Cover Image: The Drowning Kind

The Drowning Kind

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Member Reviews

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.

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"Mystery abounds as women from past and present try to put the pieces together in The Drowning Kind."

My full review will be going live on FreshFiction.com, and I will share the link when it does.

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I have always liked this author and I did enjoy reading this one. My favorite parts were about Lexie and Jax and wish we could have had more of their story. I felt like this one didn't grab me and have me hooked like some of her past books.

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I loved this book so much. Had my attention the whole time. I loved the jumping back and forth in time made it easier to know and follow everything that was going on.

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Very intrigued by this book throughout the whole audio. Even after you kind of piece every part together about who is who, who is lurking, what it means to be at Sparrow Crest, there is still so many juicy details! What happened to Lexi? What did she find out? What becomes of the X girls? And who all knows all the secrets? Does someone have a hidden agenda? I honestly had to listen to the epilogue twice because part of me said... say whatttt!? Definitely recommend giving this one a go!

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This book was atmospheric, haunting and it managed to maintain a constant level of suspense. It's not a thriller, but more of a slow tease of a story. It was interesting premise and I enjoyed how the author went back and forth between the present and past. Overall a solid read.

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This modern-day ghost story will definitely creep you out as the tale of the past seems to haunt the present day people who lived in a burned down hotel converted into a house. Having the story bounce back and forth from 1920's to present day enhances the mystery and created a page-turner. Every time something big was about to happen, it would switch back to the previous time to explain more about the water or the pool with the characters.

Jax's sister, Lexie, inherited their grandparent's home, and she was angry and resentful it wasn't given to her. When she finds out that Lexie drowned in the pool, Jax returned and discovered that she had been researching the history of the house. It was rumored that there was special water in the pool and that many people drowned for many years. The narrators did an excellent job to intensify the haunted feelings!

In 1929, a newlywed Ethel Monroe dreamed of having a baby, but was having issues. She heard that in Vermont a hotel's nearby spring had magical and therapeutic powers. Once there, Ethel wished for a baby at the water.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

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This was the first audio book I've ever listened to, so that made it a little weird to begin with. There were two readers and I thought both of them had irritating voices in different ways - the reader for Jackie's part had an annoying schoolteacher voice and the reader for Ethel's part had this super-sweet voice. This was also my first time reading this author. The story was just too out-there for me. It alternates between now and the 1920"s with the two main characters - Jax (Jackie) and Ethel. Jax goes back home to Vermont after the drowning death of her sister Lexie. Lexie was living in the house their grandmother left to her. The house has a long history that you learn about through Ethel's story. Some of the history is interesting, but I like realistic fiction and this story felt ridiculous to me. Thanks to #netgalley and #simonandschuster for the audio ARC, but I really can't recommend this book.

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This definitely had eerie feel to it. I expected just a bit more creepiness. I can appreciate the connection to the water and the people and the relationships and bonds that were there. But i just wanted a little more. I wanted the dual timelines to tie together a bit more. I felt like there was supposed to be some big reveal or conclusion and it wasn’t as impactful as i was hoping it would be. I think it was just a bit lackluster and like there could have been a bit more. I think for the ghostly element, it could have been capitalized on more but it didn’t really creepy me out as much as i wanted.

The audio was fine but it was quite slow and i had to speed it up quite a bit. I much preferred Ethels narration over the other narrator

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I have no idea what I read... it was equal parts creepy and unnerving.

It was a nice quick read, but a bit too unrealistic for me at points to thoroughly enjoy it. It certainly didn’t help my fear of water! But I found the writing and storytelling extremely enjoyable- and the cover is beautiful!

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" As Gram always said, the water gives and the water takes." I loved this book! Ghosts and potentially haunted water? Sign me up! The chapters in this book alternate between 2019 and 1929. In 2019 we follow Jax who ignored a bunch of crazy phone calls and messages from her sister who she wasn't speaking to and later finds out that her sister Lexi drowned in her pool. It's really strange because she's such a good swimmer and she's been swimming in that pool since she was a kid. Jax stays at her sister's house and tries to find out what really happened. In 1929 we follow Ethel who is trying to get pregnant and during a vacation makes a wish in the magical springs for a baby girl. Her wish is granted but at a price. The two timelines come closer and closer together as the story goes on. The creepiness of both timelines held my attention the whole time. Wet footprints in the house, visions in the water, lights going out, drowningS! I listened to the audiobook and one of the narrators' voice was a little annoying to me but luckily I was able to speed it up to 1.5 and it was so much better. This was the second book that I have read from this author and I loved them both so I will definitely be checking out more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for the ARC audiobook in exchange for a review.

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This was one of the most spookiest books I've listened to/read this year, and it will be a long time before I will be able to stop thinking about Shadow Crest, the lake, and its chilling secrets. The lake gives new life to people suffering from severe illnesses and even grants your heart's deepest desires, but watch out, because it also wants something in return....Let me tell you, I did not expect that ending...OMG!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

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If you love a book that begins with a slow simmer and rolls along to a full boil....this is for you.

I think the narrators were exceptional. The opposing cadences of their reads added to the authenticity of the separate centuries. One slow and concise, the other a bit frenzied.

This was my first Jennifer McMahon book. I’ll be reading more of hers.

Thank You, Net Galley, and Simon and Schuster for this audiobook.

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The Drowning Kind was an excellent dual timeline thriller! I loved both past and present, the characters and setting. The 1920's spa seemed so idyllic, I wanted to be there, until I found out the truth! It seems like sisters are the new "thing" in psychological thrillers replacing husband and wife that were the rage the last few years. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read more by Jennifer McMahon.

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This is my favorite Jennifer McMahon novel It is hauntingly creepy - ghostly atmospheric - and character rich. I loved the use of water as alluring yet cursed - addicting yet plagued - eerily intrusive. The springs and pool are as much a character in this novel as are Lexi and Jax, two sisters who visit the pool during their childhood and end up inheriting the estate - enter obsession. The story moves from these present day characters to a 1920's timeline with the characters Will and Ethel, newlyweds, who desperately want a child. They hear of the natural springs that have healing attributes and is said to grant wishes - 'Be careful what you wish for' - enter addition. The story, like the waters, draws you in - it is an excellently crafted haunting tale.
I enjoyed the two narrators in the audio version - one for each timeline. Their narration was spot on for each set of the characters and timelines. They added to the eeriness of the novel.

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You can't really go wrong with Jennifer McMohan.

The Drowning Kind hooks you from page one and slowly and surely reels you in with every turn of the page as you follow Jax and her journey to delve into her past, her tumultuous relationship with her older sister, Lexie, and the strange history of her grandmother's estate which has been in their family for years. The estate houses a swimming pool where her sister drowned.

A dual timeline takes us back to 1929 and the life of thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe who desperately wants a baby and when her husband whisks her away on a trip to a place that has springs which apparently grant you wishes but only at a price Ethel gets more than what she bargained for.

The dual timelines immerse you completely in this brilliantly told spooky tale, which slowly unravels the family's tale and the estate that is not as straightforward as you would think.

The author does a fabulous job of raising the stakes and your heartbeat with every twist in the tale. The creepiness and the gothic supernatural element just add to the atmosphere.

This was my first audiobook and will definitely not be my last. I don't think I could have asked for a better narrator and book to start my audio journey.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a digital audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This audiobook is well written and the characters are described well. The narrator did a good job reading this book. It has twists and turns like a great thriller should. This is my first Jennifer McMahon book and I can't wait to listen and read more. The pacing of this audiobook is good. It has mental health representation. I would recommend listening to this audiobook to anyone and everyone. It will keep your attention from the first minute. It is in stores for $23.99 (USD).

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I thought overall this was a good psychological thriller. It involved the magical spring that had been in the family. Told from two different point of views and time lines. In 1929, a desperate woman takes a trip to the the springs with her husband after a grand hotel was built near the springs. She was infertile and wished desperately to have a child. She drank the water and the child was born but was premature and would not live long. Giving the newborn the spring water was a miracle. Circa 2019, a sister drowned into the pool that was their home. Is the spring pool cursed or is it a miracle? That is what you need to find out?

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I always this author's work and her ability to create such a creepy atmosphere. This author also writes sisters so well. This story was creepy and interesting the whole time. Some reveals I saw coming and at times I was a little confused by the family trees and connections, but overall this was a fun and satisfying mystery/thriller.

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I have very mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed each storyline and how the connected, but I had a hard time suspending reality for this book for some reason. I think it’s because the beginning of the book is so rooted in reality, then it shifts to be based in the supernatural.

I thought that the character of Ethel was so beautifully developed that it made me that much more invested in her story.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Audio, and Jennifer McMahon for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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