Man Overboard!

by Kathleen Rooney

From the nationally bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, comes a funny and moving novel in which a former college swimmer falls off a cruise ship and must keep treading water as memories and regrets wash over him—perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette; Florence Adler Swims Forever; and The Wedding People.

"Man Overboard! is destined to be the best book of the summer.” —Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View From Lake Como

Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick hates the ocean. Has always been terrified of it. And now he’s in a real pickle.

Drifting alone in the sea after falling (or jumping? He can’t remember as the all-inclusive drinks on the cruise he was taking with his extended family were, well, inclusive) Kick must survive. Breath by breath, hour by hour in the lonely sea.

As the waves crash over him, so too do the thoughts and memories of just how he got there. A Thanksgiving cruise with an obnoxious brother-in-law he has to bite his tongue to keep from screaming at. A father who gives the Great Santini a run for his money. And a mother, who already left the family boat, so to speak, a long time ago. His family may be complicated, and the pains of life may seem unbearable—infuriating enough to leap from the deck—but maybe the will to survive is stronger.

Man Overboard! is an inventive, slyly hilarious, and inspiring novel about what it means to be alive, stay alive, and what keeps us going no matter how choppy the waves of our journey become. Hold on for dear life!

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook

208 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 7, 2026

About the author

Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand.

She is the author, most recently, of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Her latest collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was published by Texas Review Press in September 2022. Her novel from Dust to Stardust, was published by Lake Union Press in Fall of 2023, and her debut picture book--co-written with her sister Beth Rooney and illustrated by Betsy Bowen--was published by University of Minnesota Press in Fall of 2025.

Her fifth novel, Man Overboard!, is coming out with Gallery Books in July of 2026.

Reviews

[Creed Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, witty, self reflective. A true “one man show”! (Well if you don’t count the sea creatures)

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the early copy!!

[Caroline Macon Fleischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slay in every way. The ripped, sporty body of a 33-year-old gym bro (said lovingly) named Kick gets flung into deep waters. Kick must stay afloat or else. But forget physical survival—in near death, the real threats are mental. Shame, regret, introspections, and a hell of a psychedelic montage. Picture: dolphins talking. With the hilarity of Confederacy of Dunces and the surrealist vulnerability of Kafka on the Shore, Man Overboard! is a summer smash waiting to happen. (and will be the perfect Xmas gift for your brother who “doesn’t like to read”)

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I This book was a wild ride. A man named Kick finds himself overboard from a cruise and the book is his experience as he waits to die, still holding onto hope of being rescued. I loved his conversations with the sea creatures he comes across and how he reflects on everything in his life as the book goes on. I read this book in one sitting because the flow was perfect and I couldn’t wait to see his fate. Unique, edgy, and addicting! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Chanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick 'Kick' Kilpatrick, award winning swimmer, wakes up in the ocean after a night of drinking on a cruise with his family, with no memory of how he ended up there. As the hours stretch on and he waits to be rescued, he reflects on his past while fighting to keep himself — quite literally — afloat and avoid becoming an hors d’oeuvre for the ocean.

The pen pal callback was a cute and unexpected touch that added a fun layer to the story.


Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

[Remi]

it just sounds interesting, and i deserve some happy vibes from books

*thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC*

[Rachael Pawlak · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had Lillian Boxfish, and now we have Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick - probably the right person to go overboard (the guy was on a swim team). I see similarities between the two books. Both follow characters searching for meaning at the end of their lives. Where Lillian walks the streets of NYC on New Year’s Eve, Patrick treading through the ocean on Thanksgiving Day - holidays meant for togetherness, yet both spend the time alone, “lost” in their own thoughts.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The book hits bookshelves on July 7! 🏊

[Kathy]

3.5. Gripping, profound, short but not necessarily the easiest read at times. And that last comment in no way reflects the excellent writing and editing in this book. Thanks to publisher for chance to preview the ARC.

[Lindsay Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increasingly stressful and poignant. Ugh Kathleen Rooney is so good

[Lauren Chisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. TW: this book discusses the struggle of depression and suicidal thoughts/attempts.

