This book was stressful the ENTIRE time. It delivers exactly what the premise suggests: a plane crash with survivors stuck inside the plane under the ocean. The chapters alternate between the trapped passengers and the rescue team on land, and there are also some flashbacks that help develop the characters a bit more.
This is a very short book, and it doesn’t let you stop to breathe, so I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely under no circumstances should you read this book on a flight!
If you’re looking for an intense and straightforward survival thriller, this is a good choice!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Many thanks to my friends at @avidreaderpress and @simon.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

Claustrophobic. Pulse pounding. An action-packed race against time. This is THE must-read thriller of the year.

For 6 minutes Flight 1421 was like any other airplane in the sky. Then suddenly, it catapulted through the air and into the water, becoming more akin to a submarine and creating a rescue situation unlike any before.

I’m not being dramatic when I say this book should’ve been accompanied with its own oxygen mask. Newman’s experience in the airline industry shines through in her fully immersive writing.

But immersive writing in a book about drowning hits a little different. I could not catch my breath. That intensity!! It was the perfect blend of heart racing, hyperventilating, can’t look away, HAVE TO KNOW.

Yet amid those adrenaline-soaked moments, there is a heartwarming story of comradery, teamwork, and the power in human connection. The full-bodied portrayal of these characters as they fought for survival had me rooting for them, wishing I could go through the pages to help in some way. There’s an emotional depth to Drowning that is unique. Newman deftly balances the tension with the sentiment.

Drowning broke me out of the *worst* thriller slump. I had begun to think none would dazzle me ever again. Boy was I wrong. Not only did Drowning dazzle, but it also reminded me why thrillers are one of my favorite genres.

I devoured Newman’s debut novel, Falling. But I think she’s really hit her stride with Drowning, which I loved even more.

Her airline expertise combined with her sharp, compulsive storytelling prove she has found her niche with airline thrillers, and I’ll be on board for each one she writes. (I might avoid the actual flights she’s on though….)

🎧 Newman’s last book, Falling, was spectacularly narrated by @actuallystevenweber, a longtime favorite of mine. So when I saw he would be back in the narrator seat for Newman’s new novel, I was immediately on board (for the narration, not the sinking plane). He’s joined this time by Tony award winning actress, Laura Benanti. Could there be a more perfect narration duo? Not for this book. They impeccably executed the tense, anxiety ridden atmosphere and held me spellbound as the book unfolded.

A page turner impossible to put down that I would have read in one sitting if I didn’t have to go to bed. Outstanding. Edge of your seat.

Drowning is the first book in years that has left me a sobbing mess!!! I couldn't even form my words. T.J. Newman is a masterful storyteller. I will read anything and everything she writes. I know most are skeptical about sophomore novels, but this one will blow your mind. I really enjoyed Falling, but in my opinion, Drowning is even better. It left me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I felt all the anxiety while reading this book. It left me shattered at times, and by the end, I was a mess.

Six minutes after take off Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. It's a race against time to not only survive until help arrives, but for the rescuers to come up with a solid plan to get the remaining survivors above water before time runs out. It's nail biting, to say the least, and I'm not a nail bitter.

We get to know the backstory of Chris, Will, & Shannon. They have experienced great loss in their lives, but it's moments like a plane crash that will bring everything into perspective.

We get glimpses into the other survivors' lives as well, just enough to keep us hooked and rooting for everyone to survive.

So, while this book is about a plane crash and the rescue and recovery, it's also about family, friendship, and the traumatic experience that brings strangers together to form a non related family.

I didn't get this read in time for pub day, but thank you, Netgalley, for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Six minutes after the plane takes off it crashes into the Pacific Ocean. An explosion follows, those left on the plane close the doors to avoid the flames, and the plane sinks. Twelve people, including two children, are trapped inside with no more than about six hours of air.

This is just the bare bones of the plot of T.J. Newman’s new book, Drowning. There’s a lot going on in this story, both above and below the water. Following on the heels of the author’s debut novel, Falling, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I expected this newest book to be just as entertaining or even better. But, I was a little disappointed.

While Drowning is certainly a thriller, it also includes quite a bit of technical jargon and descriptions, and the various teams charged with rescuing the remaining passengers are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Meanwhile, there are lots of characters and each has a backstory – some rather detailed. All in all, as I said, a lot going on and it’s easy to become distracted. This is especially so when the story also tries to deal with the emotions, regrets, and philosophies expressed by some of the characters.

The story is well-plotted and there’s plenty of action, but there were also times that it seemed like the story started to drag a little while trying to maintain the suspense. I enjoyed Drowning, but I wish I could have enjoyed it a little more. I give it 3.5 *s.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This book sucked me in from the first chapter. "Drowning" by T.J. Newman was action packed and full of surprises. In it, a father and daughter are at the center of the crash and we really get to know them deeply while they are trying to escape their submerged plane. We spend some time with those trying to save the plane and come to care for several of those people as well. This was a page turner and a great introduction to this author--I will be looking for her previous book soon.

