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Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers
The cottage on the lake is always the same, but Luke is changing. At thirteen he’s excited. At fourteen he’s cool. At fifteen he’s pissed off. At sixteen he’s in love.
Through four summers’ worth of trips to the emergency room, campfires and house fires, parties and feuds with neighbors, Luke is doing his best to navigate life. He makes discoveries, makes mistakes, freaks out, and comes to see things in a new light.
Brent Runyon has crafted a remarkable portrait of a boy at four distinct points in his life and literally shows us his coming of age. It’s a story that explores what is ever-changing and what is timeless, and how we are shaped by both the people and places we love.
Through four summers’ worth of trips to the emergency room, campfires and house fires, parties and feuds with neighbors, Luke is doing his best to navigate life. He makes discoveries, makes mistakes, freaks out, and comes to see things in a new light.
Brent Runyon has crafted a remarkable portrait of a boy at four distinct points in his life and literally shows us his coming of age. It’s a story that explores what is ever-changing and what is timeless, and how we are shaped by both the people and places we love.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2009
12 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Brent Runyon
8 books79 followersBrent Runyon was 14 years old when he set himself on fire. His first book, The Burn Journals, is a memoir of his suicide survival. He is a contributor to public radio's This American Life, and lives on Cape Cod, where he works as a newspaper reporter. His third book, Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers, written with longtime collaborator Christina Egloff, is in bookstores now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 21, 2009
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
Luke's parents own a cottage by the lake, and his family has been coming there for two weeks every summer ever since they moved out of the area.
When Luke is 13, he's extremely excited to be back at his most favorite place in the world. Running over the rocks on their beach, climbing the creek up to the waterfall, and fishing in the pond by the dairy farm... Each of these experiences holds a memory for him, but none seem to be as fun as they used to be.
The following year, he's not feeling quite as excited. Their new neighbor is causing a lot of problems, but, as a result, Luke's family finally befriends the conservative, rich family that lives next door. However, things get weird as Luke tries to navigate his feelings about the attractive girlfriend of the family's oldest son.
The next year, when Luke is 15, their issues with the bad neighbor escalate, and Luke has his best friend, Steve, in tow. Steve doesn't quite seem to get Luke's feelings about the lake and their experiences at the cottage, however, so that results in another weird summer.
When Luke is 16, he has no idea why he decided to come to the lake this year. His girlfriend is at theater camp, and Luke spends most of his time thinking about her and wishing she were there. Even when tensions rise among the neighbors and result in a near tragedy and yet another emergency room trip for Luke, he finds that he must come to grips with the ever-changing nature of time.
This "novel in four summers" took my breath away with its elegantly tailored narration and down-to-earth voice, which shifts slightly throughout to reflect Luke's age. A story such as this, I believe, will bring a wave of nostalgia to even the most jaded teen reader, as the main character's struggle with his own cynicism and changing perceptions come across as very real and true.
Luke's parents own a cottage by the lake, and his family has been coming there for two weeks every summer ever since they moved out of the area.
When Luke is 13, he's extremely excited to be back at his most favorite place in the world. Running over the rocks on their beach, climbing the creek up to the waterfall, and fishing in the pond by the dairy farm... Each of these experiences holds a memory for him, but none seem to be as fun as they used to be.
The following year, he's not feeling quite as excited. Their new neighbor is causing a lot of problems, but, as a result, Luke's family finally befriends the conservative, rich family that lives next door. However, things get weird as Luke tries to navigate his feelings about the attractive girlfriend of the family's oldest son.
The next year, when Luke is 15, their issues with the bad neighbor escalate, and Luke has his best friend, Steve, in tow. Steve doesn't quite seem to get Luke's feelings about the lake and their experiences at the cottage, however, so that results in another weird summer.
When Luke is 16, he has no idea why he decided to come to the lake this year. His girlfriend is at theater camp, and Luke spends most of his time thinking about her and wishing she were there. Even when tensions rise among the neighbors and result in a near tragedy and yet another emergency room trip for Luke, he finds that he must come to grips with the ever-changing nature of time.
This "novel in four summers" took my breath away with its elegantly tailored narration and down-to-earth voice, which shifts slightly throughout to reflect Luke's age. A story such as this, I believe, will bring a wave of nostalgia to even the most jaded teen reader, as the main character's struggle with his own cynicism and changing perceptions come across as very real and true.
