Heather’s Bookshelf: The Mobster’s Daughter
Author: Daniel Willard
Released: 11/13/24
Genre: YA Coming-of-Age and Romantic Fiction
“One shared bowl of popcorn and a three-minute drive later, Danny pulled into an empty driveway and dropped Carly off at home, finishing the evening with a big good-night kiss on her front step. He was pretty sure he’d gotten a passing grade on this evening’s boyfriend exam.”
“The Mobster’s Daughter” introduces Danny Flanigan, a high schooler in 1970’s Youngstown, Ohio. He’s a bit of a loner and into math and computers. Convinced this year will be just like the rest of his uneventful education, Danny is pleasantly surprised when the new girl, Carly, strikes up a friendship.
While the two seemingly have little in common, there’s just something about the way Carly doesn’t stop talking that first attracts Danny. She’s kind and smart, and she gets along so well with his family…what could possibly go wrong?
Unfortunately, Carly’s family life is complicated. Living at home with a young single mother, her absentee father is actually Carlo Pirelli, a known Mafia boss. Danny’s father’s an FBI agent, so that makes things a bit more complicated. Add to that the closing of the local steel mill and this young couple encounters many challenges in their blossoming relationship.
Trigger Warning: violence, reference to sexual assault, reference to miscarriage, adult language, explosions, murder, reference to drugs
Overall, I enjoyed this tale. Told mostly through the POV of Danny, an altruistic and bright protagonist, there’s a sense of innocence throughout the tale that’s counteracted by the underlying themes and dangers posed by the choices of the adults in the tale. Carly adds to the opposing emotional forces through her mostly optimistic and bubbly personality regardless of the challenges she encounters at home and within her own family. There are also a couple of ancillary characters that add a lot of heart to the story. I especially enjoyed, Danny’s little sister, Nguyen, and the pieces of her adoption story. I also really enjoyed Danny’s father’s part in the story and his little quiet moments with his son. It’s a pretty fast-paced tale with moments that slow down for character development. There’s also some instances that push the story forward related to what’s going on in the community- these parts felt much more “telling” than showing. While the material was important, it just felt a little out of place. Otherwise, the progression of the tale through the ending felt complete and with clear resolution. The thread holding everything together was the blossoming relationship between Danny and Carly. It’s sweet and lovely, but also realistic in some of the doubts they encounter.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A sweet coming-of-age story wrapped in a mobster tale. Likable protagonists and memorable ancillary characters are a highlight.
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Check out my interview with Daniel Willard
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