Sisters Jax and Lex spent summers growing up at Sparrow Crest, their grandma's old Vermont estate, playing "The Dead Game" in the dark natural pool out back. Years later, Jax returns to Sparrow Crest as an adult after Lex drowns in the pool and finds herself ensnared in the mysterious rants Lex left behind. While Jax tries to figure out whether her sister's death was suicide, an accident, or something worse, the pool lies waiting to collect on an old debt.

The pool has claimed others, always looking for the drowning kind to add to its own. Parallel to the story of Jax and Lex is the decades-earlier story of Ethel Monroe, who discovered the healing powers of the pool when she and her husband honeymooned at the hotel that stood by the pool before Sparrow Crest was built. Ethel's spooky story builds out the mythology of the spring-fed pool, grounding the story of Lex and Jax. After all, Lex may have struggled with reality, but if the pool has a legacy of healing and death, Lex couldn't have succumbed to drowning because of her mental illness - or could she?

One of the things I loved about this thriller was the way it stayed open-ended for most of the book. Each character related to the pool in their own way, from keeping their distance to embracing the water, even in fear. The facts and history of the pool mingled with the characters' superstition and intrigue to keep me unsure of what the truth was, which also kept me hooked! The two story-lines fed each other, but they each had a rational path and a supernatural one, with events that were not easy to explain either way. In that way this story had a similar feel to M. Night Shyamylan's recent show, "The Servant." Super spooky, but always with uncertainty of what to be afraid of, and the desire for the spookiness to be "all in someone's head" instead of a real ghostly thing that might eat you before you can figure out what to do.

I also loved piecing together how the characters in the historical story line tied to the characters in the present-day story line. Those relationships, as they emerged, ALSO contributed evenly to the different theories about what might really be happening with the pool.

Rather than roller-coaster supernatural or cat-and-mouse thriller, this story is a slow burn of spookiness, the feeling that something is following you and you can only see it once in awhile out of the corner of your eye. That dreamy quality made it all the more of a gut punch when each story line came to a close. I left satisfied and wowed, feeling like I knew what happened...but a few days later the rest of it hit me and I liked the story even more.

I definitely recommend the Audiobook, which is how I took in this story. The narrator has a different style for each of the two storylines and did a good job with the voices.

<i> NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press graciously provided me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. </i>

This book gave me such a creepy vibe... kids playing dead in same pool their Aunt died in. I’m not sure why the grandmother still had it. I didn’t much care for the narrators voice in this one. Inflection was okay but voice was nasally.

3.5
TW: self-harm, suicide, death of child, infertility

This is great for fans of quiet, slow burn horror,but it also could be a "supernatural thriller" depending on how you want to categorize it. It's full of atmosphere and the dual narrative really pushes the story forward. I felt much more invested in the first timeline, but that in no way took away my enjoyment from the book. I'm saying that because her first book, there was a whole timeline I actively disliked and I didn't care the book because of it. I'd recommend it for readers who want a "room temperature" book as far as creepiness goes.

Be careful what you wish for, the water gives and it takes

Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book captivated me from the very beginning. Although I’m a sucker for anything spooky, & being set in New England alone helped with the atmosphere & the creep level.
Written in alternating perspectives & dual timelines kept me needing MORE as the story unraveled.
We meet Jax, who is a social worker living in the PNW. She is a country apart from her sister Lex, who is diagnosed Manic/Bipolar. For the first time in her life feels like she can breathe a little bit due to the separation. She loves her sister, but the relationship is WORK.
Jax gets war dialed by her sis one evening & chooses to let her go to voicemail over & over. Come the next morning we find out Lex tragically drowned in the spring fed pool in the backyard of their grandmothers home(which Lex inherited after Granny passed) all the way in New Hampshire. This leads Jax to return to her family home & face ghosts from the past.
Our alternating POV brings us to 1929 where Ethel Monroe, a late 30 something newlywed, is DESPERATE for a baby. Her husband surprises her with a trip to the Brandenburg Springs hotel, which is(you guessed it) fed by the very same springs as Lex’s granny’s house. Ethel soon finds that the springs has mystical properties and can rejuvenate & heal, but this comes with a price. But again, this lady wants a baby y’all. So she goes ALL in.
I have to say, I enjoyed Ethel’s story more, but I like to romanticize the past & tend to get swept up in the language of the time. Also, I wanted to know how the author was going to intertwine these two ladies stories. It was fantastic & haunting & I enjoyed every minute of it!

