unpopular opinion alert!!! 🙃 after absolutely loving FALLING, I knew I had to snag this one (after waiting until two trips via flights were over iykyk)

however, it didn’t do it for me…

what I loved the most about FALLING was the mystery behind the suspense thriller elements, leaving the reader flipping through pages to not only find the resolution but also to find out the reasoning behind the entire thing!

DROWNING had none of that, in fact we don’t even find out the reason behind the plane crash in the first place! I wanted more of a mystery sabotage element, and what I got was a heart-pounding race to the finish line suspense novel 🤪 which don’t get me wrong was completely bingeable, but I wanted more!!!

I really loved how humanized all of the characters were, even the assholes, and how I was rooting for each and every one of them until the very end! and for someone with a slight fear of flights, I appreciated how it didn’t spend much on the crash itself but instead on the aftermath (which was WILD) 🤯😱

I would definitely read more by this author in the future, but sadly, this one missed the mark for me!

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: paso robles merlot

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy of Drowning. Wow what a read. Non-stop from page one. I received approval to download and read this during a recent holiday and was so glad I didn’t elect to read it on the flight home. I was on terra firma when I read this and was instantly gripped. One thing that stood out was how much it read like a film script and a really good one at that. It would make a fantastic movie. For the most part the novel is a very claustrophobic read. I felt like I was almost side by side with the people on board the plane. I felt their pain every step of the way. The crash happens quite early on and I wondered how the author would keep the momentum going for the rest of the book, but boy do they manage that. An excellent read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

TJ Newman writes a story that had some roots but needed her to become a plant. Her writing and vision shines throughout the book and makes me excited to read her next work. Definitely make her a writer on your TBR.

This is a fast-paced read that will make you feel claustrophobic! I would also say it has a cinematic quality that would make this a really excellent movie. You feel the tension and the brief glimmers of hope that the passengers do, along with the crushing weight of just how dangerous their situation is. This book is also very technical, which was fascinating at times but also slowed the plot down at other times. I skimmed some of these sections, but if you are into the technical details you’ll like this!

Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

Loved this edge of your seat story. Newman knows how to write a story that stays just on the side of believeability, while also taking the reader on a thrill ride. Can't wait to read more by her!

What a fantastic way to open a thriller! I could not put this down and was hanging on to my seat tighter with every page I turned. Can’t wait tos see what T. J Newman writes next.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy

I wasn’t as on the edge of my seat as I was in Falling but still gripping nonetheless. I think maybe it got a little too bogged down with all the technical details. Will still be waiting expectantly for her next book.

This is a great summer read but NOT for air travel. A plane leaving Hawaii crashes into the ocean within minutes of take off. This is the story of what happens after the crash, It focuses on a small group of passengers and crew. This group remained sealed in the plane. which flooded and sank. It is resting on an ocean shelf. Can the group get help? How can they escape? Searchers on the surface include the wife and mother of members of the group. Fortunately, she is an expert in deep ocean repairs. Prepare to bite your nails!
This is a review of an ARC provided by NetGalley.

I really enjoyed Newman’s debut FALLING last year, but I liked DROWNING even more! It was so tense and cinematic with the same story-telling style where perspectives change by the paragraph. I love the concise chapters and despite the high number of characters that we get to hear from, their voices were distinct and we got great development from the main 3 characters particularly. I look forward to whatever Newman puts out next! Thank you for the review copy!

I really liked this one. I thought it was well rounded and every question I had and more was answered by the end.

I made the mistake of starting this book on an airplane ... the same week the Titan submersible went missing. That made the reading experience pretty, uh, intense. But TJ Newman has done it again - the former flight attendant can write a thriller that will leave you the breathless. Just don't bring this one on the plane.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.75⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Mystery/Supsense📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This one hooked me in right from the start and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Fast paced
Bingeable reads
Distaster / survival stories
Intense and emotional
Action packed and suspenseful

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Likable characters that had me rooting for them
More than just a book about a plane crash

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
There were alot of characters so it was a little hard to keep track of all of them but I really enjoyed learning all of their backstories

Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Fun fast paced adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I got some The Martian vibes as survival requires lots of macgyvering. Will and his daughter Shannon are on their way to SF so Shannon can go to camp. Their flight crashes after six minutes. Their best bet for rescue is Will's soon to be ex wife Chris who own an underwater repair company.

Highly recommend reading Drowning but I wouldn't read it during a flight!

Wow. I could not put this down! Edge of your seat thriller. Pure extreme survival kind of book that would give any nervous traveler a panic attack.
If you like action packed books or movies with some generic action sayings sprinkled in. This is this for you!

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this on netgallery.

I loved Falling and I knew this one would be fantastic! This is a must read if you liked the first book. This author has such a deep knowledge of planes and flight and it sure shows. I listened to the audiobook as I read along and I gasped out loud several times. The characters, especially the youngest had my heart in a chokehold. This book was one of my favorites of the year!!! Easy5/5

T.J. Newman’s second book – LOVED it even more than the first!!! If you are going to read a thriller this summer, this is it.

Flight 1421 taking off from Hawaii, crashes into the Pacific Ocean 6 minutes after take-off. Miraculously, the plane doesn’t disintegrate upon impact and instead, sinks to the bottom of the ocean with 12 survivors. The plane is teetering on the edge of an underwater cliff. Of the 12 souls on the plane are Will and his daughter, Shannon. With time and oxygen both running in short supply, their best chance at surviving is Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Chris, who is a professional diver.

When you crack this one open, you best be prepared to read it in one sitting. Non-stop action. Technical knowledge that made it even more believable and was made easy to understand. You can tell T. J. knows exactly what she’s talking about. Loved the unique trapped underwater setting. Enjoyed reading about the different characters and how they meshed (or didn’t).

BTW 10/10 don’t recommend this one if you have a fear of flying lol – this book will not help!

5🌟

“He floated there, eye level with the plane’s windows, staring into the eyes of a little girl who watched him from inside the plane, like he was a fish in a bowl” (p. 131).

Do you have those people in your life who wonder how reading a book can be as exciting as going to the movies? Put this novel in their hands. Drowning drops you immediately into the action from the very first line. The book opens with an explosion that grips your heart and does not let go until the very end. Just minutes into its journey, Flight 1421 blows an engine and the passengers, flight attendants and pilots can all tell something is very very wrong. We soon learn that a water landing is their only option. Once the plane hits the surface of the ocean, all continues to go terribly wrong. We are in the POV of several passengers, a pilot and a flight attendant as they all take in everything happening around them and to them. A major part of the aircraft ends up sinking below the surface level with 12 people still on board and it is a race to see if they are somehow able to be rescued before their oxygen runs out.

Drowning is completely action packed. There truly is no lull where you feel like you want to put the book down as you are constantly on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. There are surprises around every turn. Newman does a fantastic job of describing the intricacies of what this situation would entail between rescue and survival without getting too overly-detailed to the point where it takes you out of the story. Despite this being a very fast-paced read, she makes you care about these characters in such a short time. The group of characters is dynamic and fully-fleshed out. You want them to make it out so badly and yet can't seem to fathom how that could possibly happen.

Newman knows how to tell a story. This book captivates the reader from start to finish. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a heart-racing, action-packed drama especially for those days you would rather remain outdoors enjoying a good book instead of inside watching another film. Highly recommend!

Do not read this book before or during a flight! If you liked Newman's "Falling," you will also enjoy this one. Her books feel so cinematic, and the tension ratchets up in an excellent way to keep you turning the pages late into the night. Some of the characters can feel two-dimensional like in an action movie and you definitely have to suspend disbelief (the identity of the rescuer feels particularly convenient/silly), but if you just enjoy the book for what it is and let yourself get swept up in the story, Newman does a great job of holding your interest and making you feel like you're watching a summer blockbuster as you read.

OMG what an incredible heart pounding ride. This is my first book by this author and t definitely won't be the last. I couldn't stop reading it. Each chapter bled into the next one. Im not sure I will ever fly over water again without thinking about this book.
Imagine settling into your seat as the airplane you are on slowly takes off. All your thoughts on the next step, the next thing but not on whether this will be your last flight. Then suddenly the right engine catches on fire and the plane must ditch into the ocean. This isn't even the worst of it. Imagine having to decide between exiting the plane or trusting a complete stranger and staying inside. Now trapped inside the plane or what's left of it starts to sink.
This is the ride you will experience. Will you be rescued or will you slowly die at the bottom of the ocean surrounded by strangers?

4,5 STARS
Drowning, is the latest, captivating release from T. J. Newman. This spell-binding story is tight with tension, filled with emotion, horrifying heartbreak, quieter moments of recollections, introspection, and the bonds created through shared experiences.

This is a fast-paced, enthralling read that you dread reading, but can’t seem to put down. There is a lot of research and technical jargon, that admittedly, I skimmed over a bit, but added veracity and credibility to the story. It’s action-packed and fast-paced, but also has a deeper, more thoughtful aspect to it.

In Drowning, we follow the tragic and mind-boggling crash of flight 1421 minutes after it leaves Honolulu. In the impending aftermath, we experience the panic, decision-making, rage, and terror of those who survive the crash. Some choose to leave the plane, and some do not. The plot focuses on those stuck within the plane, the trajectory from that choice and the efforts to save them. We get rather detailed backstories into some of the characters which creates an emotional connection to them, and join in on the camaraderie that is experienced through shared tragedy.

The author is not afraid to throw her punches, sacrifice her characters and go to necessary extremes. Her writing-style is immersive and places you on the plane with the characters themselves. You feel their desperation, their panic, their resilience, and their determination. Though I didn’t love it quite as much as Falling, her first novel, Drowning is still an uputdownable thriller and one that will make your pulse-pound and keep you on the edge of your seat!