In this sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2001), the Wolfe family has settled into a kind of okayness. For Cameron's brother, Ruben, that means one girl after another, one fight after another. Only Cameron, who's in adolescence's high season, seems to feel restless and alone as he wanders the streets, pines over disinterested girls, and begins to discover his passion for writing. Then Ruben brings home beautiful Octavia, who, when Ruben predictably dumps her, surprises both brothers by turning to Cameron. Zusak interrupts Cameron's first-person narrative with excerpts from Cameron's writing that, as does much of the book, reads like what it's supposed to be: the words of a talented teenage writer, including some heavy metaphors, self-consciously experimental style, and fresh, inventive images. The authentic emotion behind the words and Cameron's raw experiences are powerful, and teens, especially boys, will easily connect with Cameron's intense yearning to define himself within his family and to discover what romance is all about--to explore, as he puts it, the edges of words, the loyalty of blood, and the music of girls.

Cameron can't measure up to his older brother Ruben when it comes to getting a girl. But when Rube callously discards his latest girlfriend, Cam begins to forge his first serious relationship with Octavia. This story of first love complicated by sibling rivalry lacks the blustering narrative voice of its predecessor, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, but does demonstrate the often-ignored fact that teenage boys also fall heart-stoppingly in love.

A self-contained working-class lad falls for his brother's ex-girlfriend, which in turn triggers a rift between the siblings. In this sequel to Fighting Rueben Wolfe (2001), Zusak's taciturn yet surprisingly eloquent hero Cameron doesn't feel like a winner, but instead has "to scavenge for moments of alrightness." Overshadowed by his older brothers Steven and Ruben, Cameron, who has no friends except for the other members of the so-called "Wolfe pack," longs for love and acceptance. He spends his nights wandering around alone, almost always winding up in front of Stephanie's house, a girl who once called him a loser. The one thing that "whispered okayness" to Cameron was his words, which is what he calls his nascent writing. In contrast, Cameron's handsome and charismatic brother Ruben, a fighter and a ladies' man, lives strictly in the moment. Cameron likes and admires Ruben's current flame, a pretty, classy girl named Octavia. Although not at all surprised when Ruben breaks it off with her, Cameron is simply amazed when Octavia shows up in front of Stephanie's house and asks Cameron if he would rather "come and stand outside" her place. Concurrently gritty and lyrical with a gruesomely humorous set piece involving the funeral of a neighbor's dog, Zusak explores the deep if inexpressible desire to create, as well as the intersection between family loyalty and romantic affection. Poignant yet unsentimental, his coming-of-age exploration will touch the heart. (Fiction. YA)

Octavia is narrator Cameron's first real girlfriend, but she is also the latest casualty of his womanizing older brother, Ruben (from Fighting Ruben Wolff), in Marcus Zusak's sequel, Getting the Girl. """"Rube"""" is a compassionate friend to his younger brother until Cam's burgeoning into a sensitive companion to Octavia becomes something Ruben both admires and resents. Zusak's tale of first love turns into a complex and authentic rendering of one boy's earthy desires and pain, set against the landscape of Sydney, Australia.

Gr 8 Up-Cameron Wolfe, first introduced in Fighting Ruben Wolfe (Scholastic, 2001), wants a girlfriend. He wants sex. He wants to separate himself from his brothers' shadow. He wants to find himself and be something more than the underdog in the family. And he doesn't know how to go about getting what he wants. He is attracted to a girl who treats him horribly so he stands outside her house at night, hoping for glimpses of her. He likes his brother Ruben's girlfriend-and she treats him like a human being. When she and Ruben break up, Octavia shows an interest in Cameron and even though his brother already has another girlfriend, he beats up Cameron and Octavia walks away. Ruben has some bigger problems, though, and violence is once again his method of solving them. However, this is Cameron's story, and he discovers that he is much more than he ever thought he could be. His sister is the first to recognize her brother's strengths and helps give him the courage to face himself and his demons. The interaction of the characters is a real strength of this novel. It is a story of family dynamics and coming of age, interspersed with the protagonist's poignant poems and observations. The book, which was first published in Australia, should appeal to readers who want strong male characters such as those in Chris Crutcher's books.-Janet Hilbun, formerly at Sam Houston Middle School, Garland, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.