The Elephant of Surprise

By Brent Hartinger

Book 4 in the Lambda Award-winning Russel Middlebrook Series!

People aren't always what they seem to be. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves.

So discovers seventeen-year-old Russel Middlebrook in The Elephant of Surprise, a stand-alone sequel to Brent Hartinger's landmark 2003 gay teen novel Geography Club (which has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky).

In this latest book, Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar are laughing about something they call the Elephant of Surprise – the tendency for life to never turn out as expected. Sure enough, Russel soon happens upon a hot but mysterious homeless activist named Wade, even as he's drawn back to an old flame named Kevin. Meanwhile, Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah, and Gunnar just wants to be left alone to pursue his latest technology obsession.

But the elephant is definitely on the move in all three of their lives. Just who is Wade and what are he and his friends planning? What is Leah hiding? And why is Gunnar taking naked pictures of Kevin in the shower?

The Elephant of Surprise includes Hartinger's trademark combination of humor and romance, angst and optimism. Before the story is over, Russel and his friends will learn that the Elephant of Surprise really does appear when you least expect him—and that when he stomps on you, it really, really hurts.

PRAISE FOR THE ELEPHANT OF SURPRISE:

“Along with the edifying main plotline, which will appeal to readers of any age, the well-conceived subplots won’t disappoint young readers looking for the juicy gossip that runs through the series. With Russel, there’s always drama—real and perceived—but definitely no lack of love. Fans of the series will revel in this smart, quirky YA novel that’s ripe with substance beyond the surface.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“This is an unusual storyline, but, like Russel, readers may find themselves intrigued by Wade’s [freegan anti-consumerist] lifestyle and beliefs. Secondary plot lines (including one about Russel’s possible reconciliation with his first love, Kevin) support the core drama, and teens will continue to enjoy Russel’s ever-humorous narration. After eating barbecued raccoon with Wade, Russel says, ‘If it doesn’t sound romantic, you’ll just have to take my word for it, because it totally, TOTALLY was.’”
– Publishers Weekly

“Like a warm chocolate cookie right out of the oven!”
– Buried in Books

The Russel Middlebrook Series is “unique and special. Hartinger’s storytelling is alive and uplifting.”
– Children’s Literature

“I also continue to admire and celebrate the series for its matter-of-fact approach to diversity. It’s the first time I can recall ever having read the candid thoughts of a gay white male regarding his attraction to a black male that wasn’t loaded down with stereotyping and racial junk.... Quietly, but thrillingly revolutionary.”
– TheBacklot.com

“I loved this book to bits ... Russel is a narrator it’s a pleasure to spend time with. He’s honest — often touchingly self-deprecating and always hilariously self-conscious. ... This is the kind of teen book I absolutely adore. Funny, thought-provoking and entertaining. Read it!”
– Chicklish

“All the charm of the earlier books in the series, but a richer read. As always with this series, we’re given a story of real-life teenage issues that doesn’t lose the wonderful freshness and humor of youth.”
– Outsmart Magazine

“A simple, wonderful story ... as accessible and reader-friendly as possible. I love this. Oftentimes, particularly lately, stories in the Young Adult genre are riddled with drama and teenage angst. Some of them overly so. This was a lovely change of pace for me, as I suspect it will be for all those who read it. There are, without a doubt, poignant moments in this book, ... [but] underlying it all is this wonderful sense of youthful humor.”
–

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brent Hartinger
• Release date: Feb 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9780984679461

Brent Hartinger

Brent Hartinger is the author of eight novels for young adults, including Geography Club (HarperCollins, 2003) and Shadow Walkers (Flux, 2011). His books have been praised by reviewers at top national dailies like USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, The Oregonian and Seattle Times; leading GLBT publications The Advocate and Instinct Magazine; and top online book review outlets Bookslut.com and Teenreads.com. He is founder and editor of the fantasy website TheTorchOnline.com and also writes for AfterElton.com, the foremost online outlet for GLBT news. He lives in Seattle.

Book preview

The Elephant of Surprise

Copyright © 2013 Brent Hartinger

Smashwords Edition

For Michael Jensen

And for Harold Hartinger

Two men who both

still know how to surprise me

PREVIOUSLY

The Elephant of Surprise is the fourth book in the Russel Middlebrook Series, the story of a gay teenager named Russel and his collection of friends, especially Min, who is bisexual, and Gunnar, who is straight.

In Geography Club, the first book in the series, Russel and Min create a secret gay group at their school, which they call the Geography Club, thinking it sounds so boring no straight person will join. One of the members is Kevin, a popular jock, who Russel begins dating. But when Min suggests they ask Brian Bund, the school outcast and a rumored gay kid, to join their group, the issue splits the membership. Kevin especially wants to keep the club as secret as possible. The disagreement causes the Geography Club to implode. Russel is outed, and Kevin doesn't stand up for him. Kevin eventually apologizes, but it's too late: Russel decides he doesn't love Kevin anymore.

In The Order of the Poison Oak, the second book in the series, Russel, Min, and Gunnar get jobs working as counselors at a summer camp for burn survivors. After competing with Min for a guy named Web, Russel eventually begins a relationship with another counselor, a burn survivor named Otto Digmore. Meanwhile, Gunnar also ends up in a relationship, with a girl named Em. Russel and Otto spend a happy summer together, but must then return to their homes, eight hundred miles apart.

In the third book in the series, Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (also sold under the title Split Screen), Russel, Min, and Gunnar get jobs as zombie extras in a horror film being filmed in their area. We then see the events of the following week from two different perspectives: Russel's and Min's.

In Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, Russel's version, Otto Digmore, Russel's long-distance boyfriend, comes for a visit. At the same time, Kevin reappears in his life, apologizing for past misdeeds and hinting he wants to get back together. Russel eventually makes the decision to stay with Otto. He meets Kevin in a park at night to tell him the choice he's made and is shocked to see Kevin hooking up with an older man. Russel confronts him, but Kevin acts like an arrogant jerk. Russel is more certain than ever he was right to choose Otto.

In Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, Min's version of this same period of time, Min falls for a new girl, Leah, despite the fact that Leah is closeted. They begin dating. Meanwhile, the same night that Russel confronts Kevin in the park at night, Min meets Kevin first. She lays into him, telling him he had his chance with Russel before and he screwed it up, and he's going to ruin Russel's new chance for happiness with Otto. Tearfully, Kevin agrees. In other words, the older man Russel saw that night in the park was merely Min hugging Kevin in the dark. Min listens in the bushes while Russel confronts Kevin. Kevin is a total jerk to Russel, but Min knows he's only pretending in order to get Russel to hate him so he can move on with Otto. Min finally sees just how much Kevin truly loves Russel. But she also knows that Russel has chosen to be with Otto, and that for the time being, she must keep Kevin's noble actions in the park a secret.

CHAPTER ONE

I was deep in the thick of the jungle, wild animals glaring at me from all around. I stood frozen, certain that if I made even the slightest move, these vicious beasts would lunge for me, biting with glistening fangs and rending my flesh with razor claws.

No, really, I was!

I know, I know. You're thinking: "He always does this. He starts the story pretending he's in the middle of some exciting event—a war, a fire, a zombie apocalypse—but then it just turns out to be something metaphorical. I'm not falling for it this time."

But this time, I really was in the middle of a jungle. I really was surrounded by vicious, wild animals.

Okay, so it was just the African safari section of the zoo. The jungle was the bamboo and banana plants growing along the concrete pathways, and the wild animals were in the enclosures all around me—the immersion kind, designed to recreate the animals' natural habitat, but with cleverly disguised moats and hidden wire fences keeping the lions and hyenas and wildebeests away from all the helpless people.

But hey, at least it's not a metaphor for anything!

My name is Russel Middlebrook, I'm seventeen years old and a junior in high school, and I'd come to the zoo on a Saturday afternoon with my two best friends, Min and Gunnar—although Gunnar had wandered off somewhere else at that exact moment.

Did you know that lions are the only species of cat where the males and females look different? Min said, staring out at the animals.

