Vegan Virgin Valentine
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2010) |
 First edition | |
| Author | Carolyn Mackler |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Publisher | Candlewick Press |
Publication date | 2004 |
| Publication place | USA |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 228 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4156-7022-4 |
Vegan Virgin Valentine (2004) is a young adult novel by Carolyn Mackler. The book has been on book pick lists for the ALA, New York Public Library, and Teen Reads Week.[1][2] The book has also been banned in some locations because of "inappropriate language".[3][4]
Plot
[edit]The story follows Mara Valentine, an overachiever high school senior in Brockport, New York headed to Yale University. Mara is a straight A student forever, got type A personality, vice president of student council, UN Model, is at the top of her class and she's competing with her ex-boyfriend Travis Hart for valedictorian. Yet she found her life is turned upside down when her sixteen-year-old niece Vivienne, who goes only by her first initial V, comes to live with Mara and her parents. V’s mother, Mara’s older sister, is a free-spirit who spends her life traveling from place to place, finding new jobs and boyfriends along the way; she is the complete opposite of Mara who has spent her life working hard to succeed in school to please her parents.
Reception
[edit]Critical reception for Vegan Virgin Valentine has been positive. Publishers Weekly wrote that "Readers won't find anything groundbreaking here, but they will likely be entertained along the way".[5] Kirkus Reviews called the book "funny and optimistic".[6] The School Library Journal praised the book's romance, stating that Mara's problems with life in general would "have strong appeal for teens grappling with these same questions".[7] Booklist stated that “by the book's conclusion, Mara is still a virgin and is not a vegan, but her transformation has been entirely credible and, for readers anyway, thoroughly enjoyable”.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ ALA Book Picks 2005--Best Books for Young Adults School Library Journal
- ^ 2005 Books for Teenagers NYPL
- ^ Why Have These Books Been Banned/Challenged? ALA
- ^ Books Banned in Texas Chronicle
- ^ Children's Review: Vegan Virgin Valentine Publishers Weekly
- ^ Vegan Virgin Valentine Kirkus Reviews
- ^ Silverman, Karyn. School Library Journal. August 2004. Pg 126.
- ^ Booklist review Booklist
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