As a fan of author Jennifer McMahon I was so thrilled to receive a copy of her newest book from Gallery Books and Net Galley. And as usual she did not disappoint. Jennifer McMahon's books have always had a creepy feel to them and this one does as well. After ignoring frantic phone calls from her sister Lexi, Jax learns that Lexi has died, having drowned in the springs of Sparrow Quest. She returns to Sparrow Quest to learn about her sister's time there and how such a strong swimmer like Lexi could drown. It seems the springs have a terrible secret. It grants wishes but you have to pay it back. This books goes to the past of 1929 where we meet Ethel and her husband, a doctor and jumps back to the present time. This book really kept my interest. and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a good, creep, ghost story. You can't go wrong with a Jennifer McMahon book.

This was a creepy one! With just enough elements of horror to keep it scary without being over the top. Stayed up late with this one!

Deliciously pensive. This immediately envelopes the reader into the story and holds them until the final page, and the final twist, has been turned. It was the perfect winter read to curl up under blankets with but I’d imagine it would be perfect in any season.

Creepy. Oh so creepy!

Usually, when I read a book, I read it all in one sitting. I like to know what happens. Well, this is one of those few times when I had to put the book away. It happened around the 50% mark. I got so spooked that I couldn’t continue reading.

The story is an interesting one. Famous springs that are whispered to grant wishes. Sick people getting better after bathing or drinking the spring water. However, there is a price to pay.

Are you willing to pay the price?

The Drowning Kind has two timelines.

One is told by Ethel O' Shay Monroe. Ethel is a young woman who recently married a doctor. She has a happy marriage except that she's having fertility issues. She wants nothing more than to become a mother but despite trying, no baby is making an appearance. Her husband plans a visit to a grand new hotel and their miracle springs, Brandenburg Springs Hotel and Resort in Vermont. Ethel starts to believe that the springs could be the answer for them.

The other timeline is told by Jax in 2019. Jax is a social worker who has to travel to her grandmother's home, Sparrow Crest, after finding out that her estranged sister, Lex, has drowned in the pool. Jax feels guilty since she purposely stayed away from her sister who was bipolar.

Eery and suspenseful is the best way I can describe this novel. I was wondering how the two timelines could intersect.

Many times, I found myself thinking get away from the freaking water!! Why won’t they listen??

After reading this, I think I might not go into my pool for a while. Never in the dark. Never along.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excited to see new book by Jennifer McMahon. I enjoy her books.
This book was difficult to stop reading and go to sleep. It has surprises, intrigue, and thrills!
You want to read this book.

I loved the twists and turns of this book. Jennifer McMahon is just sooo good at CREEPY! I have read almost all of her books and they are all fantastic, including this one. This one is a MUST read for 2021!

This was a well written, eerie book that I could not put down. I loved the two timelines (Jax in 2019 and Ethel in the 1920’s) and figuring out how exactly they connected to the magical springs said to bring healing. But as any fan of the fantastical will tell you no magic comes without a price. The two narrators were both engaging and I was intrigued to figure out how it would all end. I also loved that there was an element of ghost story interview into it that was believable and perfectly creepy. I haven’t read anything by this author before but as soon as I finished I stated to reserve her other works, This is the kind of story that makes the real world melt away and nothing mattered but what happened next in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I will say of the Jennifer McMahon books I've read, this wasn't my favorite. That said, it was still very well done. When Jax's sister Lexie mysteriously drowns, she returns home to pick up the pieces of her chaotic sister's life. What she finds is a mystery that brings up questions about the past of not only their family, but the land the familial home resides on. Why do people keep drowning there?

I enjoyed the premise, and the build up. I did feel that at times it got a little muddled and slow, but that resolved quickly. The family dynamics in the book were flawed and interesting. I enjoyed the mystery part of the novel and the build of anxiety and foreboding.

A nice spooky ghost story! Not a bad book! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this Author!

Wow this was such a good book!

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon is split between two main characters: Jax, who is mourning the loss of her estranged sister, and Ethel, whose story is set in 1929.

The Drowning Kind is a spooky and twisty ghost story. Sparrow Crest sounds like a beautiful place to spend some time and I liked all of the characters. The ending will shock you. I will definitely be checking out some of her other books.

#FirstLine - “The dead have nothing to fear,” Lexie said.

My head is still spinning. Right up to the end I was not sure how this book was going to end. The Drowning Kind is a ghost story with a kick. You are pulled between past and present and need to navigate between myths and truths. It is a book that is hard to put down because you want to know what is going to happen. I was aghast by the ending...seriously! It was a fantastic conclusion to the story. It was a beautifully drawn out story with so many little twists and turns that kept me fully engaged! A must read!!!

