ISBN: 9780786815937
New York: Hyperion, 2004
New York: Hyperion, 2004
Plot - Does a girl really want to date a guy who goes to the back of his car to get a blanket to share with you, and there's an unconscious body wrapped up in it? Or, how easy is it for said guy to impress girls with his athletic prowess on the football field when all of his (many) touchdowns are actually made because everyone's too scared of the guy's dad to block him? Vince Luca is said guy, and he wants nothing to do with what has everything to do with his life--his dad's in the "vending machine" business (read, Mob Boss). Vince gets great grades (because his Dad has paid off the teachers), and a Porsche for his birthday (turns out it's hot, and Vince gets arrested for it), but can't do anything to get out from under the All Mob All the Time family life. Then he meets Kendra, a tough kid working tooth and nail to shed the image and life she gets to bear as the daughter of an FBI agent, the FBI agent, in fact, who is tracking Vince's dad and has both their houses bugged. The two fall in love and have to find a way to stay together despite their fathers'...differences and the level of truth they're willing to share with each other.
Critical Evaluation - This is pure silly business and it's highly entertaining. The plot is relatively simple in the overall picture, but Korman manages to throw in enough surprises to make it highly entertaining and surprising throughout. Characters are characters, not necessarily deep individuals the reader is likely to remember for themselves alone. That said, Vince and Kendra in particular are developed well enough to create some very funny dichotomies between them, and excellent dialogue. The story is fast paced throughout, and a light, fun read.
Critical Evaluation - This is pure silly business and it's highly entertaining. The plot is relatively simple in the overall picture, but Korman manages to throw in enough surprises to make it highly entertaining and surprising throughout. Characters are characters, not necessarily deep individuals the reader is likely to remember for themselves alone. That said, Vince and Kendra in particular are developed well enough to create some very funny dichotomies between them, and excellent dialogue. The story is fast paced throughout, and a light, fun read.
Reader's annotation - His father is a mob boss and her father is an FBI agent--the FBI agent, it turns out--sound pretty simple? Not by a long shot.
Information about the author - Gordon Korman has written over 50 books for young people, having had his first published when he was only 14! His secret to life, and what he really thinks makes the world go round is humor. He did have to curtail this reaction to life, though, when he wrote his Island trilogy since it was about kids who'd survived a shipwreck; for that, he had to come up with other page-turning devices such as fear and suspense. When he was two, his first career ambition was to grow up to be a dog.
Genre - YA fiction (This book may belong to a "ChuckLit" genre--like Chicklit, but for guys)
Curriculum Ties - none
Booktalk ideas -
Challenge issues -none
Why I included this book - I've included it as a Gordon Korman representative in a way, and because of its place in what I've now termed, ChuckLit. It's very funny and incredibly easy to read in the sense that the story flows along like a good log ride at Disneyland. An excellent part of any reluctant reader collection.
Information about the author - Gordon Korman has written over 50 books for young people, having had his first published when he was only 14! His secret to life, and what he really thinks makes the world go round is humor. He did have to curtail this reaction to life, though, when he wrote his Island trilogy since it was about kids who'd survived a shipwreck; for that, he had to come up with other page-turning devices such as fear and suspense. When he was two, his first career ambition was to grow up to be a dog.
Genre - YA fiction (This book may belong to a "ChuckLit" genre--like Chicklit, but for guys)
Curriculum Ties - none
Booktalk ideas -
- Read the ending of the short bad-date scene at the beginning, starting with "She kisses me..." through to "...his thin lipped mouth lets out a little moan." It's hilarious and leaves you wanting more.
- Read a snippet from the scene where Kendra accuses Vince of being ashamed of her and they have their first fight.
Challenge issues -none
Why I included this book - I've included it as a Gordon Korman representative in a way, and because of its place in what I've now termed, ChuckLit. It's very funny and incredibly easy to read in the sense that the story flows along like a good log ride at Disneyland. An excellent part of any reluctant reader collection.
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