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mayris88's review against another edition
5.0
To me the book itself gets 4 stars, but I read it without dragging it and it kept me hooked the entire time, that's why I gave it 5 stars.
The story was funny and cute. Mallory was annoying sometimes but I kept forgetting that she is only 16, so yeah my bad.
I loved it, I don't think I've read anything quite like it.
The story was funny and cute. Mallory was annoying sometimes but I kept forgetting that she is only 16, so yeah my bad.
I loved it, I don't think I've read anything quite like it.
wilder_reads1111's review against another edition
3.0
This is a cute book, but I felt like it was predictable. Also, I'm kind of tired of one dimensional, clumsy, awkward protagonists that don't feel like they have anything going for them. Her constant need to 'find a thing' was pretty run of the mill YA sappy storyline fodder. I wanted to love this, especially because of the title, but frankly, I would have been more interested in a book about her sister Ginnie or her friend Cardin!
sienaro's review against another edition
4.0
The 3.61 rating that this book averages is just about spot on.
It was cute, amusing, and heartwarming. Like all teen fiction, it has two love interests for the main character, Mallory, and her goals (The List) end at the Junior Homecoming, where the book ends. I thought that it was very relatable and charming: every modern mom nowadays writes about her family in the blogosphere, things that shouldn't be a big deal are and things that should be a big deal aren't (ie your grandma having another kid who she gave up for adoption). It felt realistic, a little cliché, and was overall moderately enjoyable.
It was cute, amusing, and heartwarming. Like all teen fiction, it has two love interests for the main character, Mallory, and her goals (The List) end at the Junior Homecoming, where the book ends. I thought that it was very relatable and charming: every modern mom nowadays writes about her family in the blogosphere, things that shouldn't be a big deal are and things that should be a big deal aren't (ie your grandma having another kid who she gave up for adoption). It felt realistic, a little cliché, and was overall moderately enjoyable.
mehsi's review
5.0
Absolutely loved this book. I loved Mallory and her lists, and how she kept going with the list even though it wasn't always easy. It was great story and I had some great laughs. :)
mollywetta's review against another edition
2.0
This review and more at wrapped up in books
I’m starting to get a better sense of the kind of contemporary reads that appeal to personally, and those that don’t. Because I don’t read solely for my own personal enjoyment and try to read a variety of styles, genres, and formats, I’ve been thinking about the best way to approach reviewing books that end up just not being my personal style. The most balanced and honest way is to explain what I feel many other readers will enjoy about Going Vintage, and what didn’t work for me personally. This was one of those books that I didn’t personally love but I think is a decent example of a certain type of contemporary that will appeal to certain readers. Due to the particular hook of this book, this review is just begging to be written in list format. Going Vintage had some good things going on, but ultimately is just not to my taste.
THINGS I LIKE ABOUT GOING VINTAGE
1. Cute Hipster Romantic Interest
Although he was not exactly a dynamic character, Oliver was the kind of boy I’d be into if I were a teen.
2. Awesome Sister
Ginnie is kick ass. She’s all into soccer, she loves to cook healthy vegan food, she’s supportive of her older sister but knows how to tell it like it is.
3. Passing the Bechel Test
Ginnie and Mallory do talk about boys. A lot. They also talk about their family and their own interests. It’s so refreshing to see a cutesy contemporary that has a functional relationship between two teenage girls. Especially sisters.
4. Family
I didn’t love everything about the way the family dynamics were used for the plot. I did love that family played a role at all, because so few young adult novels focus on family to such an extent. When family is a theme explored in a young adult novel, it’s often dysfunctional.
5. The Ex
Jeremy, Mallory’s ex-boyfriend, is gross. He is self-involved and opportunistic and emotionally immature and totally typical teenage guy. While I didn’t actually like Jeremy, I liked that his character was unapologetically teenage guy without making him utterly evil.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT GOING VINTAGE
1. Friendspace
Stupid effing name. Is there some sort of legal reason to not just call it Facebook? This was so freaking annoying because so much of the plot revolved around it.
2. The Lists
Dude, I make lists. I have special Knick Knock stationary on which to make lists. I make grocery lists and book lists and to-do lists. I once made a list of boys I have kissed (it was very short). But it just feels gimmicky. I felt the same way about The Reece Malcolm List.
