Author: Linnea Kuuluvainen
Finnish original: Hukkumisleikki
Publisher: Gummerus, 2026
Genre: literary thriller
Number of pages: 416 pp
Reading material: Finnish original, English sample, English synopsis
Beneath the surface, you cannot see where the line between love and danger goes.
Two young women, Juulia and K, stand at a crossroads in their lives: Juulia’s mother is dying of cancer and she’s drowning in sorrow, while K is spending one last sunny weekend on an island with her boyfriend before she moves abroad.
Juulia has a troubled past, and her coping mechanisms tend to be self-destructive. Lately, she engages in the “drowning game”, where she puts her head underwater until her lungs hurt, and burns herself with cigarettes.
K is uncomfortable: she is planning on ending the relationship soon, before she leaves for England, but her boyfriend T seems to be less and less inclined to let her go. K suddenly realizes that while being on the island is romantic, she is also trapped alone with T.
One day Juulia meets Uula, who is charming, confident, and determined to give Juulia what’s best for her. As her mother’s condition worsens, Juulia makes friends with Teo, whose grandfather is receiving end-of-life care in the same facility. Teo seems nice, but his grandfather goes to great lengths to warn Juulia to stay away from him. Uula doesn’t like him either, and he always has Juulia’s best interest at heart…or does he? And what is the dark secret lurking in Teo’s past?
The Drowning Game is a gripping novel about pain, love, and diving too deep.
About the author
Linnea Kuuluvainen