Fun YA caper, especially for kids who don't like reading as much or who come from bad neighborhoods, like the kids in the book. ( )

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

Having the little money they have stolen from them is getting a little old for Jake and his buddies. The thing is, though, Jake and his gang aren't the toughest bunch of kids, so the only way to get back at these thugs is to outsmart them at their own game. To do this, the kids create a fake gangster, the Big Baresi, who soon becomes a lot more real then Jake ever anticipated.

When a stash of stolen diamonds goes missing, the community truly believes it's the Big Baresi, but as Jake and his friends know, it's not. While trying to clear Baresi's name and keeping his intimidation factor high, the kids go on quite an adventure that includes a stolen ice cream truck, sumo suits, corrupt cops, lots of mobsters, and lots of crime.

Overall, this was a good book. It was humorous and the plot was pretty darn creative. My only complaint is that the book was a real boy book (not that there's anything wrong with that!). From being kicked in the "goolies" to the talk about girlie pictures, the book was clearly meant for adolescent boys. While being a girl and not truly appreciating these topics, I did think the book was good. I found myself laughing aloud many a time and loving the adventures the kids went on.

The author definitely has a talent for making people laugh and I hope that his future novels will be just as funny. As mentioned before, I think that young teen boys will really get a kick out of this book. It would also be a great book for reluctant readers as it's not too long, but provides a substantial story. ( )