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Dec 30, 2010

Debbie rated it:

This book started off slow for me. I loved the whole flappers era aspect and how Gloria, Clara and Lorraine's forays into this underground environment varied so widely. The way it affects each of them is not exactly what you would expect given each girl's personality.

The characters

Gloria was your typical rich girl who was spoiled growing up and feels the need to rebel before she submits to a marriage of convenience. The main problem I had with her was that as the story More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Nov 01, 2011

Angie rated it:

Well... I must say that the first half of the book was cute but only so-so. The end of the book was great though! All of a sudden the story really took off. I have to say it was kinda daring for the author to talk about an interracial relationship that took place in the 1920s. I will be curious in future books to see just how accurate to history the author stays. At first I wasn't going to read the sequel but now I am for sure! ! I gave it three stars only because the first half of the book More...

7 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 18, 2011

Alanna (The Flashlight Reader) rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 05, 2011

Jamie rated it:

3.5 - 4 stars.

Let's just start out with-- hello, my name is Jamie and I am obsessed with the 1920's and flappers and I will read anything related to said obsessions. Seriously. I once was a flapper for Halloween. I just love the flapper fashion, the literature that arose from the 1920's, the jazz, the transition into the modern culture, the progress in woman's suffrage movement, the mobsters, the speakeasys..it is all just so exciting to me! I just love reading and watching movies set More...

4 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 08, 2011

Jules rated it:

There should be a "couldn't finish it because it was so bad" shelf in addition to "read/to-read/currently-reading". As it is, I've made my own, but someone ask Goodreads to get on that, because I think making it one of the three default shelves would be a great addition!

This was...well, not terrible; it was certainly competently written, but it was just extremely dull. If you've read The Luxe or watched Gossip Girl (or, hell, read even one of the GG books) you know More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 24, 2012

Anna rated it:

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 some More...

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Jan 10, 2012

Lika rated it:

The highlight of Vixen is the way the 20s comes alive (eg: Some Like It Hot, The Great Gatsby). There are mobsters who run the smoke filled speakeasies as well as glamorous flappers dancing to jazz music. The girls are also constantly using phrases that were popular during the 20s. Larkin has made an effort to keep within the time period, and it truly shows.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the three girls which allows for the characters to develop somewhat independen More...

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Jan 01, 2012

Kelli rated it:

This was a great quick read.. IT was really well written and dove into the life of teenagers wanting to be flappers in Chicago in the 20's. The characters were able to gain your support and the story unfolded quickly and energetically. I loved the storyline, and it was just really hard to believe that the characters were seniors in high school and a year out of high school with all the grown up things they were doing, however, that also shows a little bit about the 20's if that is how they acts. More...

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Dec 30, 2011

Anna rated it:

This is very much a character-driven novel and that's the main reason this book really pops. All three girls are dynamic characters, not always likeable but always three-dimensional enough to feel real. The chapters alternate between the three girls' perspectives, and together it adds up to a much fuller story than you'd get hearing from just one of them. The slow build may frustrate some readers, but I love something that can build up to a good simmer, especially when the book uses that time to More...

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Dec 29, 2011

Cacey rated it:

I gave this one two stars, which was generous, believe me. The two stars are simply for the obvious research the author put into the twenties era. She goes to great lengths to describe everything, from the clothing, makeup, hairstyles, to the speakeasies. But, in my opinion, she should have spent an equal amount of time developing her characters. They are flat and one dimensional (if that). They change personalities from one chapter to the next. I suppose some people would say this is how charac More...

3 comments like

Dec 14, 2011

Jamie rated it:

This book is set in Chicago during the Roaring Twenties (1920s) and Prohibition Era. Gloria begins her senior year at a private high school while preparing for her wedding and the society requirements of her debutante ball and engagement party. She meets society's expectations of a demure lady while her best friend Lorraine seeks to break as many rules as possible, including drinking liquor at a time when it was illegal (Prohibition). Gloria's other best friend Marcus takes her to the Green M More...

