▪️REVIEW▪️

Drowning ~ T. J. Newman

▪️QUICK TAKE:
* Genre: suspense/thriller
* Pages: 304
* Pub Date: May 30, 2023
* Gist: a disastrous flight finds it way underwater

•Flight 1421 takes off from Hawaii and not six minutes later, it is required to crash land into the Pacific Ocean. Most are able to evacuate but when an engine explodes and drains flammable gas into the ocean, a select few shut the doors and stay inside the plane to avoid disaster.

The 12 passengers holding steady inside eventually notice that the plane is sinking - straight down to the bottom of the ocean. Rescue efforts ensue as the plane teeters on an undersea cliff’s edge and oxygen levels diminish for the passengers. It’s a race against time against seemingly impossible odds.•

Loved Newman’s debut Falling so was thrilled for this one and IT. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT! Fully action packed from beginning to end - this one did not let up at all. It absolutely took the saying “come up for air” literally and figuratively. In addition to providing a page-turning pace, I really loved the character development here. Those 12 passengers submerged came to life and I loved how their individual personalities came together to contribute to the rescue efforts throughout.

I will say towards the end I was saying to myself “enough already” as there seemed to just be one thing after the next to contribute to the delay in a potential rescue but I got it - I understand the cumulative building of the climax. For me, I just thought it was a little much after awhile. However, it did not take away from me loving this one. Such a good summer read - just perhaps read on land instead of in the air!

T.J Newman certainly knows how to keep our attention while we worry about whether or not anyone at all would survive the plane crash! I must admit to a fear of drowning but I wasn’t scared by the dire circumstances that befell the brave survivors who decided to stay on the plane after it plunged into the ocean. I admired Will and his daughter Shannon, who never gave up and were always optimistic that they would be rescued. Shannon was a mature young girl who looked on the bright side especially when she found out her mother, Chris, was helping to save them. The survivors formed a tight bond as they grew tired, became hungry and began running out of air.

Up on the surface, Chris and her crew worked tirelessly to develop a rescue plan, and she silently prayed she would see her husband and daughter again, because she had so much she wanted to say to both of them. Chris and her team tried several ways to approach the sunken aircraft; some were successful, others were not. In the end, prayers, hard work and determination were needed to save the day. Will and Shannon were a calming influence on the other survivors and I know their friendship would help them survive their ordeal.

Multiple passengers get on a plane thinking they are going from one destination to another in a safe place and that nothing will go wrong. But all of a sudden there is things going wrong on the plane and they are crashing. The passengers at first thought with guidance of the flight crew is to get off the plane. As they exit the plane it starts to become apparent that in order to survive they need to seal themselves inside the aircraft, not escape it. After an engineer tells everyone else to not leave the plane they realize the situation is dire. They seal themselves into the plane and quickly realize that is only a temporary solution. Eventually the plane starts to sink with them in the plane. As this is occurring the rescue relief on the surface is starting and they are realizing that this not necessarily a rescue. But what about the sunk plane with people still alive? Will they be able to save them?

This book was such a great read and was extremely thrilling. It made me want to scream, cry, yell, and more! From the beginning we are thrown into the turmoil of a plane going down. As we get further into the novel we realize how each persons lives are affected and what led them to be on the plane. We get a up close picture of a family who has lost a child and the leaps parents will go through to save their other child. I felt like I was in the plane and could feel everything they were feeling. I did not want to put the book down and I stayed up all night to finish it! The writing was a masterpiece and even brought in many ideas and perspectives! 100% recommend

I loved TJ Newman's first book Falling and thought it would be almost impossible for the author to do a follow up title that I would love just as much. I was wrong! I laughed, I cried, I stayed up way too late to finish this amazing book that I will be recommending to as many people as I can get to listen to me rave about it.

Drowning is a story of many people’s worst fear. You are on a flight when the worst happens and the flight goes down.

I loved every page of this book and read it in one day because I stayed up way to late reading. The story keeps the suspense going by announcing the time since the plane went down and how much time until the passengers are out of oxygen. The relationships make you root for the characters. I loved this book!

