LitPick Review
Deb Caletti's The Secret Life of Prince Charming tells the story of Quinn, daughter of a heart-breaking Casanova. With the status her mother, grandmother, and aunt all women scorned, Quinn and her sister Sprout are brought up to distrust men and shield their hearts. While at her father's house, Quinn learns about her father's dirty little secret involving his past relationships. Her disgust with her father combined with her own recent breakup drives Quinn to connect with her stepsister, Frances Lee. Together, along with Quinn's sister Sprout and Frances Lee's boyfriend's brother Jake, they set out on the road to right their father's wrongs. Along the way, Quinn is able to learn for herself the true meaning of sisterhood and love.
Opinion:
Deb Caletti truly outdoes herself in The Secret Life of Prince Charming. As a fan of all of Caletti's books, I would say that this one is even more touching and powerful than her others. Quinn's voice connects with the reader almost immediately, allowing her exploration to reach deep into the heart of the reader. While the premise of this book had the potential to get overly heavy and preachy, Caletti avoids this by managing to draw in the wisdom of multiple generations in such an optimistic and endearing manner. My one complaint with The Secret Life of Prince Charming is that the diary inserts are unclear when they are first encountered. However, once the reader is able to connect the names of the women to those that Quinn comes in contact to, these insets heighten the significance and universality of Quinn's road trip and Caletti's message.
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