Fiction Book Blog

Here’s my first review for young adult fiction…every once in a while I’ll snatch up a young adult book that catches my eye during check-in at the library.  They are easy to read, and are pure fluff, but they are usually very entertaining.  The other day, I spotted Son of the Mob, and checked it out.

In mob movies, like The Goodfellas and of course the immortal Godfather, you always get to see the mob bosses and their cronies in action.  But, have you ever stopped to think about the bosses kids?  This humorous book by Gordon Korman explores what it would be like to be the teenage son of a mob boss.  Vince Luca is a normal teenage boy, constantly trying to ’score,’ (mostly due to the urgings of his best friend, Alex) playing on the school football team, and attempting to pass his classes.  However, most places he goes, his father’s identity affects his life.  While playing football, no one on the other team will even touch, for fear of ‘retribution.’  His teachers are afraid to fail him.  This doesn’t sound all too bad, but I don’t think anyone would appreciate having a date that was going well interrupted by sudden poundings and screams for help coming out of the trunk of your car.

Throughout the book, Vince starts trying to help out some of the people who owe his father, in an attempt to separate himself from his father and older brother, and their reputations.  He also gets caught up in his first real romance with a high-school journalist named Karen, who also happens to be the daughter of the FBI agent bugging the Luca residence.

It’s a typical coming-of-age story, but with the always-fun twist of organized crime.  I enjoyed the book, and it’s a very easy read.  Good if you’re up for a bit of ‘cotton candy’ reading, as my coworkers would say.
I would give it a three out of five stars.  Until next time,
~CJ