Novel Review: Hollywood Hustle (Son of the Mob, #2) by Gordon Korman

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: 2004

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The fast-paced, funny sequel to the best-selling Son of the Mob.

Vince Luca is in heaven . . . he''s off to Los Angeles, to attend the University of Santa Monica''s film school. College should be fantastic, and he is more thrilled about being 3,000 miles away from his mob family.

But as it turns out, college brings its own problems: from other film students moving in on his girl, to a kleptomaniac roommate, to having to get a job on campus to help pay tuition. It''s a fair amount to handle, though nothing Vince couldn''t easily manage - if he didn''t keep finding himself with unexpected guests from the East Coast. It seems Vince''s dad may just be ready to expand operations to L.A.

With the popularity of shows such as "The Sopranos," the mafia is a topic of intrigue for young adults. The fast-paced plot, hilarious dialogue and Korman''s keen understanding of teen issues, made this a bestseller and a critical success.

The Cover:

I don't mind this cover. It's plain and an older style, not very eye-catching, but I don't hate it. It's just meh.

Review:

It has been a long time since I read the first book in this series. A long time. But I’ve had this book on my shelf for just as long, and finally decided to read it. Thankfully, it explained everything I needed to know from the previous book.

Vince is going to college, in the same town as his girlfriend, far away from their families. His family is the mob. And her father is the police officer after his family. He wants to be a film director, she wants to be an actress or singer. But then his family keeps showing up.

It’s definitely hard for Vince to get away from the mob life, even if his father knows he wants no part in it. And then Vince gets roomed with a politicians son. He’s not doing so well in classes, especially filming, his girlfriend is too busy with classes and acting to be with him. His brother won’t go back home, and then all his uncles show up. The poor guy just can’t catch a break.

I liked what happened with his father, how even though he butted into business he didn’t want anything to do with, it ended up showing him how much his father cared for him. It made him realize that maybe his father isn’t all bad, even if he is in the mob. I also liked where he was with his girlfriend in the end; they had a rough time, but they got through it in the end. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable book, if a little average.