October 3, 2009
"Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers" is about Lucas, a normal causcasian teenage male who goes to his family's little cottage every summer. The book shows him and how he progresses through the summers of ages 13-16. At age thirteen he is just a developing young man. At fourteen puberty is beggining to take a toll on him. At fifteen he starts to become angry and disconnected. And at sixteen, the world seems to be falling apart at the hands of love.
Well, as a teenage boy myself, I found this book to be a good summary of my everyday life... just kidding. The author kinda stretched the whole puberty thing a little bit, but in the end it worked because I think that the theme was growing up, and the whole teenage boy thing was very honest. For example, teenage males DO cuss, so I thought it was strange when people wrote in their reviews "too much strong language." I mean total lol moment, what did you think he was going to speak like, a grammatical princess? So the good part of the book was the honesty and how the author suceeded in making Luke's general character idea believeable.
What I didn't like about the book was that there was almost no dialogue, and at times it felt like I was losing touch of Luke's character. Writing was average, nothing stand-outish although the premise of the book itself was original. So overall I would recommend this book to people trying to catch a glimpse of a teenage boy's emotions and thoughts... just don't generalize Luke with all of us, or we would get a pretty bad rap. =)
Well, as a teenage boy myself, I found this book to be a good summary of my everyday life... just kidding. The author kinda stretched the whole puberty thing a little bit, but in the end it worked because I think that the theme was growing up, and the whole teenage boy thing was very honest. For example, teenage males DO cuss, so I thought it was strange when people wrote in their reviews "too much strong language." I mean total lol moment, what did you think he was going to speak like, a grammatical princess? So the good part of the book was the honesty and how the author suceeded in making Luke's general character idea believeable.
What I didn't like about the book was that there was almost no dialogue, and at times it felt like I was losing touch of Luke's character. Writing was average, nothing stand-outish although the premise of the book itself was original. So overall I would recommend this book to people trying to catch a glimpse of a teenage boy's emotions and thoughts... just don't generalize Luke with all of us, or we would get a pretty bad rap. =)
February 25, 2010
When Luke is thirteen, he can’t wait until his family vacation at their lake cottage. There are so many things he wants to do – swimming, skipping stones, visiting the waterfall – and only a few weeks to do them. The next summer, he’s too cool to do anything and bored with everything. The summer after that, he’s angry. And after that, in love. Four short vignettes chronicle the attitude and emotions of the same boy at different times in his life. Runyon captures both the excitement of vacation and the boredom of a summer on the lake perfectly. I found myself picturing my grandparent’s lakefront summer cabin, and their neighbors homes, even with the description of Luke’s cottage, the Richardson’s beautiful yard and house on one side, and the Minister’s creepy house on the other.
I enjoyed this for the setting and the brief character study, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been tied together just a little more, especially after some of the (possibly overdramatic) events that happen towards the end of the book.
I enjoyed this for the setting and the brief character study, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been tied together just a little more, especially after some of the (possibly overdramatic) events that happen towards the end of the book.
August 23, 2016
A fascinating, funny and bittersweet story, but I’m not sure who to recommend it for. The subtitle is “A Novel in Four Summers.” Luke is the narrator for each section, and the setting is always the same: two weeks at a lake cottage in upstate New York. But with each year, the changes are profound.
Luke is 13 in section one: poking a stick at a dead animal, skipping stones, shaking a snapping turtle off his finger, and trying to convince his parents to adopt a kitten. This is the funniest and best section of the book – perfect for anyone from 5th grade through middle school. I love how Luke describes his attitude toward Claire, the daughter of his parents’ friends. “And another time she told on me for crossing the street without permission. What the hell? What business was it of hers? She always knew where the line was, but I never did… She’s inside the cottage. I guess I’ll just go annoy her for a while.”
Luke’s language gets more caustically profane at 14. Still funny though, as he stares at the breasts of the neighbor’s mid-20s girlfriend, Eliza, and somehow gets the idea that she wants to have sex with him. “Eliza turns around and sees me. ‘Hey good-lookin’,’ she says. ‘Hey.’ I should have said something about how amazing her body is. ‘Hey, big tits.’ Oh s---. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” With that, and a similarly silly discussion of penis length, the book abruptly sheds its 5th and 6th grade appropriateness sticker.
