A review by calistaandrechek
The Drowning by J.P. Smith

3.0

Every summer camp has a scary story that they tell their campers, while Alex is working at a camp, he hears about John Otis. He is rumored to snatch a boy every seventh summer from the camp; Alex believes it’s just a ridiculous story made to rile up the campers. The next day, an eight-year-old boy in Alex’s swimming group is missing after Alex leaves him out on a raft in the deep water, even though he knows Joey is terrified. Alex returns to find that Joey is missing and never seen again. Twenty-one years later, Alex is a wealthy, happy man with a gorgeous wife and two children. But someone is after Alex, could it be Joey?

Another novel about a summer camp experience gone wrong and I have to say that I don’t think that I will ever tire of these novels! I loved the mystery of where Joey went off too and if it was him or someone else messing with Alex. I had a difficult time deciding whether or not I actually liked Alex or hated him. He had such a way about him that made you think he was just a spoiled brat, but then sometimes I actually felt a bit bad that his life was falling apart. I really enjoyed the idea behind a child missing after some tough love from a counselor and how the book went through a few different perspectives to really confuse who was guilty of these tricks. I really enjoyed how these tricks made Alex feel cocky and thought he solved the problems multiple times, leading him to make more trouble for himself. Overall, I really enjoyed the story!