Book Review: GOING VINTAGE

When Mallory catches her boyfriend cheating on her with an online girl, she decides it is time to take a break from technology. The next day, while packing up her grandmother’s house, she finds a list, written by her grandmother, of things that she wanted to achieve during her junior year in high school. Seeing this list convinces Mallory that life in the 1960s was easier and she would like to live a simpler life herself. She decides to go vintage; if it did not exist in 1962, then it’s not part of her life. Mallory changes her wardrobe, tosses her phones, abandons her computer, and gives up the reality television shows she loves. She plans to keep this social experiment going until she accomplishes all the items on her grandmother’s list. She has to form a pep club and become its secretary, make a float for the homecoming parade, host a dinner party, sew her own homecoming dress, and find a steady. All of these tasks prove difficult as does being a high school student without the use of any technology. Who has a typewriter for class assignments? Luckily Mallory has a lot of patience and a wonderfully supportive sister, Ginny. During her project, Mallory learns about a lot about life in the 1960s, our dependence on technology, her own family’s secrets, and how to find happiness within herself.


Going Vintage is a refreshing, lighthearted novel that is perfect for fans of Meg Cabot. Leavitt stays away from sex, drugs, or heavy subject matter, and just offers a really funny, enjoyable story. Readers can relate to Mallory and enjoy her humorous exploits. They might even consider taking a break from their own gadgets for a while.