Surrounded by the failure of systems including his family, the public school system, and democratic society, Joseph Earl Thomas grew up feeling like he was under constant threat. Roaches fell from the ceiling, most lessons were taught through violence, and, to make matters worse, he always seemed to be hungry. To escape these foes, he began retreating inward. In Sink, Thomas queries the possibility of escape through fantasy worlds, while grappling with children's inability to change their circumstances.

In a series of exacting and fierce vignettes, Thomas guides readers through the trouble of cruelty without heroics or reprieve and explores how the cycle of hostility permeates our environments. And yet even in the depths of isolation, there are unexpected moments of joy carved out as Thomas finds kinship. Sink follows Thomas's coming-of-age towards an understanding of what it means to lose the desire to fit in and how good it feels to build community, love, and salvation on your own terms.