Inside the Riptide

Out of the closet and into the ocean, Joe Santini dives headfirst into the waves of Sri Lanka, only to discover that escape has an undertow.

When twenty-two-year-old Joe flees landlocked Colorado for a gig at a surf and yoga retreat, he’s newly out, hopelessly naive, and desperately seeking escape no matter the cost. He expects a sun drenched paradise, but finds a complicated country beneath the tourist fantasy he’s been sold. Joe revels in his new life abroad, learning how to surf in the Indian Ocean, all while being openly gay in a place where it’s still criminalized.

As Joe eagerly waits for his long-distance boyfriend, Hayden, to join him, the picture-perfect paradise he’s found begins to fracture. His two Instagram-obsessed bosses tighten their grip with increasingly questionable ethics as Hayden’s secrets rise to the surface. Then, a sudden, dark betrayal shatters his tight-knit community, leaving Joe to discover who he is without a lifeline.

Joe’s story is a vibrant, deeply introspective look at first love, toxic tourism, and the messy transition into adulthood. Fans of high-stakes resort dramas like The White Lotus will devour this gripping journey as the narrative descends into the underbelly of paradise, proving that no matter how fast you paddle, you eventually have to face what you’re fleeing.