Son of the Mob

Author: Gordon Korman
Stars: 4
Review by: Mary NK

Don't let the 17-year old protagonist steer you away from this laughing out loud short novel. Vincent has declared himself OUT of the Family "Vending Machine" Business, but he can't escape the family name. Starting with a not-quite-dead body wrapped in the blanket he HOPED was for making out on the beach ("All I could think of was the Dead Parrot skit from Monty Python."); Vince's life becomes infinitely more complicated when he falls in love with the daughter of the FBI agent who is in charge of investigating his father. When the New Media class, which he thought would consist of watching movies, requires each student to create a website, Vince's "I love my kitty.usa" gets astounding numbers of hits on Meow Marketplace "which is the thing I least understand in my whole high school career, except Beowulf". Things come to a head when Vince reluctantly involves himself in helping some 'uncles' who owe his father money.