The writing here is strong, and the pacing and tension are good. I read feverishly...until I hit a snag -- not with the writing or even the characterizations, but with my own ability to deal with the tension. ;) I would definitely call this a thriller/suspense, and the tension is high throughout. I think anyone who enjoys that will *love* this book. For me personally, it was a little too much for a little too long. It looks like there will be a sequel, and I will most likely pick it up, as I'm definitely invested in these characters. I felt sorry for Betsy, and I really like both Jake and Laurissa. All in all, a solid read!

Amazing book! Will definitely recommend to teens in the future. Graphic at times, so will keep recs to older teens.

I have conflicting feelings about Surface Tension. I really liked the overall nature of the espionage-type thriller. But I thought it was overly long (about 420 pages) and really dragged at points. I think the length of the book is going to make it a tough sell with teens.