Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Going Vintage

Author: Lindsey Leavitt

Publish Date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 320

Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

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 president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

I have this urge to start this blog post with 'In the beginning' or some sort of intense introduction that makes it seem much more epic than my blog posts actually are. But to be honest, I can't deny the fact that this story deserves an awesome introduction simply because it was such an amazing novel. Most of the books I've read are all centered on the paranormal, the fantasy, the unreal, and to finally get to read a book that is real in all the right ways was a relief. This book was the dose of reality I needed and the story that made me see what makes living worth doing and what makes reading books worthwhile in the first place. I connected so well with this entire story that my emotions were a roller coaster and everything the characters' felt, I did. 

I love this story. There is no 'ifs' or 'buts' about it and I needed to make that clear before I got into the story itself.

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt brings to life the immensely complicated world that is our real one. Mallory's life was perfect, there was nothing in her mind that needed to be changed or fixed. She was never unhappy, in fact most people could agree that she was one of the happiest people they knew. But her tragic flaw is her addiction to technology. Well it was until technology tore her world apart and left nothing but the ashes of a betrayal. Her world is upended. The thing that saved her was a list that her grandma made when she was her age and she is determined to complete it. Maybe this list will be the thing that saves her from the devastating effects this world has left on her. She is going vintage. No technology and definitely no ex-boyfriend who ruined her for technology. Will this be the thing that saves her? Or will she be able to save herself despite the list? Does the list really bring magic or is it just what she thought she needed? All she knows is that she won't touch technology until she's completed the list and gone vintage.

Mallory should deserve my pity because of all the things she suffers in this story. But her story didn't bring pity out in me, it brought out a sense of understanding and comradeship. I found myself relating with her in every way possible. In the beginning, I didn't relate to her. Her life seemed perfect. She had the best boyfriend with the happy family and the greatest friends, she got good grades and seemed to fit in with every crowd at school, and no one doubts that she is the type of girl that everyone likes. That was before she found out her boyfriend is having a cyber affair with a girl he's never met. That was before she decided to end their relationship and cut all of the ties she had with him. That was before she found the list that changed her life. That was before she became strong, stubborn, and her own person. Suddenly the people who once admired and loved her hate her for something that isn't even her fault. People mark her as a slut when really it was her boyfriend who was all along. But it was the list that convinced her to cut her ties to the thing that seemed to damage her most. I love the way she grows in the story. I love the person she is by the end of the story. 

Ginnie is Mallory's younger sister and her greatest support through this drastic change that her sister has suddenly taken on. Even though she refuses to cut out technology and give up the modern day luxuries, she will stand by her sister's side until the world ends. She is what Mallory needs in this process and she seems to be the only true friend that remains once everything goes down. Her parents are difficult people to connect with, they both seem to have secrets that they do not share and their relationship is akin to fire and ice. What did our lovely main character say? Something along the lines of that their fighting was a form of foreplay and somehow it only seemed to make them fonder of each other. Their love and passion definitely has not faded over the years. It makes their relationship a model for parent relationships in young adult novels. A model that is sadly lacking when both parents are typically in the picture. Her grandma is another one of those characters that I adore because she doesn't seem to fit with the stereotypical grandmother. She is a force to reckoned with and she doesn't act like she is planning on slowing down anytime soon. There is an undeniable connection between grandmother-and-granddaughter that I long to have with my grandmas. Sometimes I see how my grandparents are slowing down and becoming less social and wonder if my relationship with them will ever be the same.

Jeremy is boyfriend in the beginning of the book. He is what she thinks is perfect for her and it turns out that maybe perfection isn't what she should be looking for. But even then, she doesn't seem as connected to him as she thinks she is from the moment I read the first page and I felt bad that she was so hurt over what he'd done. But Jeremy is a tool and will always be a tool. When he realizes that he had been caught, he tries to grovel and even acts as though everything is perfect though he inspired all of the horrible comments about Mallory in the first place. I think in the end of it all, she handled him the best way she could by avoiding temptation and being who she should be. 

His cousin, Oliver, is an entirely different story. Unlike Jeremy who you can never tell whether he is genuine or not, Oliver is always straightforward and honest. He is the type of guy that seems to never worry about what everyone else thinks. People ostracize him which limits his socializing skills but he doesn't care. The first person he seems to reach out towards is Mallory and yet all he seems to want from her is friendship. I think in the case of love interests for our beautiful main character, this young man is the perfect one for her. In fact, I wouldn't mind finding a guy like him myself. Someone who isn't afraid to be himself and doesn't care about what people think. I think he is beautiful because he is original and wonderful.

Nothing about this story is stereotypical but rather it is completely real. I love, love, love this story. Go read it, buy it, and love it like I did.