My Hidden Life

WOMEN'S FICTION:  Alessandra is the princess of the Canzano crime family. After surviving a vicious attack as a child, she is rigorously trained by her beloved uncle in the art of self- defense, while also being groomed to someday take over the family empire. Now that Alessandra has reached her teenage years, she is distracted by the desire to date and have fun with her friends. However, her controlling father keeps her on a very tight leash. When Alessandra discovers her father not only has her professional life planned out, but her personal one as well, it leads to the ultimate father/daughter showdown. 

Some readers may find the combination of young adult characters mixed with very mature themes a bit jarring. However, any story featuring a mafia empire is bound to be dark. Be prepared for the psychological and physical abuse of a child. Readers might also question the labelling and targeted audience for this story and may wonder in which order the books should be read. That said, the story is compulsively readable, evoking feelings of sympathy, and outrage. One’s curious fascination with the mafia is heightened by the juxtaposition between the privileged and dutiful mafia princess and the young girl who only wants to be a normal teenager. Overall, despite the suspense label, the story is more of a dark family drama. However, it is well written, and strangely alluring, and just mesmerizing enough, despite a few missteps, to entice one into reading another installment in the series. 

Julie Whiteley