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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
DNF @ 40%. This was terrible I couldn't finish it. So dramatic, so ridiculous, and so filled with immature girls that it was painful.
I have never really gotten into the whole Flapper thing, but this book really kept me interested. It was an easy read and the story line wasn't difficult to follow.
Gloria loves jazz music and longs to be an independent woman. This should be easy, except she is set to marry one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors soon, a sure sign of the end of her freedom. Her cousin Clara has come in from Pennsylvania to help plan the wedding, but Gloria can't stand her. However, Clara is arriving with a few secrets of her own, secrets that could bring her down from her new place in society, if revealed. And Lorraine has been Gloria's closest and best friend since forever. But with Gloria marrying Bastian and garnering more attention than she can handle, Lorraine starts to feel the green bug of jealousy creep in. Tired of never being in the spotlight, she begins to plot a way to push past the bright glow of her best friend, even if it means lying to her. Gloria, Clara and Lorraine are all very similar girls, despite their obvious differences. The three of them are caught up in the lifestyle of the roaring 1920's, and are about to clash at The Green Mill, Chicago's most famous speakeasy.
You know how sometimes you are unsure if you will like a book but it ends up grabbing your attention and holding on tightly? This was one of those times for me. I was not too anxious to pick up this book, as reading about socialite girls doesn't often appeal to me. However, I was pleased to find that I really, REALLY enjoyed this one. Vixen is a very atmospheric book, from the settings to the politics to the language. The chapters alternate between the three girls, and I found each one equally enjoyable. That is hard to do, no? More often than not there will be one character that stands out above the others, but I found I was excited to keep reading from each of the girls' perspectives. One of the most impressive parts about this book was by far the language. Jillian Larkin captures the slang of the 1920's underground and spreads it throughout without sounding forced and unnatural. I felt Gloria's suffocation and hope, worried with Clara about her past, and believed the confusion Lorraine was going through. A most excellent debut. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Ingenue, due out in August 2011!
You know how sometimes you are unsure if you will like a book but it ends up grabbing your attention and holding on tightly? This was one of those times for me. I was not too anxious to pick up this book, as reading about socialite girls doesn't often appeal to me. However, I was pleased to find that I really, REALLY enjoyed this one. Vixen is a very atmospheric book, from the settings to the politics to the language. The chapters alternate between the three girls, and I found each one equally enjoyable. That is hard to do, no? More often than not there will be one character that stands out above the others, but I found I was excited to keep reading from each of the girls' perspectives. One of the most impressive parts about this book was by far the language. Jillian Larkin captures the slang of the 1920's underground and spreads it throughout without sounding forced and unnatural. I felt Gloria's suffocation and hope, worried with Clara about her past, and believed the confusion Lorraine was going through. A most excellent debut. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Ingenue, due out in August 2011!
For fans of the Great Gatsby or just those who are interested in the 1920's with a dash of romance thrown in, this is the book for you! Jillian Larkin completely transports you back to another era without overwhelming the reader with details to remind you that hey, she did some researching. While at first I didn't appreciate switching between three characters stories, I soon became invested in the lives of all three girls. Even the semi-villain/tragic villain/not-a-villain-but-just-jealous girl of the story earned my sympathy. Unlike most series, in which one is left completely and unsatisfactorily hanging, this book wrapped up nicely, while still leaving the reader curious enough to try the next book.
My only complaint would be the portrayal of the flapper lifestyle as the ultimate in cool; when Jerome tells Gloria that "...you look like the genuine article. Not like that girl playing at dress-up. Gorgeous. Confident. Dangerous, even. Gloria Carmody, you are a true flapper," I had to roll my eyes a little. Cutting your hair in a daring new style does not make you a mature adult. But whatever. Overall, very interesting, and am looking forward to the next one.
My only complaint would be the portrayal of the flapper lifestyle as the ultimate in cool; when Jerome tells Gloria that "...you look like the genuine article. Not like that girl playing at dress-up. Gorgeous. Confident. Dangerous, even. Gloria Carmody, you are a true flapper," I had to roll my eyes a little. Cutting your hair in a daring new style does not make you a mature adult. But whatever. Overall, very interesting, and am looking forward to the next one.
