Just like I hoped it would be Drowning was such a great sophomore book by TJ Newman. It was intense from the very first words. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next.

I loved how the characters fought so hard to survive and helped each other throughout a difficult situation.

Drowning had a few emotional spots but it was fitting and made the story what it was.

If you liked Falling, I think you’ll love Drowning just as much if not more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of Drowning in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to get the arc of this one the day before publishing, and it did not disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the early copy. I wish I could have read this book in one sitting, because I think that would only intensify the experience. This was a wild ride from beginning to end- and I’m so happy I don’t have a flight planned any time soon! I loved the switching perspectives and how intense the whole story stayed. I think this would make an exceptional movie as well. And the ending- tears! Not what I would have expected something on the suspense spectrum of books to do. I loved this one and the first book T.J. Newman wrote and cannot wait to see what else she brings to the book world.

Disclosure: I did not request this novel but was gifted an e-copy from the publisher one day before the pub date.

I enjoyed her first novel, FALLING, unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I suspect most of my experience is based on the fact that I had seen a HUGE press circuit with the author ALL OVER the morning TV shows//you could not escape it and we already knew it had been picked up for a movie. So with the exception of the first quarter of the book where the thriller, edge-of-your-seat, pulse-pounding accident is taking place and people are scrambling, the rest of the book was so darn predictable!

You have the selfish passengers, the dangers in the water, which leaves passengers left on the plane… and then with all of TJ’s interviews, I already knew who the heroine was and why. There was nothing left to the imagination. So of course you have technical/mechanical and engineering language, a fallen/failed rescue for movie drama, more drama on the surface for tension and finally a rescue with gut-wrenching goodbyes, that I was left with no care in the world for the, “One year later”…

I hate being in the minority— so many 5 stars with this one and I can understand why —especially if I had read this 6 months earlier or wasn’t an avid reader online. But receiving this so late after all of the press, left me feeling underwhelmed. And really, if we’re being honest with ourselves, there was only one way this book could end. I wish it had been a different experience for me. I still thank NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and provide honest feedback.

As a former airline employee I always appreciate TJ Newman's inclusion of flight/airplane/airline details that only someone who works in the industry could know. This book was excellent and terrifying. I can't wait to read more from this author!

I loved this book!
It left you on the edge of your seat not wanting to put it down! I love when you can visualize the characters and picture what's happening. Great character build and loved the ending.
5 stars!

Okay so Drowning is a phenomenal action packed thriller, one of the easiest 5 stars I think I've ever given and hard to find words for.

Not long after taking off, flight 1421 carrying numerous passengers crashes to the ocean. There's disaster after disaster from then on and we follow the story centred around Will, who went down with the plane, and his daughter who's beside him.

Everything in this book happens so fast, just when it seems to start to settle, it takes off again. You really want to try have the time to read in one sitting because it's the kind of book you literally don't want to put down.

There was not one thing I didn't enjoy in this and lots I loved! I learned a lot about various different things - I am a big fan of planes and aviation so that's a bonus. The relationships and family side was an awesome aspect making me love it a whole lot more. I think it portrayed family tragedy, family generally and important connections perfectly.

Drowning also has a strong, intelligent, independent female character who was a superstar! Big yay for females being represented as intelligent in books (as opposed to dumb FMCs to make a thriller twist work).

I'll be recommending it to everyone, unless they've a fear of flying or don't enjoy past and present POVs 😆.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. I'm a bit late so this is available to read RN!

—d r o w n i n g—⁣
Do you have a fear of flying?⁣
—⁣
Flight attendant turned best selling author TJ Newman is back with her sophomore action movie in a book, Drowning. Like her first book, Falling from last summer, Drowning is a fast paced disaster drama set in an airplane. This time, instead of terrorists, the enemy is… the ocean? ⁣
—⁣
Drowning follows a group of passengers on a commercial flight once it has crashed in the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff. The book alternates perspectives between Will, an engineer trapped on the plane with his daughter, and Chris, his estranged wife who is a professional diver, as she works to save them. ⁣
—⁣
The book is a wild ride that keeps you at the edge of your seat and begs to be finished in one sitting. The pace and the writing are quick, making this possible. While it feels action movie like, it has heart. I can report that this book, despite its propulsive plot and sometimes veering into silly twists, made me cry. LOL.⁣
—⁣
This book released on May 30. If you need an easy, beachy thriller, this is a good one (not recommended if you fear flying or drowning obv). Thank you endlessly to @avidreaderpress for the copy! Also thanks to @netgalley who gave me an eARC so I could keep this book close at all times! It hooks you and doesn’t let go. This was necessary 😆⁣
—⁣
#bookstgram

A fast paced thriller that begins with flight 1421 crashing into the ocean six minutes after taking off. Even though they manage to land on the water, the engine explodes causing the flames to endanger those who left the plane. A small group of passengers stay on the plane, at the behest of engineer Will Kent who realizes it's too dangerous to exit. The explosion also causes the plane to fill with water and sink, leading to the conundrum of how to rescue them from 200 feet below the surface before they run out of air. Overall, a compelling story with high stakes that takes place over the span of one day.

This was my 2nd T.J Newman novel and I definitely liked it better than Falling. I did want to get to the end to find out what happened to the crew of characters surviving a plane crash. It hooked me and really only took me a day and a half to read. Solid 3.5 stars but I will round up to 4 for the happy ending !

4.5 STARS!!?

TJ Newman just keeps getting better and better! I absolutely couldn’t peel my eyes from the pages of this one. With likable characters and an intensity that is hard to shake that leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat for the entirety of this story- I cannot wait to see what she whips up next!

I love knowing that she was a flight attendant turned author! It truly brings to love the flight experience for the reader and quite honestly makes me VERY hesitant to book a flight anywhere any time soon! 🫠😂

DROWNING

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Read if you like:
✈️ twisty thrillers
✈️ heart-pounding action
✈️ suspense
✈️ rescue missions

I absolutely LOVED Newman’s first thriller Falling, and I have been anxiously waiting for this to come out for months!
This book starts with my absolute favourite format for a thriller: with the height of action. When I read a book with this format, it is literally impossible to not be sucked right in immediately! I was absolutely hooked right from the very beginning and I legitimately could not put it down!! It was so so action-packed packed and my heart was racing the whole entire time!
There were a lottttt of characters in this one, and I don’t really love that as it makes it difficult to keep track of who is who.
The only thing I don’t like about these books is that it makes me never ever want to fly again 🤪 but that’s fine 🤣
I definitely did not love this one as much as Falling, but it was an quick, enjoyable read for sure.
I can’t wait for the next book from TJ Newman 🩷🩷🩷

Wow! This book pulled me in from the first few pages and has left me wishing for more. It was so good. The pace was quick and the story was so full of information that only someone with airline experience would have. I literally finished this is 1 day and stayed up late into the night because I had know what happened. I really enjoyed the cast of characters, my heart ached along with them and I always love when the mom absolutely kicks ass. I pretty much never want to get on a flight again thanks to this book. Also the ending was awesome,

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
I just reviewed Drowning by T. J. Newman. #NetGalley

In T.J. Newman’s sophomore novel you are propelled, no pun intended, into action on page one. Just as in her first novel, Newman uses her past experience in the airline business coupled with her research in physics, submarine escape and rescue, scuba diving and more, to take readers on a suspenseful journey undersea. If you like a page turning thriller that keeps you reading because you have to know how it ends, then this is the book for you!

If you didn’t get the memo, don’t read this if you’re about to fly or while you’re on a plane, especially if you’re a nervous flier. Yikes!

Drowning by TJ Newman is a wild adrenaline-fuelled ride. This is a book about one of the most unfathomable aviation disasters that our imaginative flight attendant-turned-author TJ Newman could conjure up in the most savage depths of her imagination, where Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Then during the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors to survive—but then, the plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside with a limited supply of oxygen.

This book is extra. Just when you think you think nothing more can go wrong, something else adds to the layer of deathly and death-defying circumstances. It reads exactly like a classic Hollywood disaster movie, so no wonder it drew a bidding war for the movie rights from names such as Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer and Warner Bros.

What Newman did well here that made it better than your standard disaster thriller novel/movie trope is the layer of humanity and character development she crafts with the characters. Despite being plot-driven, there was some element of character development done well, with some poignant moments.

When I found myself skim-reading and glazing over, I realised it was due to the technical jargon that an average layperson wouldn’t understand. I also caught a few moments where Newman made an artistic choice to tell rather than show in a bit of a convenient info dump.

Some people will think it’s a little bit too much. But if you’re all for suspending disbelief and embracing the disaster procedural thrills, you’ll enjoy it, which I certainly did.

My thanks to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and author T.J Newman for the opportunity to read this work, which was published on the 30th of May, 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

T.J. Newman's writing is captivating! I loved Falling and finished this one in one sitting as well. It is an intense thriller, that will make you lose your own breath at times along with the characters in the novel. Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes back down into the ocean. Engineer Will Kent and his 11 year-old daughter are onboard. His (ex) wife and Shannon's mother has the expertise as a diver to rescue them and the other passengers.

Positives:
Likeable characters
Universal themes beyond the suspense
Fast Paced and exciting
Short, action-filled chapters
The author's first hand experience with the airline industry makes her writing realistic and natural

Negatives:
Sometimes I felt the descriptions of the actual rescue plans were hard to visualize while reading, but never enough to make me put the book down.

T.J. Newman has become a must-read author for me after her Falling, and Drowning

For being such a short book it packs a lot of action! From page one the action is nonstop. It's unsettling at times, but I think this is a nod to the really great writing. It's very intense and best read in large chunks to get the full effect of the drama.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book was intense! Make sure to pick a day where you have absolutely no commitments other than this book because this is definitely one that you can't put down and want to finish in one sitting! I was so enamoured by this story that I was constantly flipping pages to see what was going to happen next. Newman's writing style is great, because even though there can be technical aspects introduced, there is a phenomenal job in explaining. The characters were relatable and felt very real; they were easy to get attached to. I would definitely recommend this to anyone to wants to be on the edge of their seat while reading this.

5/5 stars

WOW! Am I breathing yet? This book was incredible, nonstop, holding my breath waiting for each catastrophe to occur.

I couldn’t imagine loving another book from this author more than the debut, “Falling”, but this was one I couldn’t put down.

Not only is it literally my worst nightmare, but it has the perfect amount of tension and suspense.

Loved it! 5 STARS!

Another great thriller from this author although I found the first novel more suspenseful. I did actually read this while on a flight. I enjoyed the two points of view, those in the plane and those trying to rescue the passengers. And I found the inclusion of the two children made the story more interesting.

There were some technical details which went above my head, but this is in a nutshell a great thriller that will be enjoyed by many, both seasoned readers and those grabbing a book at the airport shop.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I could not stop reading this! It was fast paced and there was never a dull moment. BUT, do not read if you're flying to or from Hawaii anytime soon.

When Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific after takeoff, engineer Will puts his analytical mind to work to help save his daughter Shannon and any passengers who would listen (or didn't hustle out of the plane). But, their hopes for rescue are greatly reduced when the fuselage sinks into the Hawaiian waters.

I get the hype, T.J. this was amazing!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!