What a great book! Drowning by T.J Newman, author of falling didn’t disappoint in her sophomore novel. This one kept me on the edge of my seat. Not only was the action great, but I loved all the characters as well. The story of Chris, Will, and their daughters felt so real and true I cried along with them.

The raves and praise for this stunning thriller are ligit! I do read reviews, don’t always base my decision to read a book solely on them but, all the hype is warranted. For this story I don’t know how to be anything but repetitive because everyone has already written what I feel and think. It was positively a stay up all night, read in one sitting, couldn’t put it down type of novel. My innate claustrophobia had me literally gasping for air. The single reason I hesitated to read it was because I knew it would make me an slobbering wreck, it did. The continuous flurry of activity was an emotional roller coaster that wrecked my heart. The passengers and families were a good mix in age, gender and varied personalities. The individual temperaments of the crew and passengers were believable and relatable. There is no engineering knowledge in my background, so I don’t know how accurate or plausible any of the maneuvers were. It was simply a great read filled with all the right components. A reminder to live every day to the fullest without regrets, it could be your last.
I haven’t read this author’s debut, now I know it needs to be on my list. Put this one on your must read shelf! Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Drowning” by T. J. Newman, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Avid Reader Press for sending me an ARC of Drowning in exchange for an honest review.

Less than seven minutes after takeoff, an engine on Flight 1421 explodes, the pilots lose all control of the plane, and it crashes into the ocean just south west of Molokai, Hawaii. Burning fuel on the surface of the water stops the evacuation of the plane, and forces a handful of passengers to close the doors and hope the plane stays watertight long enough (and for the oxygen to last long enough) for them to be rescued … not on the surface, but where the plane comes to rest on a precarious ledge sixty meters under the water.

Falling was one of the surprise hits of 2021, a great-but-cheesy action movie in book form. So I couldn’t wait to see what the author would come up with next for her sophomore effort. I’m happy to report that Drowning is another great-but-cheesy action movie in book form. Will, an offshore oil rig engineer (vaguely Armageddon) is trapped the plane with his daughter Shannon and a special knowledge base to keep the passengers alive longer than you or I could. And would you believe that Shannon’s mother Chris is an industrial diver who does underwater boat repairs and just happens to be working with the Navy that morning? I bet she’ll stop at nothing to save her daughter, and maybe even figure out how to save her failing marriage with Will (I believe a gender switched San Andreas). Outside of those three characters (who have their own tragic backstory), everyone is really more of an archetype: the old couple, the nurse, the jerk, etc.

But what Drowning lacks in characterization and subtlety it makes up for with action. The characters are in constant motion throughout the entire book as they desperately either try to rescue or be rescued. It is a fast, fun read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

Y’all..I watched the Poseidon Adventures when I was a kid and it scarred me forever. This book made my w heart pound and gave me the full on heebie-jeebies thinking about being trapped underwater. I read her first book, FALLING, last year and it was one of my favorites of the year. Go grab this one, but NOT before a vacation where you have to fly ;)

Drowning takes you right into the story from the first page. I love how we could see both sides those who needed help and those who were trying to help. Also the relationships that formed between the characters. If your looking for a book that keeps you on your toes and pulls at your heart strings this is it.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.

Wow! This book is intense! The story captivated me. I felt like I was part of a real life rescue operation trying to help save these passengers from this plane. The story is about a commercial airline that makes an emergency water landing 6 minutes after take off. Throughout the story you learn a little bit more about some of the passengers. I read it in one day as it was just so engaging and wanting to know how this story unfolds. I loved the characters and the personal elements added to give more of a back story for some of the main characters. T.J Newman has a way with words to really help you envision the situation and what the characters are facing. I really felt like I was there watching this happen before my eyes.

That’s it I’m reading everything TJ writes! I had such anxiety reading this but in a good way! Hands down one of my favorites this year! Amazing edge of your seat action and so many great characters. Another one that would surely be a great movie! I will be thinking about this one for some time that’s for sure.

I’m pretty sure Drowning is likely the most gripping and heart pounding novel I’ve read all year.


Six minutes into Flight 1421’s takeoff, the place crashes into the Pacific ocean. During evacuation, the plane engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the door, just as the plane starts to sink into the ocean. This is the story of their survival and the recovery mission to save their lives.

This book gripped me early on. TJ Newman’s descriptions of the action makes it feel so real and I found myself white-knuckling my E-Reader all the way to the end. While the stories of the 12 people on the plane are minimal with the exception of a father/daughter duo, there’s enough there to keep your interest and emotional investment in their rescue. There was one moment during the second rescue attempt that made me gasp out loud and twitch uncomfortably. I just kept picturing this as a movie. It felt so cinematic .

