cover image Learning Not to Drown

Learning Not to Drown

Anna Shinoda. S&S/Atheneum, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-4169-9393-3

Shinoda's auspicious debut opens with 17-year-old Clare's patchy childhood memory of finding blood in her home. The chapters alternate between Clare's present life%E2%80%94in which she's a diligent student, lifeguard, and all-around good kid%E2%80%94and her sometimes tender but often unsettling memories of her older brother Luke, a charming yet destructive drug addict. For years, the family has been plagued by Luke, now 29, who has repeatedly been jailed for violence and theft. Now, Luke is home again, and Clare hopes that Skeleton, a manifestation of her repressed memories, "will go away, the whispers will stop, and my favorite memories of Luke will snap together perfectly with the present." Instead, Luke's delinquency resumes and her parents once again protect him, leaving Clare to decide how to escape the shadow Luke casts over her life. With the aim of helping readers similarly burdened by the guilt of putting one's own needs first, Shinoda explores the intricate web of sibling dynamics and the devastation of addiction. Despite the painful subject matter, witnessing Clare's growing sense of self-worth is uplifting. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: Jennie Dunham, Dunham Literary. (Apr.)