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Getting the Girl (Wolfe Brothers #3)

by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 2,001 ratings · 269 reviews

Cameron Wolfe's life gets very complicated when he falls for his brother's girlfriend in this winning, wise novel from the dynamic author of FIGHTING RUBEN WOLFE.

Cameron Wolfe is the quiet one in his family, not a soccer star like his brother Steve or a charming fighter with a new girl every week like his brother Rube. Cam would give anything to be near one of those girls,...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published June 1st 2004 by Push (first published November 30th 2001)

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May 10, 2011 Shirley Marr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-ya

The Book Thief ASIDE, I have read the two other "Underdogs" books and now this third and final one. I am ready to take a bullet for Markus Zusak. That's right. I'm willing to die in Markus Zusak's place because he is such a formidable writer of such intense poetic beauty that the world cannot afford to lose him. Fullstop. I was wondering how he was going to top the predecessor, "Fighting Reuben Wolfe". I read the first few pages and could see that the writing had matured. For starters, there wer...more The Book Thief ASIDE, I have read the two other "Underdogs" books and now this third and final one. I am ready to take a bullet for Markus Zusak. That's right. I'm willing to die in Markus Zusak's place because he is such a formidable writer of such intense poetic beauty that the world cannot afford to lose him. Fullstop. I was wondering how he was going to top the predecessor, "Fighting Reuben Wolfe". I read the first few pages and could see that the writing had matured. For starters, there were less of the awkward fragmented sentences and overall, the writing was smoother, more self-assured.

It's the final instalment for the Wolfe Clan. Cameron has grown a little. This one has moved away from the hard plot of the second book and back to something more progressive. I couldn't tell what it was going to be about, but the same "book for boys" allure was still there for me as a female reader. The feeling that I was standing on the other side of the chalk-line (in a flouncy dress), listening to the delicious things Markus would impart to me about hairy, dirty teenage boys.

It was when I reached almost the middle, when the perpetually lonely protagonist Cameron Wolfe "meets" Octavia Ash that I kinda dropped my mouth and my lunch (and several other things I was balancing at the same time). Markus Zusak can write a LOVE STORY. This is what this novel is about and what a love story it is! It is truly one of the most beautiful, candid and shiver-inducing love stories I have ever read. And this is nestled inside a book that's supposed to be about dirty boys who think about nothing but glamour girls on the covers of Inside Sport.

After I finished reading this book, my heart just opened and I realised I was seriously in love with Cameron Wolfe and if Markus Zusak is indeed a grown up version of him, then I wanted to marry Markus Zusak. What a true, gentle, Australian Romantic.

By the way, I met Markus recently and I already loved him... but like one of the other reviewers said, after reading this, I loved him more. I hope he decides to write a romance one day cos boy, I wasn't expecting this particular talent of his.
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Jun 16, 2008 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: older teenage girls

Shelves: young-adult, literary, coming-of-age, voice, contemporary

Boys feel just as insecure getting girls as girls do getting boys. I just love that. Although if this had been a woman author I would have written off her sensitive boy as unrealistic, but since the author is male, I give him more leeway with emotions. I'd like to think rather than being chauvinistic, I'm taking a man's word for it since us women can only guess. Literature about finding love is normally the sappy girl's perspective and here you get insight into a boy so anxious to give love and...more Boys feel just as insecure getting girls as girls do getting boys. I just love that. Although if this had been a woman author I would have written off her sensitive boy as unrealistic, but since the author is male, I give him more leeway with emotions. I'd like to think rather than being chauvinistic, I'm taking a man's word for it since us women can only guess. Literature about finding love is normally the sappy girl's perspective and here you get insight into a boy so anxious to give love and find approval that he's hungry, but can't show it. The industry needs more male authors.

The main character, Cameron, is somewhat of a loser with no social life and yet he is a deeply feeling, attentive, and pensive boy, emotionally mature beyond his more outwardly charming brothers. I found myself relating him to my closed-off brother whom my family often writes off as immature and irresponsible, when he has his moments of glory where you do get a glimpse of him, particularly how devoted and sweet he his to his girlfriend. It is those quiet shy boys, "the nice guys who finish last," who are the ones worth waiting for.

As always, Zusak is poetry to read. Each chapter ends with Cameron's insights. The last is my favorite: "There are so many moments to remember and sometimes I think that maybe we're not really people at all. Maybe moments are what we are.... Sometimes I just survive. But sometimes I stand on the rooftop of my existence, arms stretched out, begging for more."

It's an extremely quick read--I read it over a few hours--but it's not an empty mindless read. Admist all the paranormal fantasy out there with unrealistic male love interests, it's nice to read young adult about a real guy (including his adolescent thoughts on sex). I adored Cameron and his vulnerability.

ETA: I met Zusak at a book signing. He was everything I thought he would be. I asked him how much Cameron was based off his own adolescent years and he said very much so. I could see that in him. Is it possible that I adore Zusak more than I did before meeting him?(less)

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Sep 20, 2010 Mariel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: giving up the girl

Recommended to Mariel by: everything but the boy

Family members dumping the "loser" underdogs seems to be a theme in Australian writer Markus Zusak's works (see I Am the Messenger). I felt hurt on behalf of Cam. The fact that it is not true is not important. In the vein of ya trends I cannot stand, the need to prove worthiness on a success scale by the end of the pages is kinda bullshit. It's like proving on a test score what you had learned for the whole year (as if most people don't cram the night before). His brother's success with females...more

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Apr 15, 2008 Whitney rated it 3 of 5 stars

You get what you get when a teenage boy is the narrator. Very candid sex thoughts every third sentence. Kinda makes me worried about the fact I have sons. Anyway. There are some definite similarities in the writing with Book Thief (ie poetic flowiness), but I don't think Zusak hit his 'come together moment' as a writer until Book Thief. There is no comparison between the two. Since there isn't, I'll try and be fair.

Its a coming of age story with an awkward boy lost in his own family--not to men...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Reynje rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, books-to-be-hugged, contemp-or-realistic, favourites, read-2012, young-adult

The second and third books in Zusak’s Underdog series were basically a left jab right hook straight in the feels.

Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry (aka Getting The Girl) are stronger books than The Underdog. Both novels are still primarily character driven, but they read more cohesively and the writing feels more developed, closer to the style associated with Zusak’s later work. While I enjoyed The Underdog, it’s in the next two books that I feel Zusak really hits his stride, settling into...more The second and third books in Zusak’s Underdog series were basically a left jab right hook straight in the feels.

Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry (aka Getting The Girl) are stronger books than The Underdog. Both novels are still primarily character driven, but they read more cohesively and the writing feels more developed, closer to the style associated with Zusak’s later work. While I enjoyed The Underdog, it’s in the next two books that I feel Zusak really hits his stride, settling into the rhythm of his rugged yet lyrical prose.

But it’s what he writes about that really gets to me – not just Cameron’s aching hunger – but the entire Wolfe family and the way they fit together as one tough, endearing unit. It might seem unlikely for such small stories, where some characters only have scant dialogue, but I felt like I knew these people. They have such presence in these pages – their faults and emotions and bonds laid bare, warts and all – raw and vital and alive in the story. Zusak conveys so much about the relationships in this family without having to spell it out. The brotherhood between Ruben and Cameron, which takes centre stage in Fighting Ruben Wolfe, is painfully real and complex. Even when they’re at their worst (yes, I’m looking at you especially Ruben), I couldn’t help but love these characters.

All three novels are fairly blunt about what life is like in working class, urban Australia – don’t expect an abundance of political correctness here. But it’s authentic. Zusak portrays a cross-section of society with incisiveness, laying open the reality of the Wolfe’s world without romanticising or embellishing it. It’s evident that this is familiar ground for Zusak in the astute, yet matter of fact, way he writes about it.

I’m not going to lie – I cried while reading the last book. Again, it’s subtle, but so much goes on under the surface of the words. Particularly in the relationship between the brothers, and Cameron’s fight for his place, and who he is. There are so many small, quiet moments in this story, heavy with significance, yet never overplayed. With a short scene or a terse exchange between characters, Zusak manages to articulate the emotion that underpin the novels, and inject this story with so much heart and honesty.

