-read! Fans of YA contemporary will devour this book in a single sitting!

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderfully charming story. A pleasantly young-for-her-age teenager, after some drama blows up online, decides life was simpler back in her grandma's high school days of yore and commits to divesting herself of any technology or other products available after 1962. She takes that part to slight extremes (she won't use the internet even for a class assignment that requires it, and agrees to buy a poorly working rotary phone because apparently just using a landline is still too conveniently modern), but I'm really impressed by the thought process.

Of course, her ultimate conclusion is that high school still had the same friend and dating dramas, and you can't perfectly recreate the experience of another era anyway when you're doing it alone, but even though it's predictable it's still fun to see her get there. I'm definitely still inspired to see if I can go vintage and like...leave the house without my cell phone sometimes, or maybe reduce my computer time to under 5 hours a day. I could be writing this review in a nice blank book that could be passed down to future generations, instead of letting it disappear into the vast data receptacle that is Goodreads for however long the site lasts.

What really gives the book its footing is the fact that her reason for doing this is steeped in family history. She's trying to accomplish a list of goals her grandmother made at her age, and she already has an interest in old things because she helps her dad with his (not overly successful) home business buying storage units and other old things and sorting through them for resale value. I loved reading about that aspect, as well as about the few pieces of 60s clothing she was either able to salvage from her grandma's things or buy herself.

I was bored by the romance, but to be fair, "get a steady" was on the list of goals and that would have been hard to accomplish without either talking to new boys or getting back together with her ex-tool, so. And new boy appeared to be a model gentleman, so I can't complain about him. But I genuinely loved her relationships with her family, even the tension between her and her smothering mother, but especially her kooky grandma and her best friend of a younger sister.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

How refreshing to find a YA main character with no supernatural powers, no amnesia, no superhuman fighting skills. She's not super-smart, super-gorgeous, or super-anything: athletic, talented, ambitious, popular, unpopular, rebellious etc. etc. She's just a regular girl who's trying to figure her life out.

When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend is (virtually) cheating, she blames the internet and swears off modern technology entirely. No computer, no cell phone, nada. This did seem a tad impulsive and farfetched, but Mallory's family also runs a business reselling old stuff, and they're in the process of packing up her grandma's house and moving her to a condo, so Mallory does have a preoccupation with the past, and thus decides that everything in the 1960s must have been simpler and better.

But Going Vintage isn't just about the 1960s versus the 2010s. It's about keeping secrets from those you love, about figuring out where you belong in the world, and about family. Mallory's sister, Ginnie, was a fantastic, hilarious character, and I loved the relationship between the two of them. Mallory's grandmother was complex and interesting in a way that older adults usually aren't allowed to be in YA. Mallory's parents have a hot and cold relationship that their daughters don't entirely understand.

And then there are the boys: one boy that Mallory ended up with just because he showed up and wanted to be her boyfriend, and another boy that we get to see her slowly connect with, first as friends, and then as possibly more. This part of the book was adorable and I'm officially adding Oliver Kimball to my list of YA Boys I Wish I'd Known In High School. Their relationship was just a perfect blend of adolescent awkwardness and the magic of first love.


Read this review and more on my blog, YA Romantics

[Emily Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh, Going Vintage was much better than I expected! Before I read the book I would have bet I'd give it 3 bookcases. No, this is worth at least 4! (And you know I'm a tough rater) Lindsey Leavitt tells us a witty and sweet story with characters worth cheering for.

Okay, to start out, this book is filled with fab lists! And they are not annoying at all. Just stuff that made me laugh like, really hard! Also, Mallory and the lists go in hand in hand. Mallory is just a lot of fun. She also says some really cool weird and random things.

Oliver, Mallory's ex's cousin, is now one of my favorite male characters in the contemporary genre! Totally. He is funny, and witty, and unique! And, most awesome of all, he laughs at the random things Mallory says. Another epic character is Mallory's sister, Ginny. I love the bond they have.

The family plots are cute. Mallory's mom is hiding something, and so is her grandma. These are added bonuses to the story.

