Book Review - Going Vintage

Title: Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 4 April 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1407134857

Synopsis
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.

My Review
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was actually a surprise arrival, I love getting mysterious books in the mail, so thanks Scholastic! I will confess this came through a couple of months ago but my to be read pile is so big it got pushed down.
I'm waiting for the next Darren Shan book so I wanted a fairly quick stand alone book that I could read today to fill the space and this one caught my eye. It's not my usual pick but it sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go.
Mallory and Jeremy seem to be made for each other, until she finds his 'Authentic Life' profile online and discovers a whole other life he's created for himself, sure it's just a game, but the emails between him and his virtual 'wife' are very real. Betrayed and hurt Mallory breaks up with him and swears off all modern technology, it just causes problems she can do without. She finds a list her grandma made when she was 16 and Mallory decides life was so much simpler back then and it was time to bring those times back.

Vintage style really is in fashion at the moment, and I love the clothes - if I could afford them I would wear them a lot, but anyway back to the book. Mallory is not your average character, she has fire in her belly and she makes mistakes, she actually comes across as very human, realistic. 
At the start of the book I wasn't sure if I liked her or not, I was more intrigued than anything but as the book progressed and I got to know her I came to really like her, and her quirks. She's trying to figure out what she wants in life and who she wants to be which I think a lot of teen readers can relate to.
We also meet Ginnie, Mallory's sister, she's like me in many ways, super active and sporty, a bit shy, and tries to help others before herself, she also has a bit of a temper mixed with a sweet side. She really lets us see another side of Mallory and in some ways an outside perspective on the story. As the book is told from Mallory's point of view it can be one sided, but her sister gives us a bridge to how others see things.
I found myself reading this quite quickly and wanted to see how it would all play out, especially once Oliver got involved, I wasn't sure if I wanted another romance twist to the story but he is there for more than that, he brings humour and fun into it and also helps Mallory realise what she can be. 
Very well written and beautifully created this book is a must read for 2013. Great fun and will also make you think about how much we rely on computers and technology. Super sweet, I will be looking for more by this author.

My Rating