Year 14 also ushers in a more mature sideplot. A rumored cult leader moves in next door. Luke’s mom labels him the Sinister Minister, and gets even more angry when the man raises a Confederate flag at the end of the dock.
Years 15 and 16 take similar leaps in maturity and theme. Luke is now an angry and confused teenager, and has to struggle to retain any sense of likability. That struggle is the key to why the book remains great, as Luke shreds his way through the frustration of his own adolescence.
Luke is 13 in section one: poking a stick at a dead animal, skipping stones, shaking a snapping turtle off his finger, and trying to convince his parents to adopt a kitten. This is the funniest and best section of the book – perfect for anyone from 5th grade through middle school. I love how Luke describes his attitude toward Claire, the daughter of his parents’ friends. “And another time she told on me for crossing the street without permission. What the hell? What business was it of hers? She always knew where the line was, but I never did… She’s inside the cottage. I guess I’ll just go annoy her for a while.”
Luke’s language gets more caustically profane at 14. Still funny though, as he stares at the breasts of the neighbor’s mid-20s girlfriend, Eliza, and somehow gets the idea that she wants to have sex with him. “Eliza turns around and sees me. ‘Hey good-lookin’,’ she says. ‘Hey.’ I should have said something about how amazing her body is. ‘Hey, big tits.’ Oh s---. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” With that, and a similarly silly discussion of penis length, the book abruptly sheds its 5th and 6th grade appropriateness sticker.
Year 14 also ushers in a more mature sideplot. A rumored cult leader moves in next door. Luke’s mom labels him the Sinister Minister, and gets even more angry when the man raises a Confederate flag at the end of the dock.
Years 15 and 16 take similar leaps in maturity and theme. Luke is now an angry and confused teenager, and has to struggle to retain any sense of likability. That struggle is the key to why the book remains great, as Luke shreds his way through the frustration of his own adolescence.
May 30, 2024
oop not the misogyny moment :/
anyways, definitely enjoyed the book but IT NEEDS JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER cuz there are soooo many loose ends that haven't been tied up. I understand that thematically it wouldn't make sense to resolve everything because of the implications that life continues and this book is supposed to only be a slice of it, but in the case of some my remaining questions, there's NO significance in leaving them unanswered. Who *was* Amelie's character? Where did the minister go? These are less so rhetoric considerations and more so full-on plot holes.
still a great book
anyways, definitely enjoyed the book but IT NEEDS JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER cuz there are soooo many loose ends that haven't been tied up. I understand that thematically it wouldn't make sense to resolve everything because of the implications that life continues and this book is supposed to only be a slice of it, but in the case of some my remaining questions, there's NO significance in leaving them unanswered. Who *was* Amelie's character? Where did the minister go? These are less so rhetoric considerations and more so full-on plot holes.
still a great book
November 4, 2009
Surface Tension by Brent Runyon (Knopf). In this novel told in four summers, Luke goes from 13-16 years old, and we follow him on a two-week vacation at a family lake cottage every year. Runyon’s teen-boy voice is pitch perfect (well, I think it is anyway), and the nuances of each summer are alternately hilarious and heartbreaking. That’s vague and reviewery, I know, but it’s hard to nail down a plot on this one--it’s just a fantastic read, full of honest emotion.
November 10, 2008
"The cottage on the lake is always the same.
But Luke is changing. At 13 he's excited. At 14 he's cool. At 15 he's pissed off. At 16 he's in love."
That's the premise. Cute idea, a little slow getting into it, but pretty decent by the end.
But Luke is changing. At 13 he's excited. At 14 he's cool. At 15 he's pissed off. At 16 he's in love."
That's the premise. Cute idea, a little slow getting into it, but pretty decent by the end.
November 25, 2012
Eh, it's nothing special. just some kid bitching about his summers at his parents' cottage.
You can read it but it's nothing profound or worthy of much thought.
You can read it but it's nothing profound or worthy of much thought.
January 29, 2021
This was my second time reading this book and it’s just as good as I remember. Easily one of my favourite books of all time.
