Fighting Ruben Wolfe

by Markus Zusak

book data

235 ratings, 3.79 average rating, 44 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		24%
4		39%
3		28%
2		6%
1		1%

edit

published

February 4th 2010 by Definitions (first published 1999)

details

Paperback, 256 pages

setting

Australia

isbn

1862309574 (isbn13: 9781862309579)

description

As Cameron and Ruben Wolfe walk home from school one day, a rough bloke awaits them at their gate. "Can we talk inside?" he asks.

"We

…more

find at: Amazon • WorldCat • more options…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

new topic
discuss this book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Filipinos: * Filipino Group SHOUT OUTS!	589	280	3 hours, 14 min ago
Filipinos: * Currently Reading	301	191	4 hours, 0 min ago
Young Adult Ficti...: What are you reading now?	559	830	7 hours, 44 min ago

friend reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

lists with this book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

other reviews (showing 1-20 of 527)

sort: default (?) | date
filters: all | text-only

Dec 17, 2008

Kim rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

bookshelves: favorite-authors, young-adult

Read in February, 2009

Wow.

This book is about two things that I know very little about.

Brothers & Boxing.

So, I thought maybe I'd sort of float through it. Large font, little over 200 pages... an overnight shift... no biggie.

Right.

Markus, I'm sorry I gave you such little credit. What was I thinking? I'd read I Am the Messenger. I bawled over The Book Thief. So, why was I so surprised by this? Maybe because I didn't want to believe that someone so young co...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

6 comments

Oct 06, 2007

Megan rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in October, 2007

So, I'm convinced that Markus Zusak could write an entire novel about mashed potatoes or asphalt and it would be brilliant. I also know that there is surely no other writer on the planet that could make me give a book about two boxing brothers 5 stars and hate that I've finished it so quickly!

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

add a comment

Jan 27, 2010

Jenny / Wondrous Reads rated it:

bookshelves: for-review

Read in October, 2009

The fantastic Mr. Zusak is back, with a long-awaited UK reprint of his early novel Fighting Ruben Wolfe, which was first published in Australia in the year 2000. It's not quite in the same league as The Book Thief, but his excellent writing and characterisation still shines through in true Zusak style.

Brothers Cameron and Ruben Wolfe head up this gritty tale of family and fighting, and show just what determination and a sense of pride can achieve. When their father loses his job and ...more The fantastic Mr. Zusak is back, with a long-awaited UK reprint of his early novel Fighting Ruben Wolfe, which was first published in Australia in the year 2000. It's not quite in the same league as The Book Thief, but his excellent writing and characterisation still shines through in true Zusak style.

Brothers Cameron and Ruben Wolfe head up this gritty tale of family and fighting, and show just what determination and a sense of pride can achieve. When their father loses his job and starts struggling to pay the bills, the brothers know they have to do something. An underground boxing ring provides the perfect way to make quick cash, and vent some anger at the same time.

Zusak's depiction of the Wolfe family is so realistic it's hard to remember you're reading about fictional people. They face the prospect of going on the dole, vicious rumours about their daughter's sexual promiscuity and the worrying need for more money. It's refreshing to read about everyday problems like these, rather than exaggerated situations that are impossible to relate to. I don't know whether any of these plot lines stem from personal experience on the author's behalf, but whatever the reason for their inclusion, I'm just glad they're there.

Ruben's fight scenes, though quite harrowing, are action-packed and suspenseful. They'll no doubt be a big hit with the boys, and will give girls an insight into a very male-orientated sport. The same can be said for the male narration. It's such a nice change to be in a guy's head, and to see what they really think about girls, school and life in general.

Fighting Ruben Wolfe is a story about pride, strength and that unbreakable bond between two brothers. It takes a simple premise and gives it depth and emotion, while never straying from the authenticity of the situation. I only wish it was longer, which would have allowed for more development and more time with the Wolfe family. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the sequel, Getting the Girl, will be released here one day, as I need another new Zusak fix as soon as possible. (less)

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jul 29, 2009

Sara ♥ rated it:

(review of isbn 043924188X)

bookshelves: 2009, action-adventure, young-adult

Read in August, 2009

I liked the book quite a lot. Probably in the 3.5 star range. I didn't bump it up to 4 stars because it just didn't draw me in like I Am the Messenger did. Maybe it's not fair to compare the two, since this was Markus Zusak's first book (meaning that it makes sense that the later books would be better), but there it is!

