Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

book cover of Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Release date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley/Publisher
Reading level: YA

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.

I adore Lindsey Leavitt!  I haven’t read all of her books yet but after reading and loving Going Vintage, I’m definitely going to remedy that.  Going Vintage is cute, fun, and a totally fresh story!
I truly adore every character in Going Vintage, from Mallory’s rather odd parents to Mallory’s best friends.  Every character in the story was well-developed and surprisingly all played a pretty big role.  Not only does Going Vintage tell a story about a girl trying to get over a broken heart but it also tells a wonderful story about family.  Mallory was rather quirky but she was a truly fun character to read about and readers will love her.  She has her own style, she’s not afraid to speak her mind, and she’s beyond unique.  She also has a great relationship with her family, even if it’s strained at times.  Her little sister, Ginnie, was hilarious.  She agreed to help Mallory with her plan to go vintage and she took her job very seriously.  Her antics cracked me up.  Also, she was like a best friend to Mallory.  They fought but it was so clear how much they cared about each other.  Mallory definitely had her own friends and they were great but Ginnie was the best.  Mallory’s parents were also pretty funny.  Their relationship was very unique.  They fought quite a bit but they loved each other.  They were kind of disgustingly cute at times.  Above all else though they were there for their daughters and they were very involved in their lives.  Oh and brief mention of the boys.  Jeremy was as much a tool as the summary made him out to be.  Oliver, on the other hand, was amazing.  He was smart, funny, kind, and he truly didn’t care what people thought of him.  He did his own thing.  I loved that he was such a different kind of guy than the normal love interest.
The story is surprisingly fast-paced for a contemporary novel.  I had a hard time putting down Going Vintage once I started it.  It’s full of characters you can’t help but root for and you’ll want to know if they get their happy endings.  There wasn’t a lot of action or suspense but that was okay.  The story was cute, there were quite a few laugh out loud moments for me, and I was left with a satisfied feeling and a smile on my face.  I got everything I could have possibly wanted from this book.
Also, the whole idea behind Going Vintage made me think.  Times really have changed and I loved seeing how Mallory tried to go back to simpler times.  Cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, all the social networking sites these days, have made human interaction very sparse.  Nobody talks on the phone these days, they text.  If you want to know something about a person, you don’t ask, you Google.  Life is very impersonal nowadays.  Seeing Mallory talk on the phone with Oliver was so different.  They talked about everything and nothing.  I can’t remember the last time I did that!  I really think Going Vintage will make people think about how technology is changing people.  I don’t know about you guys but I kinda want to call someone up on the phone now and just talk for hours!
Overall, Going Vintage goes on the list of awesome contemporary novels.  I can’t recommend it enough.  Go out and get this one as soon as possible!

Looking for more reviews of Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt?
Buried In Books’ review
Good Books and Good Wine’s review
Ladybug Storytime’s review
Chocolate Coated Reviews’ review

Other reviews for this author:
Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

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14 comments

  1. I keep seeing fantastic reviews of this book and the cover is so eye catching. I love the idea of going back to simpler times as well. Will have to check this out.

  2. that last paragraph you wrote nailed how our society operates nowadays.. we all hide behind computer and phone screens with barely any real contact. I love your review and every single review I have heard has made me want to pick this book up. I also love that it is also a book about family.

    great review,
    – Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf

  3. I love the premise of Going Vintage, and I was curious how teens/young adults would respond. It’s great to hear that you (as a younger person than me!) really enjoyed the story too.

  4. I’ve been super intrigued by this one ever since I saw it in a publisher catalog a few months ago. SO glad you enjoyed it and much more confident to go out and buy it now!

  5. The cover and title of this book totally won me over immediately, but your review pretty much confirmed that I WILL read this one day. The second-to-last paragraph is really what got me. I love the idea of a heroine and her love interest talking on the phone!

    Great review 🙂

  6. I loved Ginnie-she was supportive but also critical in equal measure and just what Mallory needed. I really appreciate Leavitt’s fun stories and light sense of humor!

  7. I have heard fabulous things about the family aspect in this one, which I know will make the book even better. I hate it when YA characters have cliché relationships with their parents and siblings. And the whole idea of giving up modern technology is so interesting; I know I couldn’t do it, primarily because of blogging! Haha.

  8. I love this author! She has fun, nice characters who grow in good ways and I LOVE her concepts!

    This book made me want to do the same thing, follow the rules and activities she did!