Blog Tour Character Interview: Bruce from Leverage

Today I have the distinct honor of interviewing Bruce from Joshua C. Cohen's debut novel, Leverage. Be sure to check out my review of Leverage here.

Welcome, Bruce! Lets start with something a little simple, shall we? Describe yourself for us in 5 words.

Aw, that's easy. I'm super ...


Could you tell us about Oregrove High?

"Yeah, sure. It's, like, a mega-high school and there are seriously not enough Asian or brown people walking its hallways so, like, some days I get the feeling I'm this alien in a sea of white faces and they're all staring at me. I don't have anything against white people--my best friends are all white (some of them are painfully white to the point they have almost a sickly bluish tint to them...like Danny in mid-winter when all tan has left his skin) but, like, it would be nice to not feel like a freak of nature for being the only Vietnamese dude in a school of 3500 students. Other than that, I can't really complain. I mean, I think Oregrove is pretty much the same as every other mega-high school that worships football to the point that it allows its captains to get away with assault and cheers them on.


Aside from the rings, do you have anything else that you're passionate about?

Hmmm...let's see ....how do I phrase this delicately ...GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS!!! Are you kidding me?!?! I'm an 18-year old dude!!! Gymnastics is just something I do to try and keep my mind off them. I mean, don't get me wrong. I love kicking butt on the rings and learning new tricks. But, pretty much, I started doing that to impress the ladies. My main problem is I'm short so I pretty much have to date other girl gymnasts. But I love volleyball players. If any girl out there is reading this and you are, like, an Amazon-tall volleyball player and you're into short Vietnamese dudes that cherishes walks on a sunset beach, candle lit dinners, puppies, poetry and opera, then call me.


How would you describe your relationship with Danny?

Danny is my boy! He's small now and he's still OCDing out about it but eventually he'll grow up. I've seen Danny's dad and he's over 6 feet tall so Danny just needs to be patient. Danny's got a good heart but he's scared of his own shadow. Still, after all he went through this season--after all we both went through this last season--I know that, when push comes to shove, Danny's got my back. He's loyal. And he works his butt off in the gym. If he tells you that he joined the gymnastics team for any other reason than to impress girls, though, don't believe him. He's lying.


What was your first reaction when you heard the news about Ronnie?

Are you kidding?! It was awful! I couldn't believe it was happening. I mean, Ronnie was totally normal--shy and quiet--but not the kind of guy that does that. It didn't make any sense. It still doesn't. I'll never understand it completely.


If you had to describe Kurt in 3 words, what would they be?

1) Freakin' HUGE!
2) Freakin' STRONG!
3) Freakin' TOUGH!


After everything that's happened, do you feel as though you've changed?

Yes. A lot. In ways that even I still don't understand. I'm thinking of majoring in psychology at the University when I attend next year to help figure it all out. I definitely think I'll have some PTSD going on for awhile.


One lucky winner will receive a SIGNED copy of Leverage! To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post and be sure to leave some way to contact you (preferably e-mail address). Unfortunately, this is for US Only. Sorry guys!

Contest ends Friday, April 8, 2011 at midnight EST. Good luck!


This post is part of Teen Book Scene's blog tour for Leverage. For more information on the tour, click here.