I hadn't known that. There was a lot I didn't know, something I was reminded of whenever I spent any time around Min, a self-described Chow Mein brain. This is my polite way of saying that—at least in a certain light and from a certain angle—Min can be something of a know-it-all.

They act differently too, she said. The females don't just raise the young, they also do most of the hunting. The males look and act all regal, and they're big on fighting each other, but they're mostly sort of worthless. At this, she sort of eyed me pointedly.

Wait, I said. What was that look for?

What look?

You just sort of eyed me, as though the way male lions act is somehow a reflection on me, on males in general.

I did not.

You totally did! That's totally sexist. You of all people. I can't believe how sexist that is! For the record, Min is an outspoken feminist (I am too).

She ignored me, just turned for the wildebeests. (Or wildebeest? Does anyone know the plural of wildebeest?) Out in their immersion pen, five of the animals stood listlessly in the dirt—their hooves had long since worn the grass down to almost nothing. So much for recreating their natural habitat.

As for the wildebeest—naturally, Min knew the plural of wildebeest—people talk about herd animals like they're mindless, that the 'herd mentality' is just everyone blindly following everyone else. But herds can actually be intelligent. Scientists now refer to it as something called 'swarm intelligence.'

Min was being even more know-it-all-y than usual today. This had the effect of making me feel even more insecure.

What's the only marsupial where both sexes have a pouch? I said.

She looked at me. What?

Marsupials. You know: animals with pouches—like kangaroos and koala bears.

I know what a marsupial is, Min said.

The water opossum. That's the only one where both the males and females have pouches. Well, I guess male Tasmanian tigers also had pouches, but they're supposed to be extinct.

She kept staring at me. What exactly does that have to do with anything?

"Well, you were just talking about how male and female lions were different. And about how wildebeests—I mean wildebeest—use swarm intelligence."

Yes, but that's because we were looking at lions and wildebeest. We're not looking at water opossums. I mean, this is the African savannah. Aren't water opossums from Mexico?

Were they? I didn't know. I'd only known that bit about male water opossums having pouches from a special on TV a few nights before, but I didn't remember the narrator saying where they lived. So not only did Min know more than I did about every other animal, she even knew more than I did about the one animal that I'd thought I'd known something about.

She smirked. Feeling a little insecure today, are we?

I've already admitted that if Min could be something of a know-it-all, I could be a little insecure—at least in a certain light and from a certain angle.

What about you? I said.

What about me? she said.

Something's up. What's going on? I couldn't come right out and accuse Min of being more know-it-all-y than usual, but it was kind of implied.

She turned and headed into this fake cave-tunnel that led to the next cluster of animal displays. I followed. Inside the cavern, there was this stretch of glass panels that showed African termites in their nest, sort of like a giant ant farm. I think the idea was that we were supposed to be walking through one of those giant termite mounds you see on the African savannah. It wasn't bad, actually.

Min lingered at the termite display. Behind the glass, termites plodded. They're slower than ants: they don't scurry.

It's Leah, she said.

Min is bisexual, and Leah was her girlfriend who went to a different school. It was February, and the two of them had been going out forever, at least since November.

What about her? I said, concerned.

She's hiding something from me. Keeping secrets.

This bears some explanation. Back in November, when Min and Leah had first started going out, they'd had this big conflict because Leah didn’t want to come out as a lesbian, at least not in high school. Leah knew she was a lesbian—she wasn't conflicted or questioning—but she also wanted a normal high school experience. She just didn't want to have to stand up for herself or be the center of attention. For a time, this had been a real sore point for Min because (a) she's definitely a stand-up-for-yourself kind of person, and (b) she'd gone through this disastrous relationship earlier last year with this girl who refused to come out, and Min had vowed never to do anything like that again. But eventually Min had come around to the idea that different people, even people who like each other, can sometimes come to different conclusions about things.

How do you know? I said to Min, about the secrets Leah was supposedly keeping.

Little things. Like she's weird about letting me borrow her phone. And she changes the subject whenever I talk about the future.

You could be imagining things, I said.

I know. It's mostly just a feeling.

I spotted something on the floor of the fake cave: a dead termite. Was it possible one of them had escaped from the colony? And if one of them had escaped, did that mean one of the lions or hyenas or tigers could get out of their cages too? Hey, maybe I really was in danger of being torn apart by a wild animal.

How's the relationship itself? I asked.

That's just it. I thought we were doing great. But suddenly it feels like she's withdrawn. I mean, she's not here today, is she?

But maybe she's just reacting to your being suspicious.

I know. She sighed. Do you think she could be cheating? Like, with a boyfriend or something? I mean, isn't that part of the 'normal' high school experience?

I thought about this. I was tempted to say, No way! Never! But I'd had an experience of my own back in November when I'd learned something about my ex, a guy named Kevin Land, that had totally shocked me. Now I knew you couldn't ever assume anything about anyone.

So finally, I just said, I don't know. I don't think so, but I'm not sure I know anything anymore.

Min gave me a long look, like she wanted to say something, but didn't quite know what. Finally, she turned and walked the rest of the way through the termite mound out into the daylight of the next cluster of displays: zebras, elephants, and monkeys. You expect monkeys to be swinging around and whooping it up, don't you? These weren't. Maybe it was too cold that time of year. What were they doing putting animals from the African savannah outside in February anyway? Besides, those monkeys were in cages. How excited could they ever be?

How are things with Otto? Min said as we stopped to watch the monkeys.

Otto was my boyfriend—a really great guy. We'd been going out even longer than forever, since summer the year before when we'd met at camp. Unfortunately, he lived eight hundred miles away.

But how were things with him? I had to think about that. It was right then I noticed the air smelled like three different kinds of animal shit.

Things are good, I guess, I said. Wait, no, they're great. No, hold on, maybe they're just good.

The last time I'd seen Otto, back in November, Min had been trying to figure out if she and Leah could be together, and I'd been trying to figure out if Otto and I could make a long-distance relationship work. In the end, we'd decided we could. And we had. That wasn't what was wrong. But something was. Did my feelings toward Otto have something to do with the fact that I'd been feeling especially insecure that day?

Min and I sighed at exactly the same time.

We looked at each other and laughed. It was one of those unexpected moments where you feel totally connected to the person next to you—sharing the exact same feeling in the exact same moment in time. Better still, you know it.

Can I be totally honest? I said.

No, Min said. Whatever gave you the idea you could be totally honest with me?

I smiled. I think I just feel like I'm in a bit of a rut. You know? I mean, I go to school and stare at screens and blackboards. I go home and stare at televisions and computer screens.

And right now, Otto is nothing but a blip on one of those computer screens.

"Yes. No. Maybe. It's more than that. But yeah, with our relationship being an online one, I guess everything does seem a little predictable.

