Every Mother’s Nighmare
By Jackie Collins
St. Martin’s Press, $26.99, 304 pages
Once again, Jackie Collins takes us on a ride! Confessions of a Wild Child brings us the early years of Lucky Santangelo, which will fascinate fans and horrify mothers. This prequel to the Lucky Santangelo series covers the poor little rich girl’s formative years and the influence of her father, the notorious hotel tycoon Gino Santangelo. Modern fiction’s sexiest character now has a past!
“We live in a huge mausoleum–sorry, I mean house–in Bel Air, California. A house filled with maids and housekeepers and tutors and drivers and security guards. Kind of like a fancy prison compound, only our backyard features a man-made lake, a tennis court, and an Olympic-size swimming pool. Yeah, my dad has a ton of money.”
Locked in a luxurious Bel Air mansion since her mother’s murder when she was five, fifteen-year-old Lucky is sent off to a girl’s boarding school where her blossoming sexuality explodes, ushered along by alcohol and drugs. The book’s fast pace follows Lucky as she runs away to the South of France and ultimately learns the value of true friendship. Most importantly, she decides that the best way to handle her despotic father is to let him think he’s in control—a life lesson that eventually defines her.
Collins keeps her reader on their toes for this compelling character study. Lucky’s fans will love the backstory and those new to Collins’ work will be intrigued…and perhaps a little shocked!
Reviewed by Sheli Ellsworth
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