Getting the Girl

title: Getting the Girl
Author: Markus Zusak

Cameron Wolfe is a loser. his brother Steve is the local football star, his brother Ruben has a new girl every week, even his sister Sarah and his parents, in his eyes, are bloody amazing. All this changes though when Octavia comes on to the scene. she may be just another of Ruben's girlfriends, but Cameron is in love with her.

like The Messenger this is set in the poorer parts of the Sydney suburbs, with the same harsh way of talking to each other. similarly it's about someone who has been considered second best, not worth any body's time learning their worth. once Octavia shows up somehow Cam begins realise he is okay. he learns that he is as impressive as either of his brothers, just in his own way.

Cameron has a really awkward, but sincere and lovable voice. he has incredible insights into everything going on around him, which he writes down and calls 'his words'. these are like journaling/poems placed between the chapters. he's hidden away and in this book people finally realise that you just have to stop and look for awhile to see what Cameron is actually like. this is exactly what Octavia and his sister Sarah do.

with a quiet, reactive protagonist like we have in this book, you expect them to be rescued and then be shown about themselves. this is not what Zusak does. Cameron fights for himself this whole book, even before that with visiting his brother Steve, he's doing something not everyone could do. that in essence is what this book is about, knowing that you have something everyone around you doesn't.