Are you scared of water?? I personally am terrified of what lies beneath the water and let me just tell you this book does not help that fear whatsoever.

What did I like?
I really enjoyed how the author put this story out there. I loved following the characters and the two timelines. I also enjoyed the overall story and was hooked the whole time.

What did I dislike?
I felt like the story dragged on a bit too much. I also was expecting so much as I was highly anticipated. Unfortunately it felt a bit flat for me.

Overall, this is a great thriller that is very atmospheric and will have you hooked onto the story. You’ll definitely want to have a blast with this one.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This was just an OK book for me. I thought the plot was interesting and liked the dual timelines but it never really hooked me from the beginning. I did finish it and hoped it would get better but the book never really took off for me. It was a fairly quick read but disappointing.

This novel is absolutely gorgeous. It is hauntingly and perfectly written and it is a story that will linger in the back of your mind for days. I started the book last night promising myself I would read just a few pages and then found myself unable to stop until I finished in the wee hours of the morning. It was impossible to walk away from the characters or the story itself. I've been ruminating on what to say in this review that can encapsulate the perfection of this novel and now, hours later, all I can say is, "read it."

Our story starts with dedicated social worker, Jax, ignoring nearly a dozen calls from the sister she's moved across the country to get away from. Their always complicated relationship became even more fraught when their beloved grandmother left her entire estate to Lexie. In a bid to establish boundaries, Jax hasn't spoken with her sister in over a year. She finds out the morning after all the manic phone calls that her sister is dead, drowned in the very pool that was the highlight of their summer trips to their grandmother's home.

Jax returns to Sparrow Crest and, in a bid to connect with the sister she's lost, delves into her journals and sketchbooks trying to make sense of Lexie's last weeks. She finds her sister was investigating the history of the property Sparrow Crest was built on and the many tragedies that seem to crop up around the magical natural swimming pool. The reader is left with a creeping sense of unease as they follow Jax's determination to trace Lexie's seemingly unhinged projects and journal entries. Is it really possible that something evil lurks beneath the surface of the water? Biding its time before it snatches another soul to add to its growing collection? Or is it possible that her sister, in the throws of her unmedicated bipolar disorder, scared herself into thinking that the pools were something sinister?

This present-day timeline is juxtaposed with the journal of Jax and Lexie's great grandmother who visited the natural springs desperate for a baby. We journey through time with her as she asks the springs to grant her greatest wish, the desire for a much longed-for daughter. And as her family grows and takes shape, we see Ethel learn what the townspeople of Brandenburg Springs have always known, the waters give but they also take in equal measure.

As the two storylines converge and the mystery of the springs slowly come into focus the reader is left with a incredible finale they will not soon forget. A must read for any fan of suspsense!

Oh my goodness was this creepy?! I absolutely devoured this one in two days and the chill factor was definitely there. The way the two timelines interconnected with the storyline and the unique premise just drew me in. I wasn't sure how I would feel about reading from the 1900's timeline, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a woman wanting to be blessed with a child of her own and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to do it. This would be a perfect read for the summertime as it revolves around a body of water. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next.

Jennifer McMahon's Gothic novel The Drowning Kind is definitely a book outside of my comfort zone. I don't normally read novels involving paranormal elements, so once I found myself deep in this ghostly story, I had to buckle up and go along for the ride. And what an eerie ride it was!

Told through dual timelines, The Drowning Kind follows two women living nearly a century apart, but both dealing with similar issues - ailing friends and family and strange bodies of water. In present day, Jax is called home to her grandmother's estate in Vermont where her sister Lexie has apparently drowned in the swimming pool. Jax finds herself puzzled as she attempts to put together the pieces of her sister's last days and figure out why Lexie, a strong swimmer, would die by drowning. In the 1920s, Ethel makes a wish in a mysterious spring at a resort in Vermont in hopes of a baby. Little does she know that her simple wish will have ramifications that reach far into the future.

While the summary of The Drowning Kind does mention that it is a modern day ghost story, I likely would not have picked it up if I had known how strongly the paranormal played in this novel. As it were, I had already committed to this book, so I saw my way through, even though it wasn't my typical cup of tea. The mystery of the spring/swimming pool was actually quite intriguing, and gave off some serious Poltergeist and M. Night Shyamalan vibes.

