Vixen Discussion: Part I: Speak Easy through page 144

[icecreamfairy8]

1.  They're trying to change their looks because they're sick of their lives.  Gloria has grown up in a conservative home where reputation matters.  And Gloria is in that time of her life where she wants to rebel.  My reasoning is that the more strict the parents are, the more your kid is going to rebel.  And I know that by experience.  In Lorraine's case, she has a friend who has everything: richer family, a good personality, a fiancee at her age, and the limelight.  I also know from that kind of experience that she would do anything to have something that Gloria doesn't. 

2. In part 1, the characters aren't as free as they think.  They are all have something pulling them back: Gloria has her mom and their reputation, Clara has a big secret back in NY (I don't know if it has been revealed yet).

I already read the whole book, so I won't give my predictions.  But as far as my thoughts about the first part, I don't think Gloria has a real attraction to Jerome.   She's just lost in her 'rebellious' world and thinks that dating a black pianist would be a great slap-to-the-face to the public and her family.  It's like flipping the bird to your parents. 

[Vermontcozy]

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birdandbaby2008 wrote:

When Jerome makes his shrwed observation, is he stating it from the perspective of a free man? Or from a place of bitterness because he sees the bars that bind him. I don't think freedom is being able to make your own choices and not be accountable to anyone. It is just as easy to become enslaved to yourself as it is to someone else. And I certainly don't think this is the type of freedom Jerome was talking about.

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Jerome during that time frame is as free as one could be ,being  an African American..So his statement for me was so on Target for Gloria..As for himself  He is respected for his talent,but knows that his livelihood could be taken away in the blink of an eye..I know Jillian really did get the the Era so correct..and sensitive to many issues  .But ouspoken and thats one of the reasons I love Vixen..Susan

[Atreyu59]

Sarah-W - - - ->  I keep going back to that cover page and because the hair doesn't appear to be Gloria's as described (red) I think it is a reflection of who Clara was when she was in the hay day of her flapper life; she commands the flapper look in that photo on the cover.  I could be wrong- it will be nice to hear from the author next week, correct!

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Sarah-W stated:  

               It's funny you should mention the cover. I thought it was reminiscent of Anna Godbersen's The Luxe (Luxe Series #1). I kept wondering which character it was supposed to be. If we judged by the hair-color it would be Lorraine. But I'm guessing the cover might supposed to be more evocative than it is a particular character or person. We'll have to ask Jillian about it when she joins the discussion next week.

[Atreyu59]

I somewhat agree with icecreamfairy8 about the rebellion part; yet there is an attraction & a forbidden fruit part that I believe plays into the interpersonal relations here.  All the girls are rebelling and acting out their alter-persona, yet it is Gloria who has the fixation with Jerome which lead me to believe the initial animal attraction caught her as well.  (I too read the entire book in 2 days)

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she said . . . . .

        I already read the whole book, so I won't give my predictions.  But as far as my thoughts about the first part, I don't think Gloria has a real attraction to Jerome.   She's just lost in her 'rebellious' world and thinks that dating a black pianist would be a great slap-to-the-face to the public and her family.  It's like flipping the bird to your parents. 

[Vermontcozy]

I like the prediction of Jerome being Gloria's go to person.Especially if and I think you are correct.,her involvement with "Carlito"will be a real delicate situation....I also believe Clara will be a Great help to Gloria..Lorraine is just lost at this point..Not as Mature..Then again she is only 17...Susan

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pen21 wrote:

I think all the characters were proving they were different than their  parents generation. By cutting their hair, sneaking out, drinking, etc. They are saying I am not who you think, this is me. But I think all of them Gloria, Lorraine, Clara, Marcus were constrained. They are acting out now. But in this time period the parents would greatly influence who they married. Gloria's pending marriage almost  feels arranged.

Right now I am thinking the Vixen is Gloria. She is acting out, exploring worlds outside the society she grew up in. Vixen for the meanings from Webster  is a sexually attractive woman, female fox. That's why I pick Gloria.  Because Gloria doesn't fit the shrewish ill-tempered woman. I think during the audition Jerome realized Gloria was getting in over her head and that the gangsters liked her.
My prediction is Gloria will get involved with the gangster's son (Carlito?).
For Jerome my prediction he will be Gloria's go to person for help and support. Jerome has his job at the club, but part of that job seems to be entertaining the women.
For Lorraine and Clara, I wonder who will be the true friend to Gloria, if anyone.
Lorraine and Clara both have flaws. At this point of the book, they still have time
to show their good side. I have some hope here.

