Confessions of a Wild Child

Ambitious, cunning Lucky Santangelo, daughter of gangster Gino Santangelo, is one of Jackie Collins’s most popular heroines. In this prequel, Collins goes back in time to tell the tale of Lucky’s misspent youth as a wild 15-year-old: fooling around with countless boys, getting kicked out of stuffy boarding schools, secretly running off with a friend for a crazy adventure, and ultimately, being forced into an arranged marriage by her father. Narrator Poitier is well cast as Lucky, perfectly capturing the carefree, rebellious, defiant tone of a teen impatient to grow up and unwilling to play by anyone’s rules. Poitier also has a lot of fun producing over-the-top character voices, including a strict French schoolmistress and a sassy fashion consultant. Cañez narrates chapters told from Gino’s point of view. His narration is serviceable and straightforward; it works, but Poitier is much more entertaining. A St. Martin’s hardcover. (Feb.)