Vegan, Virgin, Valentine (V Valentine, #1)

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Vegan, Virgin, Valentine (V Valentine #1)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 3,061 ratings · 279 reviews

"Warmth and humor suffuse the story of Mara's senior-year transformation from tense, rigid perfectionist to relaxed, centered graduate. . . . Funny and optimistic." — KIRKUS REVIEWS

Mara Valentine is in control. She's a straight-A senior, a vegan, and her parents' pride and joy. She's neck-and-neck with her womanizing ex-boyfriend for number-one class ranking and plans to k...more

Paperback, 228 pages

Published March 14th 2006 by Candlewick Press (first published July 22nd 2004)

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Dec 14, 2009 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Haley

Shelves: realistic-fiction, recommended-to-me

I have a very odd, complicated, and mixed relationship with this book. I thought some things were dead on, and others not so much.

Mara is on the fast track. She is in tons of activities in school, she takes college classes, works and basically an all around shining star. She feels like she has everything under control until she finds out maybe she doesn't want the things she thought she wanted. To make things a little more interesting we see V come into the picture. V is her niece that's only ab...more I have a very odd, complicated, and mixed relationship with this book. I thought some things were dead on, and others not so much.

Mara is on the fast track. She is in tons of activities in school, she takes college classes, works and basically an all around shining star. She feels like she has everything under control until she finds out maybe she doesn't want the things she thought she wanted. To make things a little more interesting we see V come into the picture. V is her niece that's only about a year younger than Mara, and the polar opposite of her. Things get kind of sticky when Mara hears that V was making out with her ex-boyfriend. Said ex-boyfriend is also the one she has to beat to get title of Valdictorian. Here we see it start to unravel...

The thing that really hit home for me was the feeling of having to live up to what you think others want. Mara has this deeply embedded in her and along the way she finds out what she really wants to do. I know this is going to sound strange but I was so glad that she and her niece didn't go to the prom because they knew they didn't have to go just to prove something. The aspect of the story I most appreciated was the dynamic between Mara and V. They are so different but they learn a lot from each other despite of that. The book breaks the boundaries of what people think is successful which isn't always the right definition and how doing everything fast doesn't necessarily mean better.

What really didn't set well with me was how Mara went about with her new relationship (can't say who!). She really is secretive about it and I get why, but when she reveals what has been happening I felt that the people around here didn't really seem to have a big reaction. Going behind people's back is a pretty big deal and I expected a bigger fallout. Then there is the thing that the guy she is with seems a little to well-spoken, but that might be just me. He is sweet and really is good for Mara. There is also this one part of the book I think is suppose to be pretty romantic but it felt a little forced to me.

This is a really engaging book and I stayed up late to find out what happened. It's getting a 3.5 star rating from me (yes I'm one of the fans of the half star:D) and I'm sure there are people who will love it more than I did. Oh I have to mention that don't let the cover title mislead you, this isn't light and fluffy. The story has a good amount of depth and reminds you to smell the roses sometimes.(less)

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Jan 28, 2009 Steph (Reviewer X) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-already-read, to-be-reviewed

Ah, reading this book reminds me of why sometimes it’s good to ignore the negative reviews. Because, honestly, I only requested it for the title, which I thought was absurdly awesome (as are all of Mackler’s up ’til Guyaholic, which is pretty meh). My expectations were between a rock and a hard place, shot to hell by all the low-ratings on Amazon and GoodReads.

But you know what, I actually enjoyed this book. Very much so, in fact.

So I went back through all the negatives to see what people were o...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Bridgit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vegan Virgin Valentine is a book written by Carolyn Mackler, and its about Mara Valentine, who is a good girl. She gets good grades, shes a strict vegan, and shes running against her womanizing ex-boyfriend for valedictorian. She even got into Yale. Shes all her parents could have ever wanted, and everything was going perfectly.. until she got the news from her parents that her sixteen year old neice, V, was coming to live with her. She wasn't exactly V's biggest fan, and she didn't want her to...more

