After drunkenly crashing his parents' car—during their annual barbecue, in full view of family friends—23-year-old Giles Jay Mattana books a one-way ticket to Europe, telling no one. Cut off from his family and ghosted by his ex, mid-flight turbulence triggers his fear of flying and a terrifying question: What if I die a mess, never making amends? As he drifts through seven countries, Giles spirals deeper into his vices, losing his phone, money, and nearly himself. Stranded and desperate, he faces a pivotal choice: accept a dubious yacht job from a man who mirrors his own worst impulses and disappear forever, or confront painful truths and seek reconciliation with his family.

Throughout his journey, Giles encounters mysterious strangers who offer cryptic wisdom and seemingly significant objects—an engraved watch, a locked book, a bracelet inscribed with ancient proverbs. When the final piece clicks into place, Giles makes a mind-bending discovery: these figures are versions of his future self, both good and bad, reaching back through time to guide him. Most astonishing of all, the book one of them leaves behind is, impossibly, Poppin’ Bubbles—the very story the reader holds.

Bestselling author, Jenna Blum, and other professional editors have compared Poppin’ Bubbles to The Alchemist  for its thematic journey, Tuesdays with Morrie for its how-to-live wisdom, and The Midnight Library for its exploration of the choices that define us.