This is a fast-paced suspense following a plane crash in the ocean and the subsequent rescue mission. It's a popcorn thriller that would make for a great movie. The author perfectly blends the action and intensity of the situation with complex characters with differing personalities. You will experience every emotion — anxiety, fear, sadness, shock — as the events escalate and unfold.

You may need to suspend belief a bit, and definitely don't read if you have an upcoming flight, but I really enjoyed this one and recommend it!

I was not expecting it to start at what I thought would be the climax! Hang on for a wild ride. The book does even out but you really do start caring about the characters here. I'm a big Newman fan after 2 books and will read whatever she puts out. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I've read two airplane books in one week, both by Newman. She's an author to watch out for! Her other book, Falling, I rated five stars. I had high hopes for this one. I wasn't disappointed, but I will admit I did like Falling better. I think if I had read Drowning first it would have been the other way around. However, Drowning was incredibly unique story-line-wise and I read it in a day. They're both awesome books!

ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHEW. This novel was intense. I was grabbed from the first page, and the heart pounding did not stop. Unlike many thrillers, this book also had heart. I deeply cared about the characters. TJ Newman is getting better and I'm looking forward to what she does next.

DROWNING is basically a masterpiece of thrilling perfection -grounded with incredible heart. and emotion. TJ Newman wrote a fantastic book with her debut, FALLING. But DROWNING shows a greater depth to her talent. It is the epitome of 'edge of your seat' plot, with a fantastic timeline that simultaneously keeps us in the grips of life-and-death tension, while laying out a backstory that breaks your heart and elevates the stakes of those on board the flight and those working to save them. FANATASTIC BOOK.

Drowning by T.J. Newman. Pub Date: May 30, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. If you are in the mood for a pulse wrecking, page turning thriller that happens over the course of a day then you need to pick this book up. Set on a plane crash site in the ocean, it is a race to evacuate the remaining survivors within the cabin. How to stabilize the crash site without interfering with pressure mechanics of the airplane cabin becomes the major theme of operation throughout the novel. Interspersed with family dynamics, this novel leaves the reader on the edge of their seat and turning the pages quickly to find out what happens. I read the first half of this novel in half of a day because I just could not put it down. I highly recommend this novel for readers of fast paced thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #drowning

WOW! What a ride! This book is intense, and boy is it worth it!

The plane crashes very early into the book and you're left thinking, what next? But that's just the beginning. This is a story of survival. I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was pleasantly surprised! This was my first T.J. Newman book and it WON'T be my last! I highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Drowning - a Lifetime Original

I enjoyed this book, but please don't go in expecting a thriller in any typical book sense. It is action packed in some places, but definitely slow and ripped from a Lifetime movie in other places.

A plane crashes into the ocean moments after taking off (this book will make you never want to fly again). As people hurry to evacuate into the water, a fire erupts. A small group of passengers decide to seal themselves inside the plane and wait for rescue. As the plane sinks and settles onto the bottom of the ocean, it is a race against time to save the passengers before the oxygen runs out.

I liked the concept of the book. I don't care who you are, the concept of a plane crashing and sinking into the ocean with you still on board will terrify you.

The things I found Lifetimey - It was unrealistic that the U.S. Military would allow a civilian diver to run the mission to rescue the trapped survivors, especially when her husband and daughter were two of the people trapped. The dialogue and backstories of the passengers, as well as the interplay between everyone was very dramatic.

I want to thank Simon & Schuster and imprint Avid Reader Press for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

T.J. Newman did it again! One of those books that so packed with action and suspense that I felt my heart beating on my throat while sitting on the edge of my seat.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. The twelve remaining passengers inside the plane are forced to close the doors but quickly realise that the plane is sinking. Now stuck in the bottom of the sea. teetering on the edge of cliff, The clock is ticking, the level of oxygen inside the plane is slowly running out. Their only chance at survival is in the hands of professional diver Chris Kent, who's soon-to-be-ex-husband and daughter are on that plane. How far will she go to save them?

I couldn't put it down, and my heart was pounding from the first page until the end. The plot is really well developed. Newman's knowledge on the procedures both inside the plane and from the sea rescuers just makes it that much better.

However, this is more than a story about a plane crash. It's about redemption, love, hope, loss, second chances, and realising that one never knows how much time we have left and should enjoy life to the fullest. It's also about how far a parent will go to save their child.

I really felt for these characters, who are complex and so well explored. Newman gives every single one of these characters a background story which made it very easy to empathise with them. My heart hurt for some of them by the end of the book.

I cannot get enough of Newman's books, and I'm definitely a fan. Can't wait to see what she does next.

Highly recommend it to those who are seeking a heart-stopping suspense/thriller to read in one sitting!

Omg!!! What a ride! I read this ebook on my flight back home. I thought book one was great, but Drowning is on another level! I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time. The characters were well developed and totally relatable. The plot was fast paced and she didn’t give a second to catch your breath as you read!

