Vegan Virgin Valentine

Mackenzie Whittaker Mrs. Laborde Communication Studies December 5, 2005 Book review "Get intrigued with Vegan, Virgin, Valentine" Vegan, Virgin, Valentine By, Carolyn Mackler Some books have a really good beginning that makes you want to read the whole book, and then you read the book and think to yourself "wow, that really wasn't that good." Or, sometimes, books have a slow beginning but an awesome ending; and then some books are awesome all the way through. The beginning intrigues you; the ending leaves you wanting to read more. That's what this book is "Vegan, Virgin, Valentine" you don't want to put the book down... This book talks about relevant issue in our society today, like, getting a boyfriend, making new friends, and trying to figure out who you are. In the book the main character strives to become more than the average; she tries to become a perfect figure. A senior who works half time at a coffee shop, makes decent money, isn't overly pretty but yet isn't ugly, straight A student all four years oh high school, and is the valedictorian. What she finds out is that it's nearly impossible to be perfect. She gets a boy friend who she `experiments' with and opens her self up. Her niece moves in with her, and she teaches her more about life, than Mara (main character) thought she would see.... I would highly recommend this book to everyone it's a unique book that most people can relate too.

The best book ever!!! I read it OVER AND OVER again!! I don't suggest it to children under 13 though!! ;)

Mackler, as always, writes great, realistic girl characters with a nice dollop of humor. The novel is narrated by Mara, an (...) retentive good girl, but also features her niece V, a fun-loving party girl. How the characters change in their relation to each other, Mara's parents, and school is told with humor, good pacing, and heart. A highly enjoyable read. And thank you, Mackler, for portraying female sexuality in a touching, realistic way. I can't wait to get Mackler's next book.

Have you ever been overwhelmed with schoolwork? Well, Mara Valentine, a senior in high school, has her schoolwork down pat. With her job at the local café, college classes, and trying to beat her ex-boyfriend in the battle for class valedictorian; she knows how to organize her time. But all that changes when her sixteen year, pot smoking niece, V, comes to live with her. While V making out with Mara's ex-boyfriend twenty-four hours after arriving, may not be bad for getting him away from the race, but also not good for it may give V a sluty reputation. Mara's life may be changing, but that's no reason to lie to her parents about being in love with her twenty-two year old boss while her co-worker has had the longest crush on him. Will all her hard work for her Yale early acceptance pay off? Or will she decide it's not for her? This book was a great read. I seriously couldn't put it down. I couldn't sleep without knowing what was going to happen next in Mara Valentines life. Other books by Carolyn Mackler are The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. I would recommend Rhymes with Witches by Lauren Myracle who also wrote ttly.

Meet Mara Valentine. She has "type A blood, a type A personality, and . . . an A-cup bra." Mara is on the fast track to success: she's duking it out for valedictorian, she's been accepted early decision by Yale, and she's already taking college courses. Mara's much older sister Aimee has always been a screw-up, traveling around the world in search of the next big thing. Mara is desperate not to disappoint her mom and dad the way Aimee did --- she has to succeed because she is her parents' "Only Hope." Secretly, though, Mara is vulnerable: her college courses have left her without many high school friends, and she's still reeling from a painful breakup with equally high-achieving Travis. She hides her insecurities by trying to control absolutely everything, from her schedule to her emotions to her diet. She confesses that she has become a vegan not only because she is "grossed out by animal byproducts" but because veganism is "all-consumingly obsessive. . . . It can be a pain, but it helps keep my mind off things." That's why, when Aimee's troublemaking daughter (and Mara's niece), sixteen-year-old V, comes to live with Mara's family while Aimee chases her surfer boyfriend to Costa Rica, Mara is furious. V has always had the ability to see through Mara's veneer and to call attention to Mara's fears and anxieties. When V moves in on Mara's ex, Mara vows never to be friends with this "class-ditching, chair-in-the-principal's-office-warming deadbeat." V's tough-talking, no-nonsense attitude does rub off on Mara, though, as she begins to question why she has made the choices she has. When she starts to have feelings for James, her boss at the coffee shop, her life gets even more confused. If James, who has never been to college but owns a successful small business, can be one of the smartest (not to mention the cutest) people she has ever met, does Mara need to redefine the meaning of success? Like Carolyn Mackler's earlier novels, VEGAN VIRGIN VALENTINE has a winning combination of a likeable main character, zingy narration, and some truly funny one-liners. Readers who find themselves identifying with misunderstood V may be somewhat frustrated by the novel's primary focus on Mara's development. This intriguing character screams to be the star of her own novel, and readers will likely find themselves wishing for a sequel. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl