I love the way Jennifer McMahon tells stories. This pulled me in and kept me invested. I love how she weaved two timelines together seamlessly. She had the perfect atmosphere set with creepy and haunting. This is the second story I read by this author and could see similarities to The Invited because of the ghost element and mystery. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good suspense story.

In The Drowning Kind  Jennifer McMahon gives us glimpses of different generations of a family. She tells the story by going back and forth in time, but the main characters are from the current generation. This book has just enough "spooky" to find it fascinating and make the reader think "what if?". I want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for an early copy to review.

This was the first book I’ve read by Jennifer McMahon, and I was thoroughly impressed. It is atmospheric and creepy, told in alternating timelines and POV which are woven together seamlessly in a ghost story that will keep you up at night. The descriptions will chill you to your bones, and make you think twice about stepping about stepping into a pool. I loved the family dynamic between the characters, and felt the pain and fear they experienced. Fans of New England ghost stories will love this one!

One part ghost story, one part mystery, and 100% eerie. This is a book for thriller lovers who like paranormal elements.

This was a very unique story. It was a slow burn, but the level of creepiness kept it fascinating. It all revolves around a dark pool of water with healing properties that gives, but also takes in quite a sinister way.

I enjoyed the flashbacks of perspectives from the past, connecting to the storyline of the future. It was all woven together really well from the late 1920s-30s to current times.

At times it did feel redundant and I was waiting for something even more spooky to happen, and it didn’t quite get there. I still enjoyed it, though.

Ultimately, this story serves as a haunting reminder - be careful what you wish for...

Author Jennifer McMahon knows how to put a chill in the air. Her latest atmospheric and supernatural thriller alternates between present and past, exposing the mystery and history of a magical murky springs and its powerful impact on a fractured family. A unique, twisty and creepy page-turner.

I have read every single one of Jennifer McMahon's books. She is so underrated and I have absolutely loved her creativity and how she incorporates lightly supernatural aspects into her books. She does it so well - it's not over the top and does not force you to suspend disbelief too much. She's just such a great storyteller and I always enjoy her stories. This was no different. I'll always read what she puts out!

4 stars for this eerie, atmospheric novel! The Drowning Kind had all the paranormal mystery I was hoping for.

The story is told in dual timelines: In 1929 New Hampshire, we follow Mrs. Ethel Monroe as she desperately wishes for a baby. When she and her husband visit the Brandbenburg Springs hotel, Ethel learns of the mystical powers of the water. The people of the town say that the springs grant wishes and heal those who visit the waters...but be careful what you wish for.

In 2019, Jax receives a series of missed phone calls from her sister Lexie. Annoyed and having had a recent fallout with her sister, Jax ignores the calls only to find out the next day that Lexie has drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax travels home, she finds that Lexie had been researching their family history and the dark mysteries surrounding their grandmother’s property.

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but this book was so creepy and haunted, it gave me chills several times! I enjoyed both timelines and the mystery behind the springs. I had to reread the last few pages twice because I was not expecting that ending!

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: 4/6/21

Mannnnnnnnnnnnnn, I love Jennifer McMahon. I loved The Invited and was excited the see a new book from her. Was I prepared for The Drowning Kind? No - and THANK GOD, because, I think this is already on my short list for the best of 2021?

Jax and Lex. Sisters. Friends. Enemies. Summers are spent in the large home of their grandmother, where there is a deep, dark pool that's cold as ice and seems to have no bottom. Fed from a spring, the pool has taken the life of a few, but no one has filled it in yet.

In current day, Lex is living in the house after their grandmother has passes. Jax hasn't spoken to her in a year. Lex calls, multiple times, leaving strange message after strange message. When Jax finally calls her back, she's told by her aunt, that Lex is dead. She's drowned in the pool.

In a separate storyline, in the 1920's, Ethel Monroe is married to a country doctor and wants nothing more than a child. Will, her husband, takes her away on a long weekend to the Brandenburg Springs Hotel, where people say the water grants wishes and heals the sick.. But, Ethel forgets the warning, that the water gives and the water takes away.....

The two story lines do converge. There's a ghosts....sort of. There's family drama. There's strange notes on paper. There's the spring, the dark water, the ice cold black water....where there's no bottom, and where sometimes there seems to be a flash of an arm or a hand....

This entire book was excellent, but...BUT, the epilogue put it OVER THE TOP in the very best possible way. I want this made into a movie, a mini-series. I need Mike Flanagan to take this and drown us all in the black water of the spring.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you, most of all, to Jennifer McMahon for writing a new horror story for me to think about late at night.

Such a beautiful book. I have always loved the works of Jennifer McMahon and having the opportunity to read this was a joy. The story follows Jackie, a woman who has lost contact with her sister due to her mental illnesses. This book is at turns spooky, engaging, and amazing. I fell in love with this story, which details a natural spring behind Jackie and Lexi’s grandmother’s house that has the ability to cure anyone, but for a price. This price I paid for this book is no sleep and staying up all night to finish it, which I highly suggest you do as well. This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What is the price we must pay when we make a wish that comes true? That is part of the mystery at the heart of this creepy novel about a haunted swimming pool. With connected storylines from 1929 and 2019, the story revolves mostly around the present, when Jax is grappling with the sudden death of her sister Lex, from whom she has been estranged for a year complex reasons. Jax has returned to the family home in Vermont, where she is determined to uncover the circumstances of her sister's death by drowning in the healing waters of their swimming pool. The back story is about Ethel, desperate to have a baby, who first visits a hotel adjacent to the healing waters, and later moves into the mansion her husband has built on the property after the hotel burned down. The waters are actually a dominant character in this book. Are they healing? Is a Faustian dilemma included in every wish made of the waters? Are they home to the spirits of the former drowning victims? Do they haunt the grounds of the mansion, first the home of Ethel and now of Jax? The combination of realism and the supernatural make for a most immersive read, and the development of both major and minor characters makes this memorable indeed.

I love this author and every time I read one of her books I feel like she doesn't get enough attention. If you are looking for a combination of historical fiction and something spooky then I recommend checking out her books. This one follows two timelines. In 1929, newlyweds visit a hotel and a fresh spring that promises miraculous healing. In 2019, a family is brought together by a unexpected death. I do not want to give any more of the plot because the fun of this book is seeing how the story unfolds and connects. Fans of "The Sundown Motel" should check out this book and Jennifer McMahon's backlist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Press for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. "The Drowning Kind" is available April 6, 2021.
#TheDrowningKind #NetGalley

oh my gosh! What a great mystery! This is perfect eerie, creepy mystery! I loved every minute of it! This story is told by three narrators - Jax a sister who has been gone; Ethel who lives in late 1920's and has heard of a magical spring, and Jax as a little girl who grew up with her sister. Each narrator is necessary to fully flush out the story. Jax has just lost her sister and that has brought her back to her grandmother's house where she and her sister enjoyed every summer swimming and laughing and playing games. Their childhood seems lovely on the outside, but Jax is quick to point out the cracks and just when things started to go wrong.

It's such a compelling story, hard to stop at any one part. Each chapter was one step closer but kept you wanting the next answer. And the answers!! OOOOOH were they so well done, so well played out and so shocking! I loved it!

Mysterious things happen at the pool behind Jax's grandmother's house. Local folklore says that the spring-fed pool, works miracles but it takes as much as it gives. When her estranged sister, Lexie, calls and leaves cryptic messages from their dead grandmother's estate, Jax ignores her. However, the next call is from her aunt saying that Lexie is dead and she drowned in the pool. Jax begins a downward spiral into Lexie's psychosis and the history of the springs.

I love a book where I can't figure out if the supernatural aspect is going to be the real deal or if in the end there will be a realistic explanation. This is definitely one of those books. This is the second book that I've read recently that included the supernatural with mental health issues. I think it's important to talk about mental health and I find that fictional stories are helping to normalize and give a voice to mental health. I enjoyed The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon but I was never fully invested in how it would turn out. I ended the book feeling like something was missing. The ending, I felt, was vague. I needed a little more closure and explanation than what was offered. However, it was a good story especially if you enjoy ghost stories.

I have loved Jennifer McMahon since I read The Winter People many years ago (I have since read it about 100 times since, but I digress). The Drowning Kind matched my expectations and exceeded it by tenfold. One of the things I love about her is that she writes creepily in a way that makes me want to keep turning the page instead of take a break from it. I think it also helps that her books are based in VT/NH area which is where I am from so it makes it that much more creepy. The Drowning Kind follows a woman named Jax (Jackie) and she goes back to a summer home in VT that her sister Lexie inherited after their grandma passed. You would think that Jax is going back for a nice family reunion with her sister, but NO. She's going because her sister drowned in the pool where the water is provided by the springs on the property. Once she gets the house, eery things begin to happen and Jax begins to wonder if Lexies growing was just that simple. I highly recommend you pick up this book when it publishes on April 6th, you won't regret it. Thank you for allowing me to read the eARC of this novel!

The story of the Bradenburg Springs weaves the supernatural into alternating POVs from the past and present. For decades, people have sought out the magical qualities of the water in the springs. Do the springs really heal? grant wishes? take back something in return? I love that the author gives you enough of the story while still letting you decide how "real" you think things are. A fun, yet kinda creepy read.

I won a kindle copy of The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon from NetGalley and Gallery Books. I had previously read her creepy ghost story Winter People and loved it so I was excited to read The Drowning Kind.

Jax and Lexie are the X Girls.
This isn’t just the story of the X Girls in present time . It’s also the story of Ethel Munroe and her husband Will in the year 1929. I love dual storylines. Both storylines were enthralling.

The twists and turns kept coming.

The theme of the story was “ be careful what you wish for “ and “ miracles are not without their price.”


Is the water at the Brandenburg Springs Hotel and Resorts in Vermont truly restorative with healing powers ? The townspeople think so. The local store has jelly jars of the water for 5 cents each , advertised as “ sure to cure what ails you”. The shopkeeper says “ Has a funny taste , but it brings good luck and good health .” However his wife says “those springs are a dark place ; “ you’d do best to keep away from them.” The waters give and the waters take.

And how does this relate to Jax and Lexie ? Their beloved grandmother’s home Sparrow Crest has a pool. The girls favorite game is to dive down into the pool to see the ghost of Rita who drowned as a child.

How are these 2 time lines connected? Is is the water??


I finished the kindle book in just a few days.

I five it 5 stars. That means I will read it again. And I did because I was chosen to read and review the audiobook from NetGalley.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for the kindle ARC for an honest review. And also to Simon and Schuster Audio for the audiobook copy of The Drowning Kind narrated by Joy Osmanski and Imani Jade Powers. It was wonderful.

A fellow Central Vermonter urged me to read Jennifer McMahon's books years ago, but I never did...so I jumped at the opportunity to request an ARC of The Drowning Kind through NetGalley and I was so psyched when I got it! There's something special about reading the work of a local author, and having just wrapped up her latest, I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

This is the story of the magical springs in a fictional town in Southern Vermont. The land where the springs are located is the main setting for the book. The water within the springs is said to have healing powers, and despite its murky appearance and repulsive smell, people come from far and wide to swim, drink (seriously), make wishes, and offer gifts in hopes of finding answers to their prayers. As we come to find out, "the springs exact a price equal to what was given." You want to heal your broken leg? Sure thing, but don't be surprised if someone close to you dies. Several drownings have taken place throughout the history of the springs, and it seems that the lives taken by the water never completely go away...

I found this storyline and the characters totally engrossing. I thought that their connections to each other and their toes to the springs were woven together nicely. The springs and the land they sit on have personalities of their own, and I learning about the history of the property was a highlight for me. I loved reading about the X Girls, Jax and Lex, and their unique connection to each other despite their many differences.

This is a page-turner that digs into just how far we'll go for those we love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, Inc. for the ARC!

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It sucked me in from the very beginning and didn't let go. It was so atmospheric and the two timelines were so well done. Make sure this book is on your list!

I loved this book so much. So beautifully written, what a page turner. Full of family history, sisterly love, madness, ghosts, and more. The characters were complex. I love Jennifer McMahon’s books, especially The Winter People and The Invited, and The Drowning Kind has ranked right up there with them. A++. Highly recommend to everyone!

There’s just something about deep, dark water that always sends a shiver of fear down my spine. You’d think I’d completely avoid it. And I do. Unless it’s the promise of a horror story. It’s been a long while since I’ve picked up a book in this genre but after a lot of lighter romance books, I was ready for something twisty and dark. The Drowning Kind was the perfect choice.

Jackie was an eye opening character for me. Some of the emotions she felt towards her family were unflattering of her character, and yet I empathize with her and could totally understand why she would feel the way she did. When she felt the shame of her emotions, I too felt the shame in understanding her. It was a twisted connection I’ve not experienced with a heroine before. And that is where I truly began to fall into the story.

The pacing of this story was perfect for the plot as the tension slowly builds and with each step of the way the fear begins to escalate until I found myself hesitant to turn the page. If ever a book made me feel as if I were watching it on a movie screen, this was it. I truly expected something to jump out at me at various points throughout the story.

I read this through in one morning and was glad I hadn’t started it the night before. Not because I would have stayed up reading it all night, which I would have done. But because I wouldn’t have been able to turn any lights off and I definitely wouldn’t have gotten any sleep afterwards. If you like non gory horror, come on in...the water’s fine.