I was surprised the "no technology thing" was as small as it was. I mean, sure, that was part of the book, and generated some fun scenes, but there was much more to Going Vintage than just "no more phones for me." I liked that.

Overall, Going Vintage has awesome characters and epic lists. Whatcha all waiting for? Read it!

4/5 bookcases

[Melannie :)]

How funny is this concept, seriously?
It's probably full of hilarious situations.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caught my interest the moment I learned that the main character had a certain violent streak and a love for chips with salsa and cream cheese. Also, there's apparently this thing called milk toast, and it sounds so disgustingly DELICIOUS.

Anyway, back to the book. It's exactly like the summary says. A girl finds out that her boyfriend's been cheating on her with an internet chick named, of all things, BubbleYum. How do you take someone with a name like that seriously? Mallory finds out about BubbleYum, she gets mad while her boyfriend is in the kitchen (where he belongs, sexists), and she throws a virtual book at his virtual icon and makes him bleed. Then she posts on his Friendspace that he's a massive tool and runs out of the house.

Of all the dramatic exits in the world, that is probably one of the best. Just leaving your boyfriend to see that you've told all his friends he's a massive tool on a social network. Imagine the look on that guy's face! It probably looked something like this:

I have to say, I admire Mallory for her courage. There were a lot of times that I thought she'd crack and go back to Jeremy, but she never did. And nothing about her experience is contrived. It does take her a while to get over him and move on, but it feels natural when it happens.

Example:

He looks marginally tortured. Before I can let pity creep in, I have to remind myself that his torture is self-inflicted and only .083 percent of what I feel.

Yeah, Jeremy's kind of a douche. I don't know what else I learned from this book about him except that he's half Asian and a douche. I hope those two aren't related. Speaking of relations, let's talk about his cousin, Oliver. Actually, I'll just show you guys some quotes spoken by him or about him.

"Five minutes of talking to you is more entertaining than a lifetime knowing Jeremy. So either you came to your senses, or he did something stupid." 

He's written an extensive list in tiny, slanted caps. No writing tablet or smartphone. He's a pen-and-paper lister, a beautiful and dying breed.

I've seen people laugh at funerals, so why not be giddy post-breakup? Especially around a guy who makes life feel so effortless, like a meteor could crash into his car and we would just shrug and take the bus.

What really stands out about Oliver is his sincerity. A lot of the guys from YA novels are now too cool and too disdainful, relying on their looks to get all the girls drooling after them, so I liked that Oliver was so effortlessly hip. In the beginning, he seemed like another stereotype, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of dedication he put into the pep club and the way he goes about pursuing Mallory. The moment she observes that he's only perceived as a hipster because he doesn't hold back with his thoughts was the moment I loved him. With Oliver, I totally wouldn't have minded if he wasn't as hot as Mallory said he was. His personality more than makes up for any appearance defects.

The plot itself is interesting, and it hops along pretty quickly. I loved Mallory's sister, Ginny, and how easily she jumps into the List. Lots of sisterly love in this book. Her character isn't explored too deeply, but I wasn't expecting much from that aspect of the relationship. The List itself poses an interesting challenge, and it reminded me a lot of how technology is making us dumber. I mean, when's the last time one of us went to the library to research? And did MLA citations the right way? I've been inputting those suckers into the laptop ever since I discovered easybib.com and copy-paste. It was fun to watch Mallory dodge the hurdles of technology while avoiding her ex and any possible feelings for adorable Oliver at the same time. Quite a task.

I've mentioned before that Mallory is a pretty strong girl, especially when it comes to staving off Jeremy and his desperation to have a homecoming date (ugh). But I don't really appreciate her flakiness, especially when she just decided to blow off Oliver. She says she's a flaky person, but there was no need to add an irrelevant character flaw where it wasn't needed. I do like that for a long time, she made her life revolve around Jeremy and ignored extracurriculars and everything else. It's a good lesson, especially since many girls (probably boys, too) try to find an identity through having a significant other.

