Tabloid reporter Sammy Sullivan loses his job with the New York Star on the same day his 17-year-old son, Jake, gets expelled from his prep school. Unprepared to deal with Jake's mother's reaction, father and son spend two days together, with Sammy finally sharing stories of his Queens, NY, childhood. Going back to the old neighborhood is exhilarating for Jake and terrifying for his old man, who still vividly remembers his mother's religious fanaticism: "Moths bumped into [the bare bulb in the garage ceiling], bounced off, came back for more. Moths would make great Catholics." The two are in the dark on so many levels but finally realize that the truth really does set you free. Verdict Former New York Post reporter Carillo (My Ride with Gus) nails the language, the bluster, the rhythm, and the pulse of New York and its denizens. Fans of Jonathan Tropper will go for this one in a big way.-Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sammy Sullivan, a "crusty old rewrite man" at a New York City tabloid, and his teenage son embark on a weekend of male bonding in Carillo's witty, insightful second novel. After rough-edged Sammy is fired and his son, Jake, gets expelled from his elite private school, father and son, who've grown apart, decide to spend the weekend revisiting places that hold the key to Sammy's past and may shed light on Jake's future. Along the way, Sammy confronts painful memories of his religiously obsessive mother and introduces Jake to the boy's long-estranged grandfather while both try to figure out what's next. In this coming-of-age tale, there's often a question of who is parenting whom. Carillo, a former reporter for the New York Post, has an easy way with breezy prose and likable characters. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved