''The Underdog'' (1999) is the first novel by Australian

young adult fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

writer

Markus Zusak Markus Zusak (born 23 June 1975) is an Australian writer with Austrian and German roots. He is best known for ''The Book Thief'' and '' The Messenger'' (US title: ''I Am the Messenger''), two novels which became international bestsellers. ...

. Along with ''

Fighting Ruben Wolfe ''Fighting Ruben Wolfe'' is a young adult fiction novel by Markus Zusak Markus Zusak (born 23 June 1975) is an Australian writer with Austrian and German roots. He is best known for ''The Book Thief'' and '' The Messenger'' (US title: ''I&nb ...

'' and '' When Dogs Cry'', ''The Underdog'' was published in the United States in 2011 as part of the

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

Underdogs An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...

''.

Plot

''The Underdog'' is about Cameron Wolfe, a 15-year-old boy and a down-and-out character, his family, and a girl he falls for. Cameron struggles with his identity, questions his morality, and tries to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Cameron shares a room with his older brother, Ruben, who is always coming up with petty criminal activities he never follows through with, such as robbing a dentist only to be distracted by the beautiful nurse working there. His sister, Sarah, is always "going at it" with her boyfriend, Bruce. 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 culminating event of the novel is Sarah and Bruce's break-up. Her emotional reactions engages and unites all of the family. Cameron is particularly affected by the fallout and questions his own treatment of women. As the break-up is unfolding Cameron is also asked to help his former best friend, Greg, with some money issues. Greg gets entangled in a drug buying fiasco and Cameron must lend him the money to get him out. Much of the emotional landscape of the novel is established through Cameron's vivid dream sequences, which allow the reader a glimpse into his deeper feelings. The story is about boys' dirty habits, family sticking together and being an underdog.

Characters

*Cameron Wolfe: A 15-year-old boy, he is the protagonist and first person narrator of the novel. *Ruben Wolfe: Cameron's adventurous and slightly rebellious older brother. *Steve Wolfe: The oldest of the Wolfe brothers. He has a successful career and looks down upon the silliness of his younger brothers. *Sarah Wolfe: Cameron's older sister. She begins the novel in a serious relationship with Bruce. Their relationship consists of kissing on the Wolfe family's couch. Much of the novel's plot revolves around the story of her relationship. *Mom: Cameron's mom, famous for cooking mushrooms every night. *Dad: Cameron's dad. He works as a plumber and hires Cameron to work with him on Saturdays. *Greg Fienni: Cameron's former best friend. *Bruce Patterson: Sarah's boyfriend. *Rebecca Conlon: Cameron's crush. He meets her while helping his father work on the plumbing at her house.

Reception

In a review of ''Underdogs'', ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' reviewer

Susan Carpenter Susan Carpenter is co-host of The Ride, a series about modern mobility on the Southern California Public Radio Station, KPCC-FM. In broadcast radio segments and a weekly podcast, she reports on everything from autonomous cars and ride sharing t ...

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 The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by ''Booklist'' magazine; administered by the ALA's y ...

-winning '' The Book Thief''. ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' commented that Zusak's writing style was "relaxed and confident" and did not "try to explore social issues."Cameron Wolfe, lost and found"
''

'', 14 May 2003. (accessed 15 November 2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Underdog 1999 Australian novels Australian young adult novels Novels set in Australia Novels by Markus Zusak 1999 debut novels Omnibus Books books