These aren’t perfect books. They probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

But I bloody love them.

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I'm not crying, it's just raining on my face. (less)

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Jun 10, 2010 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I always have to think awhile after closing a Zusak book. He gets me so hard in the gut it's hard to formulate a coherent "review" of the experience.

Getting the Girl is a continuation of the story of the Wolfe brothers begun in Fighting Ruben Wolfe. Zusak writes close to the bone, exposing the marrow of what love is---between a boy and a girl, and between brothers. It's also about Cameron defining himself, as he is ripped away from all the safe places he used to hide, including his identity as...more

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Jan 21, 2008 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, ya

Cameron Wolfe is used to his older brother Ruben getting all the girls---he's attractive and built, and can actually talk to them. Cameron is used to shyly hiding in the shadows until, in a bizarre twist, one of Ruben's ex-girlfriends is drawn to Cameron. Now Cameron must deal with a rift in the most important relationship in his life---the one he has with his brother---as well as turning all his fantasies of having a girl into a reality, with all the difficulties that may bring. The characters...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The final book in the Underdog trilogy shows us Cameron Wolfe’s evolution from boy to man. He’s constantly trying to figure out who he is and where he fits into the world, but he’s never quite sure. He can’t help comparing himself to his brothers, but he also can’t move forward in his life until he lets go of that comparison. He begins to find himself in the words he writes, a passion he doesn’t share with either of his brothers.

I think it’s impossible not to see yourself in relation to your fa...more The final book in the Underdog trilogy shows us Cameron Wolfe’s evolution from boy to man. He’s constantly trying to figure out who he is and where he fits into the world, but he’s never quite sure. He can’t help comparing himself to his brothers, but he also can’t move forward in his life until he lets go of that comparison. He begins to find himself in the words he writes, a passion he doesn’t share with either of his brothers.

I think it’s impossible not to see yourself in relation to your family. How can you separate your evaluation of yourself from the lens that you’ve frown up with? Cameron bases his success or failure in life on how he compares to his two brothers, the magnetic and charming Rube and the steady achiever Steve. They are the constant measuring stick he uses on himself.

Cam desperately wants to find a girl who will love him. He watches his older brother discard one after another and it breaks his heart. He may be tough on the outside, but his sensitive heart can’t stand to see those girls get hurt.

The whole series is written as a raw internal monologue and so we see Cameron only through his own eyes. This book provides the opportunity to see Cam through the eyes of those around him. We see how his brothers and his sister view him and these different perspectives give us a more complete picture of Cam and the journey he has to take to gain self confidence.

BOTTOM LINE: A must for any fans of Zusak’s work. This early work obviously isn’t on the same level as The Book Thief, but it is a powerful coming-of-age story. Cameron’s struggle is so honest and vulnerable; it would be hard for any teen not to relate to his struggle to figure out who he is and who he wants to become.

“Very quickly, very suddenly, words fell through my mind. They landed on the floor of my thoughts, and in there, down there, I started to pick the words up. They were excerpts of truth gathered from inside me.”

“‘You ever hear a dog cry, Steve? You know, howling so loud, it’s almost unbearable?’ He nodded. ‘I reckon they howl like that because they’re so hungry it hurts, and that’s what I feel in my every day of my life. I’m so hungry to be somethin’ – to be somebody. You hear me?’”

“I pause a moment and thoughts of death climb onto me. They hang from my shoulders and breathe in my face, and I get to thinking about religion and heaven and hell.”

