Tuesday 26 February 2013

Review & Giveaway: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt


Going Vintage

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: March 26th 2013
My rating:  3.5 stars 




When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club presient–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.


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 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.  

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

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

I’ve decided to give away my ARC copy of Going Vintage. Fill out the rafflcopter below for a chance to win.  The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL with the only requirement being that you follow the blog.  Good luck and thanks for stopping by! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

23 comments:

Bystander said...

This one sounds so good! I love the idea of making someone elses to do list into your own. And finding one from a different time would make it pretty darn awesome! This was a great review!

Tanja - Tanychy said...

I've seen this book around but this is the first review I'm reading. Even though from the blurb it doesn't sound like something I might like...well I should think twice. Sounds really like a nice read for sunny day :) Great review Rachel :)

Unknown said...

thanks for the giveaway. Really good review btw. and I love the design of your blog. new?

Suzanne (Parabooklover) said...

This does sound quite sweet Rachel. And I agree, I couldn't live without my cell phone. And I don't think I could allow my son to go anywhere without me being able to contact him. But technology does have it's bad side too, cyber bullying for instance :( But great review, and I loved your first quote :)

kit said...

This sounds like a lot of fun, and I like the idea of exploring living with no modern technology (even though I am very reliant on mine!).

Sofia said...

thanks for the giveawaw!! ^-^

Anonymous said...

I thought this book was a lot of fun too! I loved Oliver! He was so cute and totally swoon-worthy!
I honestly don't know what I would do without technology! Can you imagine not having e-readers? I would die! >.<

Anonymous said...

Oh a book already in my TBR! Love it!
Jenna_bearden_10152005(at)yahoo.com

Delaney said...

I've seen my bloging friend read and review this and I'm so happy I can have a chance at reading it now! >___< Thaanks for the giveaway! ^^

Jenny said...

Wasn't this so cute Rachel?! I absolutely adored Ginny as well, she had me laughing every time she appeared on the page. Hilarious:) I remember over the summer when our power was out for a full week - I thought I would die. I felt so cut off without internet or TV, and I realized just how much I relied on them. I didn't know what to do with myself without my computer. I'd be cut off from the world of blogging! *sobs at the thought*

Maja (The Nocturnal Library) said...

I have a great feeling about this one, Rachel! I just know I'll like it. Like you, I get apoplexy if I happen to forget my phone, and I never ever leave the house without Ferguson, my Kindle.
If both you and Jenny say it's hilarious, then I know this is the book for me.
Fantastic review and thank you for the giveaway.

Unknown said...

This one does sound very cute. I may have to give this one a shot when I'm in the mood for something light. :)
And I'll tell you what.. my cell croaked on me a few weeks ago and I've been without a phone since and I've been going NUTTY. lol I keep thinking I'll get used to it but I'm not. Now if I didn't have the internet either? I don't know what I'd do with myself.

Renae @ Respiring Thoughts said...

I agree that a lot of Mallory’s decisions didn’t make much sense. Her logic was seriously flawed and I couldn’t connect with her in the way I did with most of the other characters. I did really like how Leavitt portrayed family, though, especially in regards to Mallory’s mom. Like you, Rachel, I thought this book was fast and fun to read.

Livvy said...

This sounds like it's a lot of fun, when I first saw it I was sure I would like it and I think as a book with spunk I would definitely enjoy this one.

Great review, Rachel and thanks again for another awesome giveaway! :-)

Jess said...

This sounds like a really cute read! Thanks for the giveaway and review Rachel :) I'm looking forward to this one.

Henrietta @ Leisure Reads said...

It surely didn't seem like an easy thing to accomplish every task on the list. I think I'll enjoy reading the dialogue between Oliver and Mallory. Thanks for sharing!

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings said...

I have this coming up soon on the blog and I am hoping for a cute romance. I agree about the technology thing, it makes me sad sometimes that we have become so reliant on cellphones and such, I am just as guilty as anyone else. I am worried about the mother character.

Keertana said...

Great review, Rachel! Like you, I thought this was very cute but a little forgettable at the end of the day. Still, I loved the attention to technology and Oliver completely won me over! ESPECIALLY the realistic conclusion of their relationship! :D Wonderful review, dear!(:

brandileigh2003 said...

Sounds like a really cute read. Nice that it deals with moving on from a breakup. There is in fact life after :)
Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

Shirley said...

Have I told you how much I LOVE you Rachel? I seriously do! You recommend the most amazing books & host the best giveaways ever!! This sounds like such a cute read!! *Fingers crossed I win a copy. I REALLY WANT TO READ IT<3*

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Nice review, Rachel. This does sound like a cute read. I can't imagine JUST going to the library to do research these days. It was easier to do in high school, though (when I actually had to) but college is a different story. :)

Sam (Realm of Fiction) said...

Even though I'm not brilliant with technology, I rely on it all the time, too! Panic attacks are the norm when I'm separated from my phone or ereader. ;) This sounds like a pretty good read overall, though I wasn't too interested in at first. Great review, Rachel!

Wendy Darling said...

Aw, this sounds adorable! I like that it's about a break-up--I enjoyed Abby Macdonald's GETTING OVER GARRETT DELANEY last year, and this sounds sort of similar. I also love vintage, so...this review sold me. :)

And I am totally entering this contest. Thanks for both the review and giveaway, ladies!

Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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