I really like this book. It was hard to stop reading. The author captured this era for me.

pen21

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[Atreyu59]

I agree with "amusingmother" about the pity thing for Raine.  I always tried to root for the underdog, but she is never the underdog in my opinion.  I would thing she needs some help in life, real psychological help or else she is heading right down that 'bad girl-ugly girl' path.

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   amusingmother said.........                   Then again, who doesn't know a girl or two who will do anything to feed the attention-seeking ego?  Lorraine is a representation of the part of us that has been ignored for so long, we crave someone to acknowledge our existence. 

[maxcat]

Sarah-W wrote:

Any thoughts to who the Vixen of the title might be?

I think it's Gloria because she really wants to live the flapper style she really wants to sing at the speakeasy. She wants so much to change her life that she would do almost anything to get what she actually wants.

[Vermontcozy]

The Cover is so Beautiful So Evocative,I agree Sarah.-W..Its very commanding and The "BadGirl "Image is perfect..Its really Flawless..Susan Vtc

Atreyu59 wrote:

Sarah-W - - - ->  I keep going back to that cover page and because the hair doesn't appear to be Gloria's as described (red) I think it is a reflection of who Clara was when she was in the hay day of her flapper life; she commands the flapper look in that photo on the cover.  I could be wrong- it will be nice to hear from the author next week, correct!

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Sarah-W stated:  

               It's funny you should mention the cover. I thought it was reminiscent of Anna Godbersen's The Luxe (Luxe Series #1). I kept wondering which character it was supposed to be. If we judged by the hair-color it would be Lorraine. But I'm guessing the cover might supposed to be more evocative than it is a particular character or person. We'll have to ask Jillian about it when she joins the discussion next week.

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[Lblaze]

I am LOVING this book so far. There is something refreshing about the author's style. I find myself actually chuckling outloud at some parts. It almost feels like I'm reading about each of these characters through private emails they've sent me. When Lorraine referred to Marcus as her future husband in her head, I had the biggest smile on my face! Who didn't feel that way about some boy growing up?!

I'm excited to see where this book will go, there are so many possibilities. Many of them dark which makes me wonder even more.

[Vermontcozy]

LBlaze..It does feel personal.and very Cozy/Dark..A very good mix..I agree , Who hasn't had that Major Crush..It makes me smile as well.. Good thoughts..  Susan

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Lblaze wrote:

I am LOVING this book so far. There is something refreshing about the author's style. I find myself actually chuckling outloud at some parts. It almost feels like I'm reading about each of these characters through private emails they've sent me. When Lorraine referred to Marcus as her future husband in her head, I had the biggest smile on my face! Who didn't feel that way about some boy growing up?!

I'm excited to see where this book will go, there are so many possibilities. Many of them dark which makes me wonder even more.

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[leannenodell]

Excellent questions to get the discussion going.

I think the girls are like many young women; trying to fit in, discovering who they are and what the world has to offer, trying to find "true love"....By changing their looks, they believe that they can change who they are, change their past, and be someone else. I believe that they are successful at first, but then they realize that they can't change the past by changing their looks or by pretending to be something they aren't. I think that by changing their looks, they are able to explore other possibilities and see some new things that are out in the world. It also seems like by them changing their looks, that it has helped the characters reveal some of their inner desires and bring out their personalities more.

Ah, to be free! To be told how to dress, who to marry, how to behave, what to eat, what you can and can't do; that is NOT freedom. To be able to do whatever your heart desires; within reason of course, THAT is freedom. Gloria is definitely not free and is trying to get out of her constictive life, but she feels trapped. Clara was free, but then the freedom got out of control, so she is trying to reign her life back in, but her fears of the past coming back into her life are preventing her from fully embracing her new life in Chicago. Lorraine is probably the most free of them all, but her jealousy of Gloria is making her a "prisoner" of her own making.

