Take Off

By Todd Strasser

Book Overview

Impact Zone: The most dangerous part of the wave. You gotta beat it...or you'll eat it. Kai is stoked when he gets to Sun Haven. He hasn't been on a board in a while. And SH has some primo waves. Screamers is the spot where you can regularly get tubed. Only it's patrolled by locals who keep it to themselves. They'll only let Kai into the lineup if he competes against one of them. This is everything Kai hates about surfing -- the competition, the commercialism. He's a free surfer at heart. But if he doesn't take the challenge, he'll lose what he lives for: da kine waves.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689870299
• ISBN13: 9780689870293
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

A worthy read!

When I picked up this book, I was doubtful. My friends recommended it, but the picture of the girl in the bikini turned my opinions sour, considering I'm a girl (and I was a little afraid to read it in public.) I quickly finished it in about an hour and was mildly impressed. Kai, a good-looking 15 year old, moves to Sun Haven (a beach town in a Northeastern state) with his father, Pat, and his half-brother, Sean, whose spirits have been crushed by Pat. He's very gullible and not bright. Pat, by contrast, is a conniving businessman. He sets up custom t-shirt shops in different cities all over the US for months at a time, using such schemes as charging whatever he wants for each customer and not paying taxes to make as much money at each location. Before each customer realizes he was conned, Pat, Sean and Kai are gone. Kai used to live in Hawaii and surfed constantly, but his mother died two years ago and he moved to the mainland with Pat. There is more to the story than that, but you don't find out the whole deal until Close Out, the third book in the Impact Zone series. When Pat opens shop at the beginning of the summer in Sun Haven, Kai is thrilled. Sun Haven is a surfing town and Kai hasn't surfed in 2 years. He meets a good-natured drunk, Curtis, one of his first friends in the book, who gives him a wet suit and an old surfboard. Kai wants to surf the best waves near the jetty at the Sun Haven beach, but it's dominated by the locals who don't want anyone invading their space, called Screamers. The lame waves on the other side of the jetty are called Sewers. Kai meets many characters on his quest to open up Screamers to everyone, including lovable Shauna (who has a big crush on Kai), Bean and Booger, 18 and 14, a happy pair who prove to be loyal friends, and Jade, a beautiful vixen-type girl who, ahem, WANTS Kai. A man named "Buzzy" Frank owns the local surf shop and most of the town, and he's got a son, Lucas, who is leader of the hostile surfing locals. It seems that this summer would be the best one Kai would ever have, since Hawaii. Todd Strasser uses a lot of surfing terminology. Most is not explained, but it's pretty easy to see what he's talking about. Kai is a noble, all-around great guy, but he's handsome and seems more into one night stands than a lasting relationship with someone. All girls will agree with me here, I think, that is makes one think less of Kai (especially since Shauna is pretty, smart, funny, and is totally into Kai. She would make a good girlfriend, while Jade doesn't want commitment.) The characters aren't developed for the most part and Strasser focuses heavily on a far-fetched plot. I also never really understood why the book is called Take Off. Is it because the series is taking off? Or is it a surfing term? Don't know. The fact of the matter is, this is a good book. It was interesting to read a surfing book from the perspective of someone who really understands it (And isn't a shubee poseur, like so much of Am

Surf and more...

The first two or three chapters of this novel don't even mention surfing. They just pull you into Kai's crazy life with his criminal dad and wimpy half-brother. Pretty soon you're really caring about Kai, and then you learn he used to live in Hawaii and lives to surf. So when he ends up in Sun Haven, he knows he has to find a way back into the ocean.This is a great read, really edgy and intense, like real life and real surfing. I read it in like one sitting. I'm going to get the next book in the series.

All About Surf

I loved this book. It's all about this kid, Kai, who is stuck with his half brother Sean, who isn't the brightest bulb on the tree, and his cruel, insensitive father. He used to live in Hawaii with his mother until an accident so he had to go to the mainland and reluctantly take part in his father's illegal actions. Eventually this takes the trio to Sun Haven, a place on the north east coast with nice waves. Here, Kai is stoked to see the beach again, being a surfer and all. He finds a way to obtain a wet suit and a board and sooner than later he's out in the water. And every new surfer to a new area has to deal with the locals. This book is all about Kai dealing with the locals, handling his "family", and meeting friends along the way to help him out. I'm a surfer myself and I loved this book. It's a nice, easy read and it's all about surfing. even if you just like the IDEA of surfing and not actually doing it, its a good book. Yes, there is surf terminology but either way any one can understand it. SO any little groms out there... when it's flat and glossy, or even rainy so you can't hit the skateboard... pick this book up. At least you'll be surfing it in your mind.