Son of the Mob

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Why is Vince often frustrated with his ties to his family?

A) He is afraid of becoming like them.

B) He is forced to perform tasks he doesn’t agree with.

C) He is often inadvertently involved in their shenanigans.

D) He cannot maintain the façade he has created in his life.

2. What is the overall mood of the novel?

A) Chaotic

B) Humorous

C) Gloomy

D) Idyllic

3. What often serves as a motivator for Vince’s actions in the novel?

A) Preservation

B) His parents

C) Girls

D) His peers

4. Which of the following is Vince’s motive for dating Kendra?

A) He wants to take control of his destiny.

B) He likes that her father is an FBI agent.

C) He wants to get back at Alex.

D) He likes that she accepts him for who he is.

5. How does Vince’s attitude toward leaving his family change in the novel?

A) In the beginning he feels burdened by their presence, but now he prefers it.

B) At first he wants to be rid of them, but now he wants to protect them.

C) Initially he feels that they complicate his life, but now he is tempted to join them.

D) At the beginning he just wants to avoid violence, but now he wants to join the FBI.

6. What tone does Vince take when describing his family?

A) Pessimistic

B) Sad

C) Sardonic

D) Hypocritical

7. Whom does Vince tend to pity when he encounters victims of his family business early in the novel?

A) The victim

B) Kendra

C) Tommy

D) Himself

8. What does Vince use as a coping mechanism to deal with his family’s violent antics?

A) Humor

B) School

C) Kendra

D) Cynicism

9. Based on conversations in the novel, what keeps Tommy from living a life free of crime?

A) He thinks he lacks the skills necessary to do honest work.

B) He is insecure because he often lets down his family.

C) He believes he isn’t intelligent enough to do anything else.

D) He believes that brute strength is the solution to most problems.

10. How does Vince’s perspective on his family business change in the novel?

A) He slowly begins to feel indifferent as the suffering is normalized.

B) He feels more often that he does not want to be involved in the family business.

C) He begins to feel justified in breaking laws to achieve his desired goal.

D) He becomes increasingly aware of the brutality of the mob’s actions.

11. What is the irony of Vince’s relationship with Kendra?

A) It causes him to become more involved in criminal activity.

B) The only girl he can get is directly opposed to his family.

C) Kendra is more interested in criminal activity than Vince.

D) Their relationship is based on Vince’s falsehoods.

12. How does Vince’s attitude toward his family business change with his involvement in Jimmy and Ed’s business dealings?

A) He decides it is best to join in his father’s business dealings.

B) He becomes less passive and more proactive about life situations.

C) He believes it is his responsibility to work against his father.

D) He develops a nonchalance toward his father’s business.

13. How does Kendra reveal herself to be more complicated than Vince once thought?

A) She is angered by the homecoming posters, making her seem ungrateful.

B) She accepts him after learning who he is but does not like his business dealings.

C) She is often difficult for Vince to understand when she is angry.

D) She embraces him after learning of his father, revealing a rebellious side.

14. What does Vince ultimately learn about his connection with his mob family?

A) His mob ties help him more than hurt him.

B) He is more like his father than he thought.

C) He shares an external family resemblance but nothing more.

D) He is less clever than his family members.

15. Which of the following is a life lesson Vince learns about the people in his life?

A) None of them is wholly good or bad.

B) You must be clever to keep up with the mob.

C) It is best not to be involved with the FBI.

D) People are rarely dependable.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. As the novel nears its conclusion, Vince is inundated with the revelation of multiple mysteries at once, causing him to experience betrayal after betrayal. Why do you think the author chose to reveal the mysteries in this way?

2. Vince’s mother, like Ray Francione, is revealed to be a slightly different person she initially seemed. How does the revelation about her involvement in the Mafia change the reader’s understanding of her role in the novel?