The Last Mall Rat [Hardcover]

Erik E. Esckilsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2003

Mitch Grant just wanted a job, and maybe a little respect, but at fifteen, he found both just beyond his reach. Too young to be legally employed, he knew that the only cash likely to come his way would have to pass “under the table”—through some discreet, off-the-books business arrangement. And that meant talking to the Chair, a shoe salesman at the mall famous for his skill in getting customers from “just looking” to the cash register. The Chair had hired Mitch once before for a temporary assignment—too temporary for the cash-strapped Mitch. When he goes to see the Chair this time, however, it’s the super-slick salesman who desperately needs help. The Chair is finally cracking under the strain of all that service with a smile. So Mitch proposes a deal—a way for the Chair, and other beleaguered mall workers, to combat the endless humiliation they suffer at the feet of their customers, while helping Mitch with his cash shortage. The Chair agrees to the terms, and soon Mitch has recruited his friends Page, Marcus, and Jimmy to “staff” a bold—and brash—new venture. Demand for their services skyrockets and along with it, the authorities’ alarm. Words like gang, Mall Mafia, and even terrorist start to fly. Mitch soon realizes that his small business has spiraled out of control—big time!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-The Last Mall Rat presents a practical and ethical dilemma: to what extent will apparently decent teenagers violate their own presumed moral codes in order to make money? At first simply a one-time arrangement between Mitch, 15, and a mall store employee, Mitch's job soon involves three of his friends, one of whom comes from an abusive home and is already considered a delinquent. The job? Following annoying or difficult customers into the parking lot and intimidating them. As the four friends discover, the fear on the victims' faces can be both guilt-inducing and empowering. Furthermore, these four students soon find they are heroes to their classmates, some of whom legitimately work at the mall and have paid for their services. Mitch's crisis of conscience is convincing, especially as what was once casual becomes more solidified, as the adult outcry becomes more intense, and as the potential repercussions-particularly for the kid with the police record-escalate. Esckilsen's style, through Mitch's narration, is initially so hyped-up as to resemble a kid in a television commercial, but rapidly settles down into a more deliberate voice that reflects teenage modes of speech without calling attention to itself. This is a thoughtful exploration of the mistakes even ordinary teens can make and-in sometimes frightening fashion-the ways in which one's actions can lead to serious and unintended consequences. It's genuinely creepy in its early pages, when it is not yet clear if Mitch will continue to run roughshod over his conscience.
Coop Renner, Blackshear Elementary School, Austin, TX
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. At 15, Mitch Grant is too young to get a job, and there's nothing to do in his economically depressed, rural New England town except hang out at the mall, eyeing things he can't afford to buy. Then he's befriended by a slick shoe salesman, who comes up with a way to provide money for Mitch and a degree of revenge for himself: he hires Mitch to scare rude customers in the parking lot with a menacing demeanor and a repeated warning. Mitch never touches the customers, but he takes great glee in frightening them. Soon others join in the fun, and then all the teens at the mall become suspect, labeled as "mall Mafia," and hassled by police. Despite a contrived, tidy ending, this clever, believable first novel captures teen boredom and frustration, while never evading the moral issues. A subplot involving Mitch's dad's unemployment as a result of political activism further underlines the importance of standing up for what is right. Realistic dialogue and a keen sense of what matters to teens will draw them to this quick read. Debbie Carton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (May 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618234179
• ISBN-13: 978-0618234172
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,690,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Last Mall Rat by E.E. Esckilsen, May 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Mall Rat (Hardcover)

An easy joy ride of a read in one afternoon you will be transport to a place and a time when fifteen is an age you wish you were again. Esckilsen is insightful and introspectively brilliant! Read-it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Intelligent, May 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Mall Rat (Hardcover)

...one of the reasons I admire this book so much is precisely for its ending, which I think speaks to the power of people of disparate race, class, gender, and age working together to tend to both the individual's and the community's needs--but without suggesting that there's anything easy about that task. The book in no way promises that all will be well in the end, but it does suggest the possibility of such an ending. And on a similar note, I also appreciate Esckilsen's ability to draw distinct characters with certain symbolic functions, but without ever resorting to stereotype or condescension. The characters and their predicaments feel extremely authentic to me, thanks in part to exceptionally precise detail and the author's very clever wit. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars I could not put it down!!!!, April 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Mall Rat (Hardcover)

"Caveat Emptor". If you do not know what this means and even if you do, this book is for you. The book captures your attention from the very first chapter in the same way the "Usual Suspects" would. As you follow the main character, Mitch Grant, in his quest for extra cash, the writer has the ability to capture your attention through his subtle sense of humor and you want to know what will happen to Mitch and his "mall Mafia". You quickly build sympathetic feelings towards Mitch Grant and his friends, even the most mischievous ones. Anyone who has worked in a mall will relate to this story while others will now better understand what "customer service" is all about. This book is for readers of all ages, in particular for those who have worked in malls or have spent a lot of time in malls. I highly recommend it. The end will very positively surprise you.