Reviews for The Elephant of Surprise

[hrose2931 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay so I'm gonna go all fan girly over this novel. I loved, loved, loved it! No, I haven't read any of the other novels in the series, but I wasn't at all lost. There is enough back story that I felt completely in the know as I read the story. Russel is the navigator of The Elephant of Surprise and I say it that way because he's kind of leading a double life. Don't worry his friends are, too, sort of. I love having Russel narrate because he talks to the reader asking us to agree with him. He is funny and kind of like talking to one of the girls. He swoons over the same things we do, tight shirts over big muscles, kissable lips....definitely notices the things we do. Russel also has a flair for the dramatic and apparently metaphors. The novel begins with Russel telling us he's in the middle of a jungle with vicious animals all around, frozen with fear afraid one move would make him prey for some animal. Then he says, "No, really, I was! I know, I know. You're thinking: 'He always does this. He stars the story pretending he's in the middle of some exciting event- a war, a fire, a zombie apocalypse,- but then it just turns out to be something metaphorical. I'm not falling for it this time.'" (first page, chapter one) Drama, metaphors. But my favorite and this shows his humor which is present throughout the book - "A weed had broken through the concrete of my heart. (Yes, I know that's over-the-top. Go with it.) (Chapter 11). Russel is always throwing things out to the reader like we are living the story with him. I loved it! Russel's love life is a bit of a drama, too. Remember it's high school, who's wasn't? He is torn between his jock (gorgeous) ex who did something unforgivable (or maybe he just thinks he did) and a new guy he met, a "Freegan" who he can't tell if he's gay or not. There is a nice lesson in there about being Freegan something I've never heard of, don't worry it's not an info dump. It's really entertaining and makes some very good points about Americans and consumerism. No, I didn't feel guilty. I read for pleasure, not to feel guilty. But it was good knowledge to have.Then there's Min who is dating a girl from another school who isn't exactly "out" yet. Min thinks she might be cheating on her, but is afraid to confront her. What she convinces Gunnar and Russel to do to get any evidence that she's cheating definitely goes beyond the bounds of friendship. She sends out the "Bat Signal" as Russel says. I say more the Bat S*** Crazy signal. But it does make for some funny/tense moments. Min is one of a kind. I need to read the rest of the series just to see her antics. Apparently she is a know-it-all, only she really does know it all!And Gunnar, well according to Min and Russel he operates on a whole other level. (I've got a son like that. We haven't identified the level yet). Gunnar documents his every waking minute and posts it on line during the book. Russel tells him it's so boring even he unfriended him but Gunnar doesn't care. We don't see a lot of Gunnar, but I think still waters run deep with Gunnar. Russel describes him as "too different to even realize how different he is, if that makes any sense. It's something of a curse, but it's a good curse: it makes him one of the most interesting people I've ever met, and probably one of the most interesting people I ever will meet." (end of chapter one).These are people you really want to get to know the more you read about them. They are so close they feel the same feelings at the same time. They have each others backs. They love each other. There is no petty back stabbing or jealousy. These three are true friends and despite their own troubles, they ask about each others lives and help each other, no matter how crazy the scheme or idea, because that's what friends do. So when The Elephant of Surprise comes and stomps on them or brings happiness, they are there for each other.Recommend for lovers of contemporary YA, romance, and friendships. There is some language and sexual mentions so this would be for a more mature YA reader. I highly recommend it. It's actually a quick read. The story is so engaging, the characters so well written and the pacing is perfect. And the romances, some are good, some are in flux and some fall apart. That's YA romance! But there's lot's of it!***I wrote Brent Hartinger an email to tell him how much I loved the novel right after I finished it. You know that feeling you have inside right after you read a great novel? I told him I felt all glowy inside like a warm chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven! I love books that can make me feel that way! What about you?***As mentioned in the beginning of the Goodreads Summary, The first book in this series, The Geography Club will be coming to theaters later this year, I think. I hope so!

[starlight70 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, for one, I surely appreciated Geography Club. It was cute and funny. I have to confess that I liked The Order of the Poison Oak more, because at the end, Russel got what I was hoping for - a chance to have someone in his life to make him happy.I did wish that this whole book would concentrate more on Russel and Kevin. Perhaps it was an attempt to inject educational stuff into the story line but I felt Wade was boring. And so were the freegans. I did not enjoy their involvement in the book.It was a little too obvious that Kevin was the helpless one in the book and I could not get over the 'unconvincing attempts' in writing to divert Russel away from hearing the truth about Kevin.When the book ended on a good note, I was left feeling unsatisfied. I preferred a much more involvement of Kevin from the start. Wade was an unnecessary distraction. Still, it was good to have Russel back.

[martyallen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is just as relatable as the others. Middle and high schoolers will see themselves in the characters, with all the strengths and foibles of themselves and their friends. These characters perhaps have more faults than most, but this only adds to their charm. The story itself presents a new topic, freeganism, and does so rather well. The extremism at the end is rather disappointing, though--it seems to come out of the blue and is thus rather uncomfortable. Likewise, the relationships ends up in an unexpected and dissatisfying place. Despite the unfortunate ends, the ride is well worth it, with laughs and suspense along the way. Fans of the previous books will not be disappointed.

[crtsjffrsn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The fourth installment in the Russel Middlebrook series is probably my favorite. The story isn't too far out from the previous three books, but there were a few things about it that I think pulled me in a bit more.