I think the book was just... too short! It felt like a flushed-out outline. The storyline was there, but it was missing substance... I wanted more details about t...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Mar 13, 2009

Stacy rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in March, 2009

I was a little reluctant to read this book. The plot involved a couple of brothers fighting in an underground boxing ring and I am not all that interested in people pounding the crap out of each other (although, that being said, if someone had offered to pay me for beating up my own brother when we were kids I would have been all over that).

It's narrated by Cameron Wolfe, the younger of the two main Wolfe brothers, so the language is a little pedestrian and the flow is a bit stilte...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Feb 18, 2010

Jenny rated it:

Read in March, 2010

Firstly, I LOVED 'The Book Thief' - I thought it was great.
So, 'Fighting Ruben Wolfe'... I did think it was a good book and I enjoyed what there was of it..I just felt that it was a good storyline which could have been developed much further, I thought it was too short. I honestly think that if the plot had carried on I would have been rating it the same as 'The Book Thief'. I finished it in less than 24 hours and that's with a full nights sleep and a full day at work in between - I am a ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Oct 26, 2009

Annalisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

bookshelves: young-adult

Read in October, 2009

While not his best work, by the end Zusak found that prose I so love and the characters became the ones I love in Getting the Girl. It gave me my Zusak fix.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Dec 08, 2008

Jerm rated it:

(review of isbn 043924188X)

Read in December, 2008

So I finally got around to reading one of Markus Zusak’s early books. This one is a straight up realistic fiction book, without the turns and contrivances of The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger, but it’s less exiting for it.

Cameron Wolfe and his brother Ruben are struggling with the rest of their family to make ends meet, and survive the ordeal mentally. But, after Ruben gets in a fight defending his sister’s honor, he is recruited to be part of an underground fighting ring. ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jan 06, 2010

Cheryl Clark rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in January, 2010

Great book! I highly recommend it...especially to boys who don't think they like to read. I picked it up only because I thought I needed to read more boy books in our library, and I was not looking forward to reading it at all, but boy, am I glad I did! The characterization is outstanding, the dialogue and situations are funny and honest, and the finale is poignant. The only drawback to the book is that there is slight touchy-feeliness that may not be entirely accurate--I don't know; I'm not...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Dec 15, 2008

Kevin rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Kevin by: The Book Thief
recommends it for: fans of Markus Zusak

I read this because I was so amazed with The Book Thief. Was I "so amazed" with Fighting Ruben Wolfe? No.

It was a good book. I liked it. But I wasn't so amazed. I read the book in about 3 days, but it reads fast enough that it could be done in a 3 hour sitting. I don't feel like the story was evolved enough. I never got to know the characters well enough to care about their fighting. It almost just feels like Zusak walked in with a 400 page book, and was told to cu...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comment

May 27, 2009

Jake rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

My mom introduced me to this great author, Markus Zusak, when she gave me one of his books for Christmas a couple years ago. This book was The Book Thief. If you have not read this book, you must go out now and go to your nearest book store or library and get a copy. It is fantastic and definitely one of the most original and astounding books in modern literature I've ever read.

When I find an author I like I read everything of theirs that I can get my hands on. I have all of Zusak's ...more My mom introduced me to this great author, Markus Zusak, when she gave me one of his books for Christmas a couple years ago. This book was The Book Thief. If you have not read this book, you must go out now and go to your nearest book store or library and get a copy. It is fantastic and definitely one of the most original and astounding books in modern literature I've ever read.

When I find an author I like I read everything of theirs that I can get my hands on. I have all of Zusak's published books and have now read three of the four books. His second book I read was written just before The Book Thief. It is titled I Am the Messenger.

The Book Thief had such an amazing voice to it. Zusak's writing is fresh and different. He uses colors and symbolism in ways that you don't see in literature these days. You see it a lot in classic literature. In I Am the Messenger, Zusak still has his magical turn of phrase and mastery of plot.

Now, as I finally get to my point, I just read his very first published novel. First novels are interesting because it is the chance for the author to prove himself. I'm not sure what I was expecting with Zusak's first novel. I was not disappointed.

Fighting Ruben Wolfe is really short. If it weren't printed in a tiny paperback with larger printing it would probably only be about 50 pages, I'm estimating. I was impressed that Zusak, even in his first book, was still an amazing writer. I could tell he was just barely finding his voice, his style, but it was apparent that he was comfortable with the direction he was going.