Thanks to Simon Schuster & NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon is a deliciously suspenseful and haunting story! Told in alternating timelines, we hear from Jax in the present and Ethel in the late 1920’s. They both have something in common – they’ve had intimate contact with a dark bottomless pool that is said to have healing powers.

Jax is a wounded healer, working in mental health and trying to set boundaries between herself and her Bipolar older sister, Lexie. There’s some history in this dysfunctional family and Jax is wrestling with some resentment towards Lexie and her inheritance of their Grandmothers estate, Sparrow Crest. It’s here that Lexie drowns in the healing pool after calling Jax multiple times. Thing is, Lexie is a champion swimmer, so how did she drown in the pool?

Ethel and her doctor husband want nothing more than a child, when they take a trip to Brandenburg, Vermont to visit the Brandenburg Springs Hotel, Ethel finds the locals to be both frightened of and in awe of, the springs. They say it has magical healing powers but it doesn’t give without taking back. When Ethel whispers her greatest wish to the pool, it comes true but at what cost?

This is one of the times when I looked forward to hearing from both characters in their timelines. The characters are so affecting and real, the atmosphere and creepiness keeping me on a knives edge, and I admit, turning on lights and looking suspiciously at my own pond! The plot moves at a perfect pace, keeping the tension mounting and adding in some bendy twists that I did not see coming.

Narration: Joy Osmanski and Imani Jade Powers are amazing narrators; each with the perfect pitch and cadence making this an enjoyable listening experience. They move seamlessly through the chapters with emotive voices that really upped the tension with haunting and believable clarity.

I enjoyed listening to this chilling tale that cleverly explores the deepest parts of wants and longings and the lengths some will go to obtain and keep them. My deepest thanks to Simon and Schuster Audio for providing me an ALC to listen to for review.

irst of all, a huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this audio book. Thank you so so much.

The Drowning Kind By Jennifer McMahon. Read by Imani Jade Powers and Shaun Taylor-Corbett. This book broke my heart so many times.
Jax and her sister Lexi are estranged. Lexie has some mental problems and Jax has completely separated herself from her remaining family. Then one day Lexie calls and is manic. Jax assumes she is off her meds again. Her day has been stressful enough so she lets all of Lexie's calls go to voicemail. She'll call her back the next day. Well, the next day Lexie is found dead in the swimming pool of Sparrow Crest, their Grandmother's (now Lexie's) estate. Jax, Dad and Aunt Diane all meet at Sparrow Crest to wrap up Lexie's affairs and decide what to do next.
Sparrow Crest is special. It's built near the legendary springs. Springs that are said to have healing powers. And may be cursed. The story is told between alternating story lines. One starts out in 1929 and is the story of Ethel and her family. Ethel marries later in life to a successful small town doctor. After years of trying for a baby, he surprises her with a trip to the Bandonburg Hotel and it's famous healing springs. (Yes, where Sparrow Crest now stands). Ethel makes her wish at the spring, not knowing it also takes.
The other story line is in modern times, and that of Jax and Lexie. This follows the format of the previous books by Jennifer but that's fine with me, I LOVE IT!
I have a sister, she is 3 years younger than me. Jax's grief and guilt over her sister's untimely death was so real and heartbreaking. I loved the all characters and how they all interacted. They felt real, their pain and loss felt real. All of it broke my heart. I loved the setting and going back and forth between the two story lines then seeing how they connected. I really enjoy this author's work and always look forward to what she does next.

Is it Lexie’s guilt over ignoring her sisters phone calls or is she really seeing her dead sister in the pool she drowned in. And who are these other people? Her aunt’s imaginary friend who would come out of the pool and play with her? And what about the old stories about a hotel that used to be here and the little girl who drowned, are they true? And what does that have to do with her sisters death? And what is it about the water in the pool that comes from the spring? Does it have powers?
And in 1929 there is Ethel who just wants to be a mother and if the springs help then so be it. But are the waters as healing as she hopes?
Narrated by, Joy Osmanski & Imani Jade Powers both narrators did a great job at bringing these women to life!
McMahon once again keeps me on the edge of my seat with the ghost story. I loved the dual time lines and how they meshed together. McMahon never disappoints!

4 stars

This paranormal fiction is told with split timelines in the 1920s and present day. The central focus in the story are the mysterious springs that seem to have healing powers, but the locals swear they’re cursed.

On the 1920s timeline, we meet Ethel as a newlywed in 1929. She is desperate to have a baby, but hasn’t been able to get pregnant. During a stay at the Brandenburg Springs Hotel, the wife of the owner urges Ethel to make a wish to the springs. After trying many old wive’s tales and superstitions already, Ethel whispers her desire for a child to the springs. She soon learns the “curse” of the springs is that it doesn’t give without also taking away...

On the present day timeline, Jax is left to deal with the aftermath of her sister, Lex’s, drowning at the Sparrow Crest, which is the property now located at the springs. On the surface it seems as thought Lex was in a state of mania due to her bipolar disorder, but could there be more? I’m trying to learn more about what happened at Sparrow Crest, Jax digs deeper into the history of the property while also reminiscing about her childhood.

Jennifer McMahon knows how to weave a spooky, supernatural tale in a believable way. I enjoyed listening to this book! The narration was also great. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy for me to listen to in exchange for my honest review.

I do want to clarify the genre of The Drowning Kind, since I started listening to the audiobook think I was getting a thriller. This is a suspense and light horror novel. Some people have shelves this as paranormal on Goodreads, but I think it is a bit of a spoiler to either agree or disagree with that.

The Drowning kind is a duel perspective story that follows a modern woman who is returning to her childhood home after her sister passed away, and a women in 1929 who was recently married and longs to have a child. As the story progresses who discover how the two stories are linked.

I don’t want to give anything away, but the story from 1929 focuses on a spring that is rumored to have magical properties. If you go into the water and express your deepest desire, it will come true. This is where the possible supernatural elements of the story come into play.

I really enjoyed the suspenseful tone of the story. I really liked the ending. The Drowning Kind is a solid read, and anyone who enjoys creepy houses, family dynamics, and possible supernatural elements will enjoy it.

There are definitely some trigger warmings for self harm and alcoholism in this story. There is also a pretty big focus on mental health, especially concerning bipolar disorder.

I received this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a typical dark twisted novel by Jennifer McMahon, if you like that....you'll enjoy this book. There're 2 main stories (past and present) which are intertwined. Both stories are equally captivating. I personally would have wished for a different ending, but logically, it was the right ending.

Both narrators did an excellent job, I really enjoyed listening to the chapters with Ethel Monroe (in the past).

Thanks NetGalley, Jennifer McMahon, and Simon & Schuster Audio for the ARC

Family history runs deep in this creepy story of a spring that is is said to help with aliments. But these things come with a price. What are you willing to risk, to heal your sickness, help you child walk or even have a child.
Jax is a social worker with family experience with mental illness. When her younger sister Lexie drowns in the pool of spring water. When she finally returns to Sparrow Crest, she needs to know and understand what was going on with her sister.

This had a fantastic creepyness to it. Just enough of the wondering what was going on with the spring and the water. Could it really help people? and was the cost always so high? The pace was perfect and I loved how the story switched back and forth from the past to the present. It had this tone of mystery and wonder what could really be in that water? I liked that we learned about the family dynamic and how they reacted to one another. The past slowly telling you the families history with the spring until the end when it all get connected. The ending was so satisfying.

Thank you to Gallery/ Scout Press and netgalley for my review copy

“The Drowning Kind” by Jennifer McMahon was an interesting read.

This chilling psychological thriller kept me up at night and I dared not turn off my lights 🙀

A beautiful blend of the past and the present. A tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry, a haunted pool and its influence.

The Drowning Kind is an adult paranormal thriller about a family that has both gained and lost loved ones to the waters of the natural springs on their property in rural Vermont,

The book is told in alternating POV’s between current day Jax and Agatha in the late 1920’s. Jax has just received the devastating news that her sister Lexie has drowned on the grounds of their ancestral family home. And Agatha is starting to suspect that her blissful marriage might be one without any children. As Jax seeks answers to her sister’s sudden death Agatha discovers an unusual solution to her infertility. Both women, born generations apart will have to face the consequences of asking the waters for miracles and what it might take in return.

The Drowning Kind is spooky and atmospheric and similar to books like Pet Semetary it asks what would you do to save the people you love even if it means sacrifices you can’t imagine. The reader feels for all characters because each woman is both drawn to and repulsed by the springs. They can’t leave it behind but they also can’t bear to see what is looking back when they stare into it’s dark depths.

I highly recommend this one for readers and audiobook listeners that like their thriller with a side of paranormal horror and family drama.

My audiobook copy was provided by NetGalley and the publisher for review purposes.

First, I want to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Audio, and Jennifer McMahon for my audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: When Jax, a social worker, receives nine missed calls from her sister, Lexie, Jax assumes Lexie is in one of her manic episodes. Jax has pushed her sister away for the last year for these reasons. But the next day, Lexie is dead. She drowned in their deceased grandmother’s pool they swam all their life. When Jax arrives at the estate, she discovers Lexie was looking into the history of the property and their family.
From another view point, in 1929, thirty-seven year old Newlywed, Ethel, is desperately hoping for a child. Her husband whisks her away to the newest hotel with a spring to get her mind off their current infertility. Ethel learns that the spring will grant wishes but she doesn’t realize the spring also takes.

Rating: 3.75/5

I was really excited to listen to this audio on my long commute to work! I was interested to find out more about the story because the synopsis seemed to give a lot of information away. As the story unfolded, I learned the story had more twists to come! The story gave me a Tuck Everlasting vibes with a creepy spin- even better!!

I found it interesting of the two perspectives from 2019 and 1929 as it was a long time between. At first, I thought I wouldn’t be interested in Ethel’s side. I found her to be very interesting and I emphasized with her infertility issues. I sure was rooting for her and her husband to have a child!

I found Jax to be very relatable at first, especially professionally as a social worker. Her career was very fitting and made perfect sense for the story! When she arrived to Sparrowcrest, I found her to be more difficult to relate to. Her grief was as normal as grief could be, but there was almost too much detail at time that seemed unnecessary. I also felt some of the chapters for Jax were very long and I found myself hoping for the next chapter.

The story; however, was intertwined beautifully and I loved the flashbacks of Jax and Lexie at Sparrowcrest. I felt as there was a cliff hanger that made the story really interesting. **SPOILER ALERT**
Did Declan really call the house phone? It was this in Lexie’s mind?? Beautifully done to make the reader question.

Overall, the story was a haunting, eerie, slow burn, but worth the ending. There were a few twists I didn’t see coming although I was really unsure how the story would unfold. I will definitely remember this story anytime I’m near a body of water and likely get chills. And remember, be careful what you wish for.

I'll start off with saying it was an interesting idea and all, but I did not find myself caring for any of the characters. I liked the eerie atmosphere and how natural springs are said to heal you but there's a cost down the line (unknowingly for some). The characters seemed flat to me and some questions were never answered so I still don't know how or why things occured. Also, Jax is supposed to work with individuals with psychiatric disorders and keeps referring to her sister as going crazy.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with this audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster audio for the ARC of this audio book.

Jax pushed her sister Lexie away for over a year to get away from her manic episodes. She moves away and ignores her phone calls. One day when Lexie calls and Jax decides to call her back, she gets no answer. The next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. Jax begins digging into the history of her grandmother's estate and learns others have drown in that same pool. It has been said that the pool grants wishes, but not without taking something in return....

I went into this book after just having read "The Winter People" by Jennifer McMahon, which is one of my favorites reads! In my opinion, this book isn't as good as "The Winter People", but the book was creepy and left you guessing. Much like "The Winter People" it bounces back and forth between past and present day. The book is very well written and I enjoyed the storyline. The audio book had good narrators as well. If you like Jennifer McMahon's writing, read this book. A great read!

This was the first book I have read by this author. I had seen this book around Instagram and was curious, but didn’t know much about it beyond that. It turned out to be another amazingly creepy supernatural thriller.

I loved the pacing of this book. The chapters switch between present-day from Jax’s perspective and the 1920s from Ethel’s perspective. I enjoyed trying to parse out what the two timelines had to do with each other.

I found Jax to be a reasonable relatable MC. I was uncomfortable with her dismissal of her sister’s rants as part of her bipolar disorder, but I can see how this is a very human reaction to dealing with a close family member who has this disorder. Jax was a social worker, though, so I think I would have expected her to have a bit more patience for Lexie and tried to help her a bit more.

Suspension of belief is definitely required to enjoy this read, as there were some plot holes. However, I found the premise interesting enough to be able to overlook these gaps.

I’ve had mixed feelings about supernatural thrillers in general, and I somewhat prefer when they have real-world explanations to the supernatural elements.

For the audiobook review, these narrators were great. No complaints here!

First line: “The dead have nothing to fear,” Lexie said.

Summary: Lexie and Jackie spend each summer at their grandmother’s house in Brandenberg, Vermont. They love the lazy days in the natural spring pool in the backyard. But they have to follow their grandmother’s strict rules about the pool. But years later after Lexie inherits the house, she is found dead in the pool. Was it an accidental drowning or something more sinister?

Its 1929, Ethel Monroe and her new husband, Will, decide to take a weekend away at the new hotel in Brandenberg. As they arrive in town they hear people talking about the mysterious springs located behind the hotel. Some say the water has healing powers. Others claim it is cursed. The Monroe’s don’t know what to believe as they arrive at the hotel. But after Ethel strikes up a friendship with the hotel owner’s wife she learns that there is more to the springs than even the locals know.

My Thoughts: I loved how the author weaved in the paranormal with the thriller. I could never decide which was more prominent in the story. Is it a ghost story or a mystery? Or maybe it’s both? I was quickly caught up in the mystery of the springs. I sped through the chapters as I read, listened to the audiobook at a higher speed and needed to finish it as soon as I could.

It seems that dual timelines is a big theme lately. Nearly every story I have read in the last few months have had this style. I like it but I do like a simple timeline as well.

I wished we could have gotten more of Lexie, especially the adult Lexie before she drowned. We got looks at her as a child but I wish we could have seen more of her side of the story.

The ending was truly chilling. That last chapter was so well written. I didn’t get the twist until the very end.

FYI: Death, drowning, self-harm, drinking and ghosts.

Jennifer McMahon never disappoints. She is a master of the spooky, unexplained world. The Drowning Kind is a story of two sisters, Lexie and Jackie. Jackie, who is a social worker, has a complicated relationship with her sister who struggles with mental issues. Jackie ignores calls from her sister for several weeks and is horrified to discover that Lexie has drowned in the pool at her late grandmother's estate in Vermont. She travels there to take care of the arrangements and discovers that Lexie had been researching her family history, and the origins of the natural pool on the estate, where Lexie eventually drowned. Jackie gets drawn into the legends regarding the pool, mainly its power to grant wishes.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to enjoy this audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for this ARC!

Overall, I think this was a decent book with an intriguing plotline about two sisters, Jax and Lexie. Jax misses 9 calls from her sister Lexie who is bipolar and Jax assumes that these calls are a manic episode. But come to find out Lexie is dead and drowned in the pool at their grandmother's estate. This story is told in two timelines, the current and the past back in the 1920s. The story follows as Jax is trying to put together what happened to Lexie and she starts researching the history of their family and the property.

I think Jennifer McMahon did a good job at character development and describing the pool in when Lexie drowned amazingly. Throughout the story, you actually come to think of the pool as it's own creepy character. The story is a good ghost story. However, I found myself not invested in any of the characters and it wasn't a story that I couldn't put down. In fact, it took quite sometime to finish this audiobook.

Additionally, it bothered me that Jax refers to her several time throughout the book as "going crazy" when she's supposed to be a social worker working with patients with psychiatric disorders. You'd think she'd have more of an understanding of these situations.