Target Release: JULY 2025
Will be available wherever books are sold.
Celebrating Our Debut Release!
LESSONS IN DRY DROWNING
In the ordinary suburbs of Seattle, Liz discovers that the very person who promises to save her from drowning might be the one pulling her under. A haunting exploration of love, control, and the courage it takes to surface.
Liz Roenthal feels like she's drowning—without water. Once a bright and ambitious high school student, she's now isolated in her mother's basement, where every breath feels heavier than the last.
As Liz reflects on the relationships that shaped her downward spiral, the faces blur together: her absent father, her distant mother, and Lucy—the best friend who once understood her completely but now feels impossibly out of reach. Then there's Mary, whose brutal honesty forces Liz to confront truths she's not ready to face. And Brian—the one person who refuses to let her sink, even when she's begging him to let go.
Trapped between who she was and who she's becoming, Liz must uncover a deeper truth about herself before the weight of her own mind pulls her under for good.
Lessons in Dry Drowning is a raw, honest exploration of mental health, friendship, and finding the strength to surface when everything feels impossible.
Meet Sarah Marine
Join us in congratulating AVANTHAM's first author.
Sarah Marine is a novelist, registered EMT, and high school student from northern New Jersey. As someone who has OCD, she finds writing is helpful for processing her thoughts and connecting with others facing similar challenges. Her debut novel, Lessons in Dry Drowning, offers a fresh perspective to young adult fiction. When she's not writing, studying or saving lives she's obsessively rewatching Gilmore Girls and dreaming of living somewhere warm.
