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The Drowning Game
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26Award-winning author Dusti Bowling masterfully crafts a wild ride on Arizona’s Salt River in this thriller inspired by Hitchcock’s
Vertigo 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?
Vertigo 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?
288 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 13, 2026
2 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Dusti Bowling
20 books1,351 followersDUSTI BOWLING is a USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of books for children of all ages.
Dusti's books have won the Reading the West Award, the Sakura Medal, a Golden Kite Honor, the William Allen White Children's Book Award, and have been nominated for a Cybil and over sixty state awards. Her books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections and have been named best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library, Kirkus, Bank Street College of Education, A Mighty Girl, Shelf Awareness, and many more.
Dusti currently lives in Arizona with her husband and three daughters.
Visit her website at www.dustibowling.com
Dusti's books have won the Reading the West Award, the Sakura Medal, a Golden Kite Honor, the William Allen White Children's Book Award, and have been nominated for a Cybil and over sixty state awards. Her books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections and have been named best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library, Kirkus, Bank Street College of Education, A Mighty Girl, Shelf Awareness, and many more.
Dusti currently lives in Arizona with her husband and three daughters.
Visit her website at www.dustibowling.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 1, 2026
Thank you to Union Square & Co and NetGalley for an eARC to read and review before publishing.
I am a huge fan of Dusti Bowling, but, unfortunately, I was disappointed with The Drowning Game. For me, the pacing felt disconcertingly off. I never truly felt rooted in the characters or why I should be caring about what was happening. The resolution felt rushed and incomplete.
I will continue to read Dusti's writing, but this one just wasn't for me.
I am a huge fan of Dusti Bowling, but, unfortunately, I was disappointed with The Drowning Game. For me, the pacing felt disconcertingly off. I never truly felt rooted in the characters or why I should be caring about what was happening. The resolution felt rushed and incomplete.
I will continue to read Dusti's writing, but this one just wasn't for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I kept seeing this come across my dashboard, and I confess I originally requested it thinking it was middle grade. It’s definitely YA, but I could definitely see my former 7th and 8th graders reading it. Actually now that I think about it, this would have made a stellar read aloud for 8th grade during my Hitchcock unit! (which I don’t think they’re doing anymore, woe)
Our main character is Christian. He grew up in Arizona, but moved to Minnesota after his father passed away. He’s kept in touch with his best friend James throughout high school, and when James calls to invite him on a rafting trip the summer before they’re both about to start senior year, Christian reluctantly agrees. He’s afraid of water, and still reeling from a previous rafting trip in the 8th grade when he nearly drowned. But he wants to see James, and also meet Freya, the girlfriend James can’t stop talking about. But when he arrives, the vibes are weird. James and Freya seem to be at each other’s throats, plus there’s these 2 other dudes coming along who seem like jackasses. Christian quickly starts falling for Freya in that very teenaged way - what’s interesting about this is that we usually see this kind of instalove relationship from the girl’s side, so it’s at least somewhat refreshing to watch a teenage boy get all moony over a girl he barely knows. On the second day, the group gets separated - Christian refuses to go over the Quartzite falls, so he and Freya portage the raft and supplies while the other 3 go over. But they aren’t at the designated meetup point, so Christian and Freya continue on without them. But then they hit some really bad rapids - Freya falls out, Christian panics and can’t save her, and Freya drowns (all of this is in the blurb, so I don’t consider it a spoiler). Christian is wracked with guilt - if he were braver he could have jumped in and saved her! And no amount of logic will talk him out of it, even though it’s clear that if he’d jumped in after her, they BOTH would have drowned. James didn’t bother to pack life jackets OR helmets, so they were already tempting fate.
Christian tries to get over the experience (Freya’s body is pulled out of the river about a week later, so he has some closure at least), and decides to return to Arizona for college. Things are going well at first - he’s excelling in his forensic science class, he reconnects with his middle school crush - but then he sees a girl in his psychology class who looks *exactly* like Freya. He starts obsessing over it - logically he knows Freya died, but he starts twisting himself into knots coming up with alternate scenarios for how she might have survived. But the deeper he falls down that rabbit hole, the more dangerous it gets.
