Ingenue

January 2, 2012
This second book in Larkin’s the Flappers series and follow-up to Vixen charts the lives of two teen girls—whose friendship was torn apart by betrayals, misunderstandings, and jealousies—as they navigate Roaring ’20s New York in search of romance and revenge. This colorful tale of flappers, speakeasies, and gangsters translates well to audio, with Abby Craden providing compelling narration and embracing the breezy spirit of the novel. She gamely tries to provide the book’s characters with distinctive voices (her rendering of various speakeasy employees and gangsters are especially fun and feature nasally, whiny, or gravelly tones), but with so large a cast, some of the voices she creates sound a bit similar and listeners may find it difficult to keep track of everyone. Still, this fun-filled narrative with its star-crossed romances, betrayals, danger, and fabulous clothes is a treat to listen to. A Delacorte Books for Young Readers hardcover.

December 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-Picking up where Vixen (Delacorte, 2010) left off, this installment finds Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine in New York City. Gloria is on the lam and living with her African-American jazz-piano-playing boyfriend, Jerome. Their lives are very different than they were in Chicago as they struggle to make ends meet while looking for gigs. Lorraine works for Chicago gangster Carlito Macharelli at the Opera House speakeasy where her main job is to lure in Gloria and Jerome. Clara and Marcus's relationship is strained as she goes back to her old flapper ways all in the name of being a reporter for Manhattanite magazine. When Vera discovers that a hit woman is after her brother Jerome, she heads to New York City, accompanied by his best friend and trumpet player, Evan. Things come to a head when everyone ends up at the Opera House on the night that Gloria and Jerome finally perform. Racial inequity is explored as Vera, Jerome, and Evan must enter clubs through the back and are not allowed on the floor of Harlem's Cotton Club, and the lack of acceptance of interracial couples is evident through Gloria's sneaking through a white apartment building in disguise before entering the building she shares with Jerome. With a full plot, Larkin's writing falls flat. Her characters seem to have lost themselves and do not shine as brightly as they did in Vixen; however, the booze, deception, scandals, and romance will keep readers looking forward to the next book in the series.-Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Grades 9-12 This second book in the Flappers series finds the girls in even more trouble, if possible. Gloria is in New York with Jerome, her musician (and African American) boyfriend. That's not working out too well. Jerome's sister, Vera, is going east to find them, but she's just witnessed a murder. And Lorraine's there to get back at Gloria, who had dumped their friendship. Yes, the flappers are in NYC, and booze, bullets, and bad boys are on the menu. Perhaps even more over the top than the first book (Vixen, 2010), this is a minxes-and-mayhem cross between Friends and Boardwalk Empire.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)