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Jul 23, 2008 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was okay. The whole concept of the niece who is the same age as the aunt going to live together seemed like it would be interesting but it wasn't developed very well. Their relationship in general wasn't developed at all almost. Mara the main character goes from hating her niece V then all of a sudden it seems like they just get a long. It kind of seemed dumb the whole novel and while it did hold my interest there wasn't much to it and it wasn't that deep. The ending bothered me as well. Sh...more

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May 11, 2007 kate Gauldin rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this because I am fascinated by the lack of adolescent literature featuring vegan/vegetarian protagonists, and I have to say I was a little disappointed. The story was okay - nothing groundbreaking, but I was more annoyed that veganism was treated as a "phase" that is synonymous with the need for control over one's life and a rigidity that is emotionally unhealthy. I didn't hate the book, but as someone who has been veggie since the seventh grade, I felt it was just another mainstream mis...more

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Mar 13, 2009 Steph Su rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Senior Mara Valentine has got the most well-put-together life. She got in early decision to Yale, is chairperson of numerous committees, holds down a steady job at a locally owned coffee shop, and is determined to beat her ex, Travis, in the valedictory race. In short, she's all set on breaking out of Brockport, New York.

However, in the second half of her senior year, Mara's niece (yes, niece), who calls herself V, comes to the school. V is a self-proclaimed slut and stoner. Mara hates her, mos...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Isah Ragondo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vegan, Virgin, Valentine follows the life of Mara as she try to cope up with all the stuff that's been going on in her life. V, a niece of hers, is moving into town and not just moving into town but in their house after her sister decided to move into another city to follow a dream of her's but actually because of a guy. Unfortunately the city Amy's moving speaks Spanish and V doesn't so Mara's parents decided that their grandparent should live with them. There was a lot of adjusting on both par...more

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Feb 07, 2013 7703isabel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is so good. It's about a girl named Mara that is a uptight girl that is very studious and she bases most of her life on academics. Meanwhile her older sister Amiee is traveling all around the world with her many boyfriends and her teenage daughter V. When Maras parents un-expectedly tell Mara that V is staying with them and she basically turns Maras life upside down. Mara and V are opposites. Mara has everything planned out and organized wall V is spinning out of control. In the beginn...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Hyeonjeongshin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-25

The main character, Mara, is a high school student and in senior year. She wants to go to college, and she applies for colleges. She has a niece, Vivienne who has a different personality with Mara and she comes to live with her. Since they live together, Mara starts to be different. Originally she is a diligent student as she works and studies hard, but she is getting hard to control and struggles with her choices. As she is tempting that she never did before, she learns lessons how to control h...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenagers, families, relationship-problems, relationships, friendship, chick-lit, books-for-girls, young-adult-fiction, love, romance, borrowed-from-the-library, high-school, perfection, quick-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 21, 2011 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-days-school-days-dear-old

I don't often read books in the Young Adult genre, though I suspect this one is better than most. Mara Valentine, the main character, is a 17-year-old high school senior. She's super-smart, highly organized, competitive and somehwat of an over-achiever. Mara is on track to enter Yale University in the fall and is neck-and-neck with her ex-boyfriend in the race to become the class valedictorian. Things seem to be going pretty much according to plan when Mara's 16-year-old niece, Vivienne Vail Val...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Tinan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would not recommend this book, Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler to a friend because it's too risky. The book has too many mature themes and mature language that wouldn't be recommended for most age groups. In the blurb, it tells, "The plan does not involve having V, her slutty, pot-smoking, sixteen-year-old niece-yes, niece- come to live with her family. The blurb tells exactly that the book is a kind of book to not read aloud. Cursing is within this book. In the book, it explains h...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, ya

