I adore Gordon Korman’s writing. He has a unique ability to get inside the heads of middle schoolers, and he’s very, very funny. His title “I Want to Go Home” is still one of my all-time favorite middle grade reads. It’s hysterical. Korman’s Bruno & Boots books were also a part of my childhood. Great stuff!

Therefore, when I saw this book available on NetGalley, I immediately snapped it up. Korman again delivers a solid story, this time about a professional con man and his two kids. You really feel for Trey, a 12-year-old who keeps having to pack up and leave behind new friends—friends who his dad has just defrauded out of tens of thousands of dollars. Trey can’t keep in touch with anyone, not even with the best friends he makes. But it’s okay, because he’s with his dad and sister, and family comes first, right?

As Trey gets older and wiser, suddenly he starts to think more about what his family is doing: Is what they’re doing really okay because the victims are rich?

I enjoyed this, and there’s some great food for thought in here about citizenship and ethics. My only minor quibble is that the ending came together a little quickly for my taste.

This would be great for upper elementary and middle school students!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the advance copy! All opinions are my own.