So, how hard is it, really, to get a date when your father is a big Boss in the Mafia? 
 Pretty near impossible -- or so says Gia, the spunky, mouthy seventeen old who spends her days with body guards and bad guys ... both of which put a huge damper on the normal teenage lifestyle. 
 One day, when Gia is pulled over for drunk driving and disorderliness, Gia locks eyes with an amazingly gorgeous police office -- and, it's love at first site. Gia wants nothing more than to win police Michael's heart... but Michael has a secret and it's something huge -- something involving Gia's Mafia family. And, with Gia's dad on the verge of arrest, the family dynamic has gone crazy, further complicating Gia's life. 
 Can Gia find a normal place in this life, or will she just always be seen as the disaster known as MAFIA GIRL? 
 I have to give Blumenthal credit for coming up with a character that was just a little different from anything I've read in the past. I mean, the Mafia in YA literature? You just don't see THAT one every day.... 
 Gia is an interesting character -- strong, sarcastic, and wild ... often finding herself in situations that seem far too mature of her age, making her seem older than just a recent seventeen. The whole age dynamic was a bit strange, I admit, between what is probably a high school junior and an adult policeman. Why was the age gap never addressed, I wonder? Michael DID have hesitations about being with Gia -- but, it was never due to her being underaged. No, he was most focused on her status as the daughter of a Mob Boss, which means he never mentioned the fact that Gia might end up being jail bait... 
 I must admit that the storyline felt a bit slow, Gia seemed a little over-the-top obnoxious at times, and her borderline stalker obsession with Michael was just weird and unexplained at times. And then the ending --- what happened?! I was expecting to at least see what happened with Gia and Michael and to find out how Gia adapted to her life without her father... but, the ending just felt so rushed that I found myself trying to flip ahead to pages that never existed, looking for a conclusion. Maybe there will be a sequel? No idea. 
 I appreciated the chance to preview a review copy of MAFIA GIRL, and I'm sure that this book will find an audience with older YA readers who are fascinated by a life of crime or who aren't turned off by bold and mouthy female protagonists. I thank the publisher for allowing me to read this book (and P.S. the cover is FABULOUS!)