Riptide

The few months before senior year will determine everything for 17-year-old Grace Parker. She has her sights set on staying in San Diego for college, hopefully earning a surfing scholarship, but Grace’s parents are pushing her toward Ivy League schools. Surfing is Grace’s primary escape from an abusive father and a mother who prefers to ignore her husband’s temper. Grace’s protective best friend and fellow surfer, Ford Watson, has big goals, too: dating Grace and snagging an internship at a law firm. Their relationship is further complicated when Ford starts interning for Grace’s father, who makes Ford promise to keep Grace away from the distraction of dating. Scheibe’s debut alternates between the teenagers’ dual narratives, and the story revolves around their efforts to both define their relationship and chart their futures, with the subplots involving immigration law and domestic violence adding tension. Surfing is described viscerally, including the challenges of being a female surfer (Scheibe is a longtime surfer herself), and the sport serves as a fine metaphor for building strength and identifying risks worth taking. Ages 12–up. Agent: Mandy Hubbard, D4EO Literary Agency. (May)