4.5 Stars 🌟

This is my second book by this author so I was excited to be awarded this ARC. In a bit of the same vein, this time we still have the story revolve around an aircraft, but this time instead of in the air, the drama occurs in the water. I think one of the reasons her first book did so well was because of Ms. Newman's long time experience as a flight attendant. That knowledge definitely came through - in the first book and in this one as well.

One thing that is a definite good sign for me is when I find myself saying "okay...one more chapter" as I'm reading or listening to a book. Unfortunately for me, (because I had to wake up early the next day) I decided to start this book right before bed thinking I would just read a few chapters to get an idea of the storyline. Needless to say, I finished it in one sitting - that just happened to go much later into the middle of the night than I was expecting :)

But, truly, isn't that we as readers always hope for?

This storyline has an aircraft experiencing a catastrophic emergency directly after take off and losing not only the engines, but the hydraulic fluid and any ability to steer the plane. It took off from an airport in Hawaii so without the ability to turn around, they much crash land in the ocean. It is called "ditching"(definitely learned some new things from this...).

We get to meet a great cast of characters and get some back story on the main protagonists -Chris and Will. Left on the plane there is our male MC Will and his daughter Shannon, an unattended minor, a couple of the flight attendants including the captain and of course, an a**hole - because doesn't that always seem to happen?

The differences in the personalities of the remaining 12 characters in the plane was extremely well done and made it easy to imagine the situation as it was unfolding.

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Flight 1421 departed Honolulu 6 minutes out for California when engines fail, back up systems fail, an engine on fire and a wing torn. The plane ends up “ditching “, an emergency landing on water. Passengers evacuate on a slide and raft but stop due to fuel in the water and igniting. Many perish except 12 passengers who remain in the plane. The plane ends up sinking. They have 6 1/2 hours of oxygen, water inside and a plane on the edge of an underwater cliff causing the plane to see-saw.
From the first page this was an intense, dramatic, edge of your seat story. It was also emotional and heart aching . There is alot of tech information which showed the author did her research.

I loved TJ Newman's debut, "Falling", and definitely looked forward to see how she followed it up. Boy, did she blow it out of the water, literally and figuratively. I found myself rooting for the survivors, yet asking "NOW what will go wrong?" all the way to the end.

Now to wait and see what TJ pulls out of the air for next time!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Drowning by T.J. Newman. Whew! That was a ride. It was like reading the movie Gravity. I kept finding myself holding my breath. This was an emotional, stressful, suspense thriller that didn't slow down.

This was entertaining in a way that watching classic American action/thriller movies is - think Die Hard and company.

The fast pacing, the familiar cast and plot line, the suspense and the action: it feels good because it gives us the adrenaline jolt within a comfy and familiar set up, where we know from the start exactly who are the unlucky few who won't make it, and that everything else will eventually work out.

This is exactly what you get here, delivered by solid writing - no more, no less. Personally, I feel that it would make for a better movie than it is as a book, because, in book form, you have a bit too much time to... well to think. For example, I am pretty sure I would have been more blind to the lack of credible reasons/motivation behind the dubious decision making of the Navy and rescue team. I might also have been more entertained despite the extremely stereotypical nature of everything, while I became a bit bored through the last third or so of this. Etc.

I was going to write that this book would make a good beach or airport novel, but I wouldn't recommend reading the crash part while waiting for your transatlantic plane. I should know, because I did. The result? I have now googled the subject of survival odds and best practices in case of plane crash extensively. You've been warned.

The author's first book was FALLING, with this second one just as exciting, although perhaps a bit of a reality stretch. A plane falls apart just after take=off from the Honolulu airport and goes down in warm waters. Fire limits rescue attempts, with a small group of people seemingly trapped inside the plane as it sinks. The group finds a pocket of air inside the sinking plane, which helps them to initially survive. This is where reality gets stretched, in my opinion. Still, it is an action-packed read. Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing an ARC.

Okay Ive almost finished this in two days (I would have read it faster but I’m reading on kindle) , and I have to say, this book has me HOOKED. Everything about this book has my jaw dropped all the time. The writing style in the book is amazing! I love everything about it.

Thank you netgalley for my E-copy of this book! I absolutely love it!!

I fell in love with Falling when I read it last year and Drowning is even better! I was completely hooked from the first page.

I loved the story, the wide cast of characters and the tension OH MY GOD. I was actively sweating during the rescue!!!!

I am SO excited for more of T J Newman’s books!

Drowning was an extremely tense novel set in an airplane that crashed into the sea. When the plane finally sinks below the surface, a dad and daughter are just two of the survivors. Can they escape before time runs out?

Drowning by TJ Newman secures the author's place on my auto-read list. Newman is an absolute master of suspense from all angles, and this is no let down after their last amazing novel, Falling. Newman puts their knowledge from years of being a flight attendant to use in their writing to not only provide top tier suspense but also provide comfort to readers who may fear flying that the attendants, crew, staff, pilots, etc. all have extensive training on what to do in terrible scenarios. This was one that I simply could not put down, thrilling and adrenaline inducing from cover to cover.

Six minutes into its flight, Flight 1421 careens into the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Amidst the chaos of the evacuation, an engine detonates, unleashing a torrent of water into the plane's interior. Frantically, the remaining survivors struggle to seal the doors, but their efforts prove futile. With a grim inevitability, the aircraft succumbs to the depths, leaving twelve individuals trapped within its submerged confines.

More than two hundred feet beneath the ocean's surface, engineer Will Kent finds himself immersed in a watery nightmare, his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon by his side. Desperation propels them forward as they valiantly fight for their lives.

Their glimmer of hope materializes in the form of an expert rescue team, led by Chris Kent, a seasoned diver and Shannon's mother. Despite their impending divorce, Chris and Will must set aside their personal differences and collaborate to navigate the treacherous depths. Their shared mission: to save their imperiled daughter and liberate the trapped passengers from the airframe, precariously perched on the brink of an undersea precipice.





Regenerate response

Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Newman's debut book and was happy to see her returning to her niche of airplane disaster books. I liked Drowning even more than her previous book - what a wild ride. The details of rescuing an crashed plane underwater were compelling and believable and kept me on the edge of my seat. There are plenty of missteps and false starts as they take on a once in a lifetime rescue mission and I stayed up way past my bed time to see how it ended.

The relationships and character depth added to the story as well and I really cared about what happen to the dsyfunctional family thats half in the plane and half trying to rescue it.

Definitely another huge hit for Newman and highly recommended. This is a great vacation read but, as with Falling, I would not recommend reading it on a plane.

A plane crashes into the ocean shortly after take off. Most of the passengers die, either in the crash or in the burning ocean after escaping the plane. However, 12 survivors remained on the plane as it sank into the ocean. What follows is a desperate scramble alternating between the survivors and the people attempting a risky underwater rescue. Among the survivors are a father and daughter. Coincidentally, the father’s estranged wife is part of the rescue team.

This author definitely has a knack for creating suspenseful plots and thrilling scenes. She uses her experience as a flight attendant to add authenticity to her books. I have no idea how she learned so much about underwater rescue. There was a little too much sappiness in the story of the estranged married couple, but overall I enjoyed this book as much as her first one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

After reading T.J. Newman's previous novel Falling, which I had a few problems with, I decided to give her sophomore novel, Drowning a chance and I'm so glad I did. Drowning gripped me from the first page and didn't let go. I was on my couch reading it and saying "Oh no!" and other things while my husband was next to me. I was giving him a play-by-play at the end of what was happening. He seemed as intrigued in the story as me, if only he was a reader. I'm glad I picked up the audiobook too, which is narrated by Steven Weber (he also narrated Falling) and Laura Benati, as I'm sure I'll re-read it at some point in the future.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press for access to an e-copy of Drowning in exchange for my review.

Drowning is scary. It could happen. T.J. Newman's authority comes through in this novel. Her past experience shines, showing that she is an expert when it comes to the airplane experience. This pulse-pounding novel starts off with a plane crashing into the ocean. Few survive, stuck in the plane at the bottom of the ocean. The rich details made me feel like I was there too. The characters were believable and I was rooting for them.

Intense read.