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Smallville (Young Adults) #8
Runaway
If you've ever had one of those days where nothing goes right and it seems like the entire world - even your closest friend - is against you, then you know how Clark Kent feels. There's only one thing he can think to do: leave his family, friends, and home in Smallville and try to make a new life in Metropolis. In the big city, Clark finds a band of other runaways, including a girl who seems to have powers as mysterious as his own: She senses his secrets and somehow knows he's different from anyone else in this world. And even though Clark thinks he's left his troubles behind, his presence in Metropolis starts a chain of events that could lead to more danger than even he can handle.
200 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Suzan Colon
18 books24 followersI'm the author of Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times, published in hardcover by Doubleday in November, 2010; normally a happy holiday time of year, but that particular November was one of the worst in this economic downfall--kind of timely, since my book was part Recession therapy, part comfort food recipes. Cherries in Winter is out now in paperback with added chapters and recipes.
I've written for O, the Oprah Magazine, Jane, Harper's Bazaar, Details, Rolling Stone, and tons of other magazines. I love magazines; I hope they don't go away.
I've also written three young adult novels based on the Smallville TV series, and a few children's books based on Batman.
I live in New Jersey with my husband, two cats, and an occasional beagle. I am not a great cook, but I try.
I've written for O, the Oprah Magazine, Jane, Harper's Bazaar, Details, Rolling Stone, and tons of other magazines. I love magazines; I hope they don't go away.
I've also written three young adult novels based on the Smallville TV series, and a few children's books based on Batman.
I live in New Jersey with my husband, two cats, and an occasional beagle. I am not a great cook, but I try.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 13, 2017
I didn't enjoy this one as much for some reason - felt distant from it. Hard to put my finger on why exactly. The story took some liberties to have Clark ditch Smallville and become a Metropolis runaway without the aid of a certain red rock. It's a creative attempt that doesn't fully work since you lose the small town charm and familiar faces being around so much.
There's also a small nudge of attraction for the first time from Lex to Lana, which may be foreshadowing for the awkward series storyline that could have worked if the writers didn't screw it up so badly later.
Frankly the best part of the story was Clark getting a small break from Lana and seeing other girls out there that exist while she's been standoffish with the relationship. Luna is a little too good to be true, but it still made a change.
Overall it's not bad, just kind of a distant feeling Smallville story I couldn't enjoy as much as the others.
There's also a small nudge of attraction for the first time from Lex to Lana, which may be foreshadowing for the awkward series storyline that could have worked if the writers didn't screw it up so badly later.
Frankly the best part of the story was Clark getting a small break from Lana and seeing other girls out there that exist while she's been standoffish with the relationship. Luna is a little too good to be true, but it still made a change.
Overall it's not bad, just kind of a distant feeling Smallville story I couldn't enjoy as much as the others.
December 28, 2020
This was an enjoyable read and I think it's the best contribution that Suzan Colon has made to the series so far (#7 of 10). Here we have Clark Kent behaving like the impulsive teen that he is. Such a good character sketch of the teen mind! Nicely done! Clark feels that he is a burden to his parents. He's confused about where he stands with Lana. He's constantly worried about maintaining his secret. So, what does he do? He runs away, but, to be fair, it's mostly to help out his parents financially. Lame. The teen mind. Didn't really think that one through. In any case, he meets new people and makes new friends and an enemy! Exciting, right? You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this story. Any Smallville fan will be pleased with it.
November 23, 2018
This book is amazing, because is crimes
May 27, 2024
Luna best girl, ojalá hubiera salido en la serie.
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October 19, 2025FRASES DESTACADAS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuLca...
December 27, 2025
Excellent!!! My favorite of the Smallville YA book series, and one that I love with all my heart.
Set sometime during the middle of the second season, and if I had to guess, sometime after the events of the episode Dichotic but probably before Skinwalker, seeing how Lana lives at Chloe's and her relationship with Clark is strained but not aggrieved from Whitney's MIA status. Clark Kent suffers the mother of all bad days. It begins when he causes an accident that puts his father in the hospital. He gets late for school and is caught by his punctuality-demanding principal, Mr. Reynolds. Having already gotten on his bad side in the episode Redux, Clark gets a suspension and a failing grade on a test he was certain to pass.
