Ilsa J. Bick
Drowning Insting
Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairy tale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Iraq. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire.
There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and everyone cries for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)
Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain…magnetism.
And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)
Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.
Carolrhoda Lab
Young Adult Fiction
Age 14+
352 pp
hc | 127 x 178 mm
Publication: August 2014
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
All rights available, excl. Chinese (simpl. & compl.), Italian, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish
Awards
“A testament to the author’s writing skill is the unanswered question: Was Anderson genuinely in love with Jenna or was he a sexual predator?” —Library Media Connection, 1 May 2012
“A compelling study of brokenness that persists across generations and of salvation by unconventional means.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 1 May 2012
“The novel begins slowly but quickly builds steam—and controversy—with unexpected turns and revelations. Neither the victims nor the predators are stereotypical and that ambiguity, while unsettling, is sure to spark discussion.” —School Library Journal, 1 March 2012
“Bick, a child psychiatrist, writes about dysfunction with a professional’s insight, and she goes to great pains to create believable characters…and dramatizes dysfunction and disorder in ways that will attract readers and offer opportunities for classroom discussion.” —Booklist, 15 February 2012