An offer she can't refuse. Kate Blessing is not your typical high school junior. She's a good student who's into guys and the latest designer jeans...and she's also part of the mob. Her father, Bobby Blessing, is the head of the family, and her mom, Amanda, is the brains behind the operation. Kate may not partake in the "family business," but she knows what goes down. She's proud of her family -- and of course, there are plenty of perks: her indoor pool, Caribbean vacations, expensive haircuts... But when Amanda gets fed up with Bobby's cheating and moves out, someone needs to make decisions, give orders, and keep things running. Kate has no choice but to step into her mother's shoes and prop her dad up. Bobby may be the face of the mob, but it's not long before the princess is running the show. Grade 9 Up—High school senior Kate Blessing has it all—a new Mercedes, fantastic grades, a hot boyfriend, and an ostensibly stable family environment. Then, everything is put in jeopardy on one fateful Christmas Eve: Tanner dumps her because she refuses to go all the way; her mother moves out because she's fed up with her husband's infidelity; and Kate discovers that Dad's mistress is pregnant. Mobster Sonny Blessing is too upset and preoccupied to deal with the family business. His cronies are impatiently waiting for him to decide what to do about a rival mob's intention to hijack a Brinks truck in their territory. Kate steps in with a solid plan to beat the Blattarias to the punch. Soon, Sonny is calling on her for business advice. Meanwhile, she wrestles with her feelings for two prospective boyfriends: Teddy, a fellow member of the Future Business Leaders of America and Nick Blattaria, the son of her father's enemy. Strasser's writing is engaging and his contemporary references are spot-on. The book is self-conscious of its relationship to HBO's "The Sopranos," and Kate is reminiscent of television's Veronica Mars in her feistiness and keen interest in her father's profession. Readers are left with a cliff-hanger, as a sequel is in the making. This title will fly off the shelves and beckon even reluctant readers with its flashy, over-the-top premise.— Jennifer Barnes, Homewood Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Todd Strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the award-winning Can’t Get There from Here , Give a Boy a Gun , Boot Camp , If I Grow Up , Famous , and How I Created My Perfect Prom Date , which became the Fox feature film Drive Me Crazy . Todd lives in a suburb of New York and speaks frequently at schools. Visit him at ToddStrasser.com. 1 Listen, Kate," Tanner Westfall said. "I don't know any other way to say this. It's just that this is the longest I've ever gone without...well, you know." Kate Blessing hooked her long black hair behind her ear and gazed at the front of her house through the windshield of Tanner's Jeep Grand Cherokee. They were parked in the circular driveway with the naked lady fountain in the middle. The glittering green and red Christmas lights strung between the tall white front columns were anchored by the security cameras. An evergreen wreath hung from the metal bars that protected the front door. "I mean, we've been together for more than three months and I have needs," Tanner continued. Kate nodded slowly. It was Christmastime. The season of goodwill and peace among men. As an extra-special gesture of holiday cheer, Tanner was breaking up with her. "You understand, don't you?" Tanner asked. Kate glanced up through the windshield at the darkening late-afternoon winter sky. Tiny white particles of ice were falling on the glass, then gently sliding down and collecting on the windshield wipers. She wondered what exactly Tanner expected her to say. That she understood that teenage boys would say anything to get what they wanted? "Kate, are you even listening?" Tanner asked. Kate turned and gazed into his blue eyes. Not just any old blue, but dazzling blue. As dazzling as his teeth were sparkling, had he been in the mood to reveal them. Tanner Westfall was quite the physical specimen, from the always popped-up collar and wavy brown hair right on down to his...ankles. But not his feet. Kate had often wondered how a guy as gorgeous as Tanner Westfall could have such ugly feet. Bumpy, stubby caveman feet with thick, stubby caveman toes. Feet only a mother could love. With Tanner, Kate had learned something about herself that she'd never known before: She could date a guy with ugly feet. But she could never love him. Of course, there were plenty of other reasons not to love Tanner Westfall. Such as the fact that if she gave him what he wanted, the odds were extremely good that he would discard her like a used tissue. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Tanner asked, as if he felt he deserved an explanation for her