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Jan 14, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book Review:
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak tells the story about the typical, socially awkward teen, Cameron Wolfe, and his hunger for love. During Cameron’s quest for romance he is accompanied by his two brothers and sister. Rube, one of Cameron’s brothers, is the ladies man of the family and has a new girl every week. The drama starts when Rube’s “flavor of the week”, Octavia, comes over and spends the day with Rube and Cameron. Unlike past girls Octavia h...more Book Review:
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak tells the story about the typical, socially awkward teen, Cameron Wolfe, and his hunger for love. During Cameron’s quest for romance he is accompanied by his two brothers and sister. Rube, one of Cameron’s brothers, is the ladies man of the family and has a new girl every week. The drama starts when Rube’s “flavor of the week”, Octavia, comes over and spends the day with Rube and Cameron. Unlike past girls Octavia has a different personality than other girls that Rube has brought home. Cameron is struck by an arrow and immediately head over heels for her. Rube then dumps her and in this moment Cameron knows she is up for grabs. To no surprise Octavia likes Cameron too, and when Cameron finds out that Octavia has feelings for him they start sneaking out with each other. Cameron knows that he should tell Rube about this relationship, but how will he react?
Getting the Girl is a simple read and is probably meant to be read by someone who has a tolerance for chick movies. Unlike Twilight, this book has a more interesting love affair without blood-thirsty creatures. When I initially got the book I did not know it was going to read like a “chick flick”. I hated it at first, due to the amount of “corny mushy gushiness” and the confusing Australian slang. The quote, “God how I want the skin of a women! I want it on my lips and hands and fingers”, was the quote that immediately made me want to put down the book because it sounded disturbing. When I got past that part of the book it became very enticing. It is very slow-going in the beginning, but the build up to the climax was what really sucked me in. I’m not saying I want to marry the book, I’m just saying it didn’t suck as hard as I thought it would. The reason I stuck with the book, other than the build-up, was because of the main character. I really felt bad for Cameron at parts and the fact that he was so pathetic made me want to read on just to make sure that he had a better life in the end. Again I never really planned on reading on, but I did anyway. Even though romance was not what I had in mind while I was choosing a book to read, it proved to be worth my time.
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Apr 11, 2012 Sheri rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, kid-young-adult

I had I am the Messanger recommended to me a while ago and liked it. I also enjoyed The Book Thief and so I picked this book up because it was by the same author. When I started reading this yesterday, I realized I had done it again; that is picked up a book that I had already read. And, once again I was disappointed in the second reading.

I know this is a young adult novel, but it did not come across as a touching read about a sentimental young man. Instead, it came across (to me) as a slightly...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Karen Ball rated it 3 of 5 stars

For all the "not first" kids out there -- the ones who are always overshadowed by their older, more publicly accomplished, "for all practical purposes perfect" or just better liked siblings -- this one's for you. Set in Australia, so be ready for some non-American English. Cameron has two older brothers: Steve, the football player, who can walk away from any taunt or insult and still make the amazing play, and Ruben, who is good-looking and has a new girlfriend every couple weeks. He also has a...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Rena rated it 5 of 5 stars

As I started reading this book I was thinking-hmmmm not hitting me like this author usually does. A few pages later I was thinking that I love Cameron Wolfe. Here is a nice guy, a good guy, the guy that should always get the girl but never does. A boy that just wants to be loved-of course he wants sex too, but then what guy doesn't? Most books that I have read in the YA genre are usually girl narrated, and usually have a love interest that is basically an ass that happens to be sooooo beautiful....more

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Sep 15, 2011 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-420

The cover of this book makes it look a lot more scandalous than it really is! Considering that it was a young adult book about a teenage boy who is really attracted to his brother's ex-girlfriend, I was worried that this was just going to be raunchy and have a bunch of his weird fantasies in it (because it did a little at the beginning....but nothing TOO terrible). But, in typical Zusak style, while this was a story about teenage love it was also about family and learning to have respect for one...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Marija rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, favorites, ya-mg

Even though this is one of Zusak’s early works, there’s something about his writing that really gets me. Certainly Getting the Girl is not as refined as I Am the Messenger or The Book Thief. And if you’ve read those other two books, you can plainly see that Zusak has recycled some aspects from this earlier work, incorporating them with more explicit detail in those later novels. Yes, the writing style of this particular novel is rough and scruffy, yet it embodies Cameron Wolfe, the narrator, so...more Even though this is one of Zusak’s early works, there’s something about his writing that really gets me. Certainly Getting the Girl is not as refined as I Am the Messenger or The Book Thief. And if you’ve read those other two books, you can plainly see that Zusak has recycled some aspects from this earlier work, incorporating them with more explicit detail in those later novels. Yes, the writing style of this particular novel is rough and scruffy, yet it embodies Cameron Wolfe, the narrator, so well. Because the style’s so natural, it’s so much fun and such a pleasure to read. And I must say that I actually like it better than I am the Messenger.