This was a fairly quick, enjoyable read. I laughed out loud at the references to “The Titanic” because I had been thinking how it reminded me of it. I also got “The Martian” vibes. At times I found it hard to visualize which parts of the plane were being referenced. I would’ve loved for some diagrams to be worked in, like maps sometimes are. The main family’s story colliding the way it did was a bit far fetched, but that’s fiction for you!

T.J. Newman definitely knows how to keep readers on the edge of their seats. There is just enough backstory and character development to let readers get invested in the outcome, but it's definitely a plot focused story with tension growing as the odds of survival drop. It's a detailed story and I definitely glossed a little bit when the engineering specifics got a bit much, but there wasn't any way I wasn't going to see this one through to the end.

T.J. Newman has quickly cemented herself as the reigning monarch of the worst-that-could-happen-on-an-airplane genre. Outrageous scenarios such as a pilot's family being held hostage and a plane sinking to the bottom of the ocean with a handful of survivors and an air pocket spring to life on the pages of Falling and Drowning, respectively.
This sophomore novel leans heavily on science to create a nuanced and authentic landscape to drop a group of everyday people into. While the tension and pacing are impeccable, the characters sometimes feel a little flat. It doesn't detract from the plot, but emotional moments don't always resonate with the intended impact because although the reader's heart pounds placing themselves in the situation, the lives inside the book often fail to intertwine with our own.
Drowning is a quick, fun, and intense read that fans of Falling will be sure to enjoy.

Holy crap, this was so freakin’ good. It kicks off with a bang on the first page and never lets up. I did enjoy Newman’s first book Falling, but this one is even better. Just go read it please.

I loved this one. So good. It was so unique and different. I flew through it. It is totally a binge read. I loved the story line and the writing was good.
If you already have a fear of flying to not read.

I loved Newman’s debut, Falling, so of course I rushed to read her sophomore novel ASAP, and it did NOT disappoint!

The action starts immediately on the first page and does not let up, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It is an absolute thrill ride of a book.

On the spectrum of character-driven to plot-driven, this is off the charts on the plot side, so if you’re looking for nuanced, well-developed characters, this isn’t it (there is some character development but not much). However, if you’re looking for a book for your next road trip, beach trip, or plane ride if you’re brave 😆, make sure to grab this one! Clear your schedule whenever you pick it up, because you won’t want to put it down until you’ve devoured the whole thing.

*4.5 stars rounded up.

Another terrifying thriller from TJ Newman, author of Falling. The plot: minutes after take off, Flight 1421 out of Hawaii loses an engine and, with the resulting fire, all hydraulics and control of the plane. The only option is to ditch. The survivors of the crash begin using the escape chutes to slide down into the water but one passenger begins to think that is a very bad idea. He tries to talk the last few passengers into remaining on the plane but most won't listen. When the doors are closed again, only 12 are left. And then the plane begins to sink...

This is one of the most exciting survival and rescue mission stories I've read in some time. If someone doesn't snap up the movie rights immediately, they are missing a good bet.

I received an arc of this thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

If you grew up obsessing over movies like the Poseidon Adventure or the Towering Inferno, only to go on devouring thrillers looking for that same heart-pounding adrenaline rush, T.J. Newman is the author to read.

Drowning is the second book by Newman I've read. The story begins with a plane crashing just minutes after takeoff into the ocean. Miraculously, many survive and are able to escape the plane. But one man makes a decision. He believes it's safer for him and his daughter on the plane and begs others to stay.

Would you listen? Or would you escape into the water and risk the perils on the outside? The thrill ride begins with that choice and doesn't stop until the very end.

I highly recommend Drowning for fans of action, adventure, and suspense. If you enjoy the pace of Adrian McKinty, give T.J. Newman a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an arc of this book on NetGalley in return for an honest review. This book was very good in the amount of details that it included, especially about the airplane itself. This was a little harder for me to keep my interest. I really enjoyed reading about the characters and the situations that they were put in and the fight to survive. It would be absolutely terrifying to be stuck in anything but imagine being stuck in an airplane that crashes into the ocean, the engine blows and while trying to get out, the plane starts to sink forcing you along with 11 others to shut the door and fight for your lives. Intense.
Thank you again NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a chance to read this book!

DROWNING

A tension filled airplane crash thriller, this book left me with mixed feelings.

After a horrific crash off the coast of Hawaii, Airliner Flight 1421 rapidly submerges into the Pacific Ocean. Two passengers on board are Will and Shannon Kent, father and young daughter. The story centers around the various rescue efforts by the Coast Guard and the Navy with the help of Shannon’s mother, Chris, and her small underwater welding company.

The Kent family is also going through a lot of upheaval, as Will and Chris are soon to be divorced after the recent loss of their other daughter, Annie.

I thought the overall idea for the story was really good, and the visuals of plane and the atmosphere created were terrific - I could see it all, I could feel the claustrophobia. Unfortunately I thought the characters were very superficial and stereotypical, and the outcomes too predictable.

But if you go into it for the thrills alone, l can say that nearing the end, I was holding on to my Kindle for dear life.

I would like to thank NetGalley, T.J. Newman, and Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.