Book review: "Going Vintage" by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, will be out March 26, 2013


When Mallory finds out her boyfriend Jeremy has an online girlfriend, named BubbleYum no less, she is humiliated, shocked, and hurt. When the situation starts to snowball out of control and she is a target of abuse  on Friendspace (the fictional equivalent of Facebook), Mallory decides to completely swear off technology, especially after finding a list her grandmother wrote in 1962 at the beginning of her own junior year of high school: become the secretary of the pep club (for Mallory this means starting one first), sew a homecoming dress (after learning to sew), find a steady (not necessarily for herself—swearing off boys), host a soiree, and do something dangerous. But accomplishing everything on the list, along with her other responsibilities, without any technology that was available in 1962 is no easy task as it turns out. She enlists help from her sister, and accidentally gets the help of Jeremy's hipster cousin, but it's her connection with her grandmother that proves to be the most difficult to make.

This is a fun, upbeat addition to teen literature. Mallory is a very likable person, and very funny, even if she is sometimes squashed by others (i.e. Jeremy). I was amazed at how well she handled the whole Friendspace fiasco, especially after she started receiving threatening text messages from strangers who apparently are all Team Jeremy. She never lets anything bother her to the point of despair, bouncing back from everything that is thrown from her. I loved her determination to stick to the rules she gives herself, with of course the help from her sister Ginnie. She really tries to get into the period, which by the way readers will also start to get a feel for from all the information Leavitt gives us through the story.

There are so many subplots to the story, mostly dealing with Mallory's relationships with others (her mother, sister, grandmother, dad, and Oliver, who happens to be Jeremy's cousin), and yet it all flowed together so smoothly. I rooted for her every step of the way. Her "going vintage" is a journey of self-discovery, making her realize her own self-worth yet also seeing that she is not always the reason for another person's actions or emotions. She can be so very clueless, but it's part of what I liked about her. (Cluelessness also seems to run in the family, as her parents were pretty good at that too.)

If you're looking for a pick-me-up, look no further than Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. Light and fun with some depth and great characters, it's got everything going for it.

Disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book for review via NetGalley.

Review: "The Time-Traveling Fashionista" by Bianca Turetsky

Title: The Time-Traveling Fashionista
Author: Bianca Turetsky
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 2011

Twelve-year-old Louise is ready for a change. She is bored of the way she looks, the food her mom cooks (doused in vinegar, always), and the plain old boring life she leads. It's a good thing the school dance is coming up to give her something to look forward to, and to shop for. You see, Louise loves vintage clothing—the feel of the fabric, the style, the stories each garment holds. So when she gets an invitation to the Traveling Fashionista Vintage Sale, she figures this is the perfect place to find The Dress of her dreams. And she's right. But she has no idea just how far she will "travel" once she puts it on.

Basically, this is a simply written but engaging story of a girl who is sent back in time to 1912 into the body of another woman, who just so happens to be on board a glamourous ship going from England to America. Guess which one. It's full of fashion and descriptions of high living, from the perspective of a 12-year-old girl from 2011.

The writing is, again, simple, especially for something labeled "teen." I would categorize this more as a middle-grade novel, though it masquerades as teen. This isn't necessarily a bad thing either. It actually worked pretty well for one of my Girl Scouts who is less confident as a reader, and whose teacher would only look at reading level when she judged its appropriateness.

By far my favorite aspect of this book was the artwork. Beautiful illustrations by Sandra Suy are scattered throughout the book, showcasing the fashion designs Turetsky describes. It really brings the story to life, and I relished each piece of art.

All in all, this was a fun historical fiction with a contemporary character thrown out of her world and into one she (mostly) wished she could live in. Real people are characters in the novel, so we even learn a bit about the people aboard the great ship. (By the way, I did find myself tearing up toward the end; I got attached to some of these characters, even if they were only minor.) If you are looking for a quick read and you love fashion and color, by all means go find copy of this book. If you're looking for something with a bit more depth, you might want to consider another historical fiction novel.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher.