Title: Son of the
Mob
Author: Gordon
Korman
Publisher:
Hyperion
Length: 262 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
It’s Romeo and Juliet, with Romeo (Vince) as the son of a
mob boss and Juliet (Kendra) as the daughter of the FBI agent trying to put the
mob boss away. Vince wants no part in the family business, but the more he
tries to hide it from Kendra, the deeper in he gets.
This book is a little older (when did 2002 become old?
Weird!) which is perhaps why it felt like a breath of fresh air amongst the
paranormals and dystopias permeating this blog. Not that I have anything
against the current theme of YA lit, it’s just that sometimes you need to shake
it up a little. Add to this the male narrator, and you’ve got yourself a fun
book about star-crossed lovers, Godfather-style.
Also included: moral dilemmas, first love, and a slimy
character named Jimmy Rat found in a car trunk. Overall, a fun read that would
interest male and female readers and is appropriate for a younger crowd as
well.
