Surface Tension by Brent Runyon

Surface Tension by Brent Runyon

‘Surface Tension’ is a great coming of age novel. Luke is a teenage boy, and it is told from his point of view. This story is broken down into four parts. The four parts represent his life through four summers and you can really see how much he has grown, mentally and emotionally. He also overcomes many problems and issues.

In the first part of the story, Luke is thirteen years old. In this part of the novel, Luke is excited for his future and he is not worried about too many things. He’s looking forward to going to his cottage with his father and mother just as he has been doing since his childhood.

In the second part of the story, Luke is fourteen years old. During this part of Luke’s life, he’s the cool kid and is making new friends. You can see how much he grows up during this part as his opinions change and the new people in his life influence his decisions.

When he turns fifteen, he goes to his cottage with his best friend, Steve. During this part of the novel, Luke is very angry with himself and others. The smallest thing can set him off. I can personally relate to this part, because I’m in this age range and can understand why he gets mad so easily. It’s usually because of so many things going on and you’re trying to figure out what you want to do or be.

The last part is where Luke is sixteen years old and this is the part in his life where he falls in love. There are lots of advantages and disadvantages for this stage in his life. He goes through feelings such as being on top of the world and then being heartbroken.

This novel is really easy to relate to if you’re going through your teenage years and many things that Luke goes through, may be similar to those things you’re going through. I’d recommend this book to people who fall between the age ranges of thirteen to eighteen.