Values & Ideas

Fate

Emotions & Behavior

Memory

Life & Time

Mortality & Death

Safety & Danger

John Marrs

Adult

Novel

Fiction

Guide

Find words hidden in the grid and uncover the story's key themes.

Study Guide

Book Brief

Explore Dead in the Water reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

About Dead in the Water

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Overview

Get ready to explore Dead in the Water and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

Dead in the Water Overview

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Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and mental illness.

Background

Dead in the Water Background

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, child death, and pregnancy loss.

Part 1: “Above” - Part 2: “Below”

Prologue-Part 2, Chapter 16

Dead in the Water Prologue-Part 2, Chapter 16

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, death, child death, death by suicide, mental illness, and pregnancy termination.

Part 2: “Below”

Part 2, Chapters 17-41

Dead in the Water Part 2, Chapters 17-41

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, illness, death, child death, death by suicide, mental illness, and physical abuse.

Part 3: “Immersed”

Part 3, Chapters 42-65

Dead in the Water Part 3, Chapters 42-65

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, illness, death, child death, suicidal ideation, mental illness, and emotional abuse.

Part 3, Chapters 66-82

Dead in the Water Part 3, Chapters 66-82

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, illness, death, child death, death by suicide, suicidal ideation, mental illness, physical abuse, bullying, racism, and pregnancy loss and termination.

Part 3: “Immersed” - Part 4: “Beyond”

Part 3, Chapter 83-Epilogue

Dead in the Water Part 3, Chapter 83-Epilogue

character

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, suicidal ideation, mental illness, pregnancy loss and termination, and cursing.

Character Analysis

Dead in the Water Character Analysis

theme

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, child death, death by suicide, suicidal ideation, mental illness, and emotional abuse.

Themes

Dead in the Water Themes

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, illness, death, child death, death by suicide, suicidal ideation, and mental illness.

Symbols & Motifs

Dead in the Water Symbols & Motifs

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Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, death, child death, death by suicide, self-harm, mental illness, and pregnancy termination.

Important Quotes

Dead in the Water Important Quotes with Page Numbers

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personalReflectionAndConnectionTitle

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Content Warning: This section of the book includes discussion of death and mental illness.

Book Club Questions

Dead in the Water Book Club Questions