Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak

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Fighting Ruben Wolfe
by Markus Zusak
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/12904556/

I picked this book up at a recent book festival because it was a Markus Zusak title I'd never heard of before, and I've liked the two other books by him that I've read.

I like this one, too, but I definitely didn't love it. In fact, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think or feel about this book. I kept waiting for something to happen. This book was all build-up and underlying emotion. And it culminates in this big moment where I fully expected my mind to be blown and for everything to suddenly become clear. But I didn't get that moment. Possibly, the main character did, but it didn't come through well enough on the paper to convince me of that.

The story is about Cam Wolfe and his brother, Ruben. Their family of six is hard up to the point where their father, who hasn't had steady work since he was injured on the job, is thinking of taking the Dole (which no one wants him to do because his pride's pretty much all he has left at this point). Cam and Rube stumble upon an opportunity to make some cash in an underground fighting ring. They think about the opportunity for a little while before agreeing. And then they're thrown into the world of fighting just like that. They train all the time. They talk technique. Cam is definitely the Underdog, so that's the name he goes by. And his brother is Fighting Ruben Wolfe. Cam's first fight goes badly, but pretty soon he learns how to throw a good punch and stay up. Ruben wins all his fights. And in the midst of all this, they navigate the waters of family dynamics, girls, and brotherhood. And Cam definitely has some revelations. They even eventually tell their family about the fighting. But, in the end, when they're forced to fight each other, the truth about their natures and mutual respect for each other becomes stronger than any fight or winnings to help their family.

But beyond that... I'm not sure what the take-away is in this book. I enjoyed reading it. I loved the characters and the realism and the slice of life created here in blue collar England. But... I don't think I learned or felt anything truly profound, which is what I expected from a Markus Zusak book. I have a feeling this was his first? It seems to be his first with this publisher, at any rate. And I definitely liked the book, I'm just left feeling like there was something the book was building up to that never fully played out for me.