Vixen

If I had a guilty pleasure book, this would be it.

Seriously, it has everything I adore: 20s glamour and flappers, jazz music, ridiculous YA drama, a pretty cover and a fast moving plot.

I ended up picking this book on clearance years ago. Like most books I own, it got lost somewhere in my house and I forgot it existed. Then, one day during my epic cleaning sprees to deal with my epic boredom, I found it! Since I'm trying to give myself a well rounded read shelf for 2020, I decided to pick it up. Plus, who doesn't want some goofy, YA, flapper fun?

This story follows 3 girls:
1. Gloria - engaged to some hot, not super nice, rich guy but wants to let herself fall in love with a jazz musician.
2. Clara - Gloria's cousin who is super goody show more goody, but clearly has a bad past she is trying to hide.
3. Lorraine - the not so nice girl who is friends with Gloria but wants to be the center of attention SO bad and can't get the guy so she's clearly gonna be a jerk. You know, the mean girl.

This book is super strange for me. It's packed full of YA drama and gossip, so this really shouldn't be my thing but I was SO DIGGING IT. It's like my lack of human interaction has made this kind of gossip gold for me. Either way, I totally loved it and needed this sort of fun in my life. It's like Gossip Girl or 90210 or other super dramatic stories.

I can easily say this book won't be for everyone. These girls in the 20s are definitely like girls from the 2010s/2020s. They have feminist life goals and want to be strong women. They don't fit into the 20s society, but totally fit into today. I didn't mind, because I just wanted a fun read and let myself sink into the drama. Buuuut, if you're looking for historical accuracy then this book is not for you. Enjoy the book for what it is!

The book is easy to read and the drama moves fast. There's constantly something going on, and since the book changes perspectives between the three girls we always see something different. There isn't as much romance as there is drama in this book. I expected some awesome love and romance plots, but love is kind of the back burner thing. There are dates and some kisses and sometimes some love confessions, but this is by no means a romance - it's a drama.

Overall, this book is fluffy and glamorous. I want to continue reading this series, mostly because it is totally a guilty pleasure. I love it for what it is - good job Jillian Larkin!

Four out of five stars! show less

I received an ARC of Vixen through the B&N First Look Program.

Wow! What an amazing debut by Jillian Larkin. Vixen is now my favorite YA debut book for 2010. It’s that special. This is definitely one of those must read books, it’s just too wonderful to miss out on. This is the first book that I’ve read that is set in the 1920’s, so I wasn’t sure I was going to like it because it was outside of what I like to read. But surprisingly, I loved it! Vixen is the first book in The Flappers series. The second book, Ingenue will be published in 2011 and Diva, the third book, will be published in 2012. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Vixen is a book that you don’t want to put down from beginning to end. It is so entertaining show more and captivating. When I was reading the book, I was immersed in the aura of the 1920’s because of the detailed descriptions of the time period, including the flapper lifestyle, clothing, hairstyles, jazz music, prohibition, alcohol, speakeasies, gangsters, etc. The story is told in alternating points of view of three teenage girls, Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine. Gloria is a socialite in Chicago. She is engaged to Sebastian, who comes from a powerful family. Clara is Gloria’s cousin who is visiting Gloria to help her with the wedding. Lorraine is Clara’s best friend. Larkin goes in depth with each character's storyline, that you really get to know each of the girls well. Each girl has their own lead role in the book, which I thought was great. I loved each character. The plot was solid throughout the book, no boring spots or weak plot points. It was cleverly done.

While the girls try to find themselves and fit in, so much drama unfolds as the stories of these three girls seamlessly weave in and out of each others lives. I loved the drama! And when the cute bachelors enter the lives of these girls, everything gets way more complicated. This made things very interesting. There is rebellion, jealousy, betrayal, romance, deception, lies, secrets, danger, and mystery. And the ending leaves on such a great cliffhanger that you can’t help but want to know what happens next.

There really wasn't anything I didn’t like about the book, except that the word “love” was introduced a little too soon for me personally. I like to see a relationship last a little longer before it blossoms into love. But other than that, the book was awesome!

Vixen is truly a bookish delight! I’d recommend it not only for older teens but for adults as well. For those of you who enjoy reading about the 1920’s but want a young spin on things, this book is perfect for you. But even if this isn’t something you’d normally read, just give it a try like me, it will amaze you. If you like reading debut authors, then make sure Vixen is next on your list.

*Although this is considered a YA book, the level of maturity is higher than in other YA books I’ve read, in terms of the girl’s relationships with the guys. If you aren’t into the angsty books, then this book is probably more your style. There are a few sexual references but not many, as well as underage drinking. So just wanted to point that out. show less

When will people see that whats in front of them is good? From the very beginning of this book the young ladies wanted nothing but change. They are tired of living the life they have, so they change it by changing themselves. Now, by all means, if you don't like something, then change it. But don't bring down other people.

Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine all long for a change. They have to live a certain way, dress a certain way, eat a certain way, etc. Each of them having a different desire, changes their appearance looking more like Flappers. Flappers are floozies who drink each night going with a different man.

Take me back to the roaring twenties BABY! I had so much fun reading this book. As a matter of fact, I kept reading this book show more through out a meeting I had with my boss. He spoke, but I paid no attention to a word he was saying. LOL. This book was filled with drama, lots of backstabbing, and fighting.

I totally understand where the girls were coming from. They all wanted something that they could not have, so they use each other. They back stab, told each others own secrets to gain where they needed to go. In the end, it left nothing but hurt people and lots of hatred.

The one girl I felt sorry for is Lorraine. Although she did mess up, she was blame for things that she did not do, making her the bitter one. In the end, she wanted nothing but revenge. I felt for her and how her best friend would turn her back on her like that. I was angry that she would not at least hear Lorraine out. I hope in future books Lorraine gets redeemed. I hate to see her that way.

The love interest in the book were good. There were love triangles and unforbidden love. The unforbidden love is one that I would love to see. I hope it comes out all right for them. They have a tough road a head of them.

If you like drama, with lots of love, fights, and roaring twenties, then you should definitely read this book. I was amazed on how well Ms. Larkin was able to grasp the twenties with perfect detailing. Even the way that they talked was awesome. I find myself, repeating some of the words whenever I get chance. This is an awesome book. It does, have lots of sexual references, drinking and drugs. I would recommend for older teens. show less

So, this book TRULY surprised me! I did not think that it would be as good as it turned out to be. I figured it would be a let down, because how could it match up to the description that it was given? This book had a very surprising cliffhanger ending that I will not spoil. I ended up loving all of the girls, but I think my favorite was Clara. She is trying so hard to figure out who she is after a major disappointment in life. I loved Marcus, who is best friends with Gloria. He was the most wonderful guy in the book other than Jerome Johnson. Speaking of Jerome, I DEFINITELY did not expect this book to explore interracial relationships and prejudices in the 1920s! The way Jillian Larkin did this was relatable and realistic. This entire show more book has absolutely beautiful descriptions and emotional insights. It was in triple
third-person omniscient point of view, so each chapter alteranated between the girls (Gloria, then Clara, then Lorraine) and while it didn't use the word 'I' it got inside of their thoughts in a very personal way. Bastian Grey is a very odd character, because at first you think that you know who he is; then he turns into someone completely different. It was very shocking the way his character changed, but he was so deliciously villainous! show less

This books was a completely surprise to me. When I received this one for review, I hadn't given it much thought, and it definitely wasn't one that I was really excited about. Despite my love of the flapper era, the cover and the synopsis didn't grab me. With that said, I couldn't be more grateful that this one was sent to me out of the blue---or I would have missed out!

Jillian Larkin's writing draws you so completely into both the glamorous and the gritty side of the twenties. You can practically smell the booze and smoke and feel the sway of the room of an underground speakeasy. You squirm in your seat at the snobbery and lofty expectation of the rich high society set. It was all there---the romance, the glittering gowns, the scandal, show more and the danger of living in a time that was also known for it's gangsters and prohibition.

Vixen follows the stories of three girls: Gloria, her best friend Lorraine, and her cousin Clara. All very different, but all struggling to figure out their lives. Each wants something more than the hand they've been dealt, whether that be a suffocating, loveless marriage, or constantly living in the shadow of someone else, or carrying around a big scandalous secret and a broken heart. The way each story unfolds and intertwines had me glued to the page.

The story touches on some pretty serious themes and I think that is what surprised me the most. It's not all cattiness and dresses and dancing. It's about loyalty, friendship, living in fear, living up to expectations, and trying to turn your life around. One of the most interesting things about this story was the love story between Gloria, a white, rich girl, and Jerome, a black jazz pianist. This whole thing was beautifully, beautifully written. Because while in this day and age, people normally don't bat at eye about interracial couples(thank goodness), back in the twenties this would have been a very BIG deal.