This was an entertaining page-turner. I found myself rolling my eyes at times because of the writing. It sometimes felt amateur and cheesy. Although the novel is quite far-fetched it is definitely addictive.

Actually a 3.5. Definitely a heart pounding novel but cheesy and implausible at times. A good summer/pool read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59345230

Wow T.J. Newman....what an awesome second book! I imagine it would be hard to hit reader's expectations after a book like Falling but you were up to the challenge and surpassed everyone's expectations.

I was so excited to hear this book had already gotten picked up to be a movie and of course it did...the premise is ::chef's kiss::

This book should come with a trigger warning to not fly within a month of reading because the edge-of-your-seat adrenaline rush stays with you long after reading the book. I don't think I will ever look at galleys, overhead bins, or the metal covering of aircrafts the same again. The descriptive writing and scenes Newman paints in your head are vivid and I can't wait to watch it on the big screen soon to compare.

Bravo T.J. Newman..although you've set the bar even higher for your next book ;-)

My heart was pounding reading some of this.
This is a book you need to read when you have the time to binge it.
This far surpasses Falling for me (which I did enjoy), but this book brought out fears in me I didn’t know I had! Far fetched, intense and emotional. Just want you want from a thriller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC, this is a voluntary and honest review.

Felt like Bruce Willis was going to pop up in this at any moment in this action packed tale.

It was like The Posiden Adventure, but on a plane.
It was like Armegeddon without the asteroid.
High octane.

I really enjoy TJ Newman's books, but not sure if it helps my fear of flying! Read this in the safety of my back garden.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book this is my honest opinion.

This book is truly jaw clinchingly intense. I couldn't put it down and had so many big emotions for these characters. while theres a lot of plane, and some military jargon in it, I felt like it was explained well and still went with the fast pace. As a partner of someone in the Coast Guard it was a total bonus for me for them to be in this story. It was a lot of fun for me to see how she shows what they and the navy do to save people. The main family has had so much tragady, you get a lot more of their story from past to current. But even with less back story from the other characters you get so attached to them all. You wonder what you would do in this situation, how you would react.
Its just none stop action.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press/ Simion & Schuster and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

This book kept my heart racing from the very first sentence. Well written, captivating & intense! Loved every second!

Drowning is the literary version of The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, or another similar disaster movie. First is the immediate event that takes out a large number of people, and then you are left with a small group of strangers who must band together to survive.

Like those movies, Drowning is entertaining and propulsive, but I don’t think it brings anything new to the genre. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

A plane crash into the ocean becomes a fast paced fight for survival underwater. This completely felt like a summer blockbuster movie which undoubtedly it will become. It is made for the big screen! Immediately I was sucked into the story and the lives of Will, Shannon and Chris. While they are the main ones to get a backstory I still felt invested in the survival of everyone. Overall the story was just so easy to read that I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Drowning was just as good as her first book, Falling. A crazy, edge of your seat, heart racing, blood pumping, kind of a story. There was a ton of technical and engineering lingo which I think made the story seem more realistic. However the downside to that is that I still had a hard time understanding it all so it took away from the story - for me anyway!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this eARC!

Fantastic, nail biting read! You knew not all passengers would survive the crash but not knowing who / why / or how really made this a tense read. My favourite parts were when we were inside the plane with the passengers, I felt the other pov had a LOT of engineering / aircraft / navy jargon that just went right over my head, I skimmed a lot of those explanations. But overall, really enjoyed this, I think I prefer it to Falling!

My review will be posted on Goodreads & Instagram - @_readingwithrebecca

I absolutely loved the suspense and how we were didn’t have all the answers until the very end. I also teared up when one character was able to let go of guilt after finding out new information. I loved this more than the debut novel falling.

this was unfortunately not a book for me. i love a good suspence triller, but this was not that suspecefull.
the first part and the last part was really good, but for me the middle part of the book could have been left out, it was to long and it was the same that happent all the time. i think it would have been better if it was a 100 page novella...
i really liket the way t.j newman writes, and i am defenetly going to read falling at one point

The engine of a plane explodes and the plane sinks into the ocean with passengers still stuck inside including a father (an engineer, Will and his daughter, Shannon). Now it is up to his soon to be ex-wife, Chris (a professional diver) to save them.

This was definitely a complex story to pull off! I appreciated the amount of technical research the author conducted to give the story an authentic feel and that she thrusted us right into the action from the very beginning! However, some parts were really technical, which took me away from the story at times.

The rescue mission was my favorite part of the story because it was the most captivating for me and made me feel emotional.

I appreciated that the story was so high stakes especially for a family (Will, Chris and Shannon) that had already undergone a tragedy. My favorite characters were the older couple, Ruth & Ira, who made me cry. I do wish some of the supporting characters were more well-developed and I could know more about their lives.

Overall, I would recommend this aviation thriller and I think it would make a great movie, which I’m looking forward to!