DIVE, by John David Anderson, Walden Pond Press, Aug. 19, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 10 and up)
A girl who feels like her life is spiraling takes up dumpster diving and learns a few things along the way in Dive, by John David Anderson.
From the moment Kassandra Conner leaps from the diving board to the moment she hits the water, everything feels in control.
The rest of her life does not.
St. Lawrence Academy is supposed to have everything Kass’s old school didn’t: safe hallways, small classes, and, most important, a chance to dive. But since transferring, all Kass can think about is what’s missing. Like her best friend, Aleah, who’s starting to pull away. Or the comfortable life so many of her classmates enjoy while Kass’s family’s restaurant struggles to stay afloat. Even the excitement she always felt in the pool, now that she’s on the same team as Amber Moore—the best diver in the state, who’s barely said two words to her all year.
Kass feels like she’s drowning, until she meets a boy named Miles. He’s a diver, too—someone who searches through dumpsters in the posh side of town for things he can salvage or sell. Miles knows what it’s like to be boxed in by things you can’t control, and as Kass spends more and more time with him, she starts to wonder what would happen if she tried to break out of her own box—and what she might lose by doing so. —Synopsis provided by Walden Pond Press
As a parent of a middle-reader who is also a competitive swimmer, I have very mixed feelings about Dive. On the one hand, it emphasizes autonomy and explores the pressure parents put on kids. On the other hand, Kass puts herself in a number of potentially dangerous situations that sometimes — even though author John David Anderson later points it out — feel a little glorified. I recommend parents read and discuss this book with their children.
The story centers on Kass, a smart kid who lately only feels at home in the water. She didn’t really get a say about her move to private school, her dad’s restaurant is struggling and her parents aren’t happy with each other. Kass feels lonely. So, when a teen asks her for help getting an old TV out of a dumpster, it piques her interest.
As a relationship grows between Kass and Miles, Kass starts to really take a look at the world and the things we consider disposable.
This all sounds great, but Kass is lying about what she’s doing after school and who she’s doing it with. And she’s lying to pretty much everyone. Then there’s Miles. Miles is a high school dropout who is 17. Kass is 13. Their relationship goes no further than friendship, but as you can imagine, when Kass gets found out, her parents don’t take the news well.
There’s a lot to unload in Dive — lack of communication between parents and child, setting boundaries, and pressure to perform. And, in the end, Anderson gets to some good resolution.
Honestly, I think kids — even those who aren’t athletes — will relate to Kass. And the idea of what makes something valuable is a strong one. As a parent, it still makes me a little twitchy, but I think there are some good lessons for adults in Dive, too.
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