The Underdog (novel)

The Underdog (1999) is the first novel by Australian young-adult fiction writer Markus Zusak. Along with Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry, The Underdog was published in the United States in 2011 as part of the anthology Underdogs.^[1]

Plot

The Underdog is about Cameron Wolfe, a 15-year-old and a down-and-out character, his family, and a girl he falls for. Cameron shares a room with his older brother, Ruben, who is always coming up with petty criminal activities he never follows through with, such robbing a dentist only to be distracted by the beautiful nurse working there. His sister, Sarah, is always "going at it" with her boyfriend, until they break up. His brother, Steve, is successful and thinks he is above the rest of his family. His mother works hard all week and still manages to complete motherly duties, and his father is a plumber. Cameron starts working for his father on weekends, where he meets Rebecca Conlon, a girl who he thinks is perfect. The story is about boys' dirty habits, family sticking together and being an underdog.

Reception

In a review of Underdogs, Los Angeles Times reviewer Susan Carpenter notes Zusak's earlier works "share many of the same stylistic hallmarks and themes of belonging and survival" with his better-known novels including the Michael L. Printz Award-winning The Book Thief.^[1] The Age commented that Zusak's writing style was "relaxed and confident" and did not "try to explore social issues.^[2]

References