What I didn't like about this book is how the story was dragged out. I was surprised to find that I was nearing the end of the novel and not much had happened yet. Far too much backstory was given on Jax and Lexie's relationship, and not enough attention was given to what exactly was happening in this swimming pool.

I am a HUGE McMahon fan for many reasons, and I was very excited to get my hands on The Drowning Kind. However, after reading the book, I think I let my expectations get the best of me, because I felt pretty bored with this one. I liked the dual timeline, which McMahon does well, and the plot seemed like it would be really eerie and quick paced in it's synopsis, but during the course of my read, it felt drawn out and overly dramatized. The suspense was literally killing my enjoyment of this read. Obviously, the ending picked up as McMahon's novels do and I was surprised at how everything tied together, and the creep factor was definitely there. Unfortunately though, the new novel just didn't live up to some of my other favorites from her (Burntown, The Invited). However, I would still recommend the read to those looking for a new, eerie novel for their summer/fall reading.

Dreams and wishes and there is always a price to pay. A frighteningly believable tale that, although one suspects the ending, still leaves you feeling chilled....maybe even damp when it ends!

“Grief is a Monster”

The Drowning Kind is a dual timeline story following the present-day Jax (Jackie) and a woman named Ethel, whose story begins back in 1929.

Jax is a social worker with a complicated family history leaving her estranged from her only sister Lex. After a family catastrophe brings her back to her grandparents’ house “Sparrow Crest” which had been willed to her sister Lex, Jax begins to uncover a deep rooted history surrounding the natural springs located in the backyard of Sparrow Crest, and their special abilities.

Ethel, introduced to the springs by her husband during a vacation, finds herself making a wish to the water for the one thing she wants the most in life, a baby. She doesn’t know at that time that making a wish comes with a price and we find her paying that price through out the story.

This was a satisfying thriller with a few horror components that had an almost gothic theme with the descriptions of Sparrow Crest and the water weaved through the story. I thought the relationship between characters was handled well, including some discussion of mental health and alcoholism, as well as one of the cases that Jax handled as a social worker included as supporting characters. I loved reading the side-by-side storylines between Ethel and Jax, while trying to find connections between the two stories and similarities with their relationships to the water. I think there were a few aspects of the story left unanswered, but also think that allowing the reader to draw their own conclusion added some extra mystery. I would consider this a slow-burning thriller for those interested in a story that will make them feel dark, cold and a little afraid of what can be found in seemingly bottomless bodies of water.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. Creepy and hard to put down! This is my third book by Jennifer McMahon. I know when I pick up one of her books it's going to be a page turned and creep me out! This is one that I had to wait to read in the daytime haha. I loved reading two different points of view; Jax in present day, and Ethel in 1929. Many times with dual timelines I prefer one over the other, but I enjoyed both of these. The pool itself is downright eerie. I will not be getting into water where I can't see the bottom for awhile, maybe even ever. The ending was amazing. Highly recommend McMahon's books! I'm excited to read the ones I haven't read yet!

I read my first Jennifer McMahon book when I was on vacation a few years ago. The Winter People was so good and I immediately went out and bought more of her books! She has such a unique voice and I love the gothic/creepy vibe so much and I love that she is from Vermont and sets all of her books there. I can feel her pride and love for Vermont in all the books I have read by her.

When I saw this book was coming out, I couldn’t wait. It sounded eerie and I loved that mysterious cover so much. I haven’t listened to any of her books before so I thought this would be a great book to start with. My book club even picked it as our May read and we were all super excited to read and discuss it.

For me personally, I don’t think this book was as strong as some of her others but overall it was a haunting ghost story with a creepy connection to the past. I also loved the narrators. The historic narrator wasn’t my favorite at first (she was really wispy) but within a few chapters I started to really enjoy her soothing voice, but the modern narrator was great!