There were a lot of issues in this book that I didn't anticipate, like the conflict between past and present, the way we like to romanticize the past and say the present is never as great as what happened before (Midnight in Paris, anyone?), and the mistakes we've all made and how we try to go about solving them. There were multiple storylines with Mallory's mother, father, grandmother, and sister. As a result, each problem is solved quickly with a messy resolution. However, this could also be because the problems were too deep to be solved with a simple hug or a family sit-down.

All in all, I loved the concept behind the book and reliving the vintage era. So much fun. While the whole thing about technology warping our lives and making us forget ourselves tends towards overexaggerated sometimes, it's to be expected when you're reading from the eyes of a teenage girl. Very adorable book if you feel like feeling happy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for giving me a chance to read and review this book!

[Nasty Lady MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

To see full review click here

I'm sort of obsessed with the late 1950's/early 1960's. A lot of my favorite movies come from that era. I love the dresses. Interesting enough, do you know that Banana Republic has a Mad Men inspired collection? And it was the one time in history America had a semi glamorous president. Grant it, the whole Mr. President Marilyn Monroe episode sort of soiled that but whatever. So yeah, a YA novel that has a heroine who wants to go back to that era. I thought, hey that could be interesting and requested it from Net Galley. Though the fact it's from Net Galley did not affect my opinion of this book.

This book had a lot going for it and could've easily been rated on the higher side of life. Unfortunately, some things bumped it's score to a slightly above average read.

I could praise this book for it's plot. I loved the idea. A girl swearing off technology after a bad break up it makes sense enough. And I loved how the idea was connected to her grandma. YA books are notorious for ignoring family. Additionally, I also loved Mallory for the most part. She wasn't perfect, she knew it, and had interesting taste in snacks (milk toast sounds disgusting, but oddly enough I sort of want to try it). Also, I loved all the Disney Land scenes. Any book that features Disney Land gets half a star from me.

So what went wrong?

Well, the supporting cast for one thing.

I really could not stand Mallory's family. I talk about this more in the worst section feature of the review, but they were pretty much insufferable. And yes, I get that family's can be awful and all that. But they were borderline unrealistic. Also, Mallory made some really poor choices and her consequences should've been reflected it.

Another big problem I had with this book is how the love interests were treated. First we have Jeremy who is completely unrealistic. He reminds me of one of those boyfriends you'd see in a Lifetime movie. You know, total jerk with little motivations for his douchey actions. And then the resolution they had at the end where Mallory was the bigger person and could forgive. Gag me.

Then you have Oliver. You know I should like Oliver and I do, but he doesn't seem realistic. And it's not because of insta love. There's actual build up to this relationship, their interactions though they just don't ring genuine. He honestly reminds me of Chad Michael Murray's character in A Cinderella Story. He looks the part, says the right things, but you wonder is this really a guy talking because he sounds like such a girl.

Best Feature: The 1960's: I loved learning about all things the 60's. The culinary information was really interesting as well as some of the details about fashion. I wish thought that some of the less savory details about the decade were mentioned. Sure, they talked about the inequality between gender a little bit. But there were other things about the decade that were worth talking about too.

Worst Feature: Annoying Relatives. The supporting characters in this book really were aggravating. I was going to give it a higher rating. But God, the mother character, the grandmother character, and sometimes even the sister got on my nerves. I guess I should be happy that they played such a prominent role in the book because usually YA ignores family all together. But God, that mother was way too much. Seriously, writing about your kids and their love lives on a secret blog. And then the Grandma has a secret like you see on Days of Our Lives and everyone just accepts it. Sigh....I needed alcohol to believe a lot of this.

Appropriateness: It's pretty clean on the teenage drinking, cursing, and sex stuff. However, I had some issues with morality issues on this book. Particularly when it came to cheating. In the book the character writes a paper by virtually cutting and pasting five papers and slightly "rewording" them to make them her own. Does she face consequences? No. Also, it doesn't help matters that at the beginning of the book she was "helping" her ex boyfriend write his own paper. I'm sorry but this sort of thing makes me feel icky inside.

[Nafiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going Vintage is cute, fluffy and rather pertinent. I have been taking a lot of classes that deal with new media for children and young adults and the term “digital native” has been bandied around to varying degrees of acceptance. The point is, technology is as essential to kids today as perhaps breathing (you know what I mean). It’s not something they think about, just like we didn’t question telephones or the TV. It was just there and we used it. Similarly, the generation that is coming of age right now do not question computers, tablets, new media, stuff like that. So when Mallory (this name is really popular, I just wrote a review of Hysteria and the protagonist of that book is also Mallory) decides to go completely cold turkey where technology is concerned, everyone is skeptical about her chances of success.

How does one survive without technology in this day and age? Cell phones especially are so necessary. I could live without one but I would never know what time is. Anyway, Going Vintage is the second title I have read by Lindsey Leavitt. The first one was Sean Griswold’s Head and if you haven’t checked that out one out yet, I sincerely recommend it to you. While Going Vintage was interesting, I thought it had rather less substance to it than I was expecting.

First of all, there is that thing about Mallory’s boyfriend “cheating” with a girl online. I thought it was an interesting dilemma and it would have benefited from a lot more attention than it got in the novel. Mallory comes upon emails etc that her bf exchanged with that girl and immediately storms out – no wait, first she writes something not very flattering on what is the fictional equivalent of his facebook page.

Some more discussion about the cheating, about what constitutes as cheating would have been interesting. Mallory, following the massive online reaction against her so-called hacking of her bf’s facebook page, jumps into trying to recreate what she felt was a simpler adolescence – one that did not have the constant connection and feedback enjoyed by today’s teenagers. An adolescence like the one her grandmother must have enjoyed when she was growing up. When there were no cell phones, computers or the cyberspace – when life was simpler.

The book is especially successful in portraying the different kinds of relationships that construct a family. Mallory and her sister were particularly awesome and I enjoyed their exchanges. Mallory’s grandmother came across as far more gruff and less sympathetic than she was meant to be but she seemed like a real person than a stereotype of a grandma but I wasn’t a fan of either of Mallory’s parents. The book felt really rushed, to be honest. While it was fun and there were some laugh out loud moments, it felt like we were going at too high a speed to fully appreciate the nuances and complexities that made up Mallory’s life. Also, while the side characters were wonderful and sharply etched, I didn’t get much where Mallory was concerned. There is nothing about her that distinguishes her from anyone else.

You know how books usually follow a pattern: problem, resolution, etc. I kept on waiting for Mallory to learn something from her attempt to recreate the past but she starts out knowing that she cannot sustain her tech-free life. I wish Leavitt had let Mallory realize that – shown that lack of technology may make for a quieter life but it doesn’t take the complexity away. The grandmother’s arc does try to convey that but again, not enough time and attention is devoted to developing what could have been an emotionally rich narrative/scene.

The romance is there. It is okay. It didn’t do anything much for me. This may have been due to the speed at which things happen.

I was just expecting a whole lot more from this book than it delivered. If you had a choice between this and Sean Griswold, I’d say go the Griswold way.

[Mad Scientist · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Blasts ---> Most Delightful!

Concoction of a Review:

Like most of us, Mallory is another young lady in this world who wants to figure out where she belongs and what her “thing” is. However, the way that Mallory goes about this is a tad unorthodox but amazing in almost every way.

While dusting and cleaning away the basement of her grandmothers home she found a list. As the Mad Scientist is not a person who lists I did not feel an moment of glorious aha at this but Mallory did! The list was simple. 5 small tasks that was figured to be written in the very early 1960’s when her grandmother would of also been 16 and a junior in high school. This is where one smirks at such a lucky connection. *smirk*

How she decided, but she did, that the 60’s was simpler times and she wanted to revert to the past by completing the list as her grandmother once completed herself. Or did she not? *pops parasol so one cannot see a grin*

The jolt to make her jump into such a process of altering her life of technology to lack there of has a lot to do with just being burned by Jeremy, her boyfriend of over a year. Cyber cheating with BubbleYum... is there such a thing? Yes, indeed the Mad Scientist begrudgingly avails to today's technology. (otherwise, one would not see this amazing blog of oddness that needs more steampunkery!)

