Con Academy by Joe Schreiber (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Con Academy by Joe Schreiber Elizabeth Bush Schreiber, Joe Con Academy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015 [240p] ISBN 978-0-544-32020-8 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-10 Billy Humbert, passing as Will Shea, plans on a brief sojourn at Connaughton Academy—just long enough to con his way into the good graces and rich bank account of some fellow student, who will set him on the path to a life of wealth and privilege among the elite. That’s not how it works out, though. Andrea Dufresne, an able hoaxster herself, sees right through his lame scholarship son-of-dead-missionaries front. There’s only room for one con artist at Connaughton, so they agree to a race: first one to score $50,000 from vile classmate Brandt Rush, heir to his billionaire daddy’s business, gets to stay, and the loser must slink away. While Will busily plans an online poker scam (a cannily updated version of The Sting), Andrea turns the tables on him, tripping him up with his own bogus identity. Complications involving a love interest for Will, the appearance of his dissolute father, and the shady past of the school’s headmaster keep the outcome of the wager in constant doubt, and the climactic scene, rife with bloodshed and twists, is fully satisfying. This is an ideal teen quick pick—short and clever, with just a tinge of bitterness in Will’s voice to sell his character—and pure catnip for caper fans. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois