Ginnie helps Mallory execute her plans to separate herself from technology and complete the tasks on their grandmother's 1962 to-do list. Ginnie is snarky and makes the perfect sidekick for Operation: Going Vintage. I think my favorite aspect of the story was the bond between the sisters. Not that that's a bad thing.I happened to be in the right frame of mind for this book, and so the little amount of time I spent with it was enjoyable, comforting even. If you're looking for a more realistic approach to this topic, I'd look elsewhere because this book is all about the cute and the fun and making it through with an optimistic outlook. It's about a girl coping with her first real break-up, but it doesn't get dark or gritty. It's geared toward the younger set, with no hidden depths or vulgarity, and though the rating is ages 12-17, I'd say the lower end of that age bracket will appreciate the story more.

I would definitely say that this story is on the light and fluffy side of YA. Yeah, it's overkill but it sets Mallory on a path of self-discovery and self-actualization, and although she's still a bit juvenile as she undertakes this journey, I ultimately liked the end result: a girl who realized she had been settling and wanted more for herself. The protagonist is quirky and cute and on a mission: she needs to revamp her life and cut out all technology, since that's what indirectly led to her break-up. Going Vintage is exactly what I've come to expect when I'm looking for a fun contemporary young adult novel. Regardless, when I saw the audio for Going Vintage pop up on Audible, I was finally ready to give this adorable book the chance it deserved. I was probably going through a zombie phase or something then. But I've become quite the mood reader these days, and at the time, this book was just too cute for me.

I really wish I hadn't given up so easily on this book when I tried to read my galley earlier this year. 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. The List:īut simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). 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. Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible Source: purchased, galley received for review via Netgalley

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt