After discovering her boyfriend has a serious online relationship with another girl, Mallory very publicly dumps him on his social media site.
She complicates the situation by deciding to try to fulfill a to-do list her grandmother crafted at the beginning of her junior year of high school in 1962, a time Mallory thinks must have been much simpler than today. That means giving up the 21st-century technology she's accustomed to relying on—going vintage—and also becoming secretary of the pep club (that doesn't exist), sewing a dress for homecoming (she doesn't sew) and finding a steady boyfriend, among other challenges. She's aided by her loyal younger sister, Ginnie, and the growing affection of her ex's cousin, charming Oliver. Adding another level of concern to Mallory's bumpy ride is Ginnie's conviction that their shallow though earnest mother is having an affair and her misguided efforts to fix their parents' marriage. Mallory's appealing, sarcasm-tinged first-person narrative voice sculpts a likable teen mildly reminiscent of Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson. Although a far-too-convenient event proves Mallory was wrong about her grandmother's simpler life, that fails to derail an otherwise admirable look at the advantages, and the downsides, of modern technology—and serious relationships.
A funny and even thoughtful look at boyfriends, high school angst and the importance of finding oneself. (Fiction. 11-16)
