Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Plot twists, moral dilemmas in wild tale of con man's kid.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Pretty much all his life, Trey's been a FAKER. It's the family business, as his dad is a genius con man who specializes in fleecing rich people with fraudulent schemes, which tend to involve Trey going to pricey boarding schools where his dad Junior can get to work on his classmates' parents— "you have to convince them you belong. If they think you're part of the club, the sky's the limit." The trouble is, of course, this also requires sudden disappearances and identity changes when the "marks" start to ask questions, and even though the ill-gotten money keeps the family in a luxe lifestyle, Trey's starting to have doubts as they land in a new town to set up their newest scam (which proves to be a doozy). He misses the BFF he left behind, he's got a crush on a classmate with a cause, and it doesn't help that her dad, the social studies teacher, keeps bringing up uncomfortable ethical issues—like whether it was good or evil for Robin Hood to rob the rich to give to the poor. Things get complicated.
Is It Any Good?
Once again, Gordon Korman takes readers for a wild, thought-provoking ride as a brilliant con man's 12-year-old kid starts to have doubts about the only life he's ever known. The genius Faker has always had a great narrative about how it was OK to steal from people who had lots of money, and there are plenty of plot twists as young Trey starts to see people as friends rather than marks, and wonder if there are things he's not being told here. "It's like that scene in The Lion King when Simba asks his father, 'But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?' and the king goes into this long speech about the circle of life. Nobody ever asks the antelope how they feel about this setup."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like Faker, where kids start to doubt things they've always been told and start to think for themselves. What other stories deal with this well?
Do you think stealing is always wrong, or is it OK sometimes? Why?
Have you ever had a moment of realizing someone else doesn't see things the same way you do—and maybe they're right? What happened?
What does Trey learn about integrity over the course of this story? How does he develop his own sense of ethics? What does it mean for you to be ethical?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Integrity
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic
- Publication date : July 2, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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