3. Mallory’s Inner Dialogue
Leavitt writes Mallory with a pretty authentic teenage voice that will appeal to lots of readers; she just doesn’t appeal to me. Ultimately, Mallory is pretty shallow and her introspection only skims the surface of things. Even though she isn’t exactly deep, she was always over-explaining things instead of letting me, as the reader, make the connections and inferences. I never for once felt as if I was swept away in the story, and I was always aware of the fact that I was reading a book. So much of a novel’s appeal is in its voice, and Mallory’s voice did not speak to me.
4. Static Secondary Characters
The characters in Going Vintage are flat. Sure, I liked Ginnie and Oliver, but I didn’t find them particularly compelling. I wasn’t invested in their fates.
5. Predictable Plot
Absolutely no clever twists in this one. It’s clear from the beginning how it’s all going to work out. Their secretive mom is not hiding what they think, and quite predictably her secret is related to Internet culture just as the conflict that drives Mallory’s character arc is. Of course Mallory’s grandmother, who inspires her list, will obviously have a “dark” secret that will reveal the past wasn’t as perfect as Mallory believes it to be.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Going Vintage has a good message. I don’t always think that books that are so conscious of their audience as teens are the most exciting or entertaining reads, but that doesn’t mean they are necessarily any less valuable.
At its core, Going Vintage is about a girl exploring her own personality and interests and establishing an identity outside of her boyfriend. It touches on some pretty interesting contemporary issues: intimacy and privacy in an increasingly interconnected and transparent digital age and the dangers of nostalgia and romanticizing history as well as the dangers of forgetting the past. I only wished these has been explored more deeply or with more nuance. It feels like they were just introduced into the story for effect. I didn’t think the story actually offered much in terms of reflection or commentary on these issues.
This book is light, fluffy, and fun, and while the main plot is predicated on a romantic relationship, it isn’t overly romantic. Linsey Leavitt’s writing lacks that literary quality that makes contemporary stories like Graffiti Moon or Fingerprints of You appeal to me. It’s very similar to The Reece Malcolm List, but in my opinion, not as well done. There is plenty of humor in this, I just prefer mine much darker, like the kind of bitter humor you can find in The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand.
I’m starting to get a better sense of the kind of contemporary reads that appeal to personally, and those that don’t. Because I don’t read solely for my own personal enjoyment and try to read a variety of styles, genres, and formats, I’ve been thinking about the best way to approach reviewing books that end up just not being my personal style. The most balanced and honest way is to explain what I feel many other readers will enjoy about Going Vintage, and what didn’t work for me personally. This was one of those books that I didn’t personally love but I think is a decent example of a certain type of contemporary that will appeal to certain readers. Due to the particular hook of this book, this review is just begging to be written in list format. Going Vintage had some good things going on, but ultimately is just not to my taste.
THINGS I LIKE ABOUT GOING VINTAGE
1. Cute Hipster Romantic Interest
Although he was not exactly a dynamic character, Oliver was the kind of boy I’d be into if I were a teen.
2. Awesome Sister
Ginnie is kick ass. She’s all into soccer, she loves to cook healthy vegan food, she’s supportive of her older sister but knows how to tell it like it is.
3. Passing the Bechel Test
Ginnie and Mallory do talk about boys. A lot. They also talk about their family and their own interests. It’s so refreshing to see a cutesy contemporary that has a functional relationship between two teenage girls. Especially sisters.
4. Family
I didn’t love everything about the way the family dynamics were used for the plot. I did love that family played a role at all, because so few young adult novels focus on family to such an extent. When family is a theme explored in a young adult novel, it’s often dysfunctional.
5. The Ex
Jeremy, Mallory’s ex-boyfriend, is gross. He is self-involved and opportunistic and emotionally immature and totally typical teenage guy. While I didn’t actually like Jeremy, I liked that his character was unapologetically teenage guy without making him utterly evil.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT GOING VINTAGE
1. Friendspace
Stupid effing name. Is there some sort of legal reason to not just call it Facebook? This was so freaking annoying because so much of the plot revolved around it.
2. The Lists
Dude, I make lists. I have special Knick Knock stationary on which to make lists. I make grocery lists and book lists and to-do lists. I once made a list of boys I have kissed (it was very short). But it just feels gimmicky. I felt the same way about The Reece Malcolm List.
3. Mallory’s Inner Dialogue
Leavitt writes Mallory with a pretty authentic teenage voice that will appeal to lots of readers; she just doesn’t appeal to me. Ultimately, Mallory is pretty shallow and her introspection only skims the surface of things. Even though she isn’t exactly deep, she was always over-explaining things instead of letting me, as the reader, make the connections and inferences. I never for once felt as if I was swept away in the story, and I was always aware of the fact that I was reading a book. So much of a novel’s appeal is in its voice, and Mallory’s voice did not speak to me.
4. Static Secondary Characters
The characters in Going Vintage are flat. Sure, I liked Ginnie and Oliver, but I didn’t find them particularly compelling. I wasn’t invested in their fates.
5. Predictable Plot
Absolutely no clever twists in this one. It’s clear from the beginning how it’s all going to work out. Their secretive mom is not hiding what they think, and quite predictably her secret is related to Internet culture just as the conflict that drives Mallory’s character arc is. Of course Mallory’s grandmother, who inspires her list, will obviously have a “dark” secret that will reveal the past wasn’t as perfect as Mallory believes it to be.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Going Vintage has a good message. I don’t always think that books that are so conscious of their audience as teens are the most exciting or entertaining reads, but that doesn’t mean they are necessarily any less valuable.
At its core, Going Vintage is about a girl exploring her own personality and interests and establishing an identity outside of her boyfriend. It touches on some pretty interesting contemporary issues: intimacy and privacy in an increasingly interconnected and transparent digital age and the dangers of nostalgia and romanticizing history as well as the dangers of forgetting the past. I only wished these has been explored more deeply or with more nuance. It feels like they were just introduced into the story for effect. I didn’t think the story actually offered much in terms of reflection or commentary on these issues.
This book is light, fluffy, and fun, and while the main plot is predicated on a romantic relationship, it isn’t overly romantic. Linsey Leavitt’s writing lacks that literary quality that makes contemporary stories like Graffiti Moon or Fingerprints of You appeal to me. It’s very similar to The Reece Malcolm List, but in my opinion, not as well done. There is plenty of humor in this, I just prefer mine much darker, like the kind of bitter humor you can find in The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand.
christiana's review against another edition
4.0
This book was delightful!
I read an ARC, so I'm hopeful in the final copy they'll do something about Mallory's fake swearing (she says the word "freak" a lot as another word and it just doesn't fit). Here's what they should do!: make Mallory get really into retro swear words (like criminy-I know that's in there already, but just add in more like it) and then replace other words. I get that she's probs just supposed to be that squeaky clean, but I need something besides "freak" to make this work for me.
I read an ARC, so I'm hopeful in the final copy they'll do something about Mallory's fake swearing (she says the word "freak" a lot as another word and it just doesn't fit). Here's what they should do!: make Mallory get really into retro swear words (like criminy-I know that's in there already, but just add in more like it) and then replace other words. I get that she's probs just supposed to be that squeaky clean, but I need something besides "freak" to make this work for me.
viviennemorgain's review against another edition
5.0
A hipster boy as love interest. Yay!
A smart heroine, who knows exactly what to do when two boys are 'pining' after her.
An adorable sister character.
A dad with tattoos.
Fans of Stephanie Perkins and Kody Keplinger will definitely love it, though Mallory or the story doesn't resemble to any of their heroines or storylines. (No sex in here.)
It's a fun, witty read. A book I would recommend my smart daughter (if I had any) to find confidence and strenghten her belief in herself and in being herself.
A smart heroine, who knows exactly what to do when two boys are 'pining' after her.
An adorable sister character.
A dad with tattoos.
Fans of Stephanie Perkins and Kody Keplinger will definitely love it, though Mallory or the story doesn't resemble to any of their heroines or storylines. (No sex in here.)
It's a fun, witty read. A book I would recommend my smart daughter (if I had any) to find confidence and strenghten her belief in herself and in being herself.
hnbb's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fun read. I enjoy the author's snarky sense of humor that came through in Mallory. (Plus, I like the protagonist's name.) I was pleased that I could see myself in the main character, it gives me a greater connection. (I didn't realize so many people were list makers. It helps ME organize my thoughts.) This is the second book I have read by this author and I want to read more.
shirleymak's review against another edition
4.0
awwww this book was really cute(: OLIVER IS ADORABLE WHY CANT I HAVE AN OLIVER BYE