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The Drowning Game

by Dusti Bowling

A river disaster, a year of guilt, and a question of identity

Regular price $13.38 USD
Regular price $22.30 USD Sale price $13.38 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A river disaster, a year of guilt, and a question of identity

Set in the late 1990s, Dusti Bowling’s psychological thriller begins with Christian joining his best friend on a whitewater rafting trip in Arizona despite his fear of water. After a catastrophe leaves him carrying guilt over Freya’s apparent death, the story shifts to his first year at Arizona State University, where he believes he sees her again. The contrast between the perilous river journey and Christian’s later uncertainty gives the book two linked sources of tension: what happened on the water, and whether his sighting can be trusted. The description foregrounds fear, grief, guilt, and the instability of what Christian believes to be real.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in psychological suspense.
  • Readers who enjoy mysteries involving guilt, uncertainty, and questions about identity.
  • Those drawn to thrillers set around a high-stakes outdoor adventure and its aftermath.

Themes

Fear and riskGrief and guiltIdentity and uncertaintyObsession and perception

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Award-winning author Dusti Bowling masterfully crafts a wild ride on Arizona's Salt River in this Hitchcockian thriller that's perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus.

It's the late 1990s, and seventeen-year-old Christian is content with his summer plans to work and hang out with his cat, when he gets a phone call from his best friend that will change his life forever. James invites Christian to Arizona for a whitewater rafting trip, even though he knows Christian is terrified of water. But James is persuasive, and Christian relents.

In Salt River Canyon, the heat is scorching, and so is James's pretty girlfriend, Freya. However, something seems off between the couple as bitter words fly. When James and the others disappear in the second raft, Christian and Freya are left to face the rapids alone. Disaster strikes when Freya falls into the river, and Christian is frozen with fear.

One year later, Christian is still wracked with guilt over Freya's death. Now, he's a freshman at Arizona State University, and he thinks he sees Freya on campus. It can't be her. Freya is dead, after all. They found her body. Didn't they? Christian follows Madison, the girl who looks like Freya, everywhere. He was certain Freya had died that day, but now he's certain Madison is Freya. Will he ever find out what's real? Or will his obsession be his downfall?
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