Summary
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 (summary from Goodreads)

Review
Since I have read other books by McMahon, I had high expectations. I am eager to hear what my book club members thought at our next meeting tomorrow. As I said, I thought this one was just ok, if you are looking to read something by McMahon, I think this is a good place to start but personally I thought The Winter People was better but it was also more horror. This one had a ghost/horror element but it felt less horror than The Winter People. I listened to this one on my morning walks around a local slough and it was creepy enough that I found myself gazing out across the slough and wondering if there were monsters in the water.

It is a darker story that touches on everything from alcohol abuse to mental health but I think it really gave readers a lot to ponder and consider beyond just the ghost parts. For me it made the story more rich. Jax and Lex had a contentious relationship and there were times when I felt like Jax was being spoiled and unfair toward Lex but I enjoyed watching her character process those feelings as the story unfolded. The relationships in this book are multilayered and have a lot of depth which I think makes this one a good option for book club discussions.

If you are looking for an atmospheric book then this is it. I loved the setting and the pool truly has a creepy vibe. Sparrow Crest house had a great gothic presence in the story and fans of the gothic will love this one. For horror fans, you might want a little more horror in this one but overall it’s not bad. And let me just say this…..the ending will give you chills. I think the ending made the book for me. Up until that point I was hinging on a 3 star review but the ending bumped it up to 4 stars. If you love atmospheric books with great complex characters then you don’t want to miss this one!

Book Info and Rating
AudiobookPublished

April 6, 2021 by Simon & Schuster Audio

ISBN9781797119021 (ISBN10: 1797119028)LanguageEnglish

Free review copy provided by publisher, Simon & Schuster, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: mystery, thriller, horror

Jax (Jackie), a social worker who specializes in working with kids, lives in one world and her sister, Lexi lives in another entirely. When Lexi begins to call her one day, out of the blue, Jax does not pick up. Lexi has bipolar disorder and when she goes off her meds, she can call like this, and Jax has seperated herself from Lexi, as she cannot handle these behaviors, or the fact that Lexi was always the "special" one who was her grandmother's favorite, who was left the house "Sparrow's Crest" that was their favorite place when they were kids, with the special pool they swam in. This same pool that Lexi drowns in, the night after leaving Jax nine messages, that Jax ignores.

The pool is "special" as Ethel Monroe finds out in 1929. She takes a visit to the water, then a spring, not a pool, and the hotel attached to it, She wishes for a child. Rumor has it, that the pool grants wishes and heals the sick, and people from all over come to visit the water. What no one tells Ethel, is that while the water grants wishes, it exacts a price for what it gives.

Jax heads to Sparrow Crest to put her sister to rest and discovers more than she bargained for.

The Drowning Kind is a spooky supernatural thriller and a page turner. Both Jax and Ethel are well developed characters who you feel you know well by the end of the book. It takes a long time to figure out that the characters actually have a link to each other and not just to the water in the story. The mystery that is entwined throughout both women's stories keeps you interested and wanting to know more. My only issue is that I did not love the ending. However, even now, a while after I have finished the book, I cannot stop thinking about the story - things I saw and things I missed, as I read through it to the twisty end. it makes me wonder if I should read the book again to get a better picture! Overall, it was a great book and worth the read. If you like Stephen King and John Saul you will definitely like The Drowning Kind.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dual storyline of a creepy house with an even creepier pond in the backyard that grants wishes at a cost. The writing faltered at times but not enough to keep me from reading until the end. Beware: no happy ending in this book.

If you’re looking for a super creepy thriller, this is it. If you’re looking for a strong plot and story; I’d look elsewhere. Jumping between the diary entries of Ethel Monroe from 1929 and the modern-day narrator, Jackie, the story is of a haunted springs that both gives life and takes it away. For most of the book, I felt the story trying to do too much. The plot spends most of the time on Jackie and her relationship with her recently-departed sister, Lexie, Lexie’s bipolar disorder and the attention she always received from the family, as well as flashbacks to Ethel and her desire for children all the while being haunted by what has happened at the springs. The creep factor was totally there and I was curious to find out how it would end but felt like the ending was lackluster and left a lot to explain.