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Dec 09, 2011

Shelby rated it:

I recently fell in love with this whole genre of flapper books, and Vixen was no exception. Though it started out a bit slow (and had more than a few slow moments beyond the beginning) I really enjoyed it. Beyond those few slow moments, there was an exciting world riddled with scandal, love, loss and betrayal; all cleverly interwoven throughout 3 completely different perspectives.

As for characters, let me start with Clara; I truly loved reading through her eyes. It was nice to have a More...

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Oct 29, 2011

June rated it:

Vixen is a young adult book with a new edge. It's set in the Roaring Twenties when prohibition was in full swing and hidden speakeasies dotted the landscape; gangsters grew in prominence and teenagers had an exciting and pulse-pumping outlet to get into trouble.

The flapper lifestyle, the freedom and excitement of it, it is sure to draw in its share of young girls with the promise of something extraordinary. The three protagonists of this story get caught up in it with decidedly mixed r More...

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Oct 09, 2011

Madison rated it:

I've recently started having a little less fondness of the Young Adult section. I feel like some authors nowadays are recycling the same ideas over and over. It's getting quite repetitive and boring. Vixen, however, is a great change from all of the vampire and fairy books that have been hitting the shelves lately. I found myself quite enjoying the read. It's set in the Roaring 20's, which is an area that the YA section doesn't have much material on. The only thing I found a little odd was that More...

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Oct 03, 2011

Hylary rated it:

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Told in alternating voices, three beautiful seventeen-year-olds navigate the tumultuous world of speakeasies, flappers, gangsters and jazz in 1923 Chicago. Caught in an engagement she's not so sure about, Gloria Carmody can't get the handsome and charismatic piano player from the Green Mill, Chicago's most notorious speakeasy, off her mind. The problem with Jerome, however, is that he' More...

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Sep 20, 2011

Jillian rated it:

Vixen by Jillian Larkin is about a group of young girls coming of age during prohibition, in Chicago. The protagonist, Gloria has always been a proper, wealthy, scholarly young girl. She is engaged to the powerful and handsome, Bastain Grey, whom she will marry once she graduates from high school. However this engagement is more of a business deal than a relationship. The marriage will maintain her family's reputation and wealth, but is bound to be loveless and boring. Gloria is seduced by More...

2 comments like

Sep 15, 2011

Gilbert&Gomez rated it:

What can I say about Vixen besides its smoking. This title definitely speaks for the book because if I looked in the dictonary right now I'd probably see refer to Jillian Larkin's book. It was sultry and compelling, I just couldn't stop reading. The beginning was a bit slow for me, especially after reading that intriguing prologue, but it picked up as it continued.

Like always, the thing that draws me into a book is the dialect and how the author paints a picture with their words. More...

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Aug 15, 2011

Maria rated it:

Gloria Carmody, Clara Knowles, and Lorraine Dyer are beautiful young women living in the highest echelons of Chicago society during the 1920’s. They are expected to do little more than dress fashionably and marry well, however each girl begins a journey which departs greatly from their parents expectations. Gloria flees her sheltered life in hopes of becoming a Jazz singing sensation, her cousin Clara hides her flapper past and is ordered to rein in her cousin or else face complete alienation More...

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Jun 28, 2011

Reading rated it:

I was excited to run across this book in the library. You see, I have a thing for Flappers. The Roaring Twenties, with the drinks, the smokes, the dancing, the music, the clothes, and the vampy make-up--what's not to love? Okay, maybe there are people that don't get into that lifestyle, like a good God- fearing upstanding citizen during the oppressive Prohibition, but that's not me and that IS the reason I picked up the book. I have to admit I was also pretty excited to see a book that potential More...

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Jun 17, 2011

Allie rated it:

I picked up Vixen from my local Borders a few weeks ago because the cover was enchanting. I have always had a fascination with flappers, and I'd never had much luck finding novels about them. I'm so glad I found this one, however.

I immediately felt like I had been sucked into the 1920's. Jillian Larkin really manages to make it convincing with her obviously well-researched story of danger, romance, and scandal during the age of the Prohibition.

