Member Reviews
Truly an eerie book. I felt the author did a great job at weaving together the past and the present timelines in this story. The dread of wondering if this is paranormal, and who would be next kept me reading late into the night. The authors voice in this book is haunting and beautiful.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
The Drowning Kind is a gripping and atmospheric novel that blends horror, mystery, and family drama. The story alternates between two timelines: one in 1929, where Ethel Monroe hopes to conceive a child with the help of a wish-granting spring at a Vermont hotel; and one in 2021, where Jax, a social worker, investigates the death of her sister Lexie, who drowned in the pool at their grandmother's estate. Both women are drawn to the dark and mysterious power of the water, but they soon discover that every wish has a price, and that the past is never truly buried.
Jennifer McMahon is a master of creating suspense and tension, as well as crafting complex and flawed characters. The Drowning Kind explores themes such as grief, guilt, mental illness, and family secrets, while also delivering some chilling and unexpected twists. The setting of the novel is vivid and haunting, and the author skillfully weaves in elements of folklore, history, and paranormal. The Drowning Kind is a captivating and haunting read that will keep you up at night. I highly recommend it to fans of horror, mystery, and psychological thrillers.
Love the mood and the mystery. I was pretty invested in everything happening throughout the whole book. It is true that towards the end one of the characters was being a little annoying but other than that I was here for it.
Don't want to say much because of the type of book that it is but I enjoyed it.
"The Drowning Kind" by Jennifer McMahon is a haunting tale that skillfully weaves elements of mystery, family secrets, and the supernatural.
The mysterious death of a woman drowned in the family estate's pool serves as the catalyst for a riveting exploration into the dark history of the property. As Jax, the heroine, delves into her now deceased sister's research, she uncovers a past that is as chilling as it is captivating.
The narrative intertwines the present with a historical thread set in 1929, where newlywed Ethel Monroe seeks solace in a Vermont hotel with a mysterious spring rumored to grant wishes. These timelines add a layer of complexity, revealing how the past has a way of lingering and shaping the present.
Jennifer McMahon's writing is evocative, creating a vivid and atmospheric setting that enhances the suspense. The novel delivers spine-tingling moments and well-developed characters. "The Drowning Kind" is a satisfying page-turner ideal for fans of ghostly mysteries with a touch of family drama.
This was a creepy atmospheric unputadownable read. I love Jennifer McMahon’s book and enjoyed listening to this.
Jennifer McMahon is a fantastic author. Her style is spooky, blood curdling, with ghostly chills that make you look over your shoulder as you read. This audio book proved no different from her other works for me!
The storyline was addictive. I loved listening just before bed....yes, before sleeping.
We have a dysfunctional family, two sisters who are polar opposites. We have loss, secrets, a spooky house that could be featured in a classic Dracula movie.
The pool....be careful of what you wish for. All I will say.
Pick up the audio book of this one. You won't be disappointed. And yes, listen with the lights off....by a pool if you have one! *maniacal laughter"
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon.
I really enjoyed this book and who could resist the opening line. This one kept me on my toes and I couldn't put it down. IT would be great for book club!
How can you not want to read a book that starts off with "Be careful what you wish for." Impossible! Creepy and haunting! A must read! A perfect book club recommendation for October!
Jennifer McMahon never disappoints. She has the perfect amount of haunting ghostly vibes to keep me creeped out, but able to sleep. I love that she relies on imagination over gore and graphic violence. This was a dual timeline book. Those are usually not my favorite, but it really worked here as I tried to piece together how the past was impacting present-day events.
I read some of this one and listened to a fair amount of it. I liked both narrators, but one of them read a bit slowly for my taste. Speeding up the narration in those sections helped a lot.
I was sent the audio book to listen to, and I really enjoyed it, a well written novel
This ARC was given to me by NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All comments above are my true opinion after reading this book.
I have really grown to love Jennifer McMahon's books and was happy to pick up this creepy wonderful tale. It's told in two timelines and kept me engaged through out the book. The story has a gothic feel that I enjoyed very much!
Due to eye damage I didn't get to write a review for it in 2021 when I read it but am still thinking about it. Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of the book. I listened to the audio version and the narration was well done.
Jennifer McMahon has done it again! Another masterfully crafted tale of horror. I slept with my lights on!
This one was a big tougher for me…and left me feeling sorta like “huh that’s it…” it was also really hard to connect with any of the characters and I think possibly going in without any info on the book maybe I expected something else. It was ok just a bit underwhelming. I will say the narration was great & the cover art is beautiful.
I really liked Jennifer McMahon The Winter People which was a good thriller. Yet, this novel left a lot to be desired. There was not much going on in the story. Also, there were many plot holes. The book never answered any of the questions in the story, which made for a disappointing read. I suggest to skip this and read her other books instead. Still, the audiobook enhanced the story a bit. I would rather listen to the audiobook than read the story. The narrator has a calm voice. She performed it well. Thus, the audiobook is better than the actual story.
Told in duel timelines, both stories revolve around a pool of water that seems to have magical properties. In 1929, newlywed Ethel Monroe desperately wishes for a child and visits a new resort that boasts healing waters. In present day, Jax comes home after the drowning of her mentally ill sister in the family pool. As Jax tries to unravel what happened to to her sister, Ethel records her life in her diary and the strange happenings that occur at the resort with the pool. The pool does seem to be supernatural, but there is always a price to paid to keep the scales of nature even.
This one dragged for me. I really couldn't stand Ethel's character, so it made it difficult to care about what happened to her. Jax was fine, but the whole story just didn't do much for me. The ending was disappointing. Wouldn't necessarily recommend. It was almost a DNF for me.
I was not able to download this book or listen to it on the app but I was given an earc to review. Jennifer never disappoints. This was creepy and eeriy and made me very uncomfortable at some points. It was fantastic! I will read anything by Jennifer.
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon pulled me in from the beginning. I enjoyed how there were two timelines in the book, but didn't enjoy "The Dead Game". Both narrators, Joy Osmanski and Imani Jade Powers added so much to my enjoyment. Thank you #NetGalley and #Simon and Schuster for allowing me to listen and read this book. Both formats were great, but I prefer the audio.
Jennifer McMahon has became a favorite author of mine. Her books a re dark, eerie and such fast reads! I loved this book and found myself enjoying both the E-book AND the Audio version (Both Advanced Reader Copies). I highly recommend the audiobook if you want to try out something different. This book kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more and more. I was this book came to an end and actually am planing to read it again! This was everything creepy to me and keep me up some nights without scaring the whits out of me! A much deserved 5 star book!
I really enjoyed this thriller. The beautiful cover is one of the reasons I requested it from NetGalley and so glad that I did. It was full of twists and moments you really thought about even after you were done reading it. Jennifer McMahon is an amazing writer and I have enjoyed this novel and look forward to more of hers.
I loved this one so much I also bought a hard copy. It’s emotional, dark and makes you think. I recommend it to everyone to add to their BOTM boxes now’!! I can’t wait to see what she writes next, I’m hooked. The narrator was amazing, and I love that I could listen to it easily.