Poor dear Mallory is confused as to why she is not enough for the boy she loves or loved. Not knowing so much any more and feeling a need to connect with her grandma who herself is transitioning into a retirement community she sets out to complete the list to find herself.

Enlisting her sister Ginny they venture into the past to complete the tasks written out over 50 years ago. Including a soiree that spoke of celery and cream cheese that had this Mad Scientist tummy rumbling until she created the same to try. Alas, to no avail... I had to settle for peanut butter instead. (If I was a lister I would of then added cream cheese to the list, if there was one.)

What did I LOVE about this book? Uniting family, Oliver, and fanny packs.

Uniting family - A reader does not often find a book where characters are trying to keeping fighting couples together. We assume they should be apart. Nonetheless, Ginny steps in and silently tries to keep her parents together by helping them realize why they do love each other.

Oliver - WOW, is it appropriate to swoon over a teen. *shakes head and swoons anyway* Now there is a boy ladies should dream of. A boy who is going to be a MAN. Rare I know. But I am hardly wrong. *winks*

Fanny packs - Now I know what you are thinking... How does the Mad Scientist know of fanny packs? While this rusty thing was in China we seen so many we could count them!

Mallory was down and out. As she would not tell her mother why (I do not blame her) they ended up going to Disney. Why how could one be sad at a most magical place? Disney is a place of princesses, rides and tourist wearing fanny packs. Mallory is bringing the fanny pack back!

One cannot assume you will read this because the Mad Scientist found fanny packs to be a great part of the story but I can assume you will be interested in grandma’s massive secret. In Mallory’s vintage clothes selection, as it is to be said... it is brilliant in my mind! or maybe you will be interested in how the characters are so fleshed out that you care for them.

A beautifully written story about family and finding oneself! Plus vintage clothing!

** Thanks to NetGalley for the ability to read & review this book which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**

[Ai Haibara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gonna be like Mallory and use a listing format for this review.

You should read Going Vintage if you love:

- Lola and the boy next door and Adorkable
-Fluffy and funny books.
-60s vibe and references (food, clothing, antiques etc)
-Vintage retro fashion, such as puffy cute prom dresses (which I adore!)

I need something like that in my life; for prom or not.
-Mentions of hand craft and sewing.
-Main female characters that grow and understand the mistakes they have made.
-Cute male love interest who isn't a douche, has great dress sense (imo) and wears horn rimmed glasses.

Yep....
-Slow development of romance that doesn't heavily focus on making out and is realistic.
-Family bonds and drama.

This book really hit the nail on the head for me in terms of character development and the romance part. The only thing that I think seemed a bit too much was the family drama (there were two and one was pretty melodramatic that I thought could've been developed more so it seemed more realistic).

And I can totally imagine this as a John Hughes movie just set in the 60s, like it would just be totally awesome with the pretty clothes, funky music and cast...


Me everyday.

[Paula M · Rating 3 out of 5]

MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG.

"Mallory, you want a freeze? I’m a glacier. You want slow? I’m a turtle. But I’ll also be waiting by the phone every night, no matter how long it takes until you’re ready. Scout’s honor."


I picked this up because of the Title. I mean, who can't pick this up?! I'm a big fun of vintage. And because of Mallory's idea, I might do it someday. Yep! I'm going Vintage!

..for I don't know, maybe half a day? Or three days? Thinking about it makes me want to give up already.

Mallory is my kind of heroine. Witty, a little crazy and a Lister! Her quirky voice really engaged me through the story. And! If you have the kind of relationship she has with her family (especially her sister) I think you'll survive The List.

There's a lot of things that I loved:

1. Mallory. Really really love her.
2. Mallory's crazy family.
3. The List!!
4. Conversations between Mallory and her sister.
5. OLIVER KIMBALL. Nuff said.

Mallory's life is far from perfect She tried to vanish technology thinking that it will make everything better. Life in the '60's seems simpler right? But what she got is more complications. But after everything, she realised that LIFE is not that different from the 60's. And that heartaches still exist back then, but also finding a steady.

