Thieving Weasels

by Billy Taylor

"Just when Skip O'Rourke thinks he's finally free of his con-artist family, they drag him back to Long Island for one last scam ... but nothing about this con is what it seems"--

Cameron Smith attends an elite boarding school and has just been accepted to Princeton University alongside his beautiful girlfriend, Claire. Life should be perfect-- except that Cameron Smith is actually Skip O'Rourke, who ran away from his grifter family four years ago... along with $100,000 of their "earnings." When his uncle Wonderful tracks him down, Skip's given an ultimatum: come back to the family for one last con, or say good-bye to life as Cameron. Skip may have given up on crime, but there's one lesson he hasn't forgotten: always know your mark. And if you don't know who your mark is... it's probably you.

• ISBN10: 0525429247
• ISBN13: 9780525429241
• Publish Date: 23 August 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 29 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Dial Books for Young Readers,US
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

I read this back in August and received a free copy through Penguin’s first to read program.


Note: I hadn’t read Winger when I requested and read this. Now that I have, I must say fuck the blurb for bringing up that awful, problematic POS. Thieving Weasels isn’t in the same category for several reasons, though it’s still the white straight status quo.

It’s been months since I read this and let’s just be honest here, okay? I don’t remember much.

I remember it was quick, easy, light, and entertaining read that I really needed.

It’s fun hijinks with quirky characters and mob mentality.

I remember the characters being an eclectic mini-mob of Jersey cons.

I love the portrayal of how poverty and economic struggle affects people, how you feel different and view the rich/well off differently. Dude is on-point with his perspective.

It’s a twisty heist type, not glamorous like Ocean’s Eleven, but hometown Jersey cons and family drama.

It’s obvious he’s going to mess it up with Girlfriend and that more is going on that he knows/admits, but finding out is the entire point.

I remember everything working out and being happily satisfied with the ending.

Thieving Weasels was what I needed months ago and while my memory has faded, it leaves a pleasant afterthought.

I don’t think you’ll regret Thieving Weasels, unless you’re looking for something beyond white straight people running around making a mess.