Ah, YA! So few and far between you are, but I am currently on that page of my list, so I am finding more then usual. This was your typical, type-A personality high school senior who is headed off to Princeton (why not Harvard?) and will enter as a second year, as she has enough AP whateverness to do that. Oy. Someone needs to write a book on a NORMAL person. After reading this book, I totally wanted to write a book on my senior year, which while accomplished nothing, was awesome. ANYWAY. The gir...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mara is a high school senior, studious and conscientious, who is aiming for Yale. Her niece V moves in with her and her parents when her older sister Amy (V's mom) moves to Costa Rica for a while. V is short for Vivienne and she is everything that Mara is not--a poor student, drug user, and boy magnet. She is a high school junior and will be attending the same school as Mara. The story is told from Mara's point of view. Mara and V may seem light years apart but they are both struggling with who...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Karina Perales rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Vegan Virgin Valentine, Mara Valentine has a somewhat perfect life. She's an honors student, going to Yale, a perfect daughter and planning on entering Yale as a second year student. But then comes her niece Vivienne Vail Valentine or V and she comes and changes her life. At first Mara hates V for fooling around with her ex-boyfriend Travis Hart, smoking behind her parents back and giving herself a bad reputation at school. But as the book goes on you can see how V changes Mara's life also fo...more

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Sep 04, 2010 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mara is a strict vegan. She's taking college classes, she has early acceptance to Yale and she's a virgin. Mara thinks her life is going just fine, until her niece V, who is only a year younger than her, moves in and everything changes. V is Mara's total opposite. She's loud, she's rude and having a good time is number one on her priority list. Mara doesn't know how to handle her, and lately she's having trouble concentrating on anything at all. She keeps dreaming about grilled cheese sandwiches...more Mara is a strict vegan. She's taking college classes, she has early acceptance to Yale and she's a virgin. Mara thinks her life is going just fine, until her niece V, who is only a year younger than her, moves in and everything changes. V is Mara's total opposite. She's loud, she's rude and having a good time is number one on her priority list. Mara doesn't know how to handle her, and lately she's having trouble concentrating on anything at all. She keeps dreaming about grilled cheese sandwiches, and other things that are off limits. But with the fight to become Valedictorian and to achieve the highest GPA in the school, Mara doesn't have time to sort out her problems. What's a girl to do?

I started reading Vegan Virgin Valentine knowing nothing about it at all. I didn't read any reviews for it, so I had no idea what to expect. I ended up liking it quite a lot. Mara was a character I could relate to; it was easy to understand why she was so stressed out, and I could see that she was struggling to juggle all her classes and extra-curricular activities, as well as the difficulties she was experiencing to stay vegan. I liked how Mara wasn't perfect; she broke out in spots occassionally and said stupid things sometimes, just like other teenagers, and all of this made it feel more realistic and believeable to me. I liked the way she was so determined, and how this was both one of her strengths and weaknesses - her determination meant that she felt she always needed to be in control, something that she found progressively harder with each day.

I liked the way V and Mara's friendship developed; they started off as almost-enemies and ended up actually caring about each other. I thought V balanced Mara out a bit, and they were both quite funny characters with their own quirks and flaws. V seemed quite tough on the outside, but was really actually quite understanding underneath.

Though I liked James' character, I wanted to know more about him. He was very sweet and charming, but I felt like I didn't know much about his character except he was twenty-two and owned a coffee shop. I also felt the same way with his relationship with Mara; I wanted to know why they both liked each other and what made them want to be together. I also thought that Claudia's character could have been explored a little more, though I did like her and thought she was pretty fun.

Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between Mara and her parents, and how Mara started off not minding all the phone calls and check-ups and ended up bursting out a bunch of secrets she'd been keeping. Mara felt like her parents only had her to make up for her older sister's failures, so I thought it was funny when Mara's mother had a chat with her about this, because it was something Mara really didn't expect. I thought that perhaps her parents would have been a little more shocked by her outburst, but I'm glad that everything worked out in the end. As for Aimee, V's mother and Mara's sister, I definitely understood why V sometimes resented her, and I was pleased that V got to do something she enjoyed for a change.

In conclusion, Vegan Virgin Valentine was a quick (could've been longer in my opinion - I wanted to know more!) and entertaining read and I'm very happy I read it. Recommended.
(less)

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Aug 06, 2010 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a mixed review -- I felt that this book was made up from very good and poor components.

+ I loved how Mara's parents were written. They were pushy, sympathetic and clearly wanted the best for Mara, Aimee and V. Total props to Mackler for resisting the urge to go with the typical Nazi parents that books with overachieving heroines usually feature. They were more complicated than that, and I enjoyed it.

+ I know this sounds silly, but I loved how Mara's studying was shown. She was intellige...more This is a mixed review -- I felt that this book was made up from very good and poor components.

