This book was fine, it didn't do anything different or special in the genre and the pacing was an issue for me

Although flawed characters are usually a go to for me, this felt one dimensional

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

This book had a lot of promise because I think when you boil it down, the author is a good writer. Some aspects were really good and then some were just lackluster. I found Alex, the main character, extremely dislikable, like, a horrible human. I mean, who just *forgets* about a kid that went missing because of something they did?! Only remembering 20 years later when weird stuff starts happening? No one, so this was a hard pill to swallow in terms of believability for me...although perhaps he was just the type of lunatic to do it, who knows. Overall, I was swept up in this book of revenge so I gave it 3 stars.

An excellent read. This book reminded me of how the dreams of my childhood was. I am not a huge thriller or suspense person but this book changed my mind and opened my world to this way of storytelling. I loved the characters and I thought every single character served their purpose to the main character. I’ve added this author to all of my watch lists. I wouldn’t mind reading more of their work.

Thankyou NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author, J P Smith for the opportunity to read The Drowning in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
A good, fast paced narrative that keeps you hooked.
I thought the storyline was well written and intriguing.
Worth a read.

Such a great book. Makes for a wonderful read. I can not wait to read more from this author. I love books like this.

This book was interesting but did not blow me away. I found myself wanting to know what happened next, but didn't always feel as invested as I could have. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will try more from this author in the future

This is a very enjoyable mystery/thriller, which gradually draws you in and then plays with your thoughts as to what actually happened and who was responsible.

The writing is good, the story well paced and the ending gives you a solution, but also leaves you wondering what actually happened, or didn't happen.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Wow! I was really surprised by this one! I never saw the twist coming towards the end. I thought I had it all figured out. I feel like the end is still kind of open ended. Overall a really good read!

This book was about a boy at camp that went missing after being left on a wooden raft in the middle of a lake by one of the camp counselors. Twenty one years later, the counselor is a self made millionaire and suddenly starts receiving strange messages that appear as if they are coming from the missing boy.
I really enjoyed this book, but it ended without telling the reader the answer to the mystery of the missing boy. Did he drown? Was he rescued? I’d like to have seen the mystery solved at the end.

While the story kept me interested and kept me turning pages, I was disappointed in the end. I felt like I didn't have all my questions answered.

The Drowning had the recipe for a great thriller. It sucked me in and I didn't want to stop reading...and then the ending happened. There was a great build-up to what I was hoping/expecting to be this grand ending, but it fell flat for me.

The Drowning ended and left me with a few questions honestly. I feel like there are things in the book that should've been explained more.
Also, there were characters that definitely should've had more depth to them (instead of a couple sentences throughout a few chapters). The first half is amazing, it's darker, definitely a thriller and kept me wanting to know more. The second half left me scratching my head a bit.

*Synopsis*
Every year at camp, the counselors get together and tell a horror story around the campfire; a creepy man from the woods comes to kidnap a new kid every 7 years. All the kids are scared, especially Joey. Unfortunately for Joey, this story will be a reality.

Alex is a counselor and swim teacher at the camp. On one of their last swims, he pushes Joey to hard. He swims Joey out to the middle of the lake and leaves him on a raft. Hours pass when someone finally notices Joey is missing. After many searches, nobody can find Joey. He just vanishes.

Alex keeps quiet and goes on to be extremely successful and he has a beautiful wife with beautiful kids. 21 years have passed, and someone has been sitting and waiting to exact their revenge. Soon, very bad things start happening to Alex. Perhaps Joey wasn't gone after all. Maybe Joey has been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC.

This definitely reminds me of a certain slasher movie franchise that keeps putting out sequels. So if you enjoy those, this is the book for you! will keep you scared to swim for awhile.

THE DROWNING is incredible! A bizarre mystery that stretches the bounds of what seems plausible, with fully-fleshed characters holding the narrative in place. Exceptionally sneaky and elusive villains abound. The theme here is: What is Reality? Is Reality how we perceive it, or how someone else informs us it is? An unforgettable puzzler!

What a great twisty thriller, definitely kept me on my toes. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Eighteen year old Alex is a counsellor and swimming instructor at an all boys summer camp. Once of his campers - Joey Proctor is terrified of swimming and refuses to try it. Alex has the bright idea to leave Joey out in the middle of the lake on a raft thinking he'll eventually jump in and swim to shore. Alex doesn't remember to check on Joey and make sure he's gotten back safely until he's reported missing from camp later that day. Since nobody knows Alex left Joey out there, he decides not to tell anyone and Joey is never found; the mystery of his disappearance goes unsolved, to be forever forgotten by Alex. Fast forward 21 years, Alex has become a very rich and successful real estate developer, gotten married and has two daughters. When weird things begin to happen to him Alex remembers the events that occurred so long ago and is worried that Joey Proctor has returned and wants revenge.
So, about the main character Alex; he just wasn't likeable - he didn't seem to have any morals and was really just looking out for himself, so that was annoying and frustrating. This book did have a lot of twists and unexpected turns that kept me on my toes and the short chapters kept me turning the pages pretty quickly. The big issue I had with this book was the ending - there wasn't enough resolution for me and way too many unanswered questions. But, I'd heard this before I read it and I still chose to proceed so I won't complain. I suppose that leaves things up to the imagination which may bother some people less than others. It bothered me more than I thought it would, I guess?

A thrilling read which kept me turning the pages, characters you care for and just brilliantly written. Great novel!!

*Many thanks to J.P.Smith, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
This is a good thriller with a theme that has become rather popular with authors recently. This novel was a quick weekend read for me, but it did not grip me as much as I had expected.

When I first read that publishers summary I was incredibly intrigued. A boy is left on a raft at camp and then no one can find him - surely he drowned? Who was haunting Alex ... was it actually Joey or someone else?


When you meet Alex as an adult his personality is so-so. I remember not being crazy about him but also not totally hating him. He is the typical macho, businessman who is a semi-family man but also a bit of a sleaze.


As Alex is close to nailing a business deal, he starts to get weird signs that relate to Joey Proctor, the boy who he left out on a raft all those years ago. You definitely can see how the signs/haunting would be Joey but there is also an underlying feeling that something more sinister is going on.


Throughout the novel, you want to scream at Alex for being such an idiot and not going about things the way he should've but that was really the only complaint I had ... but in reality, what is a book if you don't want to yell at the protagonist at least once?


At first, I thought the book was going to be a typical ghost story with a twist or two but Smith takes Alex on a journey I never would've figured out. The plot twists that occur are really wild; there are a lot of deaths, cover-ups, and fake outs plus the ending is not what I expected.


I flew through this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat and kept everything really interesting. If you need something thrilling and to keep you guessing, you will obsess over "The Drowning."

Dark mystery that sucks you into a different place. A nightmare where no one wants to be. Good read. Can’t put it down. Wondering where it’s going to go And which way to turn