June 28, 2017
Honestly, nothing really happened until the very end. Perhaps if the author had made the book a bit longer it would have worked a bit better. I didn't feel like I got to know any of the characters at all and I honestly didn't like the main character much. Besides, the book didn't seem to have much of a point. I guess the author was trying to tack one on at the end? It just didn't click with me. 2/5
December 7, 2018
good book with a good story i like how it skips years it is a good read. (i did this late because i forgot about it )
February 25, 2020
this is about a young boy who has struggled and talks about this enchanted place
August 14, 2014
Nothing like reading a good summer book starting at the last few days of summer. Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers was a great read! It really changed my perspective on life, of how much we actually change when we grow up, but may not notice it. How we always wish to be grown up when we're little, but wish to be little when we're grown up.
Luke's family always pays a visit to their cottage by the lake every summer. Every year, there's always something that's the same. The way Luke's dad absolutely has to go get his peppermint stick ice cream. He always asks where his bathing suit is, in which his mom replies, "In the black suitcase, under the white T-shirts. His cottage is the same. Their neighbors, the Richardson's are always working hard on their lawn. And of course, the lake. The lake is always the same.
At thirteen years old, Luke is excited, and enthusiastic about the whole thing. Right away, he wants to do anything and everything. He's jumping into the lake, skipping stones, reading books, playing soccer, fishing, eavesdropping on the neighbors, hiking to the waterfall, letting the minnows bite at his feet, bothering Claire —annoying her almost as revenge for her telling on Luke millions of times when they were kids, and looking for a luckystone, which are said to be very rare!
At fourteen years old, he's calmed down a little, and has to listen to his dad constantly worry about his new kayak he bought. Someone's moved in, and has made everybody angry. It sort of ruins the whole trip for them. Luke'll still skip his stones, go swimming, bother Claire, hang out with the neighbors, and spend quality time at their beloved lake.
At fifteen years old, Luke is just plain annoyed. At everything really. He's brought his friend along, but sort of regrets it after awhile. He gets into trouble, being a typical teenager he is. The new person that moved in last year has made his family and neighbors a little bit angrier, and all of this negativity seems to make him annoyed.
At sixteen years old, all he can think about is his girlfriend. He literally can't get her off his mind. The lake seems uninteresting to Luke now. He's got better things to think about. Isn't that how everyone is when they're in love?
All I can say is, a lot can change in just four summers! Lots of things happened that I didn't expect. Luke's narrative was very enjoyable to read. I loved the way he told his stories, and the way he described everything. Brent Runyon did a great job with writing this!
I would totally recommend this book to everyone! I'm sure anyone would genuinely enjoy Surface Tension. Boys and girls would enjoy it. It deserves five stars! I loved this book!
It's strange how one person can change so much, but the lake can stay the same.
Oh, this book really reminded me of this campsite I went to for a couple of days. This wasn't a lake; it was the ocean, but I kept imagining this scene while reading Surface Tension. It brings back memories of kayaking in the water. Swimming and watch all of the little fish. Skipping rocks, but eventually giving up and just tossing them into the water to see which one made the best splash. Watching the sun set and dip below the water's horizon. It was a great time, and it just reminded me so much of this book! Here's a picture I took (I'd imagine Luke running barefoot across the rocks and jumping in, or him finding the perfect stones to skip) :)
Luke's family always pays a visit to their cottage by the lake every summer. Every year, there's always something that's the same. The way Luke's dad absolutely has to go get his peppermint stick ice cream. He always asks where his bathing suit is, in which his mom replies, "In the black suitcase, under the white T-shirts. His cottage is the same. Their neighbors, the Richardson's are always working hard on their lawn. And of course, the lake. The lake is always the same.
At thirteen years old, Luke is excited, and enthusiastic about the whole thing. Right away, he wants to do anything and everything. He's jumping into the lake, skipping stones, reading books, playing soccer, fishing, eavesdropping on the neighbors, hiking to the waterfall, letting the minnows bite at his feet, bothering Claire —annoying her almost as revenge for her telling on Luke millions of times when they were kids, and looking for a luckystone, which are said to be very rare!
At fourteen years old, he's calmed down a little, and has to listen to his dad constantly worry about his new kayak he bought. Someone's moved in, and has made everybody angry. It sort of ruins the whole trip for them. Luke'll still skip his stones, go swimming, bother Claire, hang out with the neighbors, and spend quality time at their beloved lake.