I have read ahead in the book and am actually almost finished so I won't add my predictions for fear that I might inadvertently post a spoiler.

[salander_9277]

I had to come on here quick and discuss this section because I am dying to read on.  It took awhile for life to slow down here enough to get some time to read the first section and once I started I read right on through to page 144 in one evening.  I'm really enjoying this book and I have no idea where it's going to take me.  

I do like how all the characters are taking on new identities or behaviors.  I think that is pretty common among young adults.  They are trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be.

I can see how Gloria is really trying to explore this other side of herself with the impending wedding and how trapped she is feeling by it all.  I am really curious about this pushing for her to get married right away and about her parent's divorce, it seemed so random...there has to be more to that.

I can relate to a lot of these characters in small ways.  Lorraine, so in love with Marcus who was mostly blind to it until she kissed him, reminds me of some crushes I had as a teen.  Gloria, questioning her future, I think most everyone can relate to that.  Clara, heartbroken and trying to change her image after some bad choices, definitely is something that most people have gone through.  

Jillian Larkin does a great job of creating characters that you can really slip into and imagine how they feel and what they think.

I look forward to the next section to get a broader view of this world and where it takes Gloria.

[CubicleBlindne…]

I agree if you look at Anna Godbersen's newest book Bright Young things is also a beautiful picture that matches the cover of vixen as well. I think the picture on Vixen is just to represent the time era and not so much an actual character in the book. It is a good thing that there are more books like Vixen coming out around the same time, it could become the new trend in YA fiction

[maxcat]

Sarah-W wrote:

dhaupt wrote:

Sarah-W wrote:

I'm interested in how Clara's country-cousin 'makeover' makes her so popular with the debs and their mothers. There's something about this character that really shines. What do you all think?

For me I think Clara's shine has a tarnish to it as it's evidently self serving. I have mixed feelings about Clara right now, mostly why does she want this image, I can understand her wanting to make a good impression on her aunt, here is better than a reform place, but why try to bamboozle all the girls at the party too. I'm really interested in finding out how she continues in the book

I think Debbie is on the right track here with the tarnished image. I think Clara is downplaying whatever image she projected in New York. I hope at some point, we find that story out about Clara. You know she has to be hiding something from her past to go from a flapper to a country girl. And the way she portrays herself in front of Gloria and others in the speakeasy is pure artificial personality. She has been through this in New York but she doesn't want to give it away that she led a flapper's life. I wonder if she tangled with the mob in New York.

[Sadie1]

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DSaff wrote:

Good questions, Sarah.    I am enjoying "Vixen" very much, and trying to stick to the schedule. The characters seem well formed and alive to me, and the story drew me in.

Gloria, Lorraine, and Clara do work to present themselves as something they are not. Each of them has a goal and reason for changing. Gloria is engaged before she has had a chance to live. She isn't even out of high school yet, and while that may have happened a lot, it leaves me feeling that she has so much more to experience. Gloria knows. Gloria wants to experience "real" life and keep her parents happy by doing what is expected. Jerome throws a huge kink into her plans and all she wants is more of him and the way he makes her feel. Her "bob" was done, I think, for two reasons. One, to shock everyone, and two, to assert her independence. I can't wait to see what she does next! Lorraine fits the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" idea to me. She longs for the perfect world she thinks is Gloria's, but can't see the truth. In love with Marcus, she works to capture his attention. But, her stunts only push him away. I feel for her and hope she really finds out what truth and happiness are all about. Then we have Clara. She is trying so hard to fit the picture her aunt wants so that she doesn't get sent to reform school. But she remains a free-spirit, and I can't wait to see what she does. I am concerned about the notes she is receiving and worry that something bad is about to happen. The three girls are interesting characters and bring a lot of life to this novel.

Freedom is the ability to be yourself no matter what the obstacle. Bobbing your hair, drinking alcohol, smoking, acting differently for others, etc., do not make you free. They are simply ways of following the crowd. I think that all three of these young women are yearning for the freedom to be themselves and to be accepted as such. But, they are all going about it the wrong way, at least so far. We will see what happens as the story progresses.