Cameron tells his story with a conversational tone. He’ll start telling a tale and become immersed and entertained by it, letting it flow naturally, even if he may stray from that initial thought that originally brought it up. Yet, unlike a traditional stream of consciousness format, you’ll never get lost in the prose. After his little tale is complete, Cam will back track, continuing on narrating his main train of thought.

The oral quality of Cam’s storytelling is also enhanced by the inclusion of his “words,” which add contrast to his story—i.e. those little writing pieces he creates in response to certain momentous events in his life. Cam’s “words” have a free verse poetic quality that manages to gradually reveal Cam’s inner self…that figurative butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. It’s Octavia who helps lead Cam onto this path. In a way, Octavia becomes an Estella to Cam’s Pip.

But what I really love about this book—the main reason why I rank it higher than I am the Messenger—is how Cam describes the city. Through Cam’s eyes and his voice Sydney comes alive. The city constantly changes and shifts taking the form of Cam’s feelings at a particular moment in time. Through Cam’s eyes, the Sydney we see at the beginning is not quite the Sydney we see at the end. It’s a truly beautiful element of the story. Definitely a book I’d highly recommend.
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Jul 19, 2010 Kathy V added it

Over the weekend, I read Getting the Girl by Markus Zuzak. His most well-known book is The Book Thief, an amazing story set during the Holocaust. I have also read his book, The Messenger. Mr. Zuzak is an Australian writer, and his work is definitely for a mature reader. I would characterize his writing style as unusual, with a fairly abstract approach to presenting the thoughts, feelings, and personalities of his characters. Because Getting the Girl is set in Australia, there are some language d...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Laura Hollander rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Getting The Girl, by Markus Zusak, tells a story of two brothers. The older of the two, Rube, has girls falling head over heels for him. On the other hand, Cameron is quiet. He and Rube are friends, even if they are complete opposites. Cameron doesn’t pay much attention to any of Rube’s girls until Octavia comes along. To him, Octavia is different, not only is she around for longer, and not only does she talk to him, she’s just different. Soon, Cameron finds himself wanting Octavia, which, is w...more Getting The Girl, by Markus Zusak, tells a story of two brothers. The older of the two, Rube, has girls falling head over heels for him. On the other hand, Cameron is quiet. He and Rube are friends, even if they are complete opposites. Cameron doesn’t pay much attention to any of Rube’s girls until Octavia comes along. To him, Octavia is different, not only is she around for longer, and not only does she talk to him, she’s just different. Soon, Cameron finds himself wanting Octavia, which, is why when it’s over between Her and Rube, Cameron decides this is his opportunity to search for the love he craves. When Rube finds out about this, he is appalled. He calls Cameron “scraps” on the few occasions that he talks to him. Rube’s new girlfriend, Julia, has a jealous ex who calls the house looking for Rube. When they arrange a fight, Cameron lurks around watching out for Rube.
This really surprised me. I think that as brothers, or as siblings or family members, you owe something to the rest of your family. Next year, I will be at school with my older brother, and if I got into trouble and people were beating me up, I’d hope that he’d be there for me. Now, I’m in school with my sister, and I know that if she was in trouble, I’d try to help her. However, if I she had been ignoring me for the past few weeks, giving me the cold shoulder and calling me “scraps,” and the fight was far away, at night, I’m not so sure the circumstances are the same. It’s so brave of Cameron to go help Rube after Rube has shunned him. His sister into art, and drew a picture of him with boxing gloves on, because he fights for what he wants. His sister, Sarah, threatens him, telling him that if he didn’t fight for what he believed she’d erase the glove and replace them with nothing. Cameron knows Rube is his brother, and he knows that no matter what they’ve gone through there is a point where you should give up a little bit of your self to protect someone you love. Where is that line though, and how is that line different from the line that makes us think sometimes it’s okay to go after what you want even if you hurt someone you love because they’ll forgive you?
I don’t think it’s fair to make one sibling carry the other siblings’ pain because of the fact that they have the same parents. I think protecting people you love is a choice, and there is no real obligation. People feel obligated, I think, to help people they love because they love them and because they want to, they feel obligated to the love not the doing what other people think is needed. I think that in someway you owe the people you love trust, your word, and getting their backs, but I think in other ways you don’t owe anyone anything. No one is forced by law to do anything for anyone they love; they just force themselves to do it because they love them. When you stop loving someone, you are free of the weight that they give you in the role you play in their lives, and, I think that’s the only way to be unobligated.
Cameron never stopped loving Rube, which is why when he knows he can help Rube is such a time of trouble, he does. He still plays an important role in Rube’s life and he still loves him. With the love comes the weight and the responsibility.
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May 12, 2010 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars

‘Getting the Girl’ is the sequel to ‘Fighting Ruben Wolfe’ (but both can be read as stand alone books). I read ‘Getting the Girl’ last year and as always, I enjoyed it more the second time around.

It’s been a year since ‘Fighting Ruben Wolfe’ and things have changed within the Wolfe family, Mr Wolfe is working again following a work related accident, the respected Mrs Wolfe is still cleaning houses and working at the hospital. Ruben has left school and is now an apprentice, Sarah, the boys’ siste...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 25-books

The book Getting the Girl is about a young man who's brothers are both successful in getting girls but he is not love and never has been. He wants to be in love more then anything, though but just hasn't found a girl to share that with. THen one day one of his brothers brings a girl home that isn't like the rest of the girls he's dated. She has something thats more... natural. Then when his brother breaks up with this girl, she finds out that maybe she was dating the wrong brother. He starts to...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is one of the best books that I have ever read it is about a teen that tries to find who he is he feels so lonely he has no friends beside his brother Rube his brother is a womanizer he always has a girlfriend Cameron is envy of this he fell in love with one of rube’s girlfriends rube and Cameron have a very tight bond of brother hood between them that they do almost everything together Cameron has a sister and another older brother then rube Steve has pretty much disbanded with his family...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

My husband read this before I did and he thought it needed "more elf" -- a John Green / Vlogbrothers reference indicating that, y'know, if there's a "girl" in the title, there should be an appropriate amount of girl in the story itself. But I'd read the prequel / companion book, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, about two years ago, and knew what to expect. Zusak clearly loves the Wolfe family, perhaps almost as much as he loves interesting verbs, and the focus here is on Cameron Wolfe's rivalry with his br...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe (Arthur K. Levine, 2001) features the two Australian brothers, cocky Ruben and quiet Cam. Cam, a self dubbed loser and perpetual underdog, falls for his brother's girlfriend Octavia. He bides his time; after all, Rube uses and discards women at the rate of one every few weeks. Cam appreciates Octavia's beauty and musical talent, but he wants to get inside her head, not just her pants. His patience pays off and Cam is there when Octavia gets dumped, but once Oc...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Marianne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-copy-returned

When Dogs Cry is the third in the Wolfe Brothers series by Australian author, Markus Zusak. Another year has passed and the Wolfe family is in a better place: Cliff has plenty of work and Rube and Cam are working Saturdays with him; Mrs Wolfe is still working two jobs; Sarah is working hard and taking candid Polaroids in her spare time; Steve is working hard and winning weekend football; Cameron has taken to standing outside Stephanie’s place in Glebe, hoping for a glimpse of the girl who doesn’...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Rosie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, owned, romance, fiction, contemporary-fiction

Favourite Quote: “I collect my thoughts as if they will stain me, murder me, and then resurrect me.”

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever written. Haven’t read it? Read it. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Read Getting the Girl, however, and you will be.