At fifteen years old, Luke is just plain annoyed. At everything really. He's brought his friend along, but sort of regrets it after awhile. He gets into trouble, being a typical teenager he is. The new person that moved in last year has made his family and neighbors a little bit angrier, and all of this negativity seems to make him annoyed.
At sixteen years old, all he can think about is his girlfriend. He literally can't get her off his mind. The lake seems uninteresting to Luke now. He's got better things to think about. Isn't that how everyone is when they're in love?
All I can say is, a lot can change in just four summers! Lots of things happened that I didn't expect. Luke's narrative was very enjoyable to read. I loved the way he told his stories, and the way he described everything. Brent Runyon did a great job with writing this!
I would totally recommend this book to everyone! I'm sure anyone would genuinely enjoy Surface Tension. Boys and girls would enjoy it. It deserves five stars! I loved this book!
It's strange how one person can change so much, but the lake can stay the same.
Oh, this book really reminded me of this campsite I went to for a couple of days. This wasn't a lake; it was the ocean, but I kept imagining this scene while reading Surface Tension. It brings back memories of kayaking in the water. Swimming and watch all of the little fish. Skipping rocks, but eventually giving up and just tossing them into the water to see which one made the best splash. Watching the sun set and dip below the water's horizon. It was a great time, and it just reminded me so much of this book! Here's a picture I took (I'd imagine Luke running barefoot across the rocks and jumping in, or him finding the perfect stones to skip) :)
June 5, 2012
I originally reviewed this book on my blog - The Cosy Dragon. For more recent reviews by me, please hop over there.
This is a novel of 4 summers, describing Luke's life from 14 to 16 years, just in the summers he spends at his parents beach house. Runyon shows great control and understanding of the teenage mind, and it is as if you are stepping literally between the summers.
I won't waste your time with a synopsis, I'm sure you can find plenty of better ones on the internet. Basically, Luke spends every summer with his parents by a lake. Their neighbours come and go, but there are always some of the same feelings for Luke. Luke must change with his surroundings or be changed by them.
The thing that stood out most for me was not the growing attraction of Luke towards girls (which is there, and in some places kind of explicitly described), but how he seems to always hurt himself. It is striking that in the last summer of this book, he is able to save someone else, and this marks the turning point of his character. Finally he is growing up, and will get to be a respectable adult. 16 years seems a little late for this to me, when I think of my partner, but then I remember the maturity levels of my highschool years and I think that the males encapsulated in this book are remarkably well described.
The pace is fast, and this makes me feel that this is an ideal book for teens, particularly males. Runyon again produces a novel that makes you feel close to the protagonist. It's amazing how he can get inside Luke's mind. If I didn't know better, I would have said he was writing each section from a diary of his own thoughts! The progression of the character is amazing.
While the novel is somewhat disappointing if you were looking for the depth of feeling that is present in Runyon's semi-autobiography 'The Burn Journals', it's perfectly acceptable as a novel in its own right. It is an easy read. It doesn't really feel complete, and I feel myself longing to know more, but I know that that is unlikely to happen.
Runyon is a great author for boys who might be afraid of romancy type books. That's not to say it isn't suitable for teenage girls, but they are less likely to sympathize with Luke. Luke is about as typical teenage male as you can get. I have recommended it to mothers who have sons that hate fantasy. It's angsty, but not too confronting.
Please note that on the image I have included there is a giant white blob. But that's not there on the book's cover in real life. It's a nice simple cover, which I really thought suited the book, and it fits in with the rest of his books, which I will get to reviewing soon!
This is a novel of 4 summers, describing Luke's life from 14 to 16 years, just in the summers he spends at his parents beach house. Runyon shows great control and understanding of the teenage mind, and it is as if you are stepping literally between the summers.
I won't waste your time with a synopsis, I'm sure you can find plenty of better ones on the internet. Basically, Luke spends every summer with his parents by a lake. Their neighbours come and go, but there are always some of the same feelings for Luke. Luke must change with his surroundings or be changed by them.