After what he went through, he seeks comfort with a friend in Lana Lang. But he endures a painful conversation with her about whether or not they should be friends. The events from the episode Dichotic and the events of the episode Red are the instigators of this conversation. After mulling this over in the barn's loft, Clark hopes some old-fashioned cookies and milk therapy would make him feel better. Unfortunately, he unwittingly overhears his parents' troubles in paying off their bills and finding ways to send him to college. This, along with his other friend Pete Ross visiting family and Lex Luthor busy at Metropolis, Clark doesn't just feel alone, he feels like a horrible burden on the people he loves.
A story of Clark Kent running away from home might sound strange, but this is the Smallville series, and this is a Clark Kent prone to self-loathing as well as selflessness. This story is about a good kid who feels he has no choice but to leave. I felt sad, and I thought Clark just needed some time out. Nobody should run away from a good home, no matter how bad things might seem. I couldn't imagine how things could get better for Clark. Events, however, didn't just become better; they became wonderful.
Before Clark's bad day, the book begins with a wonderful prologue of the best character I ever read. LuAnne Dobson, aka Luna. I loved the character and wish she were in the show. What makes her so great is that she is as special as Clark because Luna is a witch. But this witch is not like Isobel from season 4, but more like Zatanna from season 8. Luna is a good and pretty witch with a wonderful personality. A cute blonde who used to be a Girl Scout, and I liked how she and Clark connected as she rescued him at the Metropolis bus station and introduced him to her "Tribe."
The Tribe is a band of runaways that welcomes Clark. Most of the kids seem to be as good as Clark. Skunk, a Japanese kid into the punk rock style, unnerved his traditional Japanese parents. Aubrey is a Southern orphan who decided that the foster care system wasn't for him. Mag is a painfully shy Albino girl. Finally, Sean, a bully, allowed himself to find an old townhouse to squat. He lords over the Tribe, especially Luna, to whom he has some attraction. Only Sean dislikes Clark joining the Tribe.
Clark makes great friends with the Tribe, and in many ways, they become a fast family. Whereas Clark and Luna become a couple, despite attempts from Sean to discourage them. I particularly love a moment when Clark softly places kisses upon Luna's face, so sweet and affectionate, pure young love. I especially enjoy that the majority of the story takes place in Metropolis, with Clark getting a job as a speedy messenger service boy, and I mean SPEEDY. Enjoying pizza, burgers, and sushi with the Tribe and, of course, falling in love with Luna.
Of course, Clark's family has not forgotten him. The Kents love their son and will never see him as a burden. Lana, feeling guilty over being one of the reasons why Clark left, joins Lex in Metropolis in the search for Clark. Interestingly, there is a scene that shows an attraction between Lex and Lana. I can't help but wonder if that's what led up to their relationship in the fifth and sixth seasons.
In many ways, this was better than the end of season two when he runs away under the influence of red Kryptonite in the episode Exodus. But given that it involved events that are much worse than the ones in this story, plus, of course, the obvious message is that no matter how bad things get, nobody should run away from a good home.
In the end, the story takes a turn when Sean is involved in a crime that causes him to turn on Clark in a fantastic finale that ends with Clark returning home. I was sad when the Tribe broke apart, and Clark had to leave Luna. But I did enjoy how engaging the story was, not to mention Luna's magical abilities. But even more than that was Clark in one particularly heart-stopping chapter, Believed that He Could Fly. Great story. A+
Set sometime during the middle of the second season, and if I had to guess, sometime after the events of the episode Dichotic but probably before Skinwalker, seeing how Lana lives at Chloe's and her relationship with Clark is strained but not aggrieved from Whitney's MIA status. Clark Kent suffers the mother of all bad days. It begins when he causes an accident that puts his father in the hospital. He gets late for school and is caught by his punctuality-demanding principal, Mr. Reynolds. Having already gotten on his bad side in the episode Redux, Clark gets a suspension and a failing grade on a test he was certain to pass.
After what he went through, he seeks comfort with a friend in Lana Lang. But he endures a painful conversation with her about whether or not they should be friends. The events from the episode Dichotic and the events of the episode Red are the instigators of this conversation. After mulling this over in the barn's loft, Clark hopes some old-fashioned cookies and milk therapy would make him feel better. Unfortunately, he unwittingly overhears his parents' troubles in paying off their bills and finding ways to send him to college. This, along with his other friend Pete Ross visiting family and Lex Luthor busy at Metropolis, Clark doesn't just feel alone, he feels like a horrible burden on the people he loves.
A story of Clark Kent running away from home might sound strange, but this is the Smallville series, and this is a Clark Kent prone to self-loathing as well as selflessness. This story is about a good kid who feels he has no choice but to leave. I felt sad, and I thought Clark just needed some time out. Nobody should run away from a good home, no matter how bad things might seem. I couldn't imagine how things could get better for Clark. Events, however, didn't just become better; they became wonderful.
Before Clark's bad day, the book begins with a wonderful prologue of the best character I ever read. LuAnne Dobson, aka Luna. I loved the character and wish she were in the show. What makes her so great is that she is as special as Clark because Luna is a witch. But this witch is not like Isobel from season 4, but more like Zatanna from season 8. Luna is a good and pretty witch with a wonderful personality. A cute blonde who used to be a Girl Scout, and I liked how she and Clark connected as she rescued him at the Metropolis bus station and introduced him to her "Tribe."
The Tribe is a band of runaways that welcomes Clark. Most of the kids seem to be as good as Clark. Skunk, a Japanese kid into the punk rock style, unnerved his traditional Japanese parents. Aubrey is a Southern orphan who decided that the foster care system wasn't for him. Mag is a painfully shy Albino girl. Finally, Sean, a bully, allowed himself to find an old townhouse to squat. He lords over the Tribe, especially Luna, to whom he has some attraction. Only Sean dislikes Clark joining the Tribe.
Clark makes great friends with the Tribe, and in many ways, they become a fast family. Whereas Clark and Luna become a couple, despite attempts from Sean to discourage them. I particularly love a moment when Clark softly places kisses upon Luna's face, so sweet and affectionate, pure young love. I especially enjoy that the majority of the story takes place in Metropolis, with Clark getting a job as a speedy messenger service boy, and I mean SPEEDY. Enjoying pizza, burgers, and sushi with the Tribe and, of course, falling in love with Luna.
Of course, Clark's family has not forgotten him. The Kents love their son and will never see him as a burden. Lana, feeling guilty over being one of the reasons why Clark left, joins Lex in Metropolis in the search for Clark. Interestingly, there is a scene that shows an attraction between Lex and Lana. I can't help but wonder if that's what led up to their relationship in the fifth and sixth seasons.
In many ways, this was better than the end of season two when he runs away under the influence of red Kryptonite in the episode Exodus. But given that it involved events that are much worse than the ones in this story, plus, of course, the obvious message is that no matter how bad things get, nobody should run away from a good home.
In the end, the story takes a turn when Sean is involved in a crime that causes him to turn on Clark in a fantastic finale that ends with Clark returning home. I was sad when the Tribe broke apart, and Clark had to leave Luna. But I did enjoy how engaging the story was, not to mention Luna's magical abilities. But even more than that was Clark in one particularly heart-stopping chapter, Believed that He Could Fly. Great story. A+
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May 17, 2010F SMA bk.7
Science Fiction
Science Fiction
December 25, 2015
I found the book to be an enjoyable tie in to the series. The writer captured the spirit of season 2. I liked the way she handled the witchcraft aspect of the story.
August 10, 2018
not the best one
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June 28, 2024Probably my favorite of this series so far. I enjoyed the different cast of characters and the fact that Clark seemed to move on, at least temporarily, from pining over Lana.
November 23, 2018
This book is incredibleeee, is very good
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews