Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster Audio for and ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer McMahon is one of my favorite authors, so I'm a bit biased. But I will say not all of her books are necessarily 5 stars. But this one fits the bill! Growing up I read Stephen King and lived for the creepy stories. So this book was right up my alley! On the creepy scale this was a 10 out of 10!
I enjoyed this audiobook right from the start. Watching Jaws as a kid and more times than I dare to count, I grew up with a natural fear of deep and dark water. But a spring fed pool? Yep! Dark and endless , the spring where people go to make wishes is known to have a dark side. The water is dark and deep and the rumors around town say that if you ask for something, the water takes something in return. JUICY! So this story links the past to the future with 2 different women's POV about the Spring and their own experiences of being drawn to the water.
Definitely a Horror book, first and foremost, and I loved all of it.

I listened to the audiobook edition of The Drowning Kind. I thought narrator did a great job. It was an easy book to listen to without confusion between the two timelines/POVs.

I enjoyed this gothic, twisty tale. Both timelines kept my attention and the world building, as usual for Jennifer McMahon, was expertly done. I appreciated that this book touched on mental health and how both mental illness and grief can really effect an entire family.

Where this book failed for me was the ending. I found it to be pretty underwhelming. Overall, I didn’t think this book was as strong as The Winter People or The Invited, but it’s still an entertaining read.

Unfortunately the narration isn't to my liking. I don't find voice changes pleasant (when a narrator changes their pitch to portray a child, say). I might seek this one out in print.

This FREAKING book! Omg! This was so good. It was all I could think about all weekend. I listened to it on audio non stop. It kept me entertained while driving to work and it made me laugh and cry. I highly recommend this one. A true thriller that keeps you hooked the whole way through. I loved the characters and the intertwining storylines this is a MUST READ! It was creepy and heartwarming all at the same time. LOVED IT!!!

WOW WOW WOW. I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so so spooky and I loved the alternating timelines. Each time it switched I just had to keep listening because it left off on cliffhangers! I got through this entire book in a day on double speed because I was so invested I couldn't stop. I loved how atmospheric and creepy it was, and each twist caught me by surprise. I am such a huge fan of this book!

I got this audio on Net Galley as an early release.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jennifer Mcmahon's writing is so accessible, the pacing is perfection and I'm a sucker for a good multiple perspective narration. We also follow a couple different timelines in this story. I thought the characters were wonderful. I found myself enjoying both timelines/characters equally. This was a great balance of mystery, thrill, family drama, and that uneasy creepy factor that Jennifer writes so well. I have yet to be disappointed by her!

Trigger warnings:
There is a focus on mental illness in this book, from the perspective of one of our main characters who is a therapist. There is also lots of talk about drowning, so if that makes you uneasy, maybe skip this particular book. Also discussion of infertility and childhood illness.

This was an interesting read and I did enjoy the twists and the ending. I liked the time shifts. As for the audiobook, I did not really like the narrator

The cover is brilliant! Both beautiful and chilling.

I have The Winter People sitting on my shelf and have not yet picked it up to read. I often hear about how creepy that book is and I am eager to work that into my TBR schedule this year. When I saw this new book available as an audiobook on NetGalley, I was so excited to request and be approved for it. Being my first read from Jennifer McMahon, I was eager to get started.

The idea of a ‘haunted’ body of water is nothing new. In fact, as I grew up, I always had thoughts that there were spirits in most bodies of water. To have a story that focuses on this idea drew me to it immediately.

The dual timelines showing both the past and present experience with the families that lived or visited the springs was well laid out. Both timelines were interesting and kept me intrigued to see how/if they would connect together in the end.

Characters were likable. Mental illness for some characters was woven into the story, creating the ’did it happen or was it all in her head’ paradox.

The narrators did a great job for the audiobook, making it easy for me to connect with the characters.

I really enjoyed the story, and the mystery was interesting. However, there wasn’t anything really creepy or even shocking that occurred, so it was a good, solid read, but not spectacular.

The Drowning Kind is my second Jennifer McMahon and I’m so appreciative of the opportunity to read this before the release date! I’ve never liked paranormal anything until I fell in love with The Winter People.

This book is written in dual timelines, in the present following Jax as she’s mourning the death of her sister and discovering the secrets of her family and their pool... THE POOL!! I’ll never think of a pool the same!! And the other timeline is in the past, following Ethel Monroe and her family in 1929 as they use mystical water from springs to start a family... but the water gives and the water takes.

So spooky and so good!! Water is definitely a big fear of mine and I feel like Jennifer McMahon took all the childhood fears of swimming in the deep end and made it real and horrifying!!

