Steve Berman does a lot of anthologies, but I really like his own writing and this young-adult book has a good mix of character, tone and plot. In fact, other than the age of the characters, it doesn't have that consciously young-adult tone that some otherwise good YA books do. I keep hoping for a sequel, but no luck so far.

4.5 stars"In a small town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road" ...Reading that blurb, I thought the angst love story will happen between the hero and the ghost. Until further along the story, the "relationship" turns to sinister, as Josh (the ghost) seems to be jealous of our unnamed hero (we only know his last name, Vesely), and was able to do more harm. I thought the story was real...

A superb YA ghost story and an excellent YA gay romance novel rolled into one. My only complaint is that I would have loved to,live in this world longer--could have gone on another hundred pages with no complain from me. Highly recommended.

A Joyfully Jay review. 4.75 starsThis story is very much a gothic romance, replete with romance, fear, mystery, and mood. There is a cemetery, a woman driven mad by loss and the lingering presence of her missing child, and ghosts of the past haunting the present. It’s about a young man struggling against the lure of the grave and the ghosts who reach for him. It’s lyrical and lovely and languid, and it all takes place in a melancholy, atmospheric autumn.This book has so much mood in it, so much

A good novel about teenagers is hard to find. The ones written by precocious teenage authors are likely to seem raw around the edges, and the ones written by adults are likely to sound patronizing or formula-driven. Vintage is that rare thing, an interesting novel about teenagers as complex human beings with emotional depth and an awareness of their place in history. These kids are all right, Goth style and all.The seventeen-year-old male narrator knows that his parents would never accept his se...

*** 3.5 stars ***A strong 1st-person voice and a cast of utterly non-stereotypical characters made this an easy story to sink into. As the narrator (unnamed, which I never noticed while reading the book!) discovers his ability to see and communicate with ghosts, the story takes on a creepy edge; one scene actually frightened me. (I'm a sissy that way, so YMMV.)I found the first half of the book noticeably stronger than the second half; the latter seemed a bit disjointed somehow, not as polished

This has been re-released in electronic form and is currently $2.50 on Smashwords.https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Excellent gay YA speculative novel with a little bit of mystery. Highly recommended, and not just to YA readers.

To say that VINTAGE stole all my attention over the last two days would be understating. My Kobo and I were inseparable, sneaking a read on breaks and bus rides, at breakfast and dinner, and finally, the last few pages before bed.I loved this.It's not often I feel lucky enough to find a young adult book where the protagonist is a well-written gay teen, and it's even less often that teen isn't your typical example. The goth, vintage clothes loving voice in this book was a delight. Having run away...

This book is a few years old and has been re-released by Lethe Press, receiving glowing accolades from almost every corner. As a fan of Berman’s writing, I expected Vintage to delight and enthrall while offering more questions and possibilities as his stories inevitably do. Thankfully Vintage offered all I was expecting and more, bringing a new challenge in writing a review for a story that has been so thoroughly covered and lauded. So if anything I have to offer has already been said, hopefully...

This was interesting enough to keep my attention, and it thankfully wasn't a ghost love story, because that concept is just weird. What else is weird is that the MC is never named. Not once. So I'll call him Melindo (Gordon) because why not. Melindo is 17 and lives with his aunt after his parents kicked him out of the home for being gay. He stumbles upon a ghost one night while walking home, only to find out the ghost is his town's very own urban legend. Josh was killed in the 50s on that stretc...

This book felt strangely both too long and too short (but that didn't average out to just right). There were a lot of side-stories that felt completely unneeded. Like, why do we need the lesbian couple? And moreover, why do we have to witness their fight? And why does the main character have to go to Philly with one of the lesbians and her parents? Completely superfluous to the actual plot.That being said, the main plot was well-told. Just somehow felt too fast, like more could have been put int...

4.5 starsWhile searching for a unique YA book I stumbled upon Vintage: A Ghost Story. I decided to take a chance with no clue of what I was getting into. I am so glad I did. This book could never be classified as more of the same. While the characters are all in their teens and they have the same issues that most teenagers deal with, the MC in this story is faced with things most aren't... one being a ghost named Josh Wyle. A ghost who became a legend in the area after he was struck and killed b...

*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*This book was a ride. Part mystery, part horror, part ghost story, part romance...all captivating, I quickly found myself sucked into this intriguing new world. The book starts off with a delightful Introduction by Holly Black who sets the tone for a story that will haunt my memories.First off, I have to say that this is one of the most unique YA books I have ever read. The story is set in 1997 and it's a startling reminder of how much the wor...

So apparently I'm the only human being in the world who didn't like this book. It had rave reviews, which is why I picked it up, and I loved the synopsis, so I was totally expecting a good read. First of all, let me confess that I would sell my soul for slash fanfiction. Specifically, for Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy or Severus Snape/Harry Potter fanfiction. Since I got into the ships (HP/DM was my OTP until SS/HP became my guilty pleasure), I've found that I can't read or see het relationships wit...

Generally, ghost stories tend to distress rather than soothe me; however, Steve Berman's ghost story, 'Vintage' was an exception. His ghosts and the paranormal events connected with them, were introduced so nonchalantly that their existence seemed almost like a normal, everyday occurrence. It was interesting how Steve Berman used clothing to link past and present. Each costume had its own story to tell and provided clues to help solve the story's mysteries. “Vintage' is also the first story I've...

I picked up “Vintage” when reading an article about the lack of good gay/lesbian young adult fiction. This is a great example of the genre. The narrator of “Vintage” is a teen whose personal life is in an upset. Remember all the angsty poetry? Don’t lie. I know you’ve written some. After being outed as gay to his parents and half his hometown, he finds refuge in a creepy little town in New Jersey where he makes friends with a girl interested in all things macabre. Their favorite pastime is dress...

*** Audio***Interesting book! Loved the narration! I literally jumped out of my seat a few times while listening. I'll look for more from this author and definitely the narrator.

3.8 StarsYA is usually hit or miss with me...but I liked the YA aspects of this story quite a bit. It was the ghosty/medium MC-part of the plot that kinda fell flat...although I can appreciate the not-so-subtle message/warning against desiring the unattainable, the seemingly perfect, when what you really want and need can be right in front of you.I also liked the side-characters more than I did protagonist or his love interest - who are like 17/18 and 14/15 respectively...but since the book has

From our review at iloveyafiction.com/vintage-by-steve-b...If, like me, you were one of those misguided and angsty teens who liked to dye their hair and your wardrobe consisted of thrift store t-shirts along with ripped black Chuck Taylors with lots of safety pins, then this book is for you. Heck, I’ll take it a step further. If you were a disaffected teen just hoping to fit in (and let’s face it, pretty much all teenagers fall into this category unless they’re, like, that one magical teen who d...