Going vintage

*3.5 STARS.

(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)

I cannot even tell you how long I have been waiting for Going Vintage. Since last summer, at least, because I did a Waiting on Wednesday featuring it last August. I just loved the whole idea. I adore vintage and antique things. I have thought about taking technology hiatuses before. Throw in the most adorable cover ever, an interesting event catalyst, and a love interest who happens to be the ex's cousin? Yeah, I'm so there.

Going Vintage wound up being worth the wait! Mallory's inner monologue was freaking hilarious! She was so straightforward and refreshing, and I really enjoyed being inside her head. Even though she was far from perfect, Mallory always had good intentions. I also loved her relationship with her little sister, Ginnie. Ginnie was fantastic. She was a total crazy health nut super awesome soccer player - and therefore basically everything I'm not - but I really liked her. The scenes between her and Mallory were some of the best in the book.

And then there was Oliver. I've never seen a YA boy like him. It's actually really difficult to describe him, but he was incredibly endearing, funny, and different. And, to pull a quote from the book, he was “a pen-and-paper lister, a beautiful and dying breed.” Which always amounts to extra brownie points in my book.

Really, my only problem with this book was that there was a lot going on, and it wound up feeling kind of disjointed and chaotic at times. There were basically three big storylines, but the focus dedicated to each was inconsistent. I would have liked a lot more with Oliver, a little more with her grandmother, and less with her parents. Or perhaps for them to just be dealt with a little differently. I had issues with her parents, but I liked the element of realism it added, because obviously not all families are perfect.

Overall, I was a fan of Going Vintage. It was one of the most interesting premises in a YA contemporary I've seen in a while. Since Mallory was already a vintage clothing junkie with dad who dealt with antiques, it went really well with her character, too. Going Vintage was a cute, original read that would be a good addition to anyone's spring reading list. Also, I just discovered there's a whole Tumblr inspired by this book, so go check it out!

I was immediately drawn to this book where the protagonist catches her boyfriend cheating and her way of “dealing” is to try to go back to a simpler time. She vows to stay away from any type of technology, get back to the basics and re-discovers what really matters.

Going Vintage, was such a light and FUN read. I loved the concept and the execution. All of the characters felt real especially their reactions and interactions. They were simply likable and as a reader I wanted to get to know them all.

I found that I related to this story in so many ways. To name a few...

1. I grew up always listening to my parents reminisce about their awesome childhood in Puerto Rico. The friends they had, the salsa concerts they would attend, the prom, the crazy stuff my dad and his friends would get into. They always said how different times were back then. People would hitchhike all the time without worrying about getting murdered. People helped each other all the time. People lived a carefree life and just wanted to be happy. It's not to say that bad things didn't happen or that there weren't times of sadness. Simply put, there was more good than bad. Listening to these stories coupled with my own wonderful summers spent in Puerto Rico, I could totally appreciate wanting to be in a different place and a different time.

2. Just like Mallory, I gave up on Facebook about three years ago. Haven't looked back.

What I loved most was the fact that there were many great and positive messages found within these pages. First was how Mallory handled the break up. She could have totally made things a bigger mess had she stayed on Friendspace engaging in an online war, instead she walked away. She did make sure Jeremy knew that she knew but after that she kept her distance.

Other messages include:
Family love and acceptanceTrue friendships
The comfort that anonymity on the internet provides and how easy it is to give so much of yourself because of that sense of comfort/safety.Boundaries, secrets and forgiveness.
*That it is completely OK to try to ground yourself even if it means going against the current.

I totally recommend this read for anyone that wants something fun and light. Content-wise, the topics discussed in this book are pretty mild compared to other YA books out there. So young'uns, read up!

ARC provided by Bloomsbury via Netgalley