Surface Tension by Mike Mullin is the first novel I have read by him, and boy, what a read. I received an ARC thru Net Galley for an honest review.
After witnessing an act of domestic terrorism while training in his bike for his next race.. Jake is found near death, with a serious head injury and unable to remember the plane crash,or the aftermath that landed him in the hospital.
A,terrorists leader's teen-aged daughter, Besty, is sent to kill Jake and eliminate him as a possible eye witness. When Jake's mom blames his head injury for his tales of attempted murder, and what might have happened with the plane, he has to rely on his girlfriend, Laurissa. As she helps him escape the killers and the law enforcement agents that are convinced that Jake himself, had a role in the crash things are going to heat up.
From the first page, Mike Mullin captures my attention, and until the very last page. Surface Tension is masterfully crafted, kept me up at night with me wanting to find out what was going to happen to Jake, and feeling bad for Jake. However, Jake is not the only one who's life is about to change. Just when you think you have everything figured out, Mike Mullin throw a few plot twists to shake things up.
Loved, loved Surface Tension, and thank you Mike Mullin for a fantastic read.

Although the plot on the surface seems pretty out there and bizarre, once I read it, it seemed more and more plausible. The characters were interesting, although I never quite understood all the motivations and machinations of the terrorist(s).

This book gives new meaning to the phrases "hidden in plain sight" or "can't see the forest for the trees". Mullin did an amazing job with the twists and turns the plot takes and I for one would have relished a sequel.

The cover and description of this YA book intrigued me, and the story didn't disappoint me. Though I admit this wasn't exactly the type of book that I'd normally choose, I found it fairly easy to get sucked into this action and characters. The story about a boy witnessing a terrorist attack, and then suffering memory loss, was fast paced. And Jake an avid biker made a great protagonist. I also loved his relationship with his girlfriend Laurissa, who was from a wealthy family, which caused conflict with Jake. Betsy, one of the antagonists, also got my sympathy for being caught up in her dad's right wing politics. This book explored a lot of viewpoint angles and would make a great selection for book clubs. Also a number of surprises in chapters to kept me interested and were great enough to relate to friends that read. One scene that comes to mind was the bike chase when Jake stole a child's bike and chased Betsy on her bike. Then later the bike he stole was stolen. A few parts of the story were a stretch to believe but I was carried along by the narrative and the high stakes ending was awesome. On a final note, I also loved the mention of another book Little Brother, near the end and if you haven't read it, put Little Brother on your reading list.

Mike Mullin never disappoints. This action packed book will leave you on the edge of your seat! Be prepared to stay up late finishing this book because you wont be able to put it down.

Mike Mullin does it again! Surface Tension is a perfect balance of humor, intrigue, and action. This book will surely be a hit for teens and adults alike.

A third of the way through this book my mouth was hanging open and I clenched my shoulders with tension. This is a truly frightening book. The action swings between Betsy, who is part of a Right Wing terrorist cell in Indianapolis and Jake, a high school bicycle racer who has the HUGE misfortune to ride by an operation to bring down an airplane. Add an overly zealous FBI agent, adults who think Jake is suffering hallucinations, stolen bikes, domestic abuse and a whole slew of other things and you've got a page turner. It's a bit overwrought, sensational and violent. But the suspense is chilling. Wait. There may very well be more.

High action YA, with an intriguing premise and relatable lead characters. I found the overall storyline less believable as it went along, but the pacing and suspense are elevated enough to keep the reader turning the pages.

I love Mullin's Ashfall series and I was intrigued when I heard he was writing a thriller. I was curious to see how Mullins handled a thriller and he didn't disappoint. "Surface Tension" was a wild ride, fast paced and high on action.

"Surface Tension" starts with a bang and never lets up. Jake is a high school student and a serious cyclist. While out training for a bike race, he sees a plane crash, then is injured and wakes up in the hospital. The details he remembers don't align with that people are telling him, the police are suspicious, and then someone tries to kill him.

Jake, Laurissa, and Betsy are vivid, memorable, strong characters. They are strong, resourceful, smart, sometimes cocky, sometimes impulsive, but ultimately believable and enjoyable. They felt like real teens and not a cleaned up version suitable for adults. Jake made mistakes but most of the time his intentions were good. He's in a race to save his life and top stop the terrorists from doing more damage. The police believe he's involved with the terrorists and treat him accordingly. Federal agencies are involved also and I absolutely loathed one of the agents. He was no better than the terrorists, just working for the US, sadly. He was every bit as fanatical and unethical as the people he was fighting.

While "Surface Tension" had some unbelievable moments, much of it was frighteningly plausible and possible. I read it in one sitting, gobbling it up, and later had to go back and re-read to catch some of the details I had missed the first time around. "Surface Tension" combined memorable characters, tight plotting, thorough research (a trademark trait of Mullin's), a (mostly) realistic story line, and made for an utterly engaging story.

Wanton killing of innocent civilians is terrorism, not a war against terrorism. - Noam Chomsky

Seventeen year old Jake Solley loves racing his bike and is quite good at it. One training day he's bicycling on a remote country road when he witnesses an act of homegrown terrorism. He tries to get away and ends up with a brain injury and terrorists trying to kill him. Oh, and nobody believes him.

The premise behind this story seemed far-fetched. Maybe it could actually happen like it's told in this story or maybe the author took some liberties for the story's sake. Whichever is true, the book is action packed.

The story is told between two viewpoints - Jake and the daughter of a terrorist (a mini terrorist in her own right). Also a major character in the story is Jake's girlfriend.

If you like thrillers, take a chance on this one. It was a good, gripping story.

I received this book from Tanglewood Publishing through both Edelweiss and Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tanglewood and Mike Mullin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is nothing that Jake loves more than riding his bike. He is addicted to the speed, banking around tight turns and the feel of the wind in his face. He not only loves to ride, but to race and not only to race, but to win. He needs to win enough races so that the USA team will make him an offer to join them. Jake trains very hard and today he is annoyed that a whole bunch of tanker trucks are lined up along his special route. Jake hears the roar of a plane overhead and all of a sudden, he witnesses the trucks opening up in unison when this horrid smell causes Jake to throw up and smash into one of the open trucks. He finds himself in the front seat of a pickup truck, with two men who, instead of helping him, are trying to kill him. Next, Jake wakes up in the hospital and discovers that along with his other injuries, he has undergone brain surgery. He doesn’t remember anyone, including his own mother and has no recollection of his life, including the day of the accident.

Betsy is 17, the same age as Jake, and lives with her father. Her mother left the family a long time ago when her father was becoming radicalized. Betsy was involved in helping bring down Flight 117 but her goal is to become the first full fledged member of the organization. But she needs to complete one more task before that can happen. It is something her father has been training her for her whole life. She just has to kill Jake.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was exciting and there was lots of fast paced action and Mullin did a great job with the writing. We know that there is some sort of terrorist group whose members speak Arabic and dress up as Muslims, but are just trying to place the blame of the attack onto Muslims. You always had enough information to be interested in the mystery, without the author giving too much away. The story is told in the style of alternating chapters between Jake and Betsy’s point of view and I found that it worked really well. The characters were well developed and you were invested in their well being.

And then, about two thirds of the way through, the book took a sudden shift. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers but the whole thing just became so unrealistic. The actions didn’t seem true to character, there were too many unbelievable things happening, almost like the author decided that the storyline wasn’t enough and he had to add in a bunch of extra stuff in to keep it exciting. I didn’t really respond to the ending and how the whole storyline resolved itself.

Overall I enjoyed the book, except for the wild turn and some parts of the ending. I think that YA’s might enjoy it. One thing I got out of it - Jake made me take out my bike and go for a spin!

Long distance high-school-aged Jake is doing his usual long distance riding exercise when he stumbles into a weird scenario on a deserted road, passing a bunch of semi-trucks giving off a nasty smell. After an explosion, he finds himself not rescued, but captured by guys who apparently want to kill him.

He manages to escape from a moving truck. When he wakens days later, he’s in the hospital, his memory is as battered as his body. His goal of joining the US cycling team is blown to smithereens . . . but he gradually discovers that his dreams are only a small part of what blew up.

And. There’s someone is trying to kill him.

We switch to the would-be killer, a girl named Betsey, who at first has pejoratives for everyone not in her father’s secret society, the Sons of Paine. She’s a testbook case of brainwashing, but she keeps remembering her mother, who had misgivings about the group’s plans.

Betsey is ordered to try again, or she’s going to be in deep trouble with her very, very scary father.

Meanwhile Jake, who is trying to reacquaint himself with his girlfriend Laurissa, finds himself tangling with the FBI, whose agents need a confession for a crime he didn’t commit, he has nowhere to turn.

Mike Mullin provides high velocity tension by showing the readers both sides of the conflict. What Jake and Laurissa don’t know jacks the tension up might higher, I think, than if they were constantly encountering these dangerous jolts along with the reader.

I loved Jake, Laurissa, and even Betsey, who I think deserves her own book. The kids are smart, believable, and have sound moral cores, which is such a relief to read, especially these days when the news is full of powerful criminals and con men doing their best to wreck the world.

Great pacing makes this a terrific summer read.

Surface Tension was a real nail-biter! Jake is out early one Sunday morning training on his bike, sees something a little odd - and then wakes up much later in the hospital. Betsy is part of a domestic terrorist cell, and she's been tasked with killing Jake. The story is told in alternating chapters by Jake and Betsy, although we definitely spend more time with Jake,. Jake was an unknowing witness to a terrorist act that resulted in a plane crash and the deaths of over 100 people. The problem is that his injuries have left him with a lot of holes in his memory. Despite the fact that he can't remember anything, he's a loose end that needs tying up. Betsy wants to do the cleanup in order to prove to her father that she's worthy of being a full-fledged member of their group. There's a terrific amount of suspense here. Jake is trying to recover from devastating injuries while still being targeted by the terrorists. The FBI believes he was somehow involved and grows increasingly suspicious and threatening. Jake's mom thinks he's hallucinating as a side effect of the brain injuries. Basically, grownups are useless and there's no one who will help, except Jake's girlfriend, Laurissa, whom he can't even remember at first. Surface Tension is cleverly plotted and well-written. Jake is an engaging protagonist, and his struggle to heal while staying one step ahead of disaster is gripping. The story wraps up in a satisfying way, and there's a little twist at the end that leaves room for a sequel. I'll be waiting for it!

If the spirit of young adults facing unbelievable odds is something that draws you in, Mike Mullin’s SURFACE TENSION is exactly what you need! Geared to a young adult audience, the main character, Jake and his girlfriend, Laurissa are average teens who become incredible survivors against all odds. Even the anti-heroine, Betsy is a great character, especially once her life is revealed.

Jake was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it could cost him his life as both terrorists and the government are hot on his tail. His one goal was to get on the USA cycling team, and that’s what put him on that deserted road, among semi-trucks when a commercial airliner was blown from the sky.

Captured by the terrorists and in a moment of daring, he escapes a moving truck. When he awakes days later in the hospital, his memory is almost non-existent, his dreams of cycling greatness are gone and someone is trying to kill him. When the FBI needs a confession for a crime he didn’t commit, he has nowhere to turn.

Only the quick thinking of his girlfriend, Laurissa and her family’s wealth and power give him any sense of hope in the legal arena, but first he must survive the further attempts on both his life and the lives of those he loves by the terrorists and an unscrupulous FBI agent.

Mike Mullin provides high velocity tension, giving readers a gut-clenching and wild ride from start to finish! With a cast of incredible characters that feel lifelike, a seemingly insurmountable stack of odds against them and some pretty contemporary events, Mr. Mullin has created a tale that is riveting from that first page until the very end.

Perfect pacing, action and crazy-scary events make for a perfect young adult read, (no matter how old your birth certificate says you are!)

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Tanglewood Publishing!

Publisher: Tanglewood (May 8, 2018)
Publication Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: YA Suspense
Print Length: 424 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I enjoyed this book and I do recommend it to genre fans! Well written with a good plot. Protagonists were easy to relate to and I give Surface Tension three stars.

He races bikes and is doing very well at it. That means he practices a lot and he has several routes he takes. He sure never expected to run into a bunch of trucks on the back road he was on. What's worse is he saw something they didn't want him to. He's hurt, left for dead, but survives. That's not the end of them trying to murder him...

Tanglewood and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published May 8th.

What's most terrifying about this story is that the terrorists are home grown. They come from all walks of life including the cops and the FBI. How they can stay hidden is by killing anyone with knowledge and that's why they are after him. It doesn't matter that he has amnesia and can't remember what happened.

They are young and old and in between. One of them uses his daughter at the beginning. Then he uses some young men. He even gets involved himself. But he doesn't realize the teens are not dumb and they know how to fight back.

This is a tense read with a lot of drama. Some of the players end up dead, but not all. There will be more in this series. Mr. Mullin makes you sit up straight and keep reading. He's real good at scaring you with situations that could possibly become real. I hope not.

It was alright. It was almost a little too rushed? I would recommend it, but only to certain audiences.

Jake wakes up in the hospital and doesn’t remember how he got there. He remembers going on a bike ride to train for a race and then the hospital. Apparently, he must have witnessed something because soon after waking up a girl comes to his hospital room and tries to kill him. When that doesn’t work, two more men attempt to take him out of the equation. No one believes Jake that someone is trying to kill him, except his girlfriend. Will Jake survive these professional killers? Will Jake remember what he saw?

Surface Tension is an action-filled story about domestic terrorism and how it could happen in your hometown. Mullin has taken a topic that we usually relate to big cities and foreign countries and spins it into small town USA. This is a stand-alone novel that isn’t very long, so readers will be able to enjoy the complete story without needing to devote a lot of reading time (or waiting time between novels). Surface Tension will please readers of all genders and is appropriate for even the youngest young adult reader.

Trust me when I say this - don't blink or you'll miss some things while reading this book.  It moves that fast.  Surface Tension is a thrilling ride with a chilling premise - it could potentially happen.

Because Jake happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses something he shouldn't, his whole life, and the lives of his loved ones, change in an instant.  He finds himself in dire, nearly impossible situations, many of them life-threatening, but trust me, this kid is smart and resilient.  And his girlfriend, Laurissa, is brave, tenacious, and someone you want on your side.  She's definitely a keeper.  

Told from a dual POV (Jake and Betsy), this book deals with real world issues of terrorism and hate groups and, along with Jake, the reader will question who's trustworthy.  An action-packed, twisty thriller, this is easily a crossover novel I'd recommend to both YA and adult readers.  

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

A great story and the ending was stunning! Jake is a teenager, just a great kid, responsible and likeable. He has witnessed a terrorist attack without realizing it, wakes up in hospital with a head injury and not knowing how he got there. As he searches for answers, he begins to understand what might have happened, but his story sounds so insane that no one believes him. He and his girlfriend Laurissa, set out to find proof of the terrorist attack. Jake’s life is in danger as is that of his mother and girlfriend. The action really ramps up during the book as does the suspense. The ending makes me think there must be another book following this and I would certainly read that!