I don’t have much to say about it. The book is written from the perspective of a teenage boy named Cameron Wolfe who is, shall we say, slightly odd. Cameron has never had a girlfriend and enjoys standi...more

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May 14, 2011 Terry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: guy-books

My colleague really doesn't like this book. She describes it by saying, "It's about this pathetic guy who stalks a girl, and then nothing happens." Knowing the reputation of I Am the Messenger and The Book Thief, I wondered if her evaluation could be right. Markus Zusak has written some fine, fine books. Surely she's missing something? I decided to see for myself.

I'm glad I did. I think it is a good book, one well worth reading, but my colleague is also right: there's just not much in the way of...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Momo rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was the sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe, which was an alright book, but nothing extraordinary. A problem that I had with the first installment of this ‘series’ was the lack of character depth; Zusak made up for that in this book. Cameron Wolfe was previously likeable, but in Getting the Girl the reader gets to see the true depths of his soul. And what you find there is complex and lovable.

I am the Messenger was the first Zusak book that I read, and I haven’t liked any of the others near...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Even though this took me a while to get through, by the end I was falling in love with it.

I have always been interested in stories about brothers, maybe because it's definitely not something I will ever experience. There's just something about that relationship that fascinates me. And this book tells as complex a story about brothers as you can get with all of their love/hate moments, their dramatic falling-out, their looking out for each other while simultaneously teasing and shaming each other...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Lizza11 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gekocht-in-2012, own, bibliotheek, gelezen-in-2012

Na zijn zeer indrukwekkende Boekendief en het zeer leuke boek de Boodschapper heb ik deze gelezen zonder ook maar de achterkant te hebben gelezen. Na zulke boeken kon ik ook niet anders en gelukkig maar, aangezien dit boek weer even leuk was als de Boodschapper.

Ik hou echt van zijn schrijfstijl, lekker ongedwongen en simpel, geen dure woorden, geen andere poespas, maar gewoon rechttoe rechtaan. Dat samen met zijn manier van vertellen zorgt ervoor dat je weer door het boek vliegt. Ook dit verhaal...more

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Aug 11, 2008 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This was the first Zusak book I read and I think it's under-rated. Zusak has a way with characters. I literally ached for Cameron and his desire to have a girlfriend. But what I loved most about the book was the depiction of Cameron's relationships with his family and the way in which Cameron is finally able to find himself.

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Aug 16, 2009 Sara ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, young-adult

I'd probably rate this a 3.5.

I liked this book a lot. I'm really glad that Markus Zusak expanded on Cameron's character more. Like the prequel (Fighting Ruben Wolfe), the book just isn't very long... and not necessarily as detailed as I would have liked, but it was a definite improvement over Fighting...

I really enjoyed the little blurbs of Cameron's writing at the end of each chapter. They were little peeks into his secret thoughts and a very effective way of letting the reader get to know Cam...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Chy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I gotta say, right quick, that I'm not in love with this cover at all. (Has no bearing on my rate or review of the book; I just gotta get this out.) The thing is, there's a picture in the book that someone draws, of Cameron, and I think an impression/rendition of that would have been the most perfect cover. Ever.

As for actually reviewing what is the work of Markus Zusak:

Definitely pre-Book Thief, but that's one of the things I really liked about it. The way that fact tied in with the progression...more

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About Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief, which has topped bestseller lists ranging from the New York Times in America, the Sunday Times in the UK, as well as countries in Europe, South America and Asia.

His first three books, The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry, released between 1999 and 2001, were all published international...more

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Fighting Ruben Wolfe (Wolfe Brothers, #2)

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Quotes from Getting the Girl

“There are so many moments to remember and sometimes I think that maybe we're not really people at all. Maybe moments are what we are.... Sometimes I just survive. But sometimes I stand on the rooftop of my existence, arms stretched out, begging for more.” — 38 people liked it

“There are moments when you can only stand and stare, watching the world forget you as you remove yourself from it - when you overcome it and cease to exist as the person you were.” — 21 people liked it

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Getting the Girl (Wolfe Brothers #3)

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