I really enjoyed Going Vintage. Its is fun to read and very much swoony.

[Lulufrances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-reading thought:
Absolutely stoked I got the UK edition, because - have you even seen that GORGEOUS cover?! Aww :)

After-reading thoughts:
I'm so delighted I decided to get this book on a whim last week :)
Loved the whole aspect of going vintage, as Mallory does for a while.
It made me actually think a lot about the way it has become so normal to run to the internet for any little tidbit and one tiny passage in the book struck me: when Mallory has to wait for her mum to pick her up and doesn't know what to do with herself because there is no way of distraction with a smartphone et cetera.
When did we forget to also be bored/patient sometimes??
I think it's actually productive to be bored sometimes. Your brain needs a rest too...
And the book in general just reminded me of that again.
Also, you can hardly say no to a book that features lovely sixties style dresses (although I must say I'm a bit partial haha as I like that era style-wise veeeery much!).

Another thing: this is kind of an easy read, but it still has a depth unusual to this category of books and I very much enjoyed that.
Oh and - totally loved the characters, they were so well thought out and not flat at all.
Let's not forget to add that Ms Leavitt's writing style is beautiful and witty and makes for an all round lovely book!
Recommended to all you girlies ;)

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way cute story! It all starts off with a nosy girl named Mallory who is to tempted by her boyfriend Jeremy's alluring computer sitting unsupervised, locks are off and Mallory is cruising his accounts when it happens she finds evidence that he has cheated on her in a not very conventional way. Yet it is a form of cheating and I can see why she is upset. Rumors are flying via testing, phone, e-mail and Mallory has had i,t she decides she is going Vintage giving up her modern technological conveniences for a simpler time. She has been helping her father clear out his mother's home when she runs a crossed an old notebook that has a list from 1962. Reminded me of a bucket list yet different. Mallory decides she is going to complete her grandmothers list she enlists her sister into doing some off it with her. I really liked their relationship they are sweet and silly, and get each other. And the adventures begin, as well as a little romance with Jeremy's cousin. Really a fun light hearted read. Made me want to give up my phone for....well just a day. It was fun to see the lengths she would go in order to stay true to her commitment of no technology. Cute, fun read!
Love the cover!

[Margot]

Watch for my upcoming review in the Deseret News.

Completely fun, with a relateable, realistic teen main character who had me laughing from the start. Just the right amount of toe-curling romance. No sex.

Attention authors: if you think you must put sex in a YA novel to make it believable, please read this book. PLEASE.

I've read way too many YA novels where the author sticks sex in for no real reason. It's as if they are saying: I need to make my book modern and relevant, so therefore there must be sex. But even if it's handled discreetly, there are hardly any stories that are made better by including that. Be relevant and modern in a way that IMPROVES the characters and story. Why take the risk of alienating a whole section of readers, who find such inclusions squirmy and uncomfortable, just for the sake of being "relevant?" I challenge you to find a better, truer way.

Despite the Cosmo polls or whatever, it's not true that all teenagers have sex, it's not true that they all want to read about teenagers having sex, and I've yet to find a teenager who disliked a book strictly because there was no sex. Yet the opposite is true. Why limit readership?

**rant off

[Cloie Rainilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugggghhh. This wasn't a good book for me. If you liked it then that's great.

Mallory gets her heart broken when her boyfriend Jeremy cheats on her with an online waifu. Devastated she swears off all technology because that's the source of all her problems. She finds an old list of goals her grandmother wrote as a teenager, and decides to complete the list and act like she's in the 1960's. That includes wearing cute vintage clothes.

Here's 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

That plot just didn't work well with me. It was executed half-heartedly. Also Mallory was a whiny brat who never appeared 16 at all in my eyes. She constantly wanted people to pity her and then stay away from her. It took her forever to realize that you don't need to be constantly dating someone and that being single is great. She continued to act like hotheaded fool even on the last few chapters. I'm still feeling very sour after reading this.