+ I loved how Mara's parents were written. They were pushy, sympathetic and clearly wanted the best for Mara, Aimee and V. Total props to Mackler for resisting the urge to go with the typical Nazi parents that books with overachieving heroines usually feature. They were more complicated than that, and I enjoyed it.

+ I know this sounds silly, but I loved how Mara's studying was shown. She was intelligent but not one of those OMG CHILD PRODIGIES!!!! that feature heavily in books like this. She worked hard for what she wanted and that was so much more realistic. I am sick of books where the main characters have 4.0 GPAs, yet don't have to pick up a book or write an essay for it. I'm also sick of the genius characters, so having someone who was much more realistic in this department was a breath of fresh air.

+ Mara was a sympathetic character with unsympathetic characteristics. This shows the strength of the writing from Mackler, and it impressed me.

+ V was an interesting character, and I loved her development later in the book, with her showing how Aimee had always held up Mara as the perfect example.

- I didn't like Travis at all. Okay, this was to be expected. But I didn't like him because of the writing for him. He was a typical jackass with few layers. I would have liked to have a couple of development moments for him, or at least a situation in which he could be shown to be something other than a misogynistic asshole. Lazy writing in my opinion.

- James and Mara together got on my nerves a little. Mackler made it plain from the beginning that they were endgame, which bugged me because it made the book seem much more predictable. A major weakness. Also, James's similarity to Mara was also cliched and predictable.

- Finally, the ending. A HUGE problem for me. The whole book had been about Mara's journey into understanding that there was more to life than the A grade. But I think Mackler made a mistake in making Mara valedictorian. I think Travis should have got it - 1) because he was just as committed as she was, however much of an asshole he might have been; 2) there was no real reason for Mara to get it over Travis; 3) Mara even said herself that she stopped trying when she met James; 4) it would have shown true development for Mara to have not cared about getting valedictorian. As it stands, VVV presented a contradiction of a message in that Mara supposedly didn't care about A's anymore, but good things happened because of her good grades. Hmm. (less)

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Jun 11, 2010 Mary Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I’m going to be honest, I was on a bit of a time crunch and wanted to read something that I could catch onto quickly. So, on my last visit to the library for this independent reading adventure, I picked up “Vegan Virgin Valentine.” The author, Carolyn Mackler, also wrote one of my favorite books from a couple years back called “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things.” After reading “Vegan Virgin Valentine,” I think I might pick up another one of her books.

I found myself liking her books f...more If I’m going to be honest, I was on a bit of a time crunch and wanted to read something that I could catch onto quickly. So, on my last visit to the library for this independent reading adventure, I picked up “Vegan Virgin Valentine.” The author, Carolyn Mackler, also wrote one of my favorite books from a couple years back called “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things.” After reading “Vegan Virgin Valentine,” I think I might pick up another one of her books.

I found myself liking her books for one of its common themes: the main character (usually a teenage girl) is able to break free from everyone’s standards and make up her own expectations for herself. But of course, the common theme that she shares in her books is just that—common. So I think I’ll talk about what I was thinking when I read the book instead.

I felt like I could relate to the main character Mara, specifically in the way she viewed things. “’So,’ V said, ‘it’s interesting to see where things stand.’ ‘Where things stand?’ ‘With your virginity.’ I yanked the floss so hard it cut into my gums.” (18) This made me think about how sex is introduced to people in our day and time at such a young age. Maybe it’s because my hormones aren’t constantly raging, but I always think it’s a little ridiculous when I hear people in the hallway talking about who they hooked up with (or want to hook up with) and how they talk about it so openly. I always thought that sex was something to be shared between two people who feel genuine love towards each other—not people who just want to ‘get some.’ Another thing I thought about while reading this part was what my uncle jokingly said when I visited him in the Philippines a couple years ago. He said something along the lines of “Everybody in America loses their virginity when they’re 14.” I knew this wasn’t true, but I can see why he’d think that. I mean, the characters in this story are high schoolers and some of them casually have sex. I guess I’m a little old-fashioned, but I thought a lot of the same things when the author would talk about drugs and alcohol. “…Ironically, it was the kids representing the Netherlands who brought the joint. A few of my teammates smoked, but I didn’t try it. …It’s more that I didn’t like the idea of losing control, of having a surge of unwelcome emotion, of giggling at stupid things and crying at nothing, like the girl representing Iceland was doing.” (41). There are some things that I don’t understand about some people, and why they would want to use drugs is one of them. I can let loose when I want to, but to completely lose yourself when you’re under the influence? That’s not exactly the kind of fun I want to be having.

When reading the book, I also found myself remembering being in some of the same situations that Mara was in. “…Whenever I screwed up, Aimee would hold you up as an example of what I should be. ‘Mara is a straight-A student. Mara got honor roll. Mara got into Yale.’ Don’t take this the wrong way, but you weren’t exactly easy to like.” (193). I could seriously relate to this because my own mom used to do this with me and my friends. Sometimes I didn’t even like telling her about them when she’d ask because I knew she’d go on and on about what they were doing that I wasn’t. Luckily, that’s more of a thing of the past now. Another thing I could relate to was when Mara would talk about expectations. “Once you start doing things well, everyone expects more from you.” (196). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can just put a lot of pressure on a person sometimes. I know they say that ‘pressure is the shadow of greatness’ (or something like that…) but I don’t think parents realize that sometimes it can bring out the worst in us. I guess it all just depends on how it’s handled. Either way, I liked the book because I felt like I could relate to the main character.(less)

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Sep 16, 2009 Nadia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-reading-books-2009

This book is about a girl named Mara Valentine who's a straight A senior, a vegan trying to become valedictorian and trying to make her way to the front doors of Yale. One thing to mess up Mara's plan is her crazy sixteen-year-old niece, V. Yea that's right Mara who's seventeen has a sixteen-year-old niece from her older sister. And of course since V is always getting into trouble she has to stay at her grandparents house which are Mara's parents. But while
V stays over Mara learns that sometime...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Adele rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I LOVED the butt book so to get my hands on this little lovely was a truly exciting moment. (Especially as the three people I have since lent the butt book to have been howling at my gates for a new one). 3V, as I have chosen to abbreviate it, was an interesting read as I found it harder to relate to the protagonist. Mara and V are at either point of the personality spectrum (which is kind of the point) and I fall somewhere in the middle. I could relate to Mara’s need to be perfect but I could a...more I LOVED the butt book so to get my hands on this little lovely was a truly exciting moment. (Especially as the three people I have since lent the butt book to have been howling at my gates for a new one). 3V, as I have chosen to abbreviate it, was an interesting read as I found it harder to relate to the protagonist. Mara and V are at either point of the personality spectrum (which is kind of the point) and I fall somewhere in the middle. I could relate to Mara’s need to be perfect but I could also relate to V’s need to be noticed. Regardless, I had a fun time experiencing the highs and lows of an uber smart, control freak last months of high school.

Mackler has created a lovely little universe here. Mara’s growth throughout the novel is well paced, believable and always a trip to read. The addition of V was a necessary one as Mara wasn’t setting the world alight with her vivacity. I cared what occurred to these characters, I liked them but I didn’t feel the same enthrallment I felt for Virginia in the butt book. James didn’t hold my interest all that much as he seemed pretty idealistic and not at all what I have come across in any sphere of the dating world. The shared reading and stories about soy milk etc was a little lame but I totally got how you can fixate on something random like a hole in a guy’s jeans. I needed James to be less of a simpering understanding guy and more of a get-off-your-ass understanding guy. The ponytail was a little ewww too.

I loved Mara’s decision to become vegan as I have had friends that have done so with less of a reason (becoming a vegan to catch a guy instead of getting over one – pathetic!). It annoyed me that she wouldn’t just eat a toasted cheese sandwich though as she had no real ethical problems with dairy food. But that’s not the point, Mara’s such a control freak that her eventual unraveling and realization that she needed to smell the roses played into her veganism.