The thing that stood out most for me was not the growing attraction of Luke towards girls (which is there, and in some places kind of explicitly described), but how he seems to always hurt himself. It is striking that in the last summer of this book, he is able to save someone else, and this marks the turning point of his character. Finally he is growing up, and will get to be a respectable adult. 16 years seems a little late for this to me, when I think of my partner, but then I remember the maturity levels of my highschool years and I think that the males encapsulated in this book are remarkably well described.
The pace is fast, and this makes me feel that this is an ideal book for teens, particularly males. Runyon again produces a novel that makes you feel close to the protagonist. It's amazing how he can get inside Luke's mind. If I didn't know better, I would have said he was writing each section from a diary of his own thoughts! The progression of the character is amazing.
While the novel is somewhat disappointing if you were looking for the depth of feeling that is present in Runyon's semi-autobiography 'The Burn Journals', it's perfectly acceptable as a novel in its own right. It is an easy read. It doesn't really feel complete, and I feel myself longing to know more, but I know that that is unlikely to happen.
Runyon is a great author for boys who might be afraid of romancy type books. That's not to say it isn't suitable for teenage girls, but they are less likely to sympathize with Luke. Luke is about as typical teenage male as you can get. I have recommended it to mothers who have sons that hate fantasy. It's angsty, but not too confronting.
Please note that on the image I have included there is a giant white blob. But that's not there on the book's cover in real life. It's a nice simple cover, which I really thought suited the book, and it fits in with the rest of his books, which I will get to reviewing soon!
January 28, 2012
Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers follows Luke from ages 13-16 as his family makes their annual trip to their summer home. Each summer, Luke's family will spend 2 weeks at the lake and for Luke at 13, that's nowhere near long enough. He would stay all year if his parents could afford it. However, as Luke ages, he begins to dread the annual trip there. Suddenly what once seemed magical is boring. Where he once loved the isolation, he soon grows frustrated with the lack of cell phone service. Adding to Luke's frustrations is his growing embarrassment of his parents who get silly when they drink and hold crazy vendettas against the other neighbors. By the end of Luke's 16th summer, he is starting to realize that even though the magic of his earlier years there is long gone, he can find a new appreciation at his summer home.
I really liked this book because I related to it in so many ways. Like Luke, we had a summer home that used to seem like the best place ever when I was younger. However, as with the case with many teenagers, those few weeks you spent there that were once the best of the year, soon become filled with boredom and you dread going there.
Surface Tension is a really great book for boys. Brent Runyon did a great job writing for Luke at all the different ages. I think this might be a better read for older YA boys who might relate a little better to Luke's experiences. This one is definitely going out as a Staff pick.
I really liked this book because I related to it in so many ways. Like Luke, we had a summer home that used to seem like the best place ever when I was younger. However, as with the case with many teenagers, those few weeks you spent there that were once the best of the year, soon become filled with boredom and you dread going there.
Surface Tension is a really great book for boys. Brent Runyon did a great job writing for Luke at all the different ages. I think this might be a better read for older YA boys who might relate a little better to Luke's experiences. This one is definitely going out as a Staff pick.
Read
December 4, 2011 This book is not something I would normally read. I was intrigued by the title and that is why I chose to read it. The story tells of a boy named Luke. He is 13 at the beginning of the novel and as the novel progresses he comes to the age of 16. The story tells of his family's summer trips to their cottage and portrays how he grows each summer that he visits. His reactions to his life and environment change over time. The writing sytle is particularly good, although slightly flawed, but it is very interesting because it shows Luke's voice changing over time.
For me, this book was especially touching because I have a son. As a parent, you constantly worry about how your children are feeling and what they are thinking. This book presents an authentic portrayal of a young boy and the changes he endures. I believe that even girls will be able to relate to Luke's experiences. It is a great read, and I definitely recommend it.
For me, this book was especially touching because I have a son. As a parent, you constantly worry about how your children are feeling and what they are thinking. This book presents an authentic portrayal of a young boy and the changes he endures. I believe that even girls will be able to relate to Luke's experiences. It is a great read, and I definitely recommend it.