Written in the first person, we follow Kick through his struggle to stay afloat after he falls (jumps) off a cruise ship balcony. This book follows his journey, thoughts, and reflection as he waits to potentially be saved. As we read, we understand that Kick is struggling to stay afloat in his everyday personal life. He’s vain, depressed, and anxious. He avoids attachment and openly displaying interest (like most of us). Eventually, he comes to accept himself (both his emotions, interests, and acknowledge his momentary heartbreaking impulse to jump). I really liked the connected symbolism of floating in the ocean as our own ability to avoid accepting ourselves and float through life. I highly recommend!

I received an advance copy on NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen Rooney is one of my absolute favorite contemporary authors. I love that each of her books is so wildly different from all the others, and Man Overboard! is no exception. The epigraph includes one of my favorite lines from Moby Dick, so the book is off to an excellent start. We come to sudden consciousness with the narrator, Kick Kilpatrick, as he puzzles out where he is and how he got there. He realizes he is in the briny depths of the Gulf of Mexico, where he landed after he fell (or jumped?) from the Carnival cruise ship where he and his extended family were on a Thanksgiving Day cruise.

As Kick struggles to stay afloat hour after hour, he has nothing to do but think about his past, both recent and distant. He encounters various sea creatures who give him the opportunity to examine the mistakes he's made throughout his life. Kick realizes that he desperately wants to survive, and his mantra of "Within the next hour, somebody’s going to rescue me." seems wonderfully upbeat and positive for a person in his situation.

This is a short book and a very quick read. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

[Cool · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was an unexpected surprise. Here is the plot: A man named Kick falls off a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico, and every chapter is an hour of his survival time in the water. He thinks about his life.

That's it!

The book is profound, funny, relatable, and wildly original. I loved that this book was a unique story I've not read before- I don't need to read another brainless rom-com, or murder mystery. I want to read something original, about a unique protagonist, and this book delivers. And while I didn't love the ending (no spoilers), I loved loved loved Rooney's story, storytelling vehicle, characters, and spot-on cultural and political musings (told via Kick).

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can definitely see the appeal of Man Overboard, even though it didn’t fully land for me. I enjoyed learning about Kick and his relationships, and the reflective structure makes sense given his situation. However, the frequent tangents and random fact rambles pulled me out of the story. I just didn’t care enough about those moments to stay invested. This may also be a case of timing, as I’m in a busier season of life.

Overall, this is a thoughtful and well-constructed novel, and while it wasn't the right fit for me, I can see it resonating strongly with the right reader.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this ARC for an honest review!

[Carol Ann Tack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved every page of this book. It swept me away! I could go overboard with my praise, but I’ll hold back! MAN OVERBOARD stays afloat with the most lovely prose and sentiments that only Kathleen Rooney can provide. This book was a true life-preserver in days of overwhelmingly high tides.

I’ve hosted Kathleen Rooney via Zoom for a book discussion as well as on my Top Shelf podcast for her amazing book, Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk as well as Dust to Stardust are gems of their own, so you have plenty to catch up on while waiting for this July 7th publication date. I really could not put this one down.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rooney's previous book was one of my favorites when it came out so I couldn't wait to read this. But then I started it and it dragged and dragged. Enough that I had to put it aside for a while. I tried to come back to it a few times but I couldn't engage with it.

Finally when I knew I had a chunk of time, I sat down to get through it and I grew to love it more and more and more and by the end I was completely invested in the future of Kick and rooting for him. This story unravels slowly, with lots of things thrown in the middle, but it's truly lovely if you stick with it.

with gratitude to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Stephanie Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It reminded me a little of Wedding People, where it's pretty serious but actually really funny? I appreciate that Kick is waiting to be rescued in the ocean after "falling" off of a cruise ship, but I couldn't help laughing during his reflections and hilarious/wild memories of his family, conversations with sea animals, and over all vibes of having a family that is anything than perfect, but finding that maybe it could be worse and dying isn't the best idea of how to deal with your life. I would highly recommend!

[Beth Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book chapter by chapter as Kathleen wrote it, and I found myself wanting her to write faster and faster because I couldn't wait to hear what happened to Kick! You will love it! And so will your friends. Buy a copy and ask your library to do the same. :)

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best novel about a guy falling off a cruise ship I've ever written.

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

lyrical and interesting meditation on life and who one is that happens to take place in the middle of the ocean. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.