Mackler’s book is a great read and I had fun. It lacked the spark of The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things but possessed the same reality, the things that ground us. The themes of family, acceptance, freedom, independence, choice and expectations are universal whether you are an adult or a teen. I enjoyed it a lot but do felt it wasn’t as focused as other Mackler titles.(less)

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May 05, 2011 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vegan, Virgin, Valentine follows 17 year old , Senior Mara Valentine as she struggles to focus on her schoolwork and pre collage classes when her 16 year old neice arrives to live with her family. Being a straight A student , you would think she would be in control of everything. But she's not. She dreams about grilled cheese sandwiches, but as a vegan she must resist. Then there's James her boss, who she has not only feelings for him, but she dreams of him. Can she regain control of her life?
I...more

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Nov 17, 2010 Nslteens rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, realistic

Product Description:

From the author of the award-winning THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS comes the racy story of an overachiever who learns to get over it — and get a life.

Mara Valentine is in control. She's a straight-A senior, a vegan, and her parents' pride and joy. She's neck-and-neck with her womanizing ex-boyfriend for number-one class ranking and plans to kick his salutatorian butt on her way out the door to Yale. Mara has her remaining months in Brockport all planned out,...more

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Aug 24, 2007 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-read

Honors Student and all-around Perfect Child Mara is thrown for a loop when her niece V (who is only a year younger than her) moves in. This book started out well- I really identified with Mara, since I was also an overachiever. But it kind of got lost along the way. It was a quick read, but I guess I didn't like the romance aspect. Or the seeming moral of "If it feels good, it must be good." (I think that's called emotional reasoning, and psychologists will tell you to avoid it.)

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Oct 31, 2010 Love YA Lit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Em's review: Mara Valentine seems to have her act together. She's been accepted early decision at Yale, she is neck-in-neck in the race for valedictorian, she is involved in numerous clubs/activities, has a part-time job to avoid looking too privileged on her college applications, and she is on course to enter college with several credits under her belt. Where she's lacking? Friends, romance - she has little time nor seemingly interest in a social life. As she says, she's on course to leave Upst...more Em's review: Mara Valentine seems to have her act together. She's been accepted early decision at Yale, she is neck-in-neck in the race for valedictorian, she is involved in numerous clubs/activities, has a part-time job to avoid looking too privileged on her college applications, and she is on course to enter college with several credits under her belt. Where she's lacking? Friends, romance - she has little time nor seemingly interest in a social life. As she says, she's on course to leave Upstate, NY, not to make new ties. When her wild child of a niece, who is just 1 year younger than Mara, comes to live with the Valentines, her life is shaken up. She and Vivienne Vail Valentine (known simply as V), are seemingly on far, opposite ends of the personality spectrum, almost caricatures. Throughout Mara's last year of high school and V's first year living with the Valentines, the two young women find themselves transforming into more believable, well-rounded individuals as they explore who they are and what is important to them.

The story is pretty predictable after a point, but I still enjoyed it and it was a fast read. Mara is a pretty intense character. She reminds me of a friend from high school, except that my friend while highly determined to succeed, also had an active social life and boyfriends and such. I'm glad that when Mara decides to take some time off from schoolwork and clubs to explore her new crush and newfound sexuality, that she doesn't have to entirely sacrifice her success at school; I worry about the message that would send. I like both Mara and V as characters, especially as they start to move in from the edges and feel more relatable. While I'm glad that Mara has a crush and dives in, no matter how nice and smart he is nor how mature for her age she is (her parents' eventual rationalization), it still creeps me out a little that she's basically dating her boss who is 5 years older than her. Technically it isn't illegal (I looked it up); if she were one year younger it would be a different story. I think it is hilarious how she obsesses over his jeans with the hole in the thigh. And I'm glad that he doesn't pressure her to have sex with him, like her ex-boyfriend did. I do worry that this book sends the message that high schoolers who are virgins are clearly wound too tight and need to loosen up and have sex. Hopefully the message that readers get, instead, is that waiting until you are ready can be pretty awesome.