Jennifer McMahon has secured herself as a must-read author for me with books like THE UNINVITED and THE WINTER PEOPLE. Her books have that creep factor and great storytelling that I look for. THE DROWNING KIND was no exception. I will say this book hit different and in a good way. I found myself completely engrossed in the story, the outside world ceased to exist and that's the perfect book I needed at the moment.

I was so excited to get approved for a new Jennifer McMahon book, because I’ve loved all of her past novels. Maybe her usual format is getting old for me, or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood this time, but for whatever reason, I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. The switching between the past and present was a cool concept, but I was impatient and was also able to guess every twist, so I couldn’t really enjoy it as much as I normally would, but it was still a solid and interesting story for the most part.

I hope Jennifer McMahon is happy: that’s work/life, sleep & food I’ve had to neglect in order to stay in this book. Why did it have to end and PLEASSEEE let there be more with this characters! While I feel the ending might’ve been a tiny bit rushed, the pacing and overal absorption into this tale were spot-on! I’d like to visit “the springs”, enjoy some of Ryan & Ted’s cooking, buy a house from Diane.... maybe hang a bit with Martha and the “x sisters”..... but leave before dark.

I've loved Jennifer McMahon ever since I took Island of Lost Girls on vacation and didn't want to do anything else but find out what happened next. She has had some misses over the years (looking at you Burntown), but for the most part, I've enjoyed the books she's written. I've heard her called the modern-day Shirley Jackson -- her books are creepy and atmospheric and leave you wanting more.

The Drowning Kind might be her creepiest book yet. One day, Jax receives a slew of missed calls from her sister, Lexie. She is tired of Lexie's manic episodes, and so, doesn't answer the phone. The next day, she is devastated to find out that her sister has drowned in the pool at their late grandmother's house. Jax discovers that Lexie has been researching the history of the house, and that may have had something to do with her death.

But Jax is not the only one whose eyes readers see this story through. They also go back in time to 1929 to meet Ethel Monroe, who desperately wants a baby. Her husband takes her to a hotel in Vermont which has a natural spring on its grounds; this spring is said to grant wishes but it also takes something in return. The stories of Jax and Ethel run parallel to each other until the reader discovers how they are connected.

I've found that so often, a book like this is ruined by the ending, but that's definitely not the case here. I didn't see it coming. Read this one with the lights on!

MY RATING - 4

Jennifer McMahon has such an exquisite way of storytelling that forces the reader to urgently devour her book. The Drowning Kind was no different. As the reader you feel compelled to know and discover what in the world is happening.

This story is told by two different point of views and time. 1929 Ethel and Present day Jax. In the middle of this is a haunting obsidian spring water that has healing powers where the townsfolk both fear and revel it. It is easy enough to relate to Ethel and her dilemmas. A newly married lady desperate for a child willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Jax on the other hand isn't a very likeable character. A therapist who cut out her twin sister out of spite. She felt tired of being outshined by her. She ends up returning back to their childhood home after learning her sister committed suicide.

She is left with questions and all the answers seem to lead her back to that obsidian dark pool. Interesting read by the end of the book I still felt like maybe 100 more pages were missing. The ending felt rushed or perhaps just not enough for all the held breathes i had going on during the book.

When her sister mysteriously drowns, Jackie is returned to Sparrow Quest, the home of her grandmother and a pool that is fed from an underground spring. Told in alternating perspectives, the story takes some predictable twists and turns, but still left me wanting to figure out the history of this house and its occupants. I would highly recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Books, for the opportunity to read such an outstanding story.

Dark, enthralling, riveting, manic, and disappointing. A conundrum, right? I was immediately and totally hooked on this book from page one. Fascinated. Intrigued. But it then drags for quite a bit. I couldn't stop turning the pages, I HAD TO KNOW what was happening. Then I had to read the ending twice because I just couldn't believe that after all I read, all I devoted to this story, that THIS was how it was ending. If you want edge of the seat suspense, this is the book for you. If you're looking for a nicely resolved story, this won't do it for you.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3631826611

4.5 Stars

This book was super creepy! Jax comes back to the old home her gram left to her sister, the home with the healing pool. The hike where her sister died. A home she wished she stayed in with her sister. It had been a long time and now Lexie is gone. But what was she looking into before she died? Will Jax find out? Unfortunately for her, she does!



I loved the book, it had the right amount of creepiness!

*I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this book.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

3.5 stars

The theme of this book is "the water gives and the water takes." I'm not sure how that cannot be creepy all by itself.

The story is split between two timelines, 1929 Ethel's time and 2019 Jackie's (Jax) time. Both ladies asked the mystical water for a favor, but they have no idea what the water will take from them. They find out that the water tends to take someone's life away after the gift has been bestowed upon on the individual.

I really enjoy Jennifer McMahon's books. They are creepy, but not necessarily scary. I did struggle with repetitive this book was. The middle just didn't go anywhere besides going over the same points.

The twist at the end was not my favorite.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!