The Drowning 12+

About this book

With a jolt, Carl opens his eyes. He's on the bank of a lake, soaked to the bone. Rob, his brother, is being zipped up in a body bag. And a girl, drenched and trembling, is talking to the police. Who is she? What happened in the water? And why can't he remember any of it?
"Bring her to me . . ."
At first Carl thinks it's his grief speaking. Remembering Rob. The sound of his voice, things he used to say.
"Bring her to me . . ."
But then Carl starts to see him. Rob's face in the water before it washes down the drain. His ghost rising up from the puddles. His hands clawing out of the moldy, rain-rotted walls. Like a dripping tap, he won't stop.
"Bring her to me!"
Rob may be dead. But he's not gone. Because he wants to finish what he started, and he won't go under alone.
By the author of the internationally bestselling NUMBERS series, THE DROWNING is a dark psychodrama about love and brothers, crimes and consequences, redemption and revenge.

Reviews

Praise for the NUMBERS series

"Even the idea of this book gave me chills. How would you like to know someone's fate just by looking in their eyes? Creepy and original!" -- R.L. Stine

"A page-turner . . . engrossing and au courant. One thing is certain: Ward's NUMBERS is ace." -- THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

* "Gritty, bold, and utterly unique. Jem's isolation and pain, hidden beneath a veneer of toughness, are palpable, and the ending is a real shocker." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review

* "It's a gritty tale, unsparingly told, and Ward demonstrates exceptional control of her material. Her characters remain true to themselves and their bleak circumstances, making for some excruciating moments....Despite its supernatural premise, Jem's story shines a stark and honest light on the lives of teens on the fringe." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

"A lovely, bittersweet tearjerker about living life to the fullest." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A moving portrayal of life and love lost." -- BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS