This gothic thriller's captivating plot immediately hooked me with it's breathtaking pace and dual storyline. There was great character development, and I loved the cast of supporting characters as well. I look forward to her next book!

Uggh, this book was amazing! I love Jennifer McMahon, this is only my second book that I have read by her. This book was so creepy and spooky and if you enjoy that then this book is for you! I did really enjoy that different timelines within the book.

4.5 stars.

THE DROWNING KIND is a horror novel by author Jennifer McMahon. The story is told through alternating timelines--the first begins in 1929 and is from the perspective of Ethyl, a woman desperate to have a child with her husband, Will. The second takes place in 2019, from the viewpoint of Jax, who is told that her estranged sister drowned in the pool of their Gram's former home. The fact that the large house known as Sparrow Crest was willed to Lexie ONLY, instead of both sisters, was a part of the reason Jax hadn't seen her sister in a while.

". . . I understood, in those blurry seconds, that there are no secrets from the dead . . . "

The spring-fed pool has long been rumored to be able to grant miracles . . . but at a price.

"Grief is a monster."

I felt that the different timelines helped to give a greater understanding of the events surrounding this spring fed pool. It helped to avoid info dumps, and the timelines were "consistent" with what the reader learned from each. This gave a background that really enhanced the story.

". . . The key to understanding the present is to look at the past . . ."

I loved how the characters--especially Jax--were driven in different directions: the "need to know", the "I don't want to know", and "let's pretend it was nothing unusual".

". . . that's what our family does. Pretends that if we don't talk about a thing, it didn't happen . . . "

The dialog--with Jax and her family--also had a good amount of sarcastic banter, which I always love.

". . . You're measuring the pool at midnight? That's totally normal and not in the least bit concerning . . ."

The emotions were well written and believable--the shock, and guilt Jax faces while trying to understand her sister's death. Even the attitude of her remaining family stays consistent with their individual personalities.

". . . What's the difference . . . between a ghost and a memory? . . . "

Overall, an extremely well written novel that consumed all of my attention. This is definitely one I will re-read in the future.

". . . The water gives and the water takes."

Recommended.
*I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.*

Releases 4/6/21: https://amzn.to/3qXcdXm

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Invited and The Winter People comes a chilling new novel about a woman who returns to the old family home after her sister mysteriously drowns in its swimming pool…but she’s not the pool’s only victim.

Be careful what you wish for.

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

A haunting, twisty, and compulsively readable thrill ride from the author who Chris Bohjalian has dubbed the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson,” The Drowning Kind is a modern-day ghost story that illuminates how the past, though sometimes forgotten, is never really far behind us."

Ghost story from the "literary descendant of Shirley Jackson!?!" Well, whomever wrote that you knew how to hook me!

I wasn't expecting the supernatural aspect of this book but it ended up being really good! My favorite part was how the two timelines intertwine. It reminded me a lot of another mystery-style book I've read and very much enjoyed.

Did this creep me out? Not really. But to be fair, I am a huge horror fan and it takes quite a bit to put me on the edge of my seat. For most people, I think they will get the heebie-jeebies from the way this story plays out.

I think my biggest complaint is that I enjoyed more of the past story than the present. I found Jax to be a bit annoying and never really bonded with her character.

First line: “The dead have nothing to fear,” Lexie said.

Summary: Lexie and Jackie spend each summer at their grandmother’s house in Brandenberg, Vermont. They love the lazy days in the natural spring pool in the backyard. But they have to follow their grandmother’s strict rules about the pool. But years later after Lexie inherits the house, she is found dead in the pool. Was it an accidental drowning or something more sinister?

Its 1929, Ethel Monroe and her new husband, Will, decide to take a weekend away at the new hotel in Brandenberg. As they arrive in town they hear people talking about the mysterious springs located behind the hotel. Some say the water has healing powers. Others claim it is cursed. The Monroe’s don’t know what to believe as they arrive at the hotel. But after Ethel strikes up a friendship with the hotel owner’s wife she learns that there is more to the springs than even the locals know.

My Thoughts: I loved how the author weaved in the paranormal with the thriller. I could never decide which was more prominent in the story. Is it a ghost story or a mystery? Or maybe it’s both? I was quickly caught up in the mystery of the springs. I sped through the chapters as I read, listened to the audiobook at a higher speed and needed to finish it as soon as I could.

It seems that dual timelines is a big theme lately. Nearly every story I have read in the last few months have had this style. I like it but I do like a simple timeline as well.

I wished we could have gotten more of Lexie, especially the adult Lexie before she drowned. We got looks at her as a child but I wish we could have seen more of her side of the story.

The ending was truly chilling. That last chapter was so well written. I didn’t get the twist until the very end.

FYI: Death, drowning, self-harm, drinking and ghosts.

OMG! This book is definitely one of Jennifer McMahon's BEST! I loved every minute. So creepy and atmospheric. Jackie is a social worker living in Tacoma, Washington, about as far as she could get from her bi-polar sister, Lexi. Lexi inherited the old family mansion complete w/ fresh springs pool in Vermont. But there is something, ahem, wrong, w/ the pool. Many creepy stories surround it has claimed more than a few lives.
Jax hasn't spoken to Lexi in a year when she gets the call that her sister, the best swimmer, has drowned in the pool. Suicide? An accident? A murder? Can Jax solve the mystery of the pool before it's too late for her?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio version and an early e-ARC.*

I loved how the historical story and present day story were interwoven. I've read many stories that have done this and it's hard to do well, but McMahon did it very well. The characters were well-developed and I was interested until the very end!

I have yet to read a book by McMahon that I didn’t enjoy. She is fantastic at atmospheric creepy vibes-which is what I love.
This book is written with alternating timelines form the POV of two different women. Both timelines are focused on mineral springs water that while offers healing properties and may possibly even grant wishes also takes as it give. Reading this is like waiting for the other shoe
to drop. You constantly feel uneasy and are waiting to see how these stories will connect. The ending was awesome.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Jennifer McMahon for my ARC.

As a child, I loved ghost stories. I couldn’t get enough of them. After I read everything on ghosts our school library offered, I devoured all the ghost stories on our town library’s shelves. I owned every volume of Scary Stories to Read in the Dark, and begged my grandmother to take me to the nearest bookstore every weekend to get a new “scary book.” In junior high, I read every Christopher Pike novel. I then transitioned into Dean Koontz and Stephen King novels. Finally, as an adult, I realized that I actually didn’t enjoy being too scared to sleep - I hated it. Real life, raising kids, retaining employment, all of those things required sleep. So, I swore off ghost stories. No scary movies. No horror novels. In fact, the only reason I requested this book from Netgalley is because I didn’t read close enough to realize that it was a ghost story. Woohoo for my negligence because this book was excellent.

As children, sisters Jax and Lexie grew up spending summers in Brandenburg, Vermont at their grandmother’s beautiful old home, Sparrow Crest. They spent hours swimming in the backyard pool - which was definitely not your everyday backyard pool. The pool was sourced from a natural spring, rumored to have the power to heal ailments and grant wishes. Unfortunately, we all know that everything has its price. As the town natives are apt to say, “the water gives and the water takes.” When Lexie drowns in the pool, Jax returns to Sparrow Crest, determined to finally uncover whatever secrets are beneath those dark waters.

I really enjoyed this book. While it didn’t end exactly the way I would have preferred, McMahon, who knows much more about ghost stories than I do, crafted a perfect ghosty ending. I want to say it was super cute, but I feel like that’s an insult. Unable to come up with the right word here, I’m just going to say that this one hits shelves in April, and I definitely recommend picking it up.

Thanks to Jennifer McMahon, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

"People are frightened by the things they don't understand. Things that can't be explained with reason and logic and science. The water is not a puzzle to be solved."

Original. Captivating. And Chilling. The Drowning Kind is a bit different and told from two different times. We go back in forth from present to 1929/1930 in the New England area. Everything surrounds the springs and what it gives and takes. And it is creepy, but fascinating.

The story starts out with frantic phone calls from Lexie calling her younger sister Jackie who lives across the country. They haven't been in touch for some time now and Jax ignores her calls. Until she receives a life changing phone call that her sister Lexie has drowned. How can a strong swimmer such as Lexie have drowned in a pool that she grew up in and was familiar with?? Jackie travels across the country to take care of everything after the death of Lexie and finds so much more than she anticipated.

And this is where our mystery and two timelines begin. We travel back and forth in time and I found the past so powerful, yet scary. Ethel and her husband Will travel to the Springs/hotel shortly after it opens and they have been told by a few people that it has healing powers. People's ailments disappear and they are cured of many things. But there is always a price that comes with the positive. "The water gives and the water takes."

I found that I liked hearing about the past more so than the present. I think that was because it was laying such a great foundation to get me my answers that I had questions for in the present. Lex and Jax's family seemed to be keeping some sort of secrets from them, but we had to know about the past to figure out those secrets. There was a build up and anxiousness I felt in the past.

The alternating timelines and the characters eventually collide, giving us some insight as to what to expect from the characters and their fates in the present. I was still left questioning and a bit awed by the ending.

Overall, I enjoyed the originality and the supernatural feel of the story. The pacing of the past was done nail bitingly well and the present left me more anxious and nervous with a few questions. It had that creepy cool feel to it and I kind of wanted more Jax in the end. A well written story that will definitely appeal to people that like supernatural thrillers.

This was a very creepy and chilling audiobook! It kept me on my toes and questioning what would come next and how the characters were all connected. There were parts of the story that dragged on and I found to be unnecessary, however did not overall stop me from wanting to continue the book - or rate it poorly!

The book is written alternating between two women during two different time periods - all surrounding water found on a property in the Northeast. Although this sounds like it may be confusing, it is not. You spend much of the story questioning the connection between these two women and the property.