The story outside the plane was wonderfully fleshed out as well. You could feel the stakes with everything they tried and the tension was so thick between the Coast Guard, the Navy and the independent diver company trying to figure out how to save these people. You could just feel the pressure the characters were under. I felt it too!

I would definitely recommend checking this book out. It’s a quick read as you’ll find yourself being dragged to the end in a good way!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for this E-Book copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you haven’t read this book yet or this author do yourself a favor and read this thriller. From page one your bought on one heck of a plane trip. Imagine being on Flight 1421 flying over the ocean and six minutes after take off your hearing prepare to Ditch then plunging into the ocean scary right.
Right after the plane crashes, into the ocean the passengers have to evacuate some were able to get out But twelve passengers were left inside as the plane starts to go under. Now comes the rescue there’s people in the ocean and 12 people in the plane, fuel and fire are in the water and the waves and weather is turning bad for the people that are floating in the water what do the people that are called upon to rescue the people on flight 1421 do and that’s just the start. Where do they start and how do they do this. After many failed attempts who can they call for this type of plane rescue. What happens next to the people in the ocean and inside the plane will have you trying to figure out a solution to help them. The Author does a great job at making you really care what is happening to these people and hoping one of the rescue attempts finally do work. This book is filled with action, and has a unique and great thrilling story line with a little romance thrown in. It’s a fast easy read you will stay up wanting to find out what happens next.
I highly recommend reading this and if my review doesn’t make you fill you need to read this
sorry but just do it’s a great book

This book was a summer action blockbuster movie rolled into a fast-paced novel. When their plane has massive mechanical failure just four minutes into the flight and is forced to ditch into the ocean, the passengers who survive are forced to make the decision to evacuate the plane or stay inside. Those who stay quickly end up at the bottom of the sea floor with just an air pocket keeping them alive and the hope that those at the surface have a plan to get them home safely. This was such a fun, thrilling read!

Book : Drowning
Author : T.J. Newman

Thank you NetGalley, Avid Reader Press & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely LOVED Falling by this author so when I saw I was approved for Drowning I squealed with joy! This book was so full of intense moments I literally lived on the edge of my seat the entire read. I read this entire book in one go. I just couldn’t set it down even if I wanted to — I HAD to know what was going to happen next 🤌🏻

The author started the action right away in book, you jump right into the crazy chaos!! 😮‍💨. I don’t want to spoil it but you’ll be trying to figure out what’s going to happen next right after the first handful of pages 👀. I never did figure it out myself.

I will always reach for this authors books. The way she writes her books and the feelings I have gotten while reading this and her last book I devour. I will keep reaching for her books!!

If you haven’t read this book yet you need to put this on your tbr and stick it in your car NOW.

I absolutely loved T.J. Newman’s debut novel, Falling, so it’s no surprise that her sophomore release was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. An intense, pulse-pounding adrenaline rush, Drowning hooked me from the very beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Fast-paced with non stop action, once you start reading you won’t be able to put this one down. An absolute binge worthy read!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Much like her first novel, Falling, T.J. Newman’s newest work is edge-of-your-seat adrenaline the whole time. The story begins as an engine explodes on Coastal Flight 1421 out of Honolulu, taking all of the hydraulics with it. The engine continues to burn as the pilots realize their only chance of saving any of the souls on board is to ditch the plane in the Pacific Ocean. After crashing into the water, things only get worse for the passengers and crew of Flight 1421.

This author knows how to write suspense. I was nervous from the first page to the last, anxiously awaiting these characters’ fates. Don’t start this one thinking you’ll read a chapter or two and then go on about your day. You’ll be glued to the page until the very last sentence.

This was one of my most anticipated but I found it so hard to get through. I loved the author’s previous book “Falling”, but this read very differently to me. I will try to go back and re-read this on another occasion. Maybe this was a right book, wrong time kind of thing for me.

▪️REVIEW▪️

Drowning ~ T. J. Newman

▪️QUICK TAKE:
* Genre: suspense/thriller
* Pages: 304
* Pub Date: May 30, 2023
* Gist: a disastrous flight finds it way underwater

•Flight 1421 takes off from Hawaii and not six minutes later, it is required to crash land into the Pacific Ocean. Most are able to evacuate but when an engine explodes and drains flammable gas into the ocean, a select few shut the doors and stay inside the plane to avoid disaster.

The 12 passengers holding steady inside eventually notice that the plane is sinking - straight down to the bottom of the ocean. Rescue efforts ensue as the plane teeters on an undersea cliff’s edge and oxygen levels diminish for the passengers. It’s a race against time against seemingly impossible odds.•

Loved Newman’s debut Falling so was thrilled for this one and IT. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT! Fully action packed from beginning to end - this one did not let up at all. It absolutely took the saying “come up for air” literally and figuratively. In addition to providing a page-turning pace, I really loved the character development here. Those 12 passengers submerged came to life and I loved how their individual personalities came together to contribute to the rescue efforts throughout.

