VINTAGE VERONICA by Erica S. Perl

I truly enjoyed this book!

I could really tell author Erica S. Perl was both a fan of discount clothing and had, nevertheless, done hours and hours of research in vintage stores. I could really see such detail in the vintage store where Veronica worked, from the seclusion of the Consignment Corner to the sprawling chaos of the Dollar-a-Pound floor, to the odd characters that both work and shop there.

Kudos to Perl for having the courage to portray her protagonist, Veronica Walsh, as a sensitive, self-protective, insecure 15 year old survivor of early childhood trauma in the form of teasing because of her overweight body. When Veronica is being prickly, projecting an “I don’t care” attitude toward other characters, I understand it’s her self-protective reflex and I empathize. Conversely, when Veronica’s allowing others with cruel impulses to dominate her, as if she was trying to please them, I empathize with how this also stems from her body weight insecurity. Perl tests the limits of that empathy when she has Veronica caving into negative peer pressure and treating a truly “nice guy” character, Lenny, really badly. It’s only when she begins to discover Lenny’s caring and gentle personality, as well as his compassion for animals, including a lizard named Violet, Veronica realizes how her assumptions about him were just a way to avoid being vulnerable; its easier to make fun of someone else rather than being the one made fun of.

However, when things blow up in Veronica’s face, she is initially in denial of and seemingly cannot face the consequences of her actions, making any bit of wisdom she eventually gains hard won. There were several times when I groaned because Veronica had yet again missed an opportunity to tell the truth to bullies and stand up for herself and Lenny. The ending was not clean and neat, but satisfying in its hopefulness. I got to vicariously experience Veronica’s moment of clarity and self-growth, though learned the hard way, that other people have feelings too. By the end of the book, I felt Veronica begin to grow up.

Overall, a well written book with a protagonist who is a challenge to like, but definitely worth the journey.