Mackler, Carolyn. 2004. Vegan virgin valentine. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0-7636-2155-2 Mara Valentine on her niece V: “The first thing V did upon arriving in Brockport was fool around with my ex-boyfriend. Well, not the first, but it happened within twenty-four hours of her plane landing at the Greater Rochester International Airport” (Mackler 2004, p. 1).
Meet senior Mara Elizabeth Valentine. Mara is a driven, Type-A student with an early acceptance to Yale in the bag and is seriously duking out the Valedictorian slot with her ex-jerk boyfriend Travis Hart. Enter Vivienne Vail Valentine, aka V. V is Mara’s niece and exact opposite. V is one year younger than Mara and has been dumped in Brockport, NY to stay with Mara and Mara’s parents while Mara’s 35-year old loser sister (and V’s mom) follows her twenty-something year old surfer boyfriend to Costa Rico. V is the antithesis of Mara. She is a slacker, stoner, and a little loose (at least according to Mara). It is January of Mara’s senior year, and the last thing she needs to deal with is V. Once in each other’s orbit, conflict ensues between the two girls, and the fall-out leaves both girls changed for the better and has them re-evaluating their beliefs and direction of their lives.
Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler is a fun read that falls into the romance genre. The story is told in first-person from Mara’s perspective, but V is also a fully developed character. If Mara is the protagonist, then V is her antagonist. Mara and V are both likable characters in their own way. Some readers will prefer the prickly, driven nature of Mara, and some will prefer the outrageous, rule-breaking, tough-but-vulnerable V. Mackler has done a good job of fully fleshing out the characters of Mara and V and making them relatable to the audience. Readers will come to understand how Mara’s personality and drive has been shaped by living in stable home with two parents who regularly conduct Family Meetings and actively involve themselves in Mara’s life and successes. V, however, was raised by Mara’s flaky 35-year old sister who is unable to settle down. By the time V lands on Mara and her parents’ doorsteps, she has been the new kid in seventeen schools. Her mom sends her to stay with her grandparents while she follows a boyfriend to Costa Rica. V’s life has always been unstable, and much of her shocking behavior has to do with defense mechanisms that she has put into place.
In keeping with the tradition of the romantic genre, though, the problems of Mara and V miraculously begin to get solved as the story goes a long. For example, both girls come to terms with each other in the end and realize they love each other. Mara achieves her goal as Valedictorian, and V begins to shape up under the love and care from her grandparents. There are many more audience pleasing moments such as this, but this reviewer does not want to give too much of the novel away.
Readers of the romance genre are going to like this book—a lot. In fact, in a July 1, 2004 Kirkus Review, the reviewer writes that “warmth and humor suffuse the story.” Also, the story has universal appeal to young women. In fact, in one August, 2004 School Library Journal review, the reviewer writes that “This is a fast, often humorous read with some meat but no bite (although Mara does loser her virginity)-just the universal theme of growing up and figuring out what’s important. This title will have strong appeal for teens grappling with these same questions.”
Mackler weaves a good story, and her writing is strong, descriptive and humorous. She brings her characters and their situations alive for the readers. For example, Mara, upon picking up V from the airport with her parents, describes how V’s “honey-colored hair was long and her bangs hung like a Venetian blind over her eyes…she was wearing a tank top, no bra, and jeans that were mutilated in the butt region” (Mackler 2004, p. 8). A few paragraphs later, Mackler begins to reveal V’s character when V mentions “killer orgasms” (p. 9) in front of her grandparents, and Mara notices “down each finger, from her pinkie to her pointer, she’d scrawled” the f-word, and “On her thumb it said everyone” (p. 9).
School and Public librarians can use this book to recommend for independent reading. However, due to the graphic language and references to drug use and sex, this book would not be suitable to be assigned reading and may invite parental protests.
Book Cover Art found at Barnes & Noble website:
http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=BOOK&WRD=vegan+virgin+valentine
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