Kid Konnection: Confessions of a Wild Child

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a book by a familiar author of adult novels that's geared towards young adults.

Summary: Lucky Santangelo. A fifteen-year-old wild child ready to discover life, love and independence. Daughter of the notorious Gino, Lucky discovers her mother's murdered body floating in the family swimming pool at the tender age of four. Since then Gino has kept her protected from life closeted in their Bel Air mansion. But in Jackie Collins' Confessions of a Wild Child, Lucky finally breaks free, and running away from boarding school the adventures begin. Boys, sex, drugs and rock n' roll - Lucky explores it all in preparation for the strong, kick-ass woman she eventually becomes. Delve into the world that Lucky rules! -- St. Martin's Press

I'd never admit this to my teenage daughter, but I read a lot of Jackie Collins when I was in high school. In fact, Jackie Collins' books became a topic of conversation at a recent lunch I had with friends. Everyone at the table admitted to reading them when they were young, and one of my friends even claimed that almost everything she learned about sex came from Jackie Collins!

Thankfully, there are plenty of young adult books out there now, so my daughter doesn't feel like she has to read Jackie Collins. I seriously doubt that either she or I am ready for that! However, if she's tempted to pick up a book by Ms. Collins then there is finally one that I'm almost comfortable giving to her. It's Ms. Collins' latest novel titled CONFESSIONS OF A WILD CHILD, and it's a young adult book about one of her most beloved characters, Lucky Santangelo's, early years.

CONFESSIONS OF A WILD CHILD takes place when Lucky is a mere fifteen years old and living with her father and her brother. (You might remember that Lucky found her mother floating in their swimming pool eleven years earlier!) Lucky might be young and fairly innocent due to her father's protective nature; however, the passion, curiosity, and intensity that readers have come to know and love about Lucky are definitely present in her teenage self.

This novel definitely gives new (and old!) readers an opportunity to see Lucky's formative years. The time she spent in a European boarding school, the time she ran away from that very same school, her first crush/boyfriend, her sampling of drugs, and even her first experiences with guys. Lucky truly tested all of the limits placed on her, and it's clear early on in the story how the young Lucky turned into the strong woman that we've discovered in Ms. Collins' other novels.

Well.... what can I say about CONFESSIONS OF A WILD CHILD? Fans of Jackie Collins will love it and those not familiar with her novels probably won't "get it." It is true that this book is geared towards a much younger audience (probably 14 years old and up), and Lucky's actions are much tamer than the ones when she appears as an adult; however, Lucky still is up to no good for most of the story. Having said that, Lucky does have some sense and it's clear that she's no dummy when it comes to guys... and her father.

As far as the story goes, CONFESSIONS OF A WILD CHILD is full of entertainment and fast-paced. Lucky is a hoot and her actions always seem to get her in trouble (although she's not as "bad" as some of her friends!) Personally, I got a kick out this coming-of-age story but, let's face it, it's not exactly literature. It's a written form of a soap opera and I take it for what it's worth -- an escape read.

CONFESSIONS OF A WILD CHILD is a another fun chapter of Lucky Santangelo's life and explains a thing or two about her adult behavior. Recommend to fans of the Lucky books!

Thanks to Get Red PR for providing a review copy of this novel.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!