MG Pick: Faker

 Faker

by Gordon Korman

Scholastic Press

2024

224 pages 

ISBN: 9781338826760

Available for pre-order and on sale July 2, 2024 

Twelve-year old Trey is the son of a con man. His father has been in the con game forever and it's the only life Trey has ever known. When he was younger, he knew they moved a lot and he had to change schools frequently, but Trey learns about his father's game and does his part to help his family. Doing his part means making friends with kids who are from wealthy families and introducing Dad to them. The game is then on! Trey is torn between helping his dad and questioning the morality of it all, but  Dad says they only take from those who are so rich they won't even miss the money. 

If a con goes sour or his dad suspects the marks are savvy to his game, the family knows the term "Houdini" means LEAVE NOW. Trey and his sister do not have time to pack a bag or say goodbye to the new friends they've made. It's "get out of town" time. They ditch their phones because the phones can be tracked. They jet off to a beach somewhere for a "vacation" which means Dad will plan their next game. They buy new clothes, new phones and have no contact EVER to the people they have met. 

The con life is getting old, but Trey is excited when his dad makes him a full partner to the scams. Younger sister Arianna voices her opinion about Dad favoring Trey because he's a boy, but Dad assures her that her time will come. 

The next town they move to is in Kentucky and Dad's new scam is selling shares in a "secret" start up company that will manufacture the El Capitan, a car Dad  has made using his specifications to look like the grandest new car on the market. It is so captivating to the eye, and Dad makes sure to influence Trey's friend's parents by his well-timed, smooth delivery, salesman smile and his demeanor that all say El Capitan is the "next big thing," He assures would-be investors the car will be unattainable, rare, and in such short supply, they better act quickly. 

Trey is sailing along great, making new friends, enjoying himself until he gets an anonymous note warning him: I know what you're doing. Now he's freaking out! What if anonymous blows up their game? Trey is saved by a friend who knows the con game well because his family has their own game. 

His friend says the FBI isn't too far away, so Dad dumps the scam claiming the El Capitan has mechanical problems. Trey and his family are forced out of crime, but Dad has an answer for everything. Their future looks bright! 

Faker is a rollicking joy-ride full of humor and heart. Korman, always a masterful storyteller, shines in this latest book. Faked is by far the best book Korman has put out in a very long time. Highly entertaining and easy to read for even the most reluctant of readers. 

Highly, highly recommended ages 8-12 and even older if the reader loves Korman and diabolical antics.