February 12, 2009
Nothing stays the same. Every summer, Luke and his parents enjoy a two week vacation at their cabin on the lake. The story of four summers develops as Luke does: at thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. From early teen excitedness to mid-teen pretension, Runyon offers a pleasant portrait of how age influences our outlook on life. Friends, parents, girls… Luke deals with the expected unexpectedness of everyday life. Like Runyon’s earlier work, our protagonist is drawn as a likeable and realistic teenage boy. Luke is delightfully honest and comfortably relatable, but (perhaps unfairly) compared to Runyon’s intense Burn Journals (Alfred A. Knopf 2004), nothing too exciting really happens to him! Surface Tension offers readers a slow-paced peep into a pretty normal adolescent life - likely to be enjoyed by young men and women looking for a relaxed and semi-introspective read.
June 3, 2009
I really liked this book. Runyon again delivers a book about teen males which is not cliched and very definitely focuses on what is important to teen males. (yes, sex, etc.) What makes this different is that Lucas, the main character, is seen over a four year period of time - like vignettes - from age 13 - 16. What I especially like about the book are the everyday-ordinary-life-events and topics. And the novel's cohesiveness works - each stage of Lucas' life revolve around the family's annual summer vacation.
I didn't notice when reading this, as one critic did, that the pop culture references are from the 1980's but the book takes place in 2005ish. (4 year time period). I grew up in the 80's so I thought nothing of this, but the critic is right - I wonder how teens would feel about references to Karate Kid and ET.
I didn't notice when reading this, as one critic did, that the pop culture references are from the 1980's but the book takes place in 2005ish. (4 year time period). I grew up in the 80's so I thought nothing of this, but the critic is right - I wonder how teens would feel about references to Karate Kid and ET.
June 2, 2009
This was kind of a cool book. I loved seeing the passage of time and how Luke reacts to his family's annual summer vacation differently as time goes on. There isn't exactly an ongoing plot to be resolved in this book, so you won't close it with a satisfying sigh at the end, but this is a pretty good snapshot and how while some things are constantly changing, some things always stay the same.
I was slightly bothered that at the age of 13, our main character swore just as much as he did at age 16. That was the one area in which I thought the character could have been better developed; I would have prefered to see a change as he grew up, a sort of innocense to experience thing. But it was not to be, and it probably doesn't detract too much from the story.
I was slightly bothered that at the age of 13, our main character swore just as much as he did at age 16. That was the one area in which I thought the character could have been better developed; I would have prefered to see a change as he grew up, a sort of innocense to experience thing. But it was not to be, and it probably doesn't detract too much from the story.
February 16, 2011
- amazon descrip: The cottage on the lake is always the same, but Luke is changing. At thirteen he s excited. At fourteen he s cool. At fifteen he s pissed off. At sixteen he s in love.[return][return]Through four summers worth of trips to the emergency room, campfires and house fires, parties and feuds with neighbors, Luke is doing his best to navigate life. He makes discoveries, makes mistakes, freaks out, and comes to see things in a new light. [return][return]Brent Runyon has crafted a remarkable portrait of a boy at four distinct points in his life and literally shows us his coming of age. It s a story that explores what is ever-changing and what is timeless, and how we are shaped by both the people and places we love.
September 20, 2011
I expected more. This story spans 4 summers of a teenage boy's life, and I suppose I was looking for something that never surfaced by the end of this book. Not sure what I was exactly looking for though.
As an aside, I was totally confused about when this book took place. There were references to ET posters in his room and that his parents were children of the 1960s, so I was thinking mid-1980s was the timeline for the story. If your parents were children of the 1960s (think Family Ties), then mid 1980s would make total sense. But the latter two summers talked about cell phones and the movie I Am Legend, which totally confused me. So if his parents are children of the 1960s, then he has 60-70 year old parents????
As an aside, I was totally confused about when this book took place. There were references to ET posters in his room and that his parents were children of the 1960s, so I was thinking mid-1980s was the timeline for the story. If your parents were children of the 1960s (think Family Ties), then mid 1980s would make total sense. But the latter two summers talked about cell phones and the movie I Am Legend, which totally confused me. So if his parents are children of the 1960s, then he has 60-70 year old parents????
June 3, 2009
At first, I didn't think I liked this book. After some reflection, though, I realized each part left me with distinct feelings about a memorable episode the main character experiences. For 13-year-old Luke, I felt fear as he desperately tried to retrieve his favorite fishing lure only to be bitten by a snapping turtle. I felt 14-year-old Luke's bewilderment about being around Eliza and trying to make sense of how to react around her. Felt mad at 15-year-old Luke for turning into such a jerk with his friend Steve. And, finally, felt heartache for 16-year-old Steve's realization and acceptance of the universal fact that nothing can ever stay the same.