I will say towards the end I was saying to myself “enough already” as there seemed to just be one thing after the next to contribute to the delay in a potential rescue but I got it - I understand the cumulative building of the climax. For me, I just thought it was a little much after awhile. However, it did not take away from me loving this one. Such a good summer read - just perhaps read on land instead of in the air!

T.J Newman certainly knows how to keep our attention while we worry about whether or not anyone at all would survive the plane crash! I must admit to a fear of drowning but I wasn’t scared by the dire circumstances that befell the brave survivors who decided to stay on the plane after it plunged into the ocean. I admired Will and his daughter Shannon, who never gave up and were always optimistic that they would be rescued. Shannon was a mature young girl who looked on the bright side especially when she found out her mother, Chris, was helping to save them. The survivors formed a tight bond as they grew tired, became hungry and began running out of air.

Up on the surface, Chris and her crew worked tirelessly to develop a rescue plan, and she silently prayed she would see her husband and daughter again, because she had so much she wanted to say to both of them. Chris and her team tried several ways to approach the sunken aircraft; some were successful, others were not. In the end, prayers, hard work and determination were needed to save the day. Will and Shannon were a calming influence on the other survivors and I know their friendship would help them survive their ordeal.

Multiple passengers get on a plane thinking they are going from one destination to another in a safe place and that nothing will go wrong. But all of a sudden there is things going wrong on the plane and they are crashing. The passengers at first thought with guidance of the flight crew is to get off the plane. As they exit the plane it starts to become apparent that in order to survive they need to seal themselves inside the aircraft, not escape it. After an engineer tells everyone else to not leave the plane they realize the situation is dire. They seal themselves into the plane and quickly realize that is only a temporary solution. Eventually the plane starts to sink with them in the plane. As this is occurring the rescue relief on the surface is starting and they are realizing that this not necessarily a rescue. But what about the sunk plane with people still alive? Will they be able to save them?

This book was such a great read and was extremely thrilling. It made me want to scream, cry, yell, and more! From the beginning we are thrown into the turmoil of a plane going down. As we get further into the novel we realize how each persons lives are affected and what led them to be on the plane. We get a up close picture of a family who has lost a child and the leaps parents will go through to save their other child. I felt like I was in the plane and could feel everything they were feeling. I did not want to put the book down and I stayed up all night to finish it! The writing was a masterpiece and even brought in many ideas and perspectives! 100% recommend

I loved TJ Newman's first book Falling and thought it would be almost impossible for the author to do a follow up title that I would love just as much. I was wrong! I laughed, I cried, I stayed up way too late to finish this amazing book that I will be recommending to as many people as I can get to listen to me rave about it.

Drowning is a story of many people’s worst fear. You are on a flight when the worst happens and the flight goes down.

I loved every page of this book and read it in one day because I stayed up way to late reading. The story keeps the suspense going by announcing the time since the plane went down and how much time until the passengers are out of oxygen. The relationships make you root for the characters. I loved this book!

4.5 Stars 🌟

This is my second book by this author so I was excited to be awarded this ARC. In a bit of the same vein, this time we still have the story revolve around an aircraft, but this time instead of in the air, the drama occurs in the water. I think one of the reasons her first book did so well was because of Ms. Newman's long time experience as a flight attendant. That knowledge definitely came through - in the first book and in this one as well.

One thing that is a definite good sign for me is when I find myself saying "okay...one more chapter" as I'm reading or listening to a book. Unfortunately for me, (because I had to wake up early the next day) I decided to start this book right before bed thinking I would just read a few chapters to get an idea of the storyline. Needless to say, I finished it in one sitting - that just happened to go much later into the middle of the night than I was expecting :)

But, truly, isn't that we as readers always hope for?

This storyline has an aircraft experiencing a catastrophic emergency directly after take off and losing not only the engines, but the hydraulic fluid and any ability to steer the plane. It took off from an airport in Hawaii so without the ability to turn around, they much crash land in the ocean. It is called "ditching"(definitely learned some new things from this...).

We get to meet a great cast of characters and get some back story on the main protagonists -Chris and Will. Left on the plane there is our male MC Will and his daughter Shannon, an unattended minor, a couple of the flight attendants including the captain and of course, an a**hole - because doesn't that always seem to happen?

The differences in the personalities of the remaining 12 characters in the plane was extremely well done and made it easy to imagine the situation as it was unfolding.

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.