The Adventures of Miss Vulpe is the story of teen rebel Ana whose parents both died in a double suicide. After her Grandmother passed, she found herself under the guardianship of her mother's first husband who she despises with a passion. Vowing to make his life miserable, she rebels against every school he puts her in. Returning to her childhood home, she's now out to solve the mystery of her parents' death and prove that she's an adult to her new lover.
Category 1: Literary Value
Literary value can be summed up as artistic expression and impact. Does the book challenge or reinforce important ideals? If it were a painting, would you hang it on a wall? Is it the sort of book you would leave on the coffee table to spark conversation or is it the sort you keep tucked with the rest of your collection?
The "coming of age" story is one that's been done quite a bit, but if done correctly it can be the difference between cliche and exceptional. The Adventures of Miss Vulpe falls somewhere in the middle.
Conceptually, the story is there, but the execution falls a little flat, especially when it comes to Ana maturing over the course of the story. I'll get more into that later. Continuing on, the thing that stuck out to me first in the story is that a majority of it is written in present tense. At first, I found it difficult to read because of this, but eventually I became well enough adjusted that it didn't bother me too greatly.
Typically, the problem I had with the story was that it felt rushed. It was a swift read, but it wasn't because I found it to be a page turner, but more that it flew by. Not to mention that the story was divided between present day and the past of Rogers and Richard, Ana's half was cut even shorter.
In terms of Literary Value, I give this book a 3/5.
Category 2: Plot
Plot is the overarching story of the book and can be measured in terms of originality, entertainment value, and it's ability to hook me in. A book with a high rating will be hard for me to put down, uses creative elements that aren't cliche, and make me genuinely interested in what will happen to the characters next.
The plot was intriguing to say the least...well, in a sense. I found myself more interested in the death of the parents more so than any interactions between Ana and the other characters. The chapters with her and Richard where she wanted to find out more stuff but kept backing out of the questions were agonizing!
The story had a very J. D. Salinger (aka the man who wrote Catcher in the Rye) feel to it. I couldn't find much of a connection with it because of a lack of adventure or excitement. It was a little bland, to be honest.
The biggest problem however, is that the central struggle of the plot (Ana keeping her identity secret from Richard because of her young age) was rendered moot simply from a lack of research. The story puts heavy emphasis on the fact that Ana is 16, and that she's stuck between girlhood and womanhood, desperately wanting to be a woman, but too fearful to abandon her childish tendencies. When Richard finally finds out, they get into a huge argument and at one point he fears he'd be imprisoned for statutory rape. Within this lies the problem.
The story takes place in Romania, but the legal age of consent in Romania is 15. That being said, the conflict is pretty much unnecessary, at least in regards to her age. Her identity, however, should have been made more of a priority.
Even still, it was cohesive and well planned. I enjoyed the sections where it went into the pass of Richard and Rogers, and I'd have liked to see more of their past instead of the info dump Richard lays on her in the end.
In terms of Plot, I give this story a 3/5.
Category three: Characterization
Characterization is measured in the quality of characters found in the book. If you've read my previous blog posts, you'll know that a character does not necessarily have to be a person. Good characterization shows depth, originality, adherence, and relatability. Note a character can be a "bad guy" but be a good character. If you make me hate your villain, in terms of his character, then you've done your job well.
I always hate having to give negative feedback for characters, but as much as I wanted to connect with Ana, she and I, I fear, are not compatible. Ana is what some of us in the literary word call a "mary sue". That is to say that as a character, she's practically free of consequences for her actions.
Throughout the course of the story, Ana does some pretty messed up things. From selling bayleaves and baking soda to students (by tricking them into thinking its marijuana and cocaine), to stealing pretty much anything in arm's reach, she never gets any recompense other than an eye roll or a lecture.
The worst part of it is, she seems to do it for absolutely no reason. She does it to torment Rogers, but it isn't until the very end that she ever stops once to consider why she should torment him. Her personality is very two dimensional. She's a rebel. That summarizes her up completely, and she hardly progresses at all.
While her mother is dead by the start of the story and she says she loves her dearly, there isn't much in the way of showing it. She cries a few times, but it lacks the oomph to earn my sympathy. A lot of the problems she faces are from her own immaturity, and simply put, she made her bed, so I'm content to let her lay in it.
Richard and Rogers were semi-interesting, but again, their personalities were flat. Richard is a wealthy womanizer, Rogers is a well-meaning introvert. None of the characters really "change" over the story. Ana's transformation from child to adult...honestly just makes her seem more immature.
In terms of Characterization, I give this book a rating of 2/5.
Category 4: World Building/Setting
World Building and Setting are a judgment of the scenery behind the characters. How interested am I in the background events. Did the author go into great detail about the world they live in or did they keep the scope narrow. If I close my eyes, can I picture myself in a world that's cinematic, or does it come off like the scribbles of a toddler?
There was a lot of telling of locations, but little showing. The scenery and depiction of the people in Louisiana was wonderfully done, but the scenes elsewhere: Romania, Switzerland, Spain... all of them depicted...well, nothing. There was no description of scenery, no cultural difference in behavior, nothing. At first, I thought they were in America, until Ana explained Rogers spoke terrible Romanian when he was trying to have a conversation with their cab driver.
As I mentioned in the category 'Plot' there didn't feel like much research went into the story. The scenery falls a little flat, like the characters. I want to be able to feel myself there. I want to experience the world through the characters, but I can't do that if I don't know what the world is like around them.
In terms of World Building/Setting, I give the book a rating of 2/5.
Over all, The Adventures of Miss Vulpe receives a Bronze rating of 2.5/5.
All in all, the story wasn't bad. It had a beginning, middle, and end. When it was over, I felt satisfied that the things that piqued my interest had been resolved, but it still left me wanting more. My biggest struggle to overcome was Ana. As someone who has been in a similar boat that she's in, it pushes hard on my nerves that she never learns her lesson. Even when she makes peace with Rogers and stops stealing things, she's still the same old spoiled brat. The source of the problem isn't solved, and while I can appreciate that she's sort of working on it, the fact that everyone has forgiven her seems a bit too convenient.
She says at one point that "idiocy is more unattractive than a missing eye or buck teeth", which normally I'd agree with...which is why it's ironic that she's so unintelligent. True, she's a child, but her naivety and foolishness aren't the endearing ones that you come to experience from young men and women. It's not cute, it's just frustrating.
While I wouldn't rant and rave about this book to my friends, or try to push it on to fellow readers, I also wouldn't actively discourage people against reading it. I'm sure there's someone out there who enjoys it, and that's okay. However, from a critical perspective, it could use a bit more work and polish.
You can buy the book on amazon here.
If you do enjoy the book, please be sure to leave a review for the author. They help more than you realize.
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