After I bought it, a friend of m More...

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Jun 15, 2011

Hannah rated it:

I don't remember what it was about this book that made it seem so intriguing to me, but whatever it was I'm glad of it. I really, really liked Vixen, from the gorgeous descriptions of flappers to the fabulous characterization.

First of all, it's set in the 20s, a wild, daring time that's absolutely perfect for a story about breaking free from what you once were. The book projects a rebellious air that made the girls' lives thrilling. The descriptions of scenes and sights and sounds were More...

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May 02, 2011

Zaidita rated it:

It seemed to start a little slow for me at first, but once Gloria returned to the Green Mill and we really got to see Jerome, I was in love! I couldn't put the book down. The switching point of views scared me at first and put me off. I thought how will I be able to keep grasp on what all is going on, but Jillian Larkin did it perfectly! Even though the point of views changed from one girl to a second then a third, the story never slowed down or got confusing. It didn't retell anything that alre More...

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Mar 28, 2011

Guillermo rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 22, 2011

Raelynn rated it:

First of all, let me start out by saying, I LOVED this book, and have since passed it on to many friends. I was giddy when I saw it in hardcover on the shelves of my local book store. I wanted to grab someone and say, "I read that before it even came out and it's REALLY good, so you should buy it." But I didn't.

Set in 1920's Chicago, Jillian Larkin’s, Vixen, tells a story of love, jealousy, secrets, and revenge stitched together masterfully. The novel starts with a short p More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 30, 2010

Bonnie at rated it:

With another new year—-and decade-—upon us, I thought it would be a good time to look at a new book that takes place close to a century ago, during the Roaring '20s. (Can you believe it? Another decade and we'll have our own version of the 20s!) Debut author Jillian Larkin has released the first in her Flappers trilogy, Vixen. Told in three alternating points of view, the novel is pure historical fiction: we learn not only about flappers, as the series title suggests, but get a peek at what life More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2010

Nian rated it:

The more I read this, the more I realized Vixen sounded like Anna Godbersen's The Luxe, apart from the 1920's setting, that is. But whereas Godbsersen failed (IMHO) to deliver her characters, the storyline, and all the scandalous details, Jillian Larkin manages to entice her readers and throw us into the mysterious, dangerous, and ultimately, very sexy world of the Flappers.

The storyline was very driven, and scandalous. I found myself eagerly flipping the pages, wondering what juicy b More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 20, 2010

Stories & Sweeties {Becky} rated it:

(This is actually a 4.5 star! We need half-ratings on Goodreads!) 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 int More...

1 comment like

Dec 19, 2010

Jasmyn9 rated it:

Let's go back to the 1920's, to the days of flappers and prohibition, and young lady's trying to make their mark on the world. Gloria Carmody seems to have everything...the money, the boy, the lifestyle, and friends. But she's just not quite happy with any of it. One night she sneaks out with her best friends, Lorraine and Marcus, into the biggest speak easy in town. She falls in love with the music, the atmosphere, and the people.

Lorraine has always been jealous of Gloria. She had e More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 18, 2010

Xolindsayxx18 rated it:

I bought Vixen on the 7th the day it came out and was pretty excited. I started reading and loved it I but as time went along I found the plot line VERY familiar. The Luxe series. Anyone read it? Well it's the same plot line. As soon as I releaized that I really didn't want to read it anymore. The Luxe series ends very annoyingly, and Vixen was heading in that direction. Around 200 pages in I closed the book and decided I was done. (Bit of a spoiler here.) I was mad with the way everything was e More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 15, 2010

Margo rated it:

The Roaring 20's are definitely in vogue this fall in YA fiction, with major releases of the first volume in two different series: Vixen (The Flappers series) by debut novelist Jillian Larkin, and Bright Young Things, by Luxe series author Anna Godbersen. The books are remarkably similar in some ways: both series feature the interlocking stories of three different girls as main characters, not to mention that they both feature glamourous young girls on their covers.

Vixen tells the s More...

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