Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle - Hardcover

Grade 9 Up–Vince Luca, from Son of the Mob (Hyperion, 2002), returns, and this time he tries to get away from his family and "The Life" by moving to Santa Monica to start college as a film major. His high school girlfriend, Kendra, the daughter of the FBI agent who is determined to nab Vince's mob-boss father, is attending a nearby college, but they hardly see one another. When Luca mobsters from New York show up claiming they're "on vacation," Vince knows something is up, but isn't quite sure what until he attends a local rally for the concrete workers' union at the request of his roommate, Trey, the son of a powerful congressman. When Vince sees the so-called "tourists" in the audience, he assumes that they are there to make trouble. Meanwhile, he almost throws away his relationship with Kendra when he kisses a beautiful girl who has set him up so that Kendra's father can take pictures of them. He must also deal with his visiting mobster brother, who cheats some foreign students out of money, and with Trey's kleptomania. The somewhat complicated plot lines eventually come full circle and there is humor throughout the narrative. The pace is quick enough to keep reluctant readers interested. Korman avoids stereotypical caricatures by concentrating on relationships, particularly between fathers and sons. In the end, Vince comes into his own in this funny and somewhat over-the-top story.–Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL
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Gr. 9-12. In this sequel to Son of the Mob (2002), Vince Luca, son of one of New York's top crime bosses, is off to California to enter college as a film major, accompanied by his girlfriend, Kendra, the daughter of a federal official bent on putting Vince's dad behind bars. Vince hopes to leave his shady past behind, but he is soon visited by his wise-guy brother and a host of thuggish "uncles." The complicated plot involves the kidnapping of a union boss, the unmasking of a seemingly high-minded congressman, and Vince's brief fling with a beautiful FBI informant. By the end, Vince has managed to sort through the thickets of corruption, thievery, and colossal misunderstandings, finding that his first semester of college has been much more lively than the average freshman's. Korman delivers many funny lines throughout as he deftly balances satirical elements with an action-packed story. Todd Morning
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