Something I noticed that wasn't really seen that much in his later books was that he uses a lot of fragment sentences. It has a nice effect in this book.

Instead of going on about how great Zusak is I will, instead, give you a taste of what he's like. This is an excerpt from Fighting Ruben Wolfe and one of my favorite parts. Enjoy.

When I'm there Rube's eyes fire into mine. Make sure you get up, they tell me, and I nod, then jump up. The jacket's off. My skin's warm. My wolfish hair sticks up as always, nice and thick. I'm ready now. I'm ready to keep standing up, no matter what, I'm ready to believe that I welcome the pain and that I want it so much that I will look for it. I will seek it out. I'll run to it and throw myself into it. I'll stand in front of it in blind terror and let it beat me down and down till my courage hangs off me in rags. Then it will dismantle me and stand me up naked and beat me some more and my slaughter-blood will fly from my mouth and the pain will drink it, feel it, steal it, and conceal it in the pockets of its gut and it will taste me. It will just keep standing me up, and I won't let it know. I won't tell it that I feel it. I won't give it the satisfaction. No, the pain will have to kill me.(less)

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jul 25, 2009

Jill rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in August, 2009

recommends it for: young teenage boys - perhaps reluctant readers.

Although I feel that I was not the intended audience for this book, I still felt that it was good. The story was about two brothers from Australia who are part of a poor family. The father has lost his job and the mother works a lot to make up for it, but they struggle. To prove that they are worthwhile people, the brothers join an illegal fight club. They earn money while doing so, but in the meantime they gain more (I sound like a weirdo saying that). For a first book, I thought it was good. I...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Dec 25, 2009

Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

bookshelves: ya

Read in December, 2009

Great novella from Zusak. I picked it up after falling in love with The Book Thief. It was a very different plot, and much shorter, but I still really liked it. I read through it in two sittings (although those sittings were a week and a half apart). I too would have liked it to be longer, to see a bit more, but I recommend it for those who enjoyed The Book Thief.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jul 30, 2009

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

bookshelves: 2009

Read in July, 2009

The 3 stars isn't for books in general, it's in comparison to Zusak's other books. He really is a fantastic writer, but you can tell this is his earlier stuff and that he is still working out his voice. I start to get a picture of Cameron Wolfe in this book, but it doesn't really flourish until Getting The Girl. I just love everything he writes, though. Everything.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Dec 23, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in January, 2007

Absolutely engrossing page turner with deeply fleshed out characters. When I'm asked, "What YA book should I read?" My first recommendation is always Fighting Ruben Wolfe. This book brought a tear to my eye in the final fight scene, and I carried the story around in my head for days after I put the book down. Well done, Mr. Zusak.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Nov 29, 2009

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in October, 2009

Oh so charming, funny, poignant at times, and just enjoyable to read. Long live the new king of YA fiction: Markus Zusak doesn't disappoint me. Ever. The only reason I'm giving it four stars is because I can't give it 4 1/2, and I reserve the fives for mind-blowing, breath-taking reads. Like The Book Thief, also by Zusak.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Apr 21, 2007

Jennifer rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

bookshelves: ya-fiction

Read in March, 2007

recommends it for: Fans of YA fiction

I haven't yet read his latest (and most acclaimed) book The Book Thief, but Markus Zusak is rapidly becoming my favorite young adult author. This is his first novel, and I also loved his book I am the Messenger. Things I love about Markus Zusak: his prose - tough and beautiful at the same time, his deep love and respect for his working class characters, his exploration of male relationships, his ear for Australian vernacular. This is the story of the Wolfe brothers, Ruben and Cam, who end up ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Dec 28, 2009

Susie rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

Read in December, 2009

This was like reading a cross between Fight Club and Snatch, but for 13 year old boys instead of for adults. That is to say - it was great. I love Zusak's writing style, and plan to read more and more of his books. I'm not sure why I've waited so long to start reading them.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Mar 12, 2009

J Joyce rated it:

(review of isbn 0439241871)

this was my first markus zusak book. And I fell in love with it. I just LOVE the way he writes, you feel like you are inside the heads of his characters. Its so gritty...real. This is a fabulous read for any audience.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Oct 07, 2009

Julie Bowerman rated it:

(review of isbn 043924188X)

Read in October, 2009

Markus Zusak is my new favorite author. I'm not a boxing fan, but the street amateur leagues that Ruben and his brother Cameron find themselves swept into add suspense and brutal reality to this book.

Like this review? yes

add a comment