Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Very Very Predictable, Apr 29, 2023
Mara Valentine has her whole life figured out. She's well on her way to becoming the senior class valedictorian, she's been accepted to Yale and plans to spend her summer taking courses at Johns Hopkins University. Her neice Vivienne Valentine (otherwise known as V), is only one year younger than Mara and has nothing figured out. She couldn't care less about grades and extra-curricular activities. She just wants to party and have a good time.
When Mara's parents agree to take V in for a little while, Mara is sure that it will be disastrous. And sure enough, the first thing V does upon arriving at the new school is make out with Mara's ex-boyfriend. V and Mara begin to loathe each other more than ever before.
The story is formulaic, predictable and marred by unoriginal dialogue, but Mara and V's struggles are interesting enough to make this book a fun read.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
....Valedictorian, Vivian, Very Predictable, Feb 9, 2023
In Carolyn Macker's new book, "Vegan, Virgin, Valentine" is a good, easy read, perfect for an airplane flight or just another book credit for school. This book is perfect for teen girls ages 13 - 16 looking for a contemporary teen story about love and the discovery of what you really want and need. The story is set in Brockport in New York State, where the biggest thing to do is go to Rochester, which is 45 minutes away. The story starts with Mara Valentine (the main character) explaining her life to us. She's 17, a high school senior,a vegan, a Yale-bound, straight-A student and her parents pride and joy. Mara has an older sister, Amy, who is eighteen years older than Mara and has a daughter, Vivian, known as V. V is only a year younger than Mara. Amy moves around often, so Mara and V don't see each other often but neither seems to mind, since they are complete opposites. As much as Mara is a girl who isn't dating anyone, studies all the time and does extracurriculars, V is a girl who is, let's say, rather "popular" with the boys, doesn't seem to care much about school and enjoys the after-school activity of doing nothing. So you can imagine how Mara felt when her parents told her that V was coming to live with them, at least until the summer. Mara doesn't know how she'll be able to survive. When V gets to Brockport, she instantly starts setting off rumors about herself and making out with many of the boys at school. Mara can't stand it. Mara is also in the running for valedictorian against her ex- (and only) boyfriend, Travis Hart. The two are usually only separated by a decimal point or two and the competition is fierce. Travis was always pressuring Mara to have sex and after they broke up (Mara still a virgin), she used all her pent - up anger to will herself to make him the salutatorian of the class. Mara also has a job at a coffee shop called Common Grounds, which she loves. She soon falls in love with the owner of the shop, James. The only problem is, he's 22, never been to college and is not the kind of boy Mara's parents want her to be with. So, she hides their relationship from her parents and makes up lies to cover up the time she's spending with James, saying she's with friends she hasn't spoken to in a year. Meanwhile, V has been teaching Mara to lighten up and enjoy herself and Mara is starting to take her advice. But Mara is also starting to learn about herself - what she wants, not what her parents or principal or friends want. This book contains a plethora of character versus self conflict, with Mara rebelling against everything - she even starts to eat cheese, a food definitely not allowed if you are a vegan. V and Mara also begin to understand each other and start to become good friends. Finally, Mara tells her parents about James, that she is going to skip the college prep class she was going to take that summer. What she didn't tell them is that she and James were planning to go camping for a weekend in the summer - she figures they might not have been able to handle that, since the previous news came as quite a shock to them. When graduation time comes, Mara decides to skip it, which was bound to happen due to all the things Mara had been thinking and doing leading up to (and during) her "rebellion". Instead, she convinces V to drive with her to the beach. V pleads with Mara to make her parents and everyone happy by at least going to the ceremony and giving her valedictorian speech and everything, as in fairy tales, ends happily ever after.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 The same but different, Dec 30, 2022
I loved this book, but somehow I have the feeling I've read it before. The story is nice, the characters believable, and yet the plot runs along the same lines as many modern YA novels. The crush that Mara (our protagonist) develops is predictable, and her reaction to her newfound love is nothing I haven't read about before. The love-interest-seperates-best-friends element is definitely included, and even the main character herself is not free from genre cliches.
But there still is hope for this book. I read the whole thing in one night, which I don't do with this genre unless the story is really good. I enjoyed it, and while there certainly were cliches, there was just enough difference to keep me reading to the end. The means by which the enemy-turned-friend of Mara enters our story is different than anything I've read, and the characters have an edge to them that keeps them from becoming boring.
Overall, this book was a bit predictable but it kept my attention. Worth the money I spent on it.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 A Fun Read, Dec 15, 2022
As a former children's bookseller and an aspiring school media specialist, I am always on the lookout for great fiction for young adults. This book offers a realistic and unique voice for YA readers. It is witty, engaging, and enjoyable.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
I lOVed IT!, Nov 29, 2022
I'm a teenage girl and i loved this book. I couldn't put it down- literally. I read the whole thing in one night. Mackler doesn't just take a normal girl to make the main character- she takes a REAL girl. and i'd DEFINATLY reccomend this book. IT gives girls like me a great book. Showing us right and wrongs, but also telling us to make decision off of more than right and wrong. And the Romance part of it is GREAT! U can't help but falling in love with the characters. BUy ThiS BooK!
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Based on 9 reviews.