Learning Not to Drown

Clare's family has an open secret: her older brother Luke is a violent addict who has cycled in and out of jail since she was five years old. She has spent her life compensating — good grades, volunteer work, a strict adherence to her mother's rules — anything to be as far from Luke's chaos as possible.

The novel alternates between Clare's controlled present, where she's a diligent student and lifeguard, and her memories of Luke, haunted by "Skeleton," her private image for the shame and dread his crimes leave behind. When Luke is released early from his latest sentence, Clare allows herself to hope he's changed — and that Skeleton might finally disappear for good.

He hasn't, and her parents protect him anyway. As Luke's delinquency resumes and her mother does something Clare can't reconcile, Clare has to decide whether keeping her family together is worth going under with them.