ABANDONED. Children's/YA boy accidentally causes drowning of two others and is blackmailed for it

[Beth]

I'm trying to find a book I read in school sometime during 2005/2006. I remember it being about a boy..he's swimming in a river I believe, when he comes across the girl he likes and another guy hanging out on a boulder or something. Out of a mixture of jealousy and mischief he pulls at their ankles/ messes with him..they end up falling into the more dangerous waters, the name of which I think is also the name of the title (not sure). He later finds out that the girl ended up drowning. He starts getting mysterious messages saying that someone knows what he did. He thinks they're from the guy she was with, but they find his body a few days later caught in some plants overhanging the river. That's about all I remember. I never actually finished the book.

I'm thinking the book was published sometime between 2000 and 2006. I would love to find it again.

[Tab]

Sounds like a good book!
Was it more of a mystery, suspense, horror, etc?
Anything about the cover?
Time period/location story takes place?
Part of a series?

[Clare]

I don't know either but I want to read it so I'll do some googling.

[Rachael]

I believe the book you are looking for is Blackwater by Eve Bunting

[Kym]

Blackwater for Rachael's suggestion.

[Kate]

Beth, is Blackwater the book? We love to know the outcome -- or we'll keep looking!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Kate wrote: "Beth, is Blackwater the book? We love to know the outcome -- or we'll keep looking!"

No response in 2+ years. Moving to Abandoned.