Wow.
The Drowning Kind weaves the stories of two women together, separated by nearly a century but bound by a place with a tight, unrelenting hold.

Ethel longed for a baby...she prayed and wished and hoped...a visit to some mysterious springs helped make her wish come true.

Jackie was pulled back home after her sister drowned. She wished for more time with her sister.

They both got their wishes, but found that things were not quite that simple.

Beautifully woven, the story travels back and forth between the lives of these two women and the events that connect them. It is fast paced and had me gripping my seat....the ending was unexpected, but perfect.

I highly recommend this if you like psychological thrillers with a bit of the paranormal thrown in.

Thank you the #NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

If you have been following my reviews for a while you probably know I am a huge fan of Jennifer McMahon. I haven't read all of her older books yet, but I'm almost there, and every time she has a new book coming out I know I have to read it. The Winter People will probably always be my favorite by her, and I keep waiting for one of her newer books to match the creepiness she put into that one. Unfortunately, that book was not The Drowning Kind, but it sure was a fun atmospheric read. I was already afraid of the water since I don't know how to swim, but now you definitely won't find me going into a pool, spring, or lake anytime soon! I really liked both timelines in the book, which is a present-day 2019, and a past time period of 1929. There are two narrators for the audiobook (Joy Osmanski & Imani Jade Powers), and I personally loved both of them. The audio is on the longer side at almost 12 hours, but it didn't feel that long at all.

I am a little obsessed with the cover of The Drowning Kind, and it is seriously perfect for this book. The water is a character in itself and there were plenty of parts on the creepier side, but this definitely wasn't an I NEED to have the lights on type of read. I think it had a lot more potential and I really wish McMahon would have capitalized on that. This book also leaves quite a few unanswered questions which I wasn't a huge fan of, and I wish the two timelines would have tied together better. They felt like two totally different stories, and I kept waiting for a tie-in that never really came. The end was also a bit of a disappointment for me, although it did take a minute to figure out exactly what it was getting at. A bit lackluster for what could have been an amazing book, but I am still completely here for anything McMahon writes and I do love her writing. The Drowning Kind was unputdownable and I always enjoy the creepiness this author brings to her novels.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A woman wants a baby, such a simple thing but seemingly unattainable. What would she give to have that baby? What would she trade for that blessing? There is a tiny village in Vermont with a strange pool. The rumor is that the water in the pool can offer miracles. But there is a price to be paid. Told in alternating timelines the genealogy is complicated, the story stops and starts. The pool is a constant.

I can picture a group of kids at camp, one has the flashlight on and held under her chin, while she tells this ghost story to her bunk mates. With the perfect trembling voice she reminds her friends that there are two sisters “the X girls” They jump into the freezing cold water knowing what has happened in that pool, they play the Dead Game never imagining what fate has planned for them. “There’s nothing in the water except what we bring with us.”

Now our story teller is describing a mind coming undone finding watery footprints just inside the front door, the squish, squish, squish of footsteps coming for them. In the darkest part of the night a woman rises out of the pool and waves inviting them in. She is coming for them. Shrieks and screams as they all run to hide under the covers of their bed. And much later the reflection at how finely the web was woven that sucked them in.

I loved how everything was suspect - every situation, every inflection begs the question - is it real? Well done, tightly crafted, really creepy. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books - Simon and Schuster for a copy.

In The Drowning Kind, readers meet Jax, a social worker who has worked hard in her own therapy sessions to draw firm boundaries between herself and her sister, Lexie. Both Lexie and their father, Ted, have had manic episodes for as long as Jax can remember, so when Lexie calls over and over again, Jax ignores her.

Then she gets the call that Lexie is dead, found drowned outside her home in the famous natural pool-famous because for decades, people have believed the springs feeding the pool can cure ailments and grant wishes.

But everything comes with a price.

I am a big fan of Jennifer McMahon. My collection of her books has a special space all to itself. And while Burntown and The Invited, her two most recent full-length novels, were not my favorites of hers, I still enjoyed them.

But oh how I loved her newest book. The Drowning Kind is right up there for me, giving me The Night Sister (another McMahon book) vibes in all the best ways. McMahon does a really great job of weaving in journal entries from the past, building a crucial backstory using the personal papers of a woman visiting the "miracle springs" when there was an entire hotel built around the waters. The Drowning Kind is that fabulous kind of creepy where you don't quite know what is real, because the characters don't either. There is so much eerie suspense here, I still get chills thinking about the ending paragraphs.

When you draw the curtains to settle down at night and read this chilling tale, make sure to light a candle to keep you safe. In the world of The Drowning Kind, they can get to you in the darkness.

Creepy-good read by Jennifer McMahon! I totally enjoyed this book with its psychological overlay and mental illness familial history, or is it? The mystical spring that ‘gives as well as takes’ is a good plot device that ran through the story and added an element of uniqueness I haven’t seen before. The switching between time periods was also very effective for me. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of #thedrowningkind to read and review.

What's not to love? Excellent writing, seamless transitions between different time periods, interesting characters, intriguing storyline - - this book has it all. The story drew me in and the book was impossible to put down until I had finished it.

True, I had to exercise my 'willing suspension of disbelief' but I don't mind doing that at all when it's such a good and creepy story!

I didn't see the ending coming - - my jaw dropped and I was sitting here - - "wait - - what?!?!?"

Loved it.

"The water gives and the water takes."

The water is black and has a strange, earthy odor. The spring fed pool on the estate has a dark history and there are many rumors about its power to cure and to grant wishes. When Jackie (Jax) returns to Sparrow Crest after the drowning death of her sister, Lexie, in that very pool on her grandmother's property, she finds that the secrets are finally ready to be revealed. NO SPOILERS.

This is spooky and supernatural and quite entertaining with its dual timeline. I'm not typically a huge fan of this genre, but I enjoyed the story. The characters were interesting, if not totally likeable, and I definitely had to suspend my reality based tendencies and just go with the flow. I'm quite certain it will appeal to a certain kind of reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

It feels like it's been forever since I last read one of McMahon's books - but I suppose it's only been about two years.... This one, her latest, is worth the wait, though, since I think it just might be her best yet! I absolutely couldn't put it down! It strikes the perfect balance between characters that come fully to life, a blend between the historic and modern and some genuinely spooky and unsettling scenes! McMahon writes vividly = not only do the characters both major and minor feel fully formed, but the setting also shares that lifelike quality. She sets the ambience and details perfectly without ever sacrificing the pacing. It's a truly gripping read that holds some real shocks to the plot!

The modern storyline comes from Jax's, or Jacqueline's, perspective as she returns to her grandmother's home in the wake of an unexpected tragedy. Suddenly thrust into her older sister's life, she starts trying to piece together the scatter shards and clues as she begins to uncover the truth about the property. In the historical parts, journal entries provide more answers while building their own set of tensions. Totally polished and utterly captivating, this page turner just might be my new favorite book of hers - and definitely one of the tops of the year so far! I can't wait to see what she writes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

What. Did. I. Just. Read????????

This story was TWISTED. Talk about a total mind you-know-what! This story is also very creepy and freaked me out a few times. It doesn’t help that it talks about a dark pool that you can never see the bottom of, and that is precisely why I hate swimming in lakes and the ocean. If i can’t see the bottom then I am not going in; not a chance in hell.

I enjoyed how this flipped between 2019 and 1929. It allowed you to see the past and the history of the Sparrow Crest & the springs, while also seeing what was going on currently and how it connected.

I really can’t write a proper review because I’m trying to wrap my head around what I just read. That is when you know it’s a good thriller!

In her latest novel, Jennifer McMahon uses grief, mental illness, and a mysterious spring-fed pool to create another downright spooky novel that has become her hallmark. In The Drowning Kind, secrets and a New England lack of emotion rule the day, creating a family dynamic in which secrets trump everything. Combined with a house that is more castle than cozy and a mysterious pool that holds its own secrets, the story is everything you expect it to be.

Jax's relationship with her now-deceased sister is every bit as complex as you would expect when one of the siblings suffers from bipolar disorder. We get to know Lexie only through Jax's memories. As she reviews her memories using her training as a therapist, they carry all the complicated emotions that come with someone struggling with anger, guilt, and grief. At the same time, it becomes obvious to the reader that Lexie's behavior before she died has nothing to do with her illness and everything to do with whatever she was researching. Some of the tension built throughout the novel deals with the disconnect between Lexie's final days and Jax's belief that she was in the throes of a manic episode.

At the same time, we travel ninety years into the past to follow the story of one Ethel O'Shay Monroe, a young wife yearning for a child and the chance to be a mother. A chance trip to a Vermont resort known for its healing waters brings her one step closer to fulfilling her dreams. As she learns more about the pool, and as her own story starts connecting the dots to Jax's, we begin to understand even more about Lexie's last days, and it is a lot more than anyone expects.

The otherworldly element that exists in The Drowning Kind serves as a reminder of why so many people are afraid of water. After all, it isn't just a fear of drowning that prevents people from swimming in deep water. There is also a fear of the unknown people must overcome. Ms. McMahon expertly capitalizes on both fears in the pool that plays such a large part in Ethel's, Lexie's, and Jax's lives.

To me, The Drowning Kind is quintessential McMahon, well-executed in its intensity and spookiness. In fact, The Drowning Kind is downright scary. I read it while home alone for a week and had more than one uncomfortable moment in bed wondering just what was out there waiting for me. It's been a long time since any book made me worry about the monster under the bed, which is why I will always recommend Ms. McMahon to anyone looking for something spooky to read.

Oooo this was an interesting read. Not my typical, but I had been hearing so many buzzworthy reviews, I had to try it out. It was a good read. Thanks for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Every summer, sisters Lexie and Jax spent the summer with their grandmother at her big house in Brandenburg, Vermont. Known as Sparrow Crest, the house and the pool out back has a reputation in the area. The water in the pool comes from natural springs, and it’s known for its healing properties.

But that’s not all it’s known for.

The water is freezing cold, even in the middle of summer. It has a metallic tang and sometimes it smells of sulfur. But rumors are that you can tell the water a wish and it will come true. It’s said to heal asthma, gout, consumption. It has even been known to make the lame walk. But for every wish it grants, there is a price to pay.

One summer, Jax makes a wish. Tired of constantly being in Lexie’s shadow, watching Lexie do well at everything she tries, Jax asks that something be made more difficult for her. So when Lexie loses touch with reality and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Jax can’t help but feel guilty. It takes years for them to get Lexie’s meds right, years of drama and chaos, where Jax feels even more invisible.

After high school. Jax moves to the West Coast to study social work. She sets up a small private practice where she works with troubled kids, and she rarely makes it back to Vermont. Their grandmother’s death had left Sparrow Crest in Lexie’s hands, and Jax had yet another reason to stay away. But after almost a dozen missed manic calls from Lexie, Jax knew that trouble was brewing. She tried to call Lexie back and couldn’t get through, so she tried calling her aunt. When she finally does talk to someone from Brandenburg, the news is not good—Lexie had drowned in the pool.

After years away from Sparrow Crest, Jax heads back immediately to find out what happened. As soon as she walks in the house, she sees the chaos that Lexie had left behind. There are handwritten notes everywhere, food detritus, clothes, a half a bottle of vodka, and evidence she’d been smoking pot. As Jax and her aunt start to clean up, Jax realizes how little she had known about what her sister had been doing, but the more she sees of the notes Lexie had written, the more Jax understands that it wasn’t a manic episode. Lexie was trying to uncover the secrets of the pool, of the family, and she thought she was on to something.

Jax wants to find out what Lexie was thinking. She shouldn’t have drowned. Lexie was the best swimming Jax knew. Jax is determined to find out what really happened that night, no matter what it takes.

The Drowning Kind is the latest novel by Jennifer McMahon, who is known for her spooky thrillers The Invited and The Winter People. With chapters that alternate between Jax in the present and wife and mother Ethel in the past, McMahon tells the story of the springs and of Sparrow Crest with a masterful touch. Hints of the paranormal twist together with family tension to create a story that will keep you hooked to the very last page.

I loved The Drowning Kind. I love a good psychological thriller, and this one caught me from the beginning and held me there until I found out what happened to these sisters. The expressive writing, the twisty plot, and these compassionate characters drew me in. I absolutely loved every page and I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a good family thriller with a touch of the supernatural.

Egalleys for The Drowning Kind were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I have been wanting to read something by this author for awhile and honestly have some books by her in my backlog that I just haven't gotten to yet but I finally got to read one. This author has gotten a lot of buzz in the last couple years and now I can see why. This book was haunting. It was really a very interesting book that had many layers - not only a thriller but a look into a dysfunctional family and mental health issues. I loved too that the present day narrator starts to lose it a little and the reader is left to wonder how reliable her version of events really is. And I really liked that the story alternated between present day and 1929 - giving the history behind the springs really added to the foreboding of the overall story. I had chills while reading this book and I was definitely on the edge of my seat to find out what would happen. There were some great plot twists along the way, including a big one that I still can't believe. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I would definitely recommend it!

Jackie hasn’t spoken to her sister in a year; as much as she loves and misses her only sibling, she’s had to distance herself because Lexie’s bipolar disorder has created so much chaos for her. Jackie, or Jax as her family members call her, has become a therapist for children. One night, she ignores nine nonsensical messages Lexie leaves on her phone. But when, the next day, Jax learns that Lexie drowned in the pool on their grandmother’s estate soon after leaving those messages, she is devastated. She flies back across country to the house in Vermont where she spent every summer with Lexie.

At Swallow Crest, Jax discovers that Lexie had been spending the year since she had inherited the house researching its history. And a lot of that history focused on the famous spring that fed the deep pool next to the house. The dark mineral-filled water was renowned for its healing properties — drawing some seeking help for any number of needs — but others didn’t want to be anywhere near it. They said if one gained something from the springs, a price had to be paid.

One woman who learned that lesson was Ethel Monroe, who in 1929 traveled with her husband to a beautiful new hotel situated right next to the spring. In her late 30s, she had been desperately hoping for a baby. Her interaction with the spring tied her to it for decades and affected several generations after.

I’ve read two of Jennifer McMahon’s previous books, The Night Sister and The Invited, the first of which features a compelling mystery with secrets that may or may not involve the supernatural. The latter is a true ghost story. Both were solid mysteries featuring old secrets. The Drowning Kind’s main character is veritably the dark and deep swimming pool, the scary scene of drownings as well as a source of hope and healing for decades. It lurks and beckons. This story captured me and held me until the last page.

This is a story told in two time periods about a pool of magic water that can heal people and make sick babies well. But, the miracles come with a price. In the modern day story we have Jax, a social worker and her sister Lexi, the creative sister, who suffers from mood swings and never quite makes it as a functioning adult. Lexi is found drowned in the pool, but she isn't the only one. The author lets us in on a long history of drownings going back to the twenties when a hotel was built as a refuge for those seeking healing waters. I enjoyed both stories and getting into the head of Jax, a character who feels guilty for ignoring her sister in her final days. The supernatural element of the book is outstanding and the ending will get you!
I received this book from Net Galley and have left an honest review.

Jennifer McMahon writes so smoothly and flawlessly that the two separate timelin in The Drowning Kind work seamlessly; a hard thing to do. Spooky and atmospheric and impossible to put down.

Just WOW! I do not typically like books that go back and forth from past to present, this book definitely proves me wrong in that. I could not put this book down. The characters and story are flawless.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I am not one for supernatural story lines. I like my books to be realistic. But I just love Jennifer McMahon so much that I always pick up her new book. But then I have to put it down because I just can't get into the unbelievable story. But then I pick it up again because, come on its Jennifer McMahon and she is SUCH a great writer. I have had this book for a year....a whole year of an amazing book, but I just now finished it. While her writing is as good as always, and she gives you those twists I crave in a good plot, the super natural thing is just not for me. If you like the supernatural aspect, then this should be a five star for you because if I took that part out (and in my opinion it could have gone a little differently and been completely realistic) it would be five stars for me.

Jennifer McMahon has a true gift for storytelling. I have read her other novels, but this one was my favorite. Elegantly composed and creepy enough to engage you without scaring you so much that you won't sleep. I could not put the novel down. I was so eager to see where it would lead and how it would resolve. I enjoyed the flow from past to present and how it assisted the story to its conclusion. The characters were well developed and I wanted to learn more about each of them. Thank you for allowing me to read this novel in advance in exchange for my honest review. I will be recommending this book to many!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so spooky and atmospheric. The two different plotlines were both fantastic, each creepy in their own way. I liked the characters a lot. The way Jax was slowly losing herself to the pool after a lifetime of denial was written in a really great way. At first I was confused about how anything other than the water connected the two storylines (one in the 20s and one in present day) but once that became apparent I saw how seamlessly they were connected. The ending didn't go how I expected, which for a horror/thriller is exactly how I like them to be. I was left on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time and found myself a bit freaked out more than once. Overall, this book was fantastic and I definitely would recommend this to lovers of the slow-burn horror genre.