Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released: December 14th, 2010
Pages: 421 (Hardcover)
Cover: 2/5 Stars
Plot: 2.5/5 Stars

Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle. She wants the bobbed hair and the chance to sing at a speakeasy. She wants to love who she wishes. But with her engagement to one of Chicago's most powerful people, Sebastian Grey, she'll never get to be what she wants. That is, until a certain Jerome Johnson, a piano player at a hip speakeasy, comes into her life.

Clara Knowles has moved in with her aunt and cousin in Chicago. At first she seems like a very charming girl. Country Clara can do no wrong. All isn't what it seems, she's got a secret past, one she wants to run away from. But what happens when it catches up to her?

Lorraine Dyer is Gloria's best friend. She's the one who is supposed to live the true flapper lifestyle. But she's stuck behind Gloria's shadow, so what happens when all the pent up anger and jealousy bubbles over?

The Roaring Twenties is one of my all-time favorite time periods. I think Vixen really captured it's essence  but it didn't capture my interest. At first I was like a kid in a candy store with all the twenties slang and flappers, but then I began to lose interest. While Vixen is a really interesting book, it just wasn't for me.

My favorite part of Vixen is all the twenties slang! Cats pajamas! Bees knees! Agh, I love it! I actually remember when I first learned some in history class and thought "I now must use these words every day for the rest of my life!" I really appreciate how the author didn't over do it with them, so I just got a chuckle here and there.

In terms of characters, I was fairly neutral. They were interesting and versatile and I sometimes enjoyed hating them *cough Lorraine*. Jillian Larkin writes characters which make you want to invest yourself in their lives. But for me, they just didn't stick. I couldn't fully bring myself to genuinely care what happens to them to procrastinate the usual suspects like getting enough sleep or studying for a test.

If you're really looking for some historical fiction, I would recommend this book. If not, than don't keep it too high on your TBR list. Don't get me wrong- the setting, characters, plot, and writing were all great, it's just that I couldn't bring myself to really like it.

Palak