I really liked this book. It was eerie, spooky, and very intricate with its weaving of time between the 1910s and 2019. I think the author did a great job of going back and forth between the two times, and keeping the mystery of the pool and the healing water. Really good ghost story. The narration was really well done too.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

“’There was someone there, in the water.’ Her hand trembled as she held her teacup. ‘Ethel, if I tell you what I saw, you mustn’t think me mad.’”

You bring the hot dogs and marshmallows; I’ll bring the matches and a real good story. It’s time to head for the campfire, and—hey, look! It’s getting dark already. Do you scare easily?

My thanks go to Net Galley and Gallery Press for the invitation to read and review. This is a fun one! I was able to access both the print and audio versions, and I moved back and forth between them. I would give a slight edge to the print version here, but the audio isn’t bad, either.

Our story takes place in Vermont, mostly, and the time period and point of view alternate. We begin and end with the present day; our protagonist is Lexie, a social worker. Jax grew up very close to her older sister, Lexie. As they grew older, however, bipolar disorder gripped her elder sister, and Jax has been forced to set boundaries with regard to her sister’s obsessions, lest she be pulled under herself. And so, when she finds nine missed calls on her voice mail, all from Lexie, Jax figures she’s off her meds again, and she chooses not to respond. She has work to do. But the next call comes to tell her that Jax is dead. She drowned in her backyard pool.

Our alternate protagonist is Ethel Monroe, and the year is 1929. Ethel is nearly too old to conceive; she and her husband desperately want a baby. The doctors are stumped; then she hears of a resort whose springs are said to have healing powers. With nothing to lose, she and her spouse hop in the car and make their way to the magic waters. In time, they are told that the water should be avoided. Whenever it grants a wish, it takes something else back for itself, often something that devastates those it has aided. But Ethel is pregnant now, and there is nothing, nothing, nothing more important than her baby.

Of course, there are all kinds of connections between Lexie and Ethel; after all, they are using the same waters, nearly 100 years apart from one another.

McMahon has a well established writing career, but the first time I read her work was when the last book, The Invited, was published. Both stories have certain elements in common, and perhaps because of this, I enjoyed the last one a wee bit more than this one, because it was completely new to me then. Both stories take a sensible, modern-day female character that doesn’t believe in spooks at the outset, and then spin them around every which way until they do. And in both, I see classic elements that include urban legends, but the story McMahon tells is fleshier, updated, and original.

In listening to the audio version, I was at first taken aback, because when the reader shifts from Jax’s story to Ethel’s, no mention is made that we are changing protagonists. The print version captions the new chapter, and since I had both versions, I grabbed the print version once I became confused and saw what had happened. However, it would have taken me longer if I had simply purchased the audio book and been forced to figure it out. The two characters are voiced (in the first person), and Ethel is given a very distinctive speaking style; I found the style to be annoying at first, a bit contrived, but once I got used to it, I was all in. Ethel’s odd speaking style does make it easier to tell when we have switched characters, and perhaps that’s why the reader chose to do it this way.

The pacing never flags. I believe Jax from the first page, and eventually I believe Ethel as well. I successfully predicted the ending, but we are eighty percent of the way in by the time I make my prediction, so I am not disappointed.

For those looking for a deliciously creepy tale, look no farther. This book becomes available to the public Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

“The springs exact a price equal to what was given”

Jennifer McMahon does it again! Another addicting, page turning, goosebump inducing book. The Drowning Kind was so atmospheric and creepy and I could not stop listening to it. I had to know what happened.

The book is broken up in to 2 time lines, one taking place in 1929 and the other in 2019 and they are connected by a magical spring that people believe have healing properties, but is the healing worth the price you pay in the end?

I had to listen to the epilogue 3 times because I couldn’t believe what I heard. The ending was nothing I expected, yet everything I expect from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Scout for the ALC of this book for my honest review.

Lexie and Jax, the x sisters. This story kept my attention throughout with how it would bounce from the sisters story to Ethel Montrose story from 1929. Ethel Montrose, seemingly barren, her husband takes to to a grand new hotel in a New Hampshire where they find a pool that grants wishes. Next thing you know Ethel is pregnant and delight. But when the baby is born something is wrong.
Jax and Lexie have been estranged for a year now when Lexie keeps calling Jax. After lot answering her sisters calls, Jax receives a call that her sister drown in their grandmothers estate pool. While staying at the estate for the funeral, Lexie finds research her sister had found on the history of the pool and estate. Why did Lexie drown in a pool she had been swimming in since she was a young girl?
This is an intriguing sci-fi, thriller that will keep you on your toes.

"The water gives and the water takes."

This book was eerie. I listened to the audio version of the story. The story is told from 2 POVs, one from 1929 and one from 2019. I enjoyed the narration. I did have to speed it up quite a bit. It kicks off when Jax misses a call from her estranged sister, Lexie. Before Jax can call her back, Lexie turns up dead. She drowned in the pool. This pool is a problem. Lexie isn't the first to die in this pool. The story follows Jax down the rabbit hole of figuring out what's going on and it leads her way into the past. The Drowning Kind has a supernatural, spooky vibe. The story is so vivid, you will feel like you are there and can picture everything as it occurs. I am stuck in the middle here as I enjoyed the story but I didn't love it. The story just never clicked for me. I encourage you to read it and make up your own mind.

I received and voluntarily read an audio book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Jennifer McMahon and was so excited to grab The Drowning Kind. This story is so darn good. Two timelines and a dysfunctional family, I’m in. I really devoured this. Narration was great and I couldn’t wait to see what was really going on with this pool. You know when books have that wtf moment. This one came right at the end. I actually said out loud, wait what?! Then I rewound the audiobook and listened to the last chapter again. Yeah wow. Ok that happened. Well done Jennifer, well done.

Go grab this if thrillers are your thing, also if you like domestic thrillers or supernatural plots too. The family dynamics are great in this one. Fantastic story and yeah you got me. See my thriller reel for my well I didn’t see that coming thriller moments. Thank you to @gallerybooks @scoutpressbooks @simon.audio @netgalley and the author for a #gifted copy of this book to read and listen to. Grab this one soon.

Jackie has moved across the country to distance herself from her sister. When Lexie begins calling and leaving multiple messages on her answering machine, Jackie ignores them. Then she receives word that Lexie is dead, drowned in the pool that they played in as children. Lexie was an excellent swimmer, but this isn't just any pool. Not a swimming pool, but a natural spring fed pool said to have magical 'powers'. It's waters heal, but can also grant wishes. The catch...the pool gives, but it also takes. This is the general wisdom of the old timers in the area. Was Lexie 'taken'?
This spooky story moves between the 1920's and 2019, giving us some background on the legend of the pool. It is definitely a creepy read, if that's what you're looking for, with an ending that I did not see coming.

I enjoyed this story. It switched back and forth between modern day and the past. That is something that I really enjoy. It definitely had me wanting to finish it, but the ending was kind of a let down for me. I was hoping for something more, I think, like some jaw dropping resolution that would leave me stunned! All in all, it was a good listen. I would recommend!

The Drowning Kind

My first Jennifer McMahon book and I loved it!! She writes in a way that sucks you in immediately. I was so invested in the multigenerational characters but Jackie.....
Jackie is returning to her grandmother’s home that her sister Lexie inherited. Jackie shared memories of her and Lexie’s childhood summers spent in the home. She’s heading home not to visit but to attend a funeral for her sister Lexie. Apparently, Lexie had drowned in the pool What happened? Was it an accident or something else??

This book is so good. You will want to grab it quickly on April 6th when it’s released!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC on audio! The story and the narrator were both fantastic!

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon is a genre mixed novel - mystery, horror, and historical fiction with supernatural vibes.

The story is told with dual timelines - Jax 2019 and Ethel 1929. Both stories center around Brandenburg Springs. The Springs is believed to have healing powers. People come to the Springs to cure illnesses, recover from war injuries, and ask for wishes. But both Jax and Ethel soon learn that miracles from the Springs do not occur without a price. When the water gives, the water also takes.

The dual timeline storytelling worked brilliantly. I was equally invested in both stories. The characters were solidly developed, with the Springs becoming a character in its own right.

The story is not overly scary, gory, or graphic but is haunting, nerve-wracking, and creepy - in a word, atmospheric. As with most horror or supernatural books, you do need to suspend your belief a little. If you do, you’ll discover the secrets, legends, and curses which give the Springs its power, and before you know it, you’re drowning in it all.

I will definitely put all McMahon's previous books on my TBR.

Thank you, Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Audio, for an advance reader audio and Good Reads Giveaway for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The Drowning Kind will be released on April 6.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ✨(4.25 stars)

Sensitive Material: death of a child, sibling, mother. Multiple mental health issues (manic depressive, self-harm)

3.5/5 - For the most part I really enjoyed The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon. I thought the story and creepy factor really built over the course of the book. I found the characters for both timelines interesting. And I kept second guessing if it was just all in their heads or there was an actual supernatural factor in the story (it's McMahon so yes something supernatural will play a part in her book). All in all this was a creepy, interesting and quick read.

BUT it just didn't completely click with me. I always tell myself to not completely build up my expectations of a book in my head but I built this book up in my head. My love for previous books of hers that I have read made me expect to really love this and I just didn't. I still would completely recommend this one to fans of hers and for even people who have never read McMahon before because I can see why so many are already loving it. I also plan on reading more from McMahon in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for the audio ARC of The Drowning Kind in exchange for an honest review.