The Elephant of Surprise

The Russel Middlebrook Series

By: Brent Hartinger

Narrated by: Josh Hurley

Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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 young adult novel Geography Club (which has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky). In this latest audiobook, 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.

©2013 Brent Hartinger (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Alot of fun

Narrator is excellent. He makes the lead character, Russell, come alive. Russell's running narration is sweat, witty, insightful & occasionally overly dramatic (but in a hilarious way). I recommend this and all the Russell Middlebrook series

such a great series truly one of the best.

loved every minute of this book such a greeat writer. Its truly a mesmerizing book and such a great love story.

Great stories!

I really enjoy The series, as well as the others that I’ve listened to! I want to follow Russell Middlebrook through his entire life, lol.

Let me explain

I just binged this series. I loved this series which is why I read the whole thing so fast. I totally recommend this series. But I have a couple of complaints. Not big ones but they bug me enough to say something. First, all of these are way too short. Second, is Kevin. ⛔️ Spoiler warning ‼️ Kevin proves to not be so great early on. But it’s also pretty clear that is how we are supposed to think and if you actually look he is a good guy. All of that is fine. But here at the end of this last book Kevin should have gotten more. He is a secret protagonist throughout so he should have gotten his own section like Ming did so he could tell his story himself. And I am legit pissed he didn’t get it. But we have his story already now. So if you write another book to tell it, it will just be a rehash of what we already know. And that’s shitty. The 3 main characters are great. & I loved their stories. But Kevin’s was the one I was waiting to hear. And only getting the second hand tale as if it was almost an afterthought is rude.
I still loved all the books despite how short they were. But this Kevin thing is really disappointing. I re-read all the books I buy. Kind of a lot. Life sucks books are better. But it’s hard to escape into a story knowing you are going to be repeatedly disappointed by the same thing. Poor Kevin. And why the f didn’t Ming go back and hold him while he cried after she convinced him. It’s fine. I love the books. I’m going to reread them. Just it’s such a small change and it would have made such a difference.

Please write about their senior year one day!

Such a great ending. We've all grown up with Russel. It's hard to let him go. What a great character.

Amazing!!

Amazing story! I hope there will be more! Kevin and Russell deserve happiness, even if it arrived a little too late lol

Meh

If I am being really honest, this is my least favorite Russell Middlebrook book. While I was happy to return to the only Russel perspective, this one didn’t have as much punch as the other ones dead. I wasn’t too crazy about Russell falling in love with a homeless kid who ate out of dumpsters and what not.

Also, why can’t Russell be with a good guy like Otto but he lives nearby? All these recent boys tricking him and making him feel bad.

Overall this installment was OK. Hoping the next one is better.