Review: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

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.  (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: I absolutely loved the premise of this one. I have certainly had my moments where I'd like to throw my phone away and swear off the internet. Sadly, unlike Mallory, I'm not brave enough to go through with it. This technological ban occurs after she discovers her boyfriend has an online girlfriend in a role-playing game, and declares that she's had it with all the calls/texts/internet drama that comes afterwards. Another favorite: Oliver (Mallory's ex-boyfriend's cousin). He's old-school dreamy. He sings her songs, calls her on the landline, and says criminy. What isn't to love? Ginnie, Mallory's sister, is awesome, too. She has her own things going on in her life, but it's great when she ensures that Mallory sticks to her vintage life by removing certain contraband items from her room.

Nit Picks: The hardest thing for me was getting involved in all the various side-stories. Things are happening with her grandmother, who inspired the vintage lifestyle, and her parents are arguing. Not to mention continued drama with Jeremy at school, a budding romance with Oliver, and completing the list she's created to have an excellent Junior year. It made it a little hard to invest in each story. I wanted to learn more about what was going on with her grandmother, cared less about her parents. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I didn't like Mallory's mother at all. Even after she was redeemed at the end of the book, I had no sympathy for her. 

Going Vintage
By Lindsey Leavitt
Published by Bloomsbury USA
320 Pages
Received via Netgalley for review
Rating: C