January 9, 2010
This is an interesting book about how a young boy grows up into adulthood. The protagonist is Luke, and he is thirteen years old in the beginning. As the books goes on, Luke becomes sixteen years old. It is amazing to see how he goes through so many different changes in his life. Luke and his family always take a trip to a cottage near a lake in the summer, and they leave on his birthday. I really enjoyed reading about all his experiences, and I am sure that some teenagers can relate to his thoughts and emotions while growing up. There are a few relationships involved in the book as well. This is what I thought of the great novel.
January 25, 2010
What worked for me in Runyon's third literary endeavor is that the voice of Luke seemed so authentic. And this is important because of the setting. In fact, I can't think of a recent YA novel in which both the time and place play such an important role. Because we only know Luke from the two week vacations he takes with his parents, the reader is tasked with filling in the blanks for the other 11 1/2 months. A ballsy move for an author.
And yes, Luke becomes more foul-mouthed the older he gets. Necessary? Not really. One "fuck" is as good as a hundred to convey the teenage angst and desire to be grown-up.
And yes, Luke becomes more foul-mouthed the older he gets. Necessary? Not really. One "fuck" is as good as a hundred to convey the teenage angst and desire to be grown-up.
January 20, 2016
This was a super easy book to read; I read it in one day. Although I liked the perspective, I wanted it to go deeper. When the Bells sold their house, it sounded like they sold everything they own to this man, and to me that sounded like a cult. I wanted to know more about the minister. Why was he always on the phone (and what was that hot dog conversation about)? And who was the little girl and why was she all alone? Also, the first summer he was there, it seemed like there was something weird about Mary and then we never saw her again. I wanted to know more about all of the characters surrounding him.
August 5, 2009
From the author of The Burn Journals, this is a fantastic concept...showing a teen boy over the the four summers he spends at his family's cabin. Unfortunately, I got really stuck on a few things. It's set modern day (he mentions ear buds and Jackass), yet the teen mentions his mom and dad protested the Vietnam War and marched for Civil Rights. Did I miss something? They don't seem to be in their 60s. Added to that, sometimes the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural. I really wanted to like this, but like I said, I got stuck.
November 17, 2009
Luke's family has a cottage on the lake and they go their every summer for vacation. They do lots of fun things: go for ice cream, hike to a waterfall, fish, swim, read and relax... It's a great place; one of Luke's favorites.
Each summer is different though, especially when you are between the ages of 13-16. This story covers those four summers, skillfully changing Luke's voice to accurately portray what a boy that age might actually do, say, and think. However, certain events were just too dramatic and some people were too stereotypical to really do the story justice.
Each summer is different though, especially when you are between the ages of 13-16. This story covers those four summers, skillfully changing Luke's voice to accurately portray what a boy that age might actually do, say, and think. However, certain events were just too dramatic and some people were too stereotypical to really do the story justice.
May 30, 2009
I've been reading some of Landon's young adult fiction, and I must say it's a sweet break. Landon read this book in two nights. I think it took me three nights. A sweet study of growing up from a boy's perspective. There are 4 chapters..age 13-age 16. I must admit it made me a little sad that the inevitable will happen and my own son will someday be focused on boners and boobs more than the innocent joy of spending time in nature with his parents.
October 5, 2009
This novel is about Luke, and the summers he spends at his family's cottage by the lake when he is 13, then 14, 15, and 16. The author really captures the essence of the teen years for Luke (told in the first person), and his coming of age as he changes from being excited about his two weeks at the lake to becoming a little less enchanted by the same things that used to excite him when he was younger.
Brent Runyon is also the author of The Burn Journals.
Brent Runyon is also the author of The Burn Journals.
August 14, 2012
I loved the autobiographical sketch by Runyon in The Burn Journals and so I thought I would try his work at fiction. He stays with the same genre of a young boy growing up, but because this story contains no major conflict or character development like Burn Journals, you get a peak inside the thoughts of a teenage kid, and that's the extent of it.
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