In the end, Mara is no longer a virgin nor a vegan. At the beginning, she explains that going vegan was a way for her to be "all-consumingly obsessive" over something aside from the break-up with her sex-pressuring boyfriend. People go vegan for many different reasons and some of those reasons are healthier and/or more sensible than others. Since this book was all about Mara loosening up a little, not always having to be in control of things, and because she expressed being only somewhat committed to not eating animals for reasons other than obsession, I predicted the demise of her veganhood early on. I do wish there was a book out there for young adults that featured a vegan protagonist who was still a vegan by the end of the book and following that lifestyle healthfully, but I don't think that Mackler needs to be the one to fill that author role. I do hope that readers unfamiliar with what it means to be vegan won't take Mara's word for it that to be vegan necessitates obsessive vigilance (that's not how I experience it) nor that everyone feels a sense of loss for and dreams of the items that they (once) crave(d). One thing that I appreciate about the representation of Mara as a vegan, is that she cooks really tasty sounding food, as does her mom who is kind enough (like mine was and still is) to cook meat on the side so that the family can still share meals with one another. (I was reviewing this book during Go Vegan Week, hence the focus on the vegan aspect of the story in my review) (less)

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Feb 08, 2010 Casandria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mara is an overachiever who is about to graduate from high school and head off to Yale. Half way through her senior year, her niece (a junior) comes to live with Mara and her parents. "V", as she calls herself, seems to be Mara's opposite: she hooks up with boys she barely knows, smokes pot, and swears about every other word.

As V questions Mara's life, Mara starts to as well. Her perspective on success changes, as well as her relationship with her parents. She develops a relationship with an ol...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Nancy Torres rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mara Valentine was a typ A-blood, a type A personality and.... an A-cup bra.Mra is on the fast track to success: Shes duking it out for valedictorian, shes already taking college courses. Mara much older sistr amie hs alweays been a screw-up, traveling aroun the world in searc of the next big thing. Mara is desperate not to disapointher mom and dad the way Amie did----she hs to succed because she i her parents "only hope". Secretly, though, Mara vulnrable her collage courses have left her withou...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, romance

Another book about an overachiever with the path of her life planned out, merely coasting on her way to Yale. Like Vanessa in Plan B, Mara's life is overset by the arrival of a relative who comes to live with her family for the new school year. And like Reed, V is something of a screw-up and rebel. Indeed, these books are very similar; though I think Plan B is marginally better for its approach to the romantic (or unromantic) elements of Vanessa's life.

Mara isn't terribly likeable, really. She's...more Another book about an overachiever with the path of her life planned out, merely coasting on her way to Yale. Like Vanessa in Plan B, Mara's life is overset by the arrival of a relative who comes to live with her family for the new school year. And like Reed, V is something of a screw-up and rebel. Indeed, these books are very similar; though I think Plan B is marginally better for its approach to the romantic (or unromantic) elements of Vanessa's life.

Mara isn't terribly likeable, really. She's engaging enough to read about, don't get me wrong. Her problems are interesting ones and Carolyn Mackler does a good job keeping the pace of events flowing so that I was never tempted to put the book away and move on to the next. But she's judgmental and self-centered and deeply resentful of V's intrusion into her well-ordered world. The book is about her learning to accept others and to figure out what she wants in life (as opposed to the expectations of others), so only some of her defects are addressed—i.e. she remains largely self-centered, just more healthily so by the end.

V's character is just this side of caricature. She's a bad girl, with bad girl habits, but with an underlying insecurity caused by moving around so much following her flaky mother. Of course she has a heart of gold. Duh. You can practically chart her character path from there. Yes, she blossoms under the love she receives from Vanessa's parents. Yes, she reforms (or is on the way to reformation) during the course of the novel. Yes, she and Mara develop respect, and eventually honest love, for each other. If the story were about V, we'd have a serious problem. As it is, there's enough heart, enough warmth, in her character to let me get over the stereotype she plays in this book and I was, quite frankly, relieved that she didn't turn darker and end up betraying Mara or hurting Mara's parents. Someone blossoming in a loving environment they've never had the chance to receive before isn't inherently unrealistic and Mackler does a good job making her character real-enough to remain believable.

The most interesting part of the book is Mara's romance with James—the 22 year-old college drop-out (can you have dropped out if you never applied?) who owns the successful coffee shop where Mara works. James is that guy with intelligence who decided to apply himself to business early rather than worry about more academic learning. As such, he's an acceptable, though unexpected, match for Mara and their relationship is an interesting one. Mara is naïve and inexperienced, as the book's title suggests, and James is both aware of that and man enough to respect Mara's uncertainty and concerns. He's also key to Mara exploring what it is that she wants and I liked him for his steady good sense and refusal to become just another voice telling her what she should do.

