Dive Smack

by Demetra Brodsky

Overview

"A tense psychological drama with a voice that pulls you in and a twist you won't see coming."—Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten

A 2018 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Theo Mackey only remembers one thing for certain about the fire that destroyed his home: he lit the match.

Sure, it was an accident. But the blaze killed his mom and set his dad on a path to self-destruction. Everything else about that fateful night is full of gaping holes in Theo’s mind, for good reason. Maybe it’s better that way. As captain of the Ellis Hollow Diving Team, with straight A's and solid friends, he's only one semester away from securing a scholarship, and leaving his past behind.

But when a family history project gets assigned at school, new memories come rushing to the surface, memories that make Theo question what he really knows about his family, the night of the fire, and if he can trust anyone—including himself.

"Heartbreaking, human and heroic, Demetra Brodsky's Dive Smack is a Perfect 10!"— Karen LaFace, 1992 USA Olympic Springboard Diver

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765396969
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/18/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Demetra Brodsky is the author of Last Girls, a 2021 International Thriller Writers Finalist for Best Young Adult Book, one of CNN Underscored’s Best Books of May 2020, a 2021 Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) Reading Circle Commission Recommended Title, and a finalist for the 20222-2023 Black-eyed Susan Award. Dive Smack, her debut novel, is a 2018 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, ALAN Pick (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE), and a Spring/Summer 2018 Publishers Marketplace Buzz Book for Young Adults. She is the proud daughter of Greek immigrants and has a profound appreciation for personal histories and travel. She lives in Southern California with her partner and two adorable rescue dogs. Say hi on social media @demetrabrodskybooks.

Editorial Reviews

"A tense psychological drama with a voice that pulls you in and a twist you won't see coming, Dive Smack is an instant Hitchcockian classic!"—Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten

"A twisty, witty thriller readers will love puzzling through to the very end. A visceral, delightful debut." — Carrie Mesrobian, author of William C. Morris award finalist Sex & Violence

"This riveting debut will plunge readers into an accelerating coil of twists and turns as if in free fall, plummeting them from a precipice as they cling to the dwindling hope of safe entry into the mysterious darkness below." —S.A. Bodeen, author of The Compound

"Brodsky’s debut combines an engaging school story, filled with best friend shenanigans, first love, and a fascinating look at competitive diving, with a tense psychological mystery." — Booklist

"In an impressive debut, Brodsky injects her teen drama with ambiguity, and a subtle hint of paranormal phenomena, leaving readers to guess at what’s really going on. Strong characters and a compelling mystery make this a real page-turner." — Publishers Weekly

“The story combines intriguing elements, so that just when readers may think it is headed in one direction, it shifts or pulls from a new genre…Readers looking for an adolescent psychological thriller will not be disappointed.”— Voya, Meghann Meeusen.

"A taut thriller with a twist ending that will blow your mind." — Kim Liggett, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author of The Last Harvest

"Complex, thrilling, and with a pitch-perfect narrative voice, Dive Smack will leave you on the edge of your seat and unable to put this one down." —C. Desir, author of Bleed Like Me

"Heartbreaking, human and heroic, Dive Smack is a Perfect 10!"— Karen LaFace, 1992 USA Olympic Springboard Diver

“A taut roller coaster of a thriller chock full of dark family secrets, twisty lies, and finally, the redeeming power of truth.”— Michelle Zink, author of This Wicked Game

From the Publisher