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!

This book definitely lived up to all the hype. I literally could not put it down even though at time it gave me anxiety and almost multiple panic attacks. But this book was so good and so sad.
I am so glad I read it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.

I was super hyped up about reading this book and sometimes too much hype can raise your expectations sky high.

Sadly, this is what happened to me as I found the book to be overloaded with technical issues that really couldn't hold my interest. While the total story was intense and at times kept me well engaged, I found myself putting aside the book many times when the technical issues were discussed. I felt it followed the format of many disaster movies and reminded me of the old Poseidon movie that was remade a few years ago.

However, I know my opinion is not shared by many and I am glad so many loved this adventure under the sea.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this story. I am sure it will make quite the exciting movie if one is produced.

What a great book? This was my first by TJ. I’m not a big fan of planes and now I’m really not! This was suspenseful, nervewracking, and out of this world crazy! It’s a must read!

Super fast paced book that had me on the edge of seat throughout! Loved that there was no build up and it went straight into the disaster. The short chapters helped with the pace.

I was rooting for the passengers and hoping they survived. Will was a great father and definitely the brains of the story. Shannon and Maia were my favourites, I loved they looked out for each other. I felt so sorry for Kit as she had all the pressure!

I’ve heard that this book will be made into a movie, and I definitely understand why. The premise is perfect for the screen: Likable characters, being trapped inside an airplane under water and the nearly impossible task of getting the passengers out of there.

For the most part I loved the book. The only thing that made it less perfect for ME was all the tech stuff, which left my mind wandering and frankly made me feel a bit stupid. When I looked past that however, there was so much going on that I still thought about what would happen next when I couldn’t read. It was also emotional, especially segments dedicated to Will and his daughter. There were moments when the characters realized what is important, and you just felt for them in their predicament. I also liked how capable and intelligent Will was. It was obvious that he would stop at nothing to save his little girl. Her mother also has a central role, and her ingenuity was impressive.

The last chapters were intense. So much was going on, and the author even tightened the suspense by a storm that also made the conditions on land challenging. At some points I wanted to pray, and I was tense from all the anticipation. I could almost not stomach the intensity of it all.

Overall an enjoyable thriller that will satisfy the reader!

The beginning of the story is less engaging than the second half. Once the characters are developed its easy to root for them. Seemingly well researched, the rescue attempts make sense and are detailed without being too much to take in. Action and sentiment are well balanced. A good read.

Copy provided by the publisher w NetGalley

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book. T.J. Newman has done it again. From the first few pages to the last it was a hell of a ride. Love the characters and interactions between all of them given the situation. If you want a good thriller this is it. Looking forward to more from this author.

There was so much hype surrounding this one, it actually made me reluctant to read it. But it turns out the hype was merited, this was great fun. I describe it as a cross between the Poseidon Adventure and the Martian. The technical aspects were fun, I could’ve used more character development, but the pacing was fast enough that in the end, I couldn’t put it down, even though everyone felt a little one dimensional.

Wow!! This gripping book was so intense and had me not wanting to put it down! I loved how this was written between different passengers POV. I loved learning about the passengers lives as well.
This was such an emotional read that literally has you on the edge of your seat! I definitely want to read Fallen by TJ Newman but may wait until I get home from flying ✈️next week!! I highly recommend this book!
And if y’all are following the missing submarine story…you definitely need to read this!!!! I find it so crazy that this book comes out and then this missing submarine happens!!! It’s like I just read this story and it is partly happening for real 😳🥹

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster and @avidreaderpress for the advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review

O.M.G. What a book! “Drowning” is a riveting, fast-paced thriller that takes place over the course of just a few hours from the time a commercial jet crashes off the coast of Hawaii with 99 souls on board until the incredible conclusion. Told from multiple points of view but primarily from that of Will, an engineer flying with his 11-year-old daughter Shannon on her way to summer camp and Chris, his soon-to-be ex-wife, the absolutely brilliant depiction of what happens on the plane and in the water makes me hope that there’s a movie coming. A terrific followup to “Falling,” I finished this in two days and I can’t wait to see what TJ Newman comes up with next. The audio is terrific as well. Five solid stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copy.

TJ Newman's FALLING was such a great read that there was no doubt I'd have to read DROWNING and boy, it is GREAT too. The thrills start on page one and do not give up until the end.....the end you'll never guess. Newman built the tension and kept the pressure on throughout the rescue efforts. This was one of my "sound effects" books. Throughout the book, I keep a running commentary of Oh, no and OMG and many, many more. Should it be made into a movie, I'd have to watch to see if my "mind movie" is better than theirs. In other words, Drowning is an all around reading experience that you really should not miss!

I absolutely loved TJ's first book FALLING, so I knew I would love DROWNING, too. But oh my! I could not put this book down. My heart was in my throat the entire time reading. I felt like I was trapped in the plane with the characters. This is the perfect summer read if you are looking for a book to captivate you. But a warning: you won't want to fly after reading this. ;)

I loved this book and happened to read it at the same time the submersible went missing in real life, which was very ironic. I read it in two days because the tension kept building and I could not put it down. It was a little difficult to keep all of the different characters straight.

As Will and his daughter Shannon board Flight 1421, his only thoughts are with getting his daughter to camp safely before returning home. Only six minutes into the flight, everything changes as catastrophic failures cause the pilot to ditch the plane and it crashes into the Pacific. For most of the crew and passengers onboard, they are elated to have survived but unfortunately Will (who works as an engineer) has the foresight to know that their problems have only just begun. With water rising fast and explosions outside ruining their chances of escaping on the rafts, they have only a few hours to get to safety.

Drowning could rival any major blockbuster action thriller, but then I was expecting that from the blurb and from the reviews of the author's previous book Falling. What I was not expecting was for the story to be so emotional. This book just about broke me. It was chilling and heartbreaking on so many levels, but especially for someone who isn't a keen flyer at the best of times, and also as a mother. The thought of things playing out as they did for these characters was too terrible to think about.

The funny thing is, from a technical point of view I have NO idea if any of the things that happened in the story are feasible - but I still believed every part of it. I was right with them every step of the way and it felt totally real to me. It was incredibly dramatic, incredibly stressful and I raced through the story faster than any other book I can remember. I literally picked it up to start reading for the tour, and the next thing I knew I was almost at the end. Believe me, you will not be able to put this book down!

If you are looking for a non-stop thriller that will have your heart racing and breaking at the same time, then this is the book for you.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

A flight from Hawaii goes tragically wrong. All engines have failed. The plane has to ditch into the ocean off the coast of the Hawaiian islands . There begins a catastrophic tale of death and survival. All efforts are made to save the few survivors at the bottom of the sea. Among the survivors on the sunken plane are Will and his daughter Shannon. The deep diving rescuers include Will’s estranged wife who runs a deep sea diving engineering business and who task themselves with the complex and dangerous rescue of the survivors in partnership with the navy and coastguard..
This is a fast based book based on a dangerous rescue and a history of difficult family dynamics between Will and Chris. A good fast read 4 stars

Drowning by T.J. Newman

Holy...wow. I thought Falling was good! Newman's sophomore novel is more intense, with more heart, stronger characters, better dialogue, and for me, it was a lot like the film, Armageddon...but under water. And I loved it!! This time around, passengers on flight 1421 barely get off the ground before the plane starts to fall apart. Shortly after departing from Hawaii, with nothing but the expanse of the deep blue sea all around them, the captain of the plane announces they must ditch. By definition, ditching is a deliberate emergency landing on water, it is not an uncontrolled impact. Ditching events beyond coastal waters are rare, but experience suggests that if the aircraft impacts the water under control, the chance of survival is high. But this is a T.J. Newman novel and that's NOT how things play out for the passengers of flight 1421. The suspense builds and builds until the very end just like you'd expect after reading Newman's first book. LOVED this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the advance digital copy!

Five BIG stars.