I can’t say more without giving away spoilers, but I really enjoyed this ride. It’s a spin on Vertigo, which I haven’t seen in ages, and it definitely has some Hitchcock vibes overall. Christian is reminiscent of Rachel in Girl on the Train - just getting in deeper and deeper and knowing it’s self-destructive and dangerous, but unable to stop himself from doing it. I also love that this takes place in 1999 - it’s necessary for plot reasons; there are a few things that would fall apart in the smartphone era. We were really in a 90s thriller renaissance for a hot second a couple of years ago, and I still dig that particular setting. Plus if this ever gets made into a series, the music will be excellent. Finally, let me state for the record, and all of the anxious pet owners like me - Christian has an orange cat named Zia. At NO POINT is Zia EVER in anything remotely approaching danger. She also doesn’t play a super significant role in the story, but she’s around enough and important enough to Christian that I started to worry something bad might happen to her. She’s perfectly fine.
I have a couple of small logic quibbles I’ll get into after this is published, but overall I found it really entertaining.
Our main character is Christian. He grew up in Arizona, but moved to Minnesota after his father passed away. He’s kept in touch with his best friend James throughout high school, and when James calls to invite him on a rafting trip the summer before they’re both about to start senior year, Christian reluctantly agrees. He’s afraid of water, and still reeling from a previous rafting trip in the 8th grade when he nearly drowned. But he wants to see James, and also meet Freya, the girlfriend James can’t stop talking about. But when he arrives, the vibes are weird. James and Freya seem to be at each other’s throats, plus there’s these 2 other dudes coming along who seem like jackasses. Christian quickly starts falling for Freya in that very teenaged way - what’s interesting about this is that we usually see this kind of instalove relationship from the girl’s side, so it’s at least somewhat refreshing to watch a teenage boy get all moony over a girl he barely knows. On the second day, the group gets separated - Christian refuses to go over the Quartzite falls, so he and Freya portage the raft and supplies while the other 3 go over. But they aren’t at the designated meetup point, so Christian and Freya continue on without them. But then they hit some really bad rapids - Freya falls out, Christian panics and can’t save her, and Freya drowns (all of this is in the blurb, so I don’t consider it a spoiler). Christian is wracked with guilt - if he were braver he could have jumped in and saved her! And no amount of logic will talk him out of it, even though it’s clear that if he’d jumped in after her, they BOTH would have drowned. James didn’t bother to pack life jackets OR helmets, so they were already tempting fate.
Christian tries to get over the experience (Freya’s body is pulled out of the river about a week later, so he has some closure at least), and decides to return to Arizona for college. Things are going well at first - he’s excelling in his forensic science class, he reconnects with his middle school crush - but then he sees a girl in his psychology class who looks *exactly* like Freya. He starts obsessing over it - logically he knows Freya died, but he starts twisting himself into knots coming up with alternate scenarios for how she might have survived. But the deeper he falls down that rabbit hole, the more dangerous it gets.
I can’t say more without giving away spoilers, but I really enjoyed this ride. It’s a spin on Vertigo, which I haven’t seen in ages, and it definitely has some Hitchcock vibes overall. Christian is reminiscent of Rachel in Girl on the Train - just getting in deeper and deeper and knowing it’s self-destructive and dangerous, but unable to stop himself from doing it. I also love that this takes place in 1999 - it’s necessary for plot reasons; there are a few things that would fall apart in the smartphone era. We were really in a 90s thriller renaissance for a hot second a couple of years ago, and I still dig that particular setting. Plus if this ever gets made into a series, the music will be excellent. Finally, let me state for the record, and all of the anxious pet owners like me - Christian has an orange cat named Zia. At NO POINT is Zia EVER in anything remotely approaching danger. She also doesn’t play a super significant role in the story, but she’s around enough and important enough to Christian that I started to worry something bad might happen to her. She’s perfectly fine.
I have a couple of small logic quibbles I’ll get into after this is published, but overall I found it really entertaining.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow, Dusti Bowling has written quite the thriller that everyone will love. Christian’s best friend, James, has invited him along with his girlfriend,Freya, and friends to go white water rafting. James loves pushing others to go outside their comfort zone, and he knows Christian doesn’t like white water rafting. When they get to the water, Christian meets Freya who seems nervous. Christian can’t believe they didn’t bring helmets or life jackets. When they start out Christian is having fun, but he thinks Freya and James don’t seem to get along that well. James and his friends take one raft one day, and Freya and Christian take the other one. When they hit the falls Freya falls off and disappears. They don’t find her body. A year later at college, Christian thinks he sees Freya. How is that possible? He finds out the girl’s name is Madison. Christian follows her so much she gets an injunction for harassment. One night he says meet me at midnight. When she shows up James is there with a knife. Why? Is Madison really Freya? What ends up happening?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review via NetGalley.
This book is generally okay, but I wouldn't say it really blew me away. I had some problems with it, like the use of some words repeatedly, especially early on. As an example, Christian calls James and his friends "douchebags" multiple times in the first few chapters. I found the book to also be very dialog heavy instead of balancing with description. I felt that this often took away from the tense tone, and made some relationships and feelings seemingly come out of nowhere. Christian and Freya, for example, suddenly has strong feelings for one another in part 1 of the book, but there wasn't much to explain why they were interested in each other, and they had barely interacted on page up to that point. I'm not saying the book is bad, but it would do better to let itself linger in each moment more.
This book is generally okay, but I wouldn't say it really blew me away. I had some problems with it, like the use of some words repeatedly, especially early on. As an example, Christian calls James and his friends "douchebags" multiple times in the first few chapters. I found the book to also be very dialog heavy instead of balancing with description. I felt that this often took away from the tense tone, and made some relationships and feelings seemingly come out of nowhere. Christian and Freya, for example, suddenly has strong feelings for one another in part 1 of the book, but there wasn't much to explain why they were interested in each other, and they had barely interacted on page up to that point. I'm not saying the book is bad, but it would do better to let itself linger in each moment more.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love Dusti Bowling's middle grade novels, and her YA is no exception. This mystery was twisty, gripping, and compelling. Even as he descends into obsession (and morally dubious areas), you still feel for Christian and want to root for him. Of course, the 1999 references are fantastic as well, with the anxiety of Y2K adding to the anxiety of the thriller itself. While teenagers who have been raised on Bowling's middle grade will appreciate the familiarity of the author, any fan of a good YA thriller will eat this up. High school librarians 100% need to make sure this is in their collection!
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Adding my favorite quote from it as well: "Because the only thing I could think of that would be worse than drowning in the Salt River would be drowning in the Salt River to the sounds of Smash Mouth."
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Adding my favorite quote from it as well: "Because the only thing I could think of that would be worse than drowning in the Salt River would be drowning in the Salt River to the sounds of Smash Mouth."
April 23, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!
My first ARC and what a good choice!
This is a YA mystery/thriller set in 1999 with the looming millennium on the horizon. We follow Christian who reluctantly agrees to go on a white water rafting trip with his best friend James, which changes his life forever. James’s girlfriend dies and no one seems to be as affected as Christian. And then he starts seeing her at college after a year of intense therapy, and he begins to spiral again.
I really enjoyed this book. It was such a refreshing and fast paced read that was engaging and very believable. Definitely won’t be my last from Dusti Bowling.
My first ARC and what a good choice!
This is a YA mystery/thriller set in 1999 with the looming millennium on the horizon. We follow Christian who reluctantly agrees to go on a white water rafting trip with his best friend James, which changes his life forever. James’s girlfriend dies and no one seems to be as affected as Christian. And then he starts seeing her at college after a year of intense therapy, and he begins to spiral again.
I really enjoyed this book. It was such a refreshing and fast paced read that was engaging and very believable. Definitely won’t be my last from Dusti Bowling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Good suspenseful story, more adult than Bowling's other books, definitely a YA. Lots of misdirection, confusion, questionable behaviors. The main character, Christian, starts out as a good guy, but as the story progresses his actions get darker and darker. Disturbing to witness. Good writing as always, but I enjoyed her middle grade books more.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A tense read that kept me guessing.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
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