Jax gets the call she has dreaded for years. Her sister, Lexie, is dead. Jax is a social worker but Lex, who growing up was the golden girl, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her early twenties. Their grandmother had left the family house to Lexie and Jax was so upset to be excluded that she moved across the country. She had suspected that Lexie was off her meds as she had been getting phone calls on her message machine and each sounded more frantic and out of control. When she called her aunt Diane and asked her to check on Lexie Diane found her floating in the pool, already beyond revivial.

There were rumors about the pool and had been their entire life. Years before, a hotel had stood where their house now stood, a hotel built around the springs that provided water that many said could provide cures for any illnesses. But there were also whispers that if the springs gave something they would also take something. More drownings that would be expected had happened there and the hotel went out of business. Even after Jax's grandfather bought the land and springs, things continued to happen in the pool. Jax and Lexie's oldest sister, Rita, had drowned there when they were small children. Now Lexie has met the same fate.

As Jax returns to handle the funeral she gets caught up in the stories about the pool. She remembers things from her childhood that seem to reinforce the rumors and Lexie was firmly convinced something was going on and had focuses all her time and attention to finding out the truth. What is the truth? Is there something there that will rise again to cause more tragedy?

I listened to this novel. The narrator was female and captured the rising tension in the book, the back and forth between the questions about the pool and the certainties Jax has that it is all just rumors. The story is told in alternating chapters between Jax's trip home and the story of her grandmother who made the first bargain with the pool. The narrator handles both these voices quite well, differentiating between them to make it clear which woman is speaking. This book is recommended for readers of psychological thrillers.

I'm not sure what the hell happened. All these 5 star reviews and I just don't get it. I think the book I read must have been different because nothing about this book was worthy of 5 stars, in my opinion, at least.

This was another one that moved soooo damn slow. It took me weeks just to get to the 50% of mark and at that point I just started skimming. Not to mention, the redundancy...

The concept of the Spring healing and granting wishes, and then reaping what it is due was clever, but that execution not so much.

I will say I was more intrigued by Ethel's timeline than I was Jax's.

Anyway, not something I would recommend, but that's is just me. You might like it.

Thank you so much for allowing me to reach this! Jennifer is one of my favorites! Her writing style is hauntingly awesome on every level! OMG. This book....

Edge of the seat, nail bitter! What the heck happened at the end! I WAS SOOO SHOCKED! Seriously! I am not a reviewer who gives out spoilers, because well then why read the review? I just want the folks who read my reviews to know whether the book is worth their money and time and this one KNOCKED IT OUTTA THE PARK!

Grief, loss, sisters, haunting and someone at the bottom of a pool! Come on now, if that doesn’t grab you well then try this.....well written, fantastic story line and you will have this book sticking around with you for a long time after you close it, having read the final few pages.

Must read! Especially if you run the spooky genre as I do!

Well Done!!

A good solid creepy ghost tale/mystery. I loved the setting of this book as I have been to several historic hotels around springs that were known for healing properties. So the story itself was interesting and I could easily picture the setting and characters in my mind. I also thought the dual timeline was implemented well and was easy to follow. This one's for you if you love a good spooky tale in a historical setting.

Another thrilling novel by Jennifer McMahon . Jackie receives word her sister has drowned in the pool of her grandmother’s manor . She returns home to sort out the mystery and is drawn back into the life she left behind . Told on alternate timelines this book is creepy, scary , spooky and unputdownable. A must read

Review of The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is only my second book by this author but I cannot wait to read the rest. I love the creepy, spooky vibe throughout this entire book snd the writing was amazing.

Jax gets a call that her sister, Lexie, has drowned and died in her pool at her home and heads back to take care of the arrangements. Lexie inherited the house from their grandmother. Growing up the two sisters would spend the summers there and they knew all about their aunt Rita who drowned in the same pool as a child. When Jax returns she starts to find out more about her family’s history as well as the history of the pool and what she finds shakes her to the core.
An alternate timeline of the 1920s follows a Ethel and her husband as they desperately try to have a baby. They visit a resort said to have magical healing springs. Ethel becomes pregnant shortly after that visit but learns the hard way what the hotel owner warned her about: the water gives but it also takes away.

I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to all who love a spooky mystery.