I had a lot of trouble deciding what to rate this book. While I was reading, I was thinking it would be a two, for sure. Looking back on it, I think it's a little closer to a three. We'll call it 2.7 for now ;)
Gloria is a privileged debutante ("deb"), engaged to Bastian Somebody-or-Other (Gray, maybe? Not sure...) But she's a party girl at heart and doesn't really want to get married anymore (maybe. Her motives are cloudy, at best)
Clara was a flapper, but something bad happened in New York, she ended up in prison, then back in Pennsylvania, and is now being sent to oversee her cousin's wedding. So she has to play "Country Clara" and charm everyone.
Lorraine is Gloria's best friend, who's rather jealous of all the attention Gloria's getting.
On the surface, it looks alright. However, once we get to the characters, their motivations are really weird and they're constantly jumping from one conclusion to another.
Let's start with Gloria. Before her father's scandal was revealed, she was totally free to break the engagement. Would it have caused scandal in reality? Probably, but Ms. Larkin doesn't tell us that, so we're assuming that Gloria was totally free to do this. The good things about Gloria: She was pretty daring, without being slutty, which I think totally fit her character. She was innocent, but she had some spunk. I didn't mind her too much. Plus, why did she blame Lorraine? There was no proof, and in my mind, it was more likely to be Clara that betrayed her.
Clara:
She bugged me. Did she want to be a flapper again, or not? Did she enjoy being country Clara, or not? Did she want to go back to New York, or not? She kept saying one thing, then doing another, even when she wasn't pretending. Later, we realize that she didn't want to be a flapper (maybe, but I'm still unsure on that point) but since the whole book she's pretending to be someone she isn't, it's extremely confusing to get a grip on her character. And she was very inconsistent.
Lorraine:
Oh, dear Lord, Lorraine. Talk about unstable. I kind of liked her, in a way, though. She was a loose cannon and she seemed rather realistic. Her drunken escapade when she exposes Clara, though, was ridiculous. No one would have even let her into the party. But, whatever.
I didn't like how Marcus disappeared from Gloria's life. It was like they were brother and sister in the first few chapters, then barely knew each other in the end of the book. It was weird.
One thing that really irked me was the fact that the book made it extremely clear that if you liked going to formal parties and didn't go to speakeasies, you were boring, and totally not worth knowing. I don't think that's fair. Just because you don't break the law doesn't mean you're boring.
So, that was my main issue with the book.
However, there were good things, and it did keep me reading, hence the 2.7 rating.
Not a high recommendation, though.
Anna
Gloria is a privileged debutante ("deb"), engaged to Bastian Somebody-or-Other (Gray, maybe? Not sure...) But she's a party girl at heart and doesn't really want to get married anymore (maybe. Her motives are cloudy, at best)
Clara was a flapper, but something bad happened in New York, she ended up in prison, then back in Pennsylvania, and is now being sent to oversee her cousin's wedding. So she has to play "Country Clara" and charm everyone.
Lorraine is Gloria's best friend, who's rather jealous of all the attention Gloria's getting.
On the surface, it looks alright. However, once we get to the characters, their motivations are really weird and they're constantly jumping from one conclusion to another.
Let's start with Gloria. Before her father's scandal was revealed, she was totally free to break the engagement. Would it have caused scandal in reality? Probably, but Ms. Larkin doesn't tell us that, so we're assuming that Gloria was totally free to do this. The good things about Gloria: She was pretty daring, without being slutty, which I think totally fit her character. She was innocent, but she had some spunk. I didn't mind her too much. Plus, why did she blame Lorraine? There was no proof, and in my mind, it was more likely to be Clara that betrayed her.
Clara:
She bugged me. Did she want to be a flapper again, or not? Did she enjoy being country Clara, or not? Did she want to go back to New York, or not? She kept saying one thing, then doing another, even when she wasn't pretending. Later, we realize that she didn't want to be a flapper (maybe, but I'm still unsure on that point) but since the whole book she's pretending to be someone she isn't, it's extremely confusing to get a grip on her character. And she was very inconsistent.