You have to read this book to find out how it all plays out, but be prepared for a very steep cliffhanger!! I loved it and will be anxiously awaiting the next installment, Ingenue, due out in August 2011. show less

Somewhere in the back of my head, while reading Vixen, I learned that I'm glad I wasn't born a girl. And it's not for the patriarchal reasons that most men might come up with, but because when it comes to cruelty, you girls take the cake. Boys will physically bully the weaker one, but girls destroy you socially, emotionally, mentally - which is far worse than the bruise on your forearm.

Jillian Larkin created a world - set in the 1920s, the flapper generation (not to mention the age of the Lost Generation where expatriates roamed around other countries, each writing great novels) - that sucks you right in and leads you down the path of three lives of three rather stunning girls.

There's Gloria, a top-notch socialite whose engagement to show more Sebastian "Bastian" Grey only means a life of boredom for her. In a last attempt of adventure, Gloria sets off with friend Marcus Eastman to the most notorious speakeasy in Chicago - the Green Mill. There, Gloria is lured into the world of the flapper. She's seduced by their allure and their brash lifestyle. The singer on the stage sparks her most wildest dream of singing in front of a live crowd - a dream that would never be realized as long as she is engaged to marry Bastian. Most of all, she feels a sudden magnetic attraction to the piano player and jazz musician, Jerome Johnson.

Then there's Clara, Gloria's cousin from Pennsylvania, who arrives to Chicago under the assumption to help Gloria with her wedding. Truth is, Clara's running away from the life she led in New York. She plots to use Chicago as a fresh start. There she is drawn into her cousin's secrets and her inner circle. Most of all, she is drawn to Marcus Eastman. However, strange notes start arriving - first mysteriously left in her room - and a ghost from her past resurfaces. Clara is faced with her secret life unraveling while keeping up her act.

And finally, there's Lorraine, Gloria's closet friend. As she realizes those in her world are slowly drifting in several directions, she begins to scheme how to get them back. However, the more she schemes against her best friend and Clara, the deeper she digs her grave.


Jillian Larkin breathes a unique life into each of her characters, never afraid to turn the tables at a whim. Vixen is probably the best young adult novel I've read this year (that's not saying a lot considering it's the first I've read this year). Best of all, it lacks what is taken too seriously these days - you won't find cell phones, wizards or vampires in this novel. Instead, you get the sheer glamor of a lifestyle your grandparents probably enjoyed or were against. You are dropped into a world where communication between friends isn't as easy as signing onto an instant messenger or picking up your cellphone to text. No, Larkin picked the 1920s because things were difficult back than, while at the same time being much simpler. She created a love story we wouldn't think twice about these days but would have caused an uproar in scandal back then. She created a world in which girls still scheme against each other, but they did it in fashion - no joke, I really do like the 1920s which acts as the sole reason for my interest in the novel. I surely can't wait until Ingenue hits bookshelves in August of this year. show less

First of all, Bravo! to Jillian Larkin for exploring a time period that should be explored in Young Adult fiction. The Roaring Twenties are so much fun to learn about, not just for the mobsters and speakeasy's, but also the fashion is bright and fun, the hairstyles are, frankly, gorgeous and cities were filled with wonder and life.

When I was in college, pursuing a degree in Piano Performance, I got a job playing in the backroom of a 50's diner. Every Friday and Saturday night I dressed up in fancy dresses, wore sparkling earrings and necklaces and sat down to play Gershwin and Joplin at a piano in a room dimly lit. The dance floor in front of my piano would hold various couples doing the Charleston, who were admitted through a door up a show more hall, in the back of the building - the entrance in the alleyway. When they'd call to make a reservation they'd be given a password - which they had to use or they wouldn't be admitted. I played for hours on those nights, watching the tips fall into the large martini glass set on top of the piano for that purpose. And thus, my real life experience in a Speakeasy was given.

So I hold a love for the 20's. I remember those weekends with a lot of fondness and when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. Jillian Larkin did a beautiful job portraying the times, describing the dresses, detailing the class differences and parties held. There were some aspects of the book that I have a slight issue with (mainly the overuse of certain terms - you can have too much of a good thing), but overall the book was interesting, had an eventful plot, a lot of history and enough romance to satisfy the romantic in me.

I think these books are bound to be a hit. There's no magic, no paranormal aspect, and it's nice to see a book that has a solid story without needing any of that. Just plain drama - fun-filled 20's drama. In other words, this book was the bee's knees. show less