Present Day, Jax, a social worker, learns that her sister Lexie, drowns at the pool in their grandmother’s estate. Jax arrives at the house, confused, as her sister was an incredibly strong swimmer. Over time, she discovers that her sister was researching the property and her family. Learning that the past and land hold many dark secrets.

1929, Ethel Monroe, a newlywed, wishes at a natural spring in Vermont for a baby. After learning of her pregnancy, she learns that the water grants wishes, but also takes just as much as it gives. Will she and her husband be able to avoid heartbreak?

Throughout the story I felt uneasy and untrustworthy of the stories being told. Never knowing when something new would be thrown my way. Is there something special and haunted about the water or property? Are the characters assuming things or is there something else going on? And how are these two stories connected? Jennifer McMahon is an incredibly talented author, writing a story that keeps you questioning what will happen next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Jennifer McMahon for my advanced reader copy!

Jax is ignoring calls from her older sister Lexie, not yet ready to deal with their strained relationship. Since their grandmother passed away and left the large home known as Sparrow Crest to Lexie, Jax has found it important to maintain a healthy distance from both the home where they spent their childhood summers and her sister’s increasingly manic episodes.

The next day, Jax learns that Lexie is dead — an accidental drowning at the pool on her estate. This fate is especially chilling considering that another family member drowned as a child in the same pool.

Jax arrives at Sparrow Crest to get the estate in order and learns that Lexie had been researching their family history as well as the history of the property in the weeks before her death.

In 1929, newlyweds Ethel and Will Monroe desperately hope for a baby. On a trip to Vermont, Ethel learns that water from a natural spring is rumored to have healing properties, maybe even granting the wish your heart most desires. When Ethel learns that she’s pregnant, her happiness slowly turns to dread when she realizes the spring takes in equal measure what it gives.

The alternating timelines and narratives eventually come together, giving readers insight into the past and present fates intertwined with the mysterious water.

This is my second Jennifer McMahon novel and I truly enjoy her style! The Drowning Kind is an atmospheric and subtle ghost story; it’s creepy but not terrifying, the mystery of the past is as captivating as the present circumstance, and the ending gave me chills. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good ghost story!

Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Drowning Kind is scheduled for release on April 6, 2021.

I love this author. I really enjoyed reading the two different timelines. Loved the ending. I truly did not expect it.

I really enjoyed this book. It's got family secrets, and a haunting. It had edge of your seat moments and I didn't expect the ending!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My favorite genre is with the dual timeline. We have the backstory of Ethel and her beginnings with THE SPRING, then we have the modern story of Lexi and Jax. Ms. McMahon does a great job with joining the two storylines and describing the unexplainable. While I didn't think the characters had much depth, the creep factor it awesome!

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

Sparrow Crest is the lovely home where Lexie and Jackie go to visit their grandmother. Every summer they spend with her. Looking through the big house, walking through the rise garden and swimming in the black pool. Yes, a lot of their time is spent in that pool. Swimming, playing games, especially the dead game. Their grandmother would hate to see them playing that game. Her youngest daughter Rita had drowned in that pool. Another game they played was trying to reach the bottom of the pool, so far neither of them had touched bottom.
Now, Lexie and Jackie have grown apart. Jackie hasn't been to Sparrow Crest since her sister inherited from her grandmother. Plus she's tired of picking up and fixing things when her sister goes through one of her manic episodes due to her being bi-polar. Her sister has been leaving messages on her phone, lots of messages.
Jackie is not ready to talk to Lexie.
This book was given to me by the publisher through Netgalley, to read and review.
I enjoyed reading this book. It tells you the past backstory, while you read the actual story. In the end the two stories converge into a scary tale. This story is full of suspense and has a great imaginative storyline. Definitely recommended.

This book is set around a hot springs type pool and Jax & Lexie, who are sisters. It bounces from 1929/1930 and 2019. This my first book by Jennifer McMahon, I'll have to check out her other books. I've heard so many good things about this author and wasn't disappointed. I'm don't understand the woman from the 1930's kept saying her own name. I liked this book a lot and would recommend it to all you thrill and suspense seekers.

A hauntingly good book that kept on the edge til the last page!
Jax, estranged from her sister Lexie, receives multiple calls one evening that go unanswered! When she tries to call her the next day and calls are unanswered, she sends her Aunt to ck on her only to find that she drowned in her grandmother’s pool.
The story switches from present day Jax to Ethel in the past. The history of the pool is fraught with the good but also the bad! What the water gives, it also must take! For each miracle performed, there is a terrible price to pay! So many lives lost and dreams broken! The water seems alive and calls to its victims materializing as their loved ones!
Very enjoyable! Love the magical aspects in the book! Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Another great book by Jennifer McMahon!! She is becoming one of my must read authors.

This is a creepy read, not scary but enough to keep you reading. There's two timelines that tie things together.

I finished in one sitting and recommend this if you're looking for a mysterious read.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.