So yeah, the book is a little formulaic. There's just enough substance there to like it, though, so it earned the three stars I'm giving it.(less)

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Nov 20, 2008 Kai Yi added it

This book is about Mara Valentine, she is one of those girls who is a "goody goody", she gets straight A's and aiming for Yale college. Times can get hard on her when she is competing for good grade, for example her ex-boyfriend. Who is basically a womanizer, worst couldn't get worst when her niece is coming for a stay/ visit. Her niece is like a total opposite from Mara, which is kind of annoying and it messes up her plans for the last month she has to stay in school. Her niece is a basically a...more

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Dec 05, 2010 David Peters rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story of the Valentine girls, on the verge of finishing school and transitioning into their adult life. Fairly easy to identify the controversy as the “good” girl learns to chill out and gets it on with her 22 year old boss/boyfriend (she is a 17 year old HS senior). Plus she decides to slow her march through academia to spend more time on her life and with her guy. The “wild” one smokes pot and decides a bad reputation is a viable way to make yourself noticed in a new environment.
The above...more The story of the Valentine girls, on the verge of finishing school and transitioning into their adult life. Fairly easy to identify the controversy as the “good” girl learns to chill out and gets it on with her 22 year old boss/boyfriend (she is a 17 year old HS senior). Plus she decides to slow her march through academia to spend more time on her life and with her guy. The “wild” one smokes pot and decides a bad reputation is a viable way to make yourself noticed in a new environment.
The above paragraph is a simplistic breakdown of the plot that does a disservice to the story, and provides a misguided view to what is going on. Having read a lot of books about teen girls lately (it is amazing how many of these books parents try to get banned) I think Mackler did a really good job. You have the one girl skipping her youth trying to be some image of what perfection is. That is always a losing gambit and typically a person will just self destruct in a fiery crash. But enter in her wild niece, whose whole life is in transition, who spends her time avoiding commitment and responsibility. Together they bond and learn there is a happy medium to be found. Life on the extremes does not make for a happy life.
In the end the two find happiness and friendship. It is a good read for any of your young friends trying to find their way through the vicissitudes of life.

Why is it protested?: References to alcohol and drug use among high school aged girls (17). Plus they have intimate relationships with their boyfriends. The only thing controversial to me would have been the age difference between the lead girl and her boyfriend (17 to 21). While not a big deal in the big picture (would have been 18 shortly), it is a little icky for an “adult” to date a HS attending girl.
The most interesting controversy is the comments section on Amazon. The protagonist is not a Vegan by books end and that has stirred the ire of Vegans everywhere. They are truly ticked off and do not seem to care about the book other than that. Consequently they are affecting the total review score (on Goodreads as well). Generally it seems they got the book because it said Vegan on the cover and then felt lied to.
(less)

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Sep 26, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Overachieving high school senior Mara Valentine’s biggest problem seems to be duking out for her school’s valedictorian. She’s already gotten into Yale and, on paper, she appears to be the perfect teen. Finicky and uptight, Mara’s regular routine gets completely turned around when her relative, V, comes to live with her. V is just one year younger than Mara, but V is a free spirit–wild, compulsive, chaotic–just about everything the Mara is not. While V drives Mara crazy with her mere presence, M...more

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About Carolyn Mackler

Carolyn graduated from Vassar College. When her book The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round Things was named as one of ALAs Top Ten Banned Books of 2006, Carolyn became an advocate against banning books. She lives with her husband and son in New York City.

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“ On Valentine's Day, the Spirit Club plastered the school with red streamersand pink balloons and red and pink hearts. It looked like Clifford the Big Red Dog ate a flock of flamigoes and then barfed his guts up.” — 12 people liked it

“The one thing I do remember is that as I retraced my steps through all the familiar streets of my life, Inow felt completely lost.” — 11 people liked it

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Vegan, Virgin, Valentine (V Valentine #1)

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