One Would Think the Deep

Sam stared at the picture of the boy about to be tipped off the edge of the world—the crushing weight of water about to pummel him. Sam knew that moment exactly, the disbelief that what was about to happen could even be possible. The intake of breath before the flood.

Sam has always had things going on in his head that no one else understands, even his mum. And now she's dead, it's worse than ever. With nothing but his skateboard and a few belongings in a garbage bag, Sam goes to live with the strangers his mum cut ties with seven years ago—Aunty Lorraine and his cousins Shane and Minty. Despite the suspicion and hostility emanating from their fibro shack, Sam reverts to his childhood habit of following Minty around and is soon surfing with Minty to cut through the static fuzz in his head.

But as the days slowly meld into one another, and ghosts from the past reappear, Sam has to make the ultimate decision—will he sink or will he swim?

One Would Think the Deep is a compelling exploration of grief, identity, and the power of the sea to heal or harm.