For one, I like the way the author is able to show that Russel is gaining a bit more maturity. It shows not only in the character's actions, but also in the voice of the narration. Secondly, the development of some of the side characters over the course of the series has helped to give more depth to Russel's world. And, finally, this is one where I actually didn't see one of the major twists coming until I was up to that particular scene (some of the previous books have been a bit more, well, predictable at times).

I'm not sure if there's a fifth book in store, but at this point I hope there is if the series is going to continue moving in this direction.

[quilted_kat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brent Hartinger never fails to deliver sweet romantic stories for non-heternormative teens. The Elephant of Surprise is a coming of age story written against a very modern backdrop of freeganism and social rebellion. And, for readers of the previous books in the series, it provides a touching ending that will make you say “YES! Finally!” Loved it. I read it straight through in one evening.

[stephanieloves · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Elephant of Surprise picks up about a year after where Geography Club left off, this time, introducing Russel and his crew to a strange, intriguing cult of freegans, who are principled selectivists who ONLY use what they need in life—or in other words, the unhygienic variation of vegans. I do have to say I was a bit disappointed by this sequel, probably because of how much I loved the first book in the series. The Elephant of Surprise is fine as a stand-alone novel—I didn't have to read books #2 and #3 to comprehend it—but I think a bit of Russel's original voice and humor was lost somewhere in between those books and those several years. He's definitely no longer as naïve; if Geography Club was a coming-of-age story, consider The Elephant of Surprise an after-age novel. It was great to see how he's doing after having discovered himself, and to visit the more mature, more grown-up version of the same character I adored in the first book. He's a little less silly and a little less foolish, which I didn't like... I miss silly, cute Russel. His jokes often aren't as funny in this one, as if he's trying to hard to make them. However, there was still enough sass coming from him to keep the narrative fresh. I'm glad Hartinger didn't completely do away with that aspect. While I don't think the characters, as in Russel and his friends, were as developed in this installment of the Russel Middlebrook series, I do appreciate how well Russel's conflicting feelings are conveyed—they're probably the most realistic, most tender part of this novel. He's supposed to be wiser, and yet there's this undertone of dramatic irony because he still lets his romantic hopes affect his head and his heart. The familiarity of a lingering first love and, in contrast, the scintillation surrounding a new, mysterious older guy bring life to this story.The romance depicted isn't particularly sexual or exciting, but it is, at its core, heartwarming and nerve-wracking in the way young love tends to be. Geography Club is heavy on issues regarding identity and teenage sexuality, but this one is pretty skimpy on the issues of gay adolescence. The topic on comes up with Russel's continued and newfound love interests, but it isn't as redolent or as powerful as I expected it to be. Hartinger's voice is sharp and clear, but again, it falls flat in comparison to that in Geography Club.The tension in this book is thick and the plot exciting, but it gets boring at times. I appreciate Russel's self-discovery in this book, though: how he never really knows when the Elephant of Surprise may show up, nor of the great impacts it'll make for better, or for worse. Sometimes, it isn't even the Elephant of Surprise... sometimes, it's just the Elephant of Fuck With Your Mind; join Russel in his mishaps and misadventures as he figures this out.Pros: A new story, rather than a continuation off of Geography Club // Same delightful characters // Easily readable and comprehendible style // It's great to return to the same cast from the series // Shows the importance of having and considering all perspectives before forming judgmentCons: Not as good as the first book // Voice is a bit stiff // Frequent unsuccessful attempts at humor // Focuses too much on freeganism, rather than the new connections that bloom from it // Drags out in some placesLove: "Russel," [Min] said to me, "you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Well, except maybe those pants.Verdict: Brent Hartinger's newest addition to the Russel Middlebrook series sadly doesn't live up to its poignant, entertaining originator. True to its title, there are many unexpected twists and turns in The Elephant of Surprise that'll leave readers reeling and even a little unnerved, although I did feel it drags on at times. For the most part, it's too detailed on freeganism and the worldly outlooks Russel encounters from it, rather than looking at the whole picture. The story flows well and if you fell in love with the characters in Geography Club, you'll have fun revisiting them here, but if you're new to the series, I'd rather you just read the first book. Overall, I enjoyed this one, but wasn't that engaged.6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back.Source: Complimentary ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)