Review - Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Scholastic (4th Apr 2013)

Blurb:Sixteen-year-old Mallory loves her boyfriend, Jeremy. Or at least likes him more than she's ever liked any other boy. She's sure he feels the same way.

Until she happens upon his online Authentic Life game and discovers he's cheating on her ...online.

Mallory's life is falling apart and technology is the cause. And then she finds a list, written by her grandma when she was Mallory's age. All her grandma had to worry about was sewing dresses and planning dinner parties.

Things were so much simpler in the 1960s. And there's nothing on the list that Mallory couldn't do herself. Maybe it's time for Mallory to go vintage and find the answers to her modern-day problems.

Going Vintage follows the story of Mallory Bradshaw who has everything going well for her until she discovers that her loving, perfect boyfriend is cheating on her. Online. Unable to face her school’s gossip loop, she swears off all forms of technology – which means no mobile phone, computer, internet, TV! – and decides to go vintage when she stumbles upon her beloved Grandma’s list which was written fifty years ago, a time when Friendspace (a fictionalised version of Facebook + MySpace) didn’t exist.

I hope I haven’t given much away but Going Vintage is definitely a rare find for me. I went to a book sale two months back and I sort of went bananas, putting books into my basket faster than I could keep count of them. It was a lovely surprise indeed because I really enjoyed Going Vintage.

The heroine, Mallory is such a funny, sweet person that you would love to have her in your life. Effervescent and feisty, she kept me entertained throughout the book with her relationship woes and sharp sense of humour. I adored her sister, Ginnie as she was equally sweet and likeable who turns out to be an amazing sidekick to Mallory when she tried to accomplish every single thing on the List. Do not let me get started on Oliver – Mallory’s ex-boyfriend’s cousin. Phwoar. Funny, witty and seriously very charming, I warmed up to him almost immediately.

The book is such a treat to fans of Sarra Manning’s YA books and Meg Cabot. It is filled with sharp, witty and highly entertaining dialogue between Mallory and Oliver, which will make you squeal in delight because it’s all so adorable and swoon-inducing. I loved the idea of recapturing the 1960s era and it was very Hairspray meets Mad Men. A feel-good and light-hearted tale about finding your steady and falling in love all the while looking fabulous and super cute in a 60s kind of way!

Going Vintage is out now on paperback!