My predictions (I have only read the first section):

1. Gloria will not marry Sebastian. I think something is going to happen with Jerome.

2. Lorraine is going to find out about Jerome and spill the beans, devastating her relationship with Gloria.

3. Clara will be confronted by her scandalous past and danger will be near. I think she will come through it a changed person.

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Dsaff, Well written!  I agree!  But, need to add a bit.  I think "freedom" as Jerome was meaning was meant that no matter what you do to change who you are, you sometimes don't find the freedom you are seeking and you often find yourself trapped and not free at all.

Lisa in Georgia

[erica11]

Kaitlyn27- I think you are right on the mark!  You pegged each character accurately.

[dalejr88SD]

The book start out kind of slow and things. I starting to geting into the chartacters and understanding them better. I think this book way differnt because I never read any book during this time. I can't wait to see what happens in the next part of the book. I new to this and hoping i dissues it right and things. I dont want to get kick off and not be able to recieved first look books.

Thanks Everyone

[DSaff]

Good addition, Lisa. Thanks! 

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Sadie1 wrote:

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DSaff wrote:

Good questions, Sarah.    I am enjoying "Vixen" very much, and trying to stick to the schedule. The characters seem well formed and alive to me, and the story drew me in.

Gloria, Lorraine, and Clara do work to present themselves as something they are not. Each of them has a goal and reason for changing. Gloria is engaged before she has had a chance to live. She isn't even out of high school yet, and while that may have happened a lot, it leaves me feeling that she has so much more to experience. Gloria knows. Gloria wants to experience "real" life and keep her parents happy by doing what is expected. Jerome throws a huge kink into her plans and all she wants is more of him and the way he makes her feel. Her "bob" was done, I think, for two reasons. One, to shock everyone, and two, to assert her independence. I can't wait to see what she does next! Lorraine fits the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" idea to me. She longs for the perfect world she thinks is Gloria's, but can't see the truth. In love with Marcus, she works to capture his attention. But, her stunts only push him away. I feel for her and hope she really finds out what truth and happiness are all about. Then we have Clara. She is trying so hard to fit the picture her aunt wants so that she doesn't get sent to reform school. But she remains a free-spirit, and I can't wait to see what she does. I am concerned about the notes she is receiving and worry that something bad is about to happen. The three girls are interesting characters and bring a lot of life to this novel.

Freedom is the ability to be yourself no matter what the obstacle. Bobbing your hair, drinking alcohol, smoking, acting differently for others, etc., do not make you free. They are simply ways of following the crowd. I think that all three of these young women are yearning for the freedom to be themselves and to be accepted as such. But, they are all going about it the wrong way, at least so far. We will see what happens as the story progresses.

My predictions (I have only read the first section):

1. Gloria will not marry Sebastian. I think something is going to happen with Jerome.

2. Lorraine is going to find out about Jerome and spill the beans, devastating her relationship with Gloria.

3. Clara will be confronted by her scandalous past and danger will be near. I think she will come through it a changed person.

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Dsaff, Well written!  I agree!  But, need to add a bit.  I think "freedom" as Jerome was meaning was meant that no matter what you do to change who you are, you sometimes don't find the freedom you are seeking and you often find yourself trapped and not free at all.

Lisa in Georgia

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[scientistsolte…]

The cover of the book is beautiful and I think it might be Gloria, afterall, I believe she is the main character?! I agree this is an excellent question for Jillian and then perhaps she can spill who is from Ingenue LOL

I am also interested in finding out, if that is possible in this book, with whom Marcys stays. I don't think it is Gloria, they are like brother and sister but I don't like Lorraine, she is like a snake! So far, I am liking the idea of Clara and Marcus

[Vermontcozy]

You are doing just fine..dalejr88SD.If you read on to next weeks Chapters,just wait and use this thread up to Pg 144..WelcomeTo Vixen..Susan

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dalejr88SD wrote:

The book start out kind of slow and things. I starting to geting into the chartacters and understanding them better. I think this book way differnt because I never read any book during this time. I can't wait to see what happens in the next part of the book. I new to this and hoping i dissues it right and things. I dont want to get kick off and not be able to recieved first look books.

Thanks Everyone

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