Journal Entry 1 by xallroyx from Huntington Beach, California USA on Sunday, March 02, 2008

Vince Luca, 17, has a problem. His wealthy family runs the, uh, vending machine business in New York, and Vince is determined not to be part of it. Especially after a hot date is ruined when he finds that his older brother Tommy has conducted some business with Jimmy the Rat and hidden the messy and temporarily unconscious body in the trunk of Vince's car. His dad, the King of the Mob, is reasonable, sensible, lots of fun, gives great presents to his kids--and his name strikes the hearts of other mobsters to stone.
Although Vince keeps a low profile at school, his family connection brings him unwanted advantages, like the birthday Porsche that gets him arrested on stolen vehicle charges, or the football game in which he makes touchdown after touchdown because word has gotten around and nobody is willing to tackle him. Even private conversations at home have to be carried on in the basement because the FBI has bugged the house and an agent is always listening. Vince's life is inextricably tangled up with the family business, no matter how hard he tries to stay out of it. How can he show them he's serious? Then he meets Kendra, and when she innocently reveals that her father's an FBI agent--that FBI agent--it's a match made in heaven. He thinks.

Gordon Korman, author of (No More Dead Dogs) and over 30 other witty YA novels, is at his best in this Sopranos-style spoof about a teen's home life with the Mob. 

Journal Entry 2 by xallroyx at Norwalk, California USA on Friday, July 16, 2010

for teen vbb 

Journal Entry 3 by xallroyx at bookbox exchange, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Sunday, July 18, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (7/16/2010 UTC) at bookbox exchange, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent out for teen vbb 

Journal Entry 4 by yourotherleft at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania USA on Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Came in the mail yesterday! Thanks! =) 

Journal Entry 5 by yourotherleft at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Part of my review (cross-posted from my blog):

Son of the Mob is a great blend of the hilarious and the serious. Vince is a sympathetic and funny narrator caught between his dad's line of work, which always seems to be getting him in trouble and the comfortable life he leads because of it. It's hard to take a moral stand against the mob when his dad's income from it is what's putting food on the table. The story is littered with oddly named Uncles and their expected and unexpected exploits. The back story of Vince's dawning realization that his dad's line of work is a bit different than all the other kids' dads, not to mention the scrapes he's always getting into because of it, are all laugh out loud funny.

In a strange sort of way, Son of the Mob is a convincing coming of age story. Vince has always had the mob in his life, but he's never worked out where he fits into his family's story. He knows that a criminal life isn't one he wants to lead, but he is still wrestling with how to reconcile that distaste for his dad's life with a son's inherent loyalty to a dad who, despite his illegal career, has taken care of him and cared about him all of his life. Vince's relationship with Kendra, the FBI agent's daughter, is less of a convincing love story than it is a plot device that throws all Vince's quandaries into sharp relief and forces him to face up to what his dad is doing and what he, Vince, is going to do about it.

Ultimately, Son of the Mob is a funny story with heart and a serious coming of age component that almost takes you by surprise.

 

Journal Entry 6 by yourotherleft at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (11/8/2010 UTC) at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to appa who took it from the Teen VBB. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 7 by appaloosatb at Byron, Minnesota USA on Sunday, November 14, 2010

This has arrived safely. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 8 by appaloosatb at Rochester, Minnesota USA on Monday, May 02, 2011

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At times cute, sweet, and very funny, it was the perfect light read.