Lorraine:
Oh, dear Lord, Lorraine. Talk about unstable. I kind of liked her, in a way, though. She was a loose cannon and she seemed rather realistic. Her drunken escapade when she exposes Clara, though, was ridiculous. No one would have even let her into the party. But, whatever.
I didn't like how Marcus disappeared from Gloria's life. It was like they were brother and sister in the first few chapters, then barely knew each other in the end of the book. It was weird.
One thing that really irked me was the fact that the book made it extremely clear that if you liked going to formal parties and didn't go to speakeasies, you were boring, and totally not worth knowing. I don't think that's fair. Just because you don't break the law doesn't mean you're boring.
So, that was my main issue with the book.
However, there were good things, and it did keep me reading, hence the 2.7 rating.
Not a high recommendation, though.
Anna
With the tense race separations, the Prohibition Era setting, and the underground jazz clubs, the flapper setting was very intriguing. I do not recall having read a book set in this time in history before. Characters are addicting – I was drawn into their lives enough that I’m eager to read the sequel! And I do not often read sequels anymore since it is better for my reader's advisory skills if I read a wider variety of books vs an entire series.
Yay for a change from vampire dramas!
In Vixen we are transported to Prohibition era Chicago: jazz, speakeasies, mobsters, debutantes, and plenty of drama. Fast read, guilty pleasure, cliche characters... yet, because the gossipy storyline and fun slang, it was pretty enjoyable. Plot builds up dramatically and the ending leaves the reader hanging. Made for a WB series. I can easily see flappers becoming the new vampires of teen lit.
This one is for older teens, not only because of subject matter, but because it will take some experience and worldliness to pick up on the Roaring Twenties slang.
In Vixen we are transported to Prohibition era Chicago: jazz, speakeasies, mobsters, debutantes, and plenty of drama. Fast read, guilty pleasure, cliche characters... yet, because the gossipy storyline and fun slang, it was pretty enjoyable. Plot builds up dramatically and the ending leaves the reader hanging. Made for a WB series. I can easily see flappers becoming the new vampires of teen lit.
This one is for older teens, not only because of subject matter, but because it will take some experience and worldliness to pick up on the Roaring Twenties slang.
I wasn't sure how to rate this book at first. It certainly isn't at all what it looks like on the cover, for one thing. Neither Gloria, Lorraine, or Clara are "vixens."
Good things:
- This book explored a little bit of race relations and interracial relationships
- The 1920s, flappers, etc.
- If you like drama
- Spoiled girl acknowledges her privilege
- Ended with an action-packed bit of drama
- Very well done multiple persepectives
Bad things:
- Did not talk about race enough
- Lots of girl-on-girl cattiness, which I never like
- Marketed as a romance (which this definitely has) but more so a "finding yourself" and "follow-your-passion vs. life-laid-out-for-you" book
- Potentially problematic in some aspects (I'll leave that up for you to decide)
- Characters can be unlikeable
-Instalove (not insta-relationship though, which people often confuse)
So... around the halfway point is when I started to like it and when I started to realize that maybe I did want to root for the characters! And maybe I did care! But it took me awhile.
Good things:
- This book explored a little bit of race relations and interracial relationships
- The 1920s, flappers, etc.
- If you like drama
- Spoiled girl acknowledges her privilege
- Ended with an action-packed bit of drama
- Very well done multiple persepectives
Bad things:
- Did not talk about race enough
- Lots of girl-on-girl cattiness, which I never like
- Marketed as a romance (which this definitely has) but more so a "finding yourself" and "follow-your-passion vs. life-laid-out-for-you" book
- Potentially problematic in some aspects (I'll leave that up for you to decide)
- Characters can be unlikeable
-Instalove (not insta-relationship though, which people often confuse)
So... around the halfway point is when I started to like it and when I started to realize that maybe I did want to root for the characters! And maybe I did care! But it took me awhile.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes