Ship Out of Luck by Neal Shusterman

If you are familiar with Antsy (Anthony)  Bonano read on. If you are not, well, read on anyway. Antsy is a gutsy teenager from Brooklyn, who finds trouble with a heart of gold. In the past he has; used a friend for personal gain, developed a relationship with a crotchety old wealthy recluse, created a benefit for a friend he thought was about to die, and now, in Ship Out of Luck, he finds himself assisting in smuggling immigrants into the United States.

Old Man Crawley invites Antsy and his family on a cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate his eightieth birthday. While on the cruise he meets Tilde, a stowaway on the ship, who blackmails Antsy into assisting her in smuggling immigrants into the US from Mexico. He is even more taken by Tilde's mystique and is quite attracted to her. Through the whole trip he ignores his family and friends to be a partner in crime with Tilde. As is typical for Antsy, the whole scheme blows up in his face, creating havoc for the entire ship. Can't tell you anymore...you'll have to read it to find out.

If you have read other books by Shusterman, understand that his range is quite wide. The Skinjacker Trilogy, the Unwind Trilogy, as well as Bruiser all are in the realm of fantasy/horror/science-fiction. Ship Out of Luck, number three in the Antsy Bonano Series, is realistic, humorous adventure. You don't have to read the other books in the series to enjoy Ship Out of Luck, but I recommend that you at least read book one, The Schwa was Here first. This is a fun romp that is full of heart, with a few unpredictable twists.
Reed Reads Score: 4