Six minutes after departing Hawaii, Flight 1421 plummets into the Pacific Ocean. Once the plane stops, plans are made, and the desperate crew and passengers prepare for their open water evacuation. However, the harrowing ordeal of the plane crash is just the beginning for the survivors of Flight 1421. With 12 passengers left on the plane, an engine explodes, forcing the aircraft to be sealed off to preserve the lives of those on board.

Among those trapped on the plane are Will and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon, both beginning the fight for their lives. On the surface, the Navy and Coastguard have come together to create a daring rescue, yet the one person whose plan may actually succeed is Chris, Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife, a professional underwater mechanic who frequently executes the impossible. Will she and the top-side team be able to save the trapped passengers before they run out of air?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. You may hear the term popcorn thriller applied and let me tell you, there has never been a more appropriate term for a book! The tension begins on page one and continues to grow until the very end of this novel, almost to its detriment in certain places. I felt this was very similar to The Martian in the regards of anything that could go wrong did go wrong, yet it was missing the levity that Weir crafted so lovingly into his novel. The backstory provided made me feel a deep connection to Mark Watney that was missing here. We as the readers did get an opportunity to see why Will and Chris’s marriage dissolved, but we didn’t get to see what made it work to begin with. Why did they fall in love? Why were the other characters onboard Flight 1421? We did get to see the backstory of one couple at the end of the novel and, just a warning, it will make you SOB.

This was a good book and the pages flew by. I can easily see this becoming a summer blockbuster. In terms of a novel, it needs just a few minor tweaks to reach perfection.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon Schuster for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 landed in the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, the plane begins to fill with water. The 12 passengers left inside decide to take their chances and stay with the plane for the best shot at survival.

This is the perfect quick read for your summer reading.

What I Liked:

This was a fast-paced story that was hard to put down. The different POVs from inside and outside the plane gave a full picture of the events of the crash and rescue.

What I Didn’t Like:

With so many characters it was hard to keep track of who was who. It wasn’t until past the halfway point that I felt like I was getting to know the characters.

Thank you @avidreaderpress and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a thrilling mail-biter that I devoured in just two days. The characters were unique and compelling and every chapter had an interesting twist. This would make a great blockbuster film!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I read Falling in preparation for this upcoming release and was not disappointed! I knew this was going to be a special type of suspense that has been hard to pull off in books in recent years. I was fully enraptured by the characters and the situation unraveling on the plane and had a hard time putting it down at certain points! The storytelling and character development was spot on and I felt so deeply for all of the characters trapped in that situation, and the ones feeling trapped by making the right decision to get the passengers to safety. I would definitely recommend if you love great suspenseful writing!

Wow.. this was 100% worth the wait! I was at the edge of my seat the entire time with my heart literally out of my chest. The emotions this put me through..

Having everyone's POV (both in and out of the plane) was amazing but also heartbreaking because you feel their every emotion. Knowing their back stories too.. gosh, I couldn't help but cry.

I couldn't even imagine going through something like this. The panic I would go through. The way everyone worked together though.. absolutely amazing. The epilogue was so sad but so damn sweet.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

4.5 stars, rounded up

Drowning, by T. J. Newman, is another edge-of-your-seat thriller by the author of Falling.
When Coastal Airways Flight 1421 is airborne only two minutes out of Honolulu, an engine explodes and the plane ditches in the waters off Molokai. But this is not the “Miracle on the Hudson,” and there are catastrophic consequences for the 99 souls onboard. As the story unfolds, the subsequent events are terrifying, but inspiring as well!
As a former flight attendant, the author knows aviation as an insider, and obviously does meticulous research to get all the details of airliner functions and military rescue operations right.
While definitely a propulsive action thriller, the story is also very much character driven, populated with regular people with all their real-life tics and flaws, and also astonishing moments of bravery and selfless behavior. The humanity in the writing brings a depth that elevates this novel above a run-of-the-mill thriller.
The suspense is constant, the time-related tension is gripping, and the ultimate resolution strikes a balance between real-life fate and heroic life-saving deeds.
This book is destined to be a best-seller—grab it as soon as you can, and enjoy the thrill ride!!

Thank you to Avid Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Can I come up for air now???

As in her first book, T.J. Newman delivers a non-stop thrill of a tale. From the first few pages, our characters are in jeopardy and the reader is breathless (sorry) with worry for them.

Newman's career as a flight attendant adds verisimilitude to the story - the authenticity is in every sentence. However, she doesn't sacrifice character either - the story literally had me in tears more than once.

This is a truly exciting disaster read and when it was over I just wanted her next book!

Five well deserved stars!

"Godspeed Flight 1421."

Not the words you want to hear from those guiding you to safety but these are the words that begin the intensely harrowing yet life affirming non stop action thriller Drowning by heart stopping author T.J. Newman

Just like her brilliant debut novel Falling, this story takes place in a plane but instead of being held hostage in the air, 12 people are trapped down in the ocean as the air goes out and the water seeps in rising by the minute.

Engineer Will calming his preteen daughter realizes the odds are against them but there is hope in the genius brain of his soon to be ex wife Chris; if only those in charge would listen to her.

The brilliance of this story is in the creative interweaving of the lives of those hanging in the balance. We learn about the special love of elderly couple Ira and Ruth (tears were shed), the reasons Will and Chris are divorcing, and Kit the Captain ready to go down with the ship if she can save who is left.

This author's ability to write in a way that you visualize every scene is a rare talent and one she hones to perfection. I felt and saw that plane falling and actually got nauseous over it.

I also listened to the audiobook narrated by the gifted Steven Weber and Laura Benanti. Their performances, especially as Will and Chris, left me sobbing all night. The tragedy leading to their separation is gut wrenching but the fierceness to save their daughter and each other is a testament of their love and the pain that tried to break it. Drowning in more than water this story will leave you breathless.

Fav Quotes:
"The life of a child is about firsts. The life of a parent is about lasts."

"I've been so focused on what we lost I'm missing what we had."

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Newman’s debut was a quick airplane thriller that i binged in one sitting so of course I’ve been eagerly waiting for Drowning! this one even exceeded expectations, she takes the elements from Falling and ups the stakes and writing into a superbly crafted thriller

T.J. Newman is my new favorite author! This book is AMAZING! I thought the previous book written couldnt be topped...i was wrong!!! Go read this book!

I loved Falling by this author and this book Drowning is equally as good.
Again, it is set on an aeroplane which crashes into the ocean six minutes after taking off.
I really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down.
It is intense and action packed.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this advance read.

Fast paced exciting read.

I really loved Newman's first book, Falling, and Drowning captivated me similarly from the beginning and didn't let me go until I finished.

This is like an action movie in book form! A few short minutes after takeoff from Honolulu, flight 1421 loses an engine to fire and all systems are non-operational. There is no option other than to ditch in the ocean between Molokai and Lanai. On board is Will, an oil rig engineer who is accompanying his 11 year old daughter Shannon to camp on the mainland. As soon as they begin to evacuate the plane after a water landing, jet fuel catches fire and twelve passengers and crew members decide to close the doors and the plane begins to sink underwater. After coming to rest, they have a compartment of air that Will calculates will last about six hours. Is rescue even possible?

This novel is so tense, and the pace is so quick and propulsive that I literally did not put it down until I was finished. The characters are very real, with heartaches and joys that make them so relatable that the reader is rooting for them to survive. There are a large number of very convenient coincidences, but in the overall scope of things, they don't really matter.

If you're looking for an engrossing, breath-holding, action-packed adventure then be sure to pick this one up as soon as possible! It's the perfect definition of a summer blockbuster read.

Drowning was just as suspenseful and entertaining as Falling, Newman's debut novel. The plot is anxiety-inducing - I had to walk away a few times. I kept at it and finished the book in about a day and a half. The main characters were likable and relatable. THe bad guys weren't really bad - this was really a novel with no antagonist. If you love suspense and family stories, definitely read Drowning, but definitely not while on a plane.

Thank you so much to Avid Reader Press for an advance copy of this!

"Enjoy the ride."

If you are looking for a fast pace, edge-of-seat thrilling adventure of what it would be like to be in a drowning plane? This is the book for you!

Does this make me fearful of ever taking a plane again? Absolutely!

I devoured TJ Newman's first book Falling in one sitting (via audiobook) and this one was no exception. If anything I was even more sucked into this story and thought it was a complete step up from the prior book and that book was just about perfect.

I do love that TJ Newman uses her extensive knowledge of airplanes (former flight attendant) and weaves those technical items within the book. Sometimes it did get to be a lot BUT it was just enough to keep the story moving along.

I love that this was in forced proximity (a favorite trope of mine) and you got to really get to know the different passengers on the plane.

I paired the ebook with the audio courtesy of Libro.FM and my goodness Steven Weber and Laura Benanti were fantastic narrators. And I love how during some chapters they would float in and out of the text as opposed to one narrating one chapter, and one narrating the next.

I think this book along with her prior book has the appeal to reach the masses of any gender and will be a perfect page-turner for the summer!

Also can we talk about how amazing this cover is? Once again stellar & eye-catching!

4.5

Are you looking for the most action packed book for summer? Hi, look no further! This one starts out with a BANG (literally). Thank you to avidreaders for my #gifted ARC and final copy. I”m obsessed with this book!

Six minutes into the flight they crash into the ocean. The action also starts just as quickly in the book, and DOES NOT STOP until the very end.

I feel like this is one of those books that you don’t expect to hit as hard as it does. There is every fear, every emotion, every everything you could possibly imagine and it was all done SO well.

One thing I love about Newman’s books is that she obviously knows her stuff when it comes to airplanes and the career of being a flight attendant. It translates onto paper and into her stories flawlessly without being too. much or too technical.

I also loved the family element with this. It’ll tug on your heartstrings and you will be cheering for all of these characters as they navigate this situation.

My husband and I may or may not be absolute lunatics because we actually listened to this on audio while traveling one day. A travel day that included two separate airplanes. It sucked us in.

Between this cover and the inside of it you’ll want to own this one.

What an edge of the seat read!

I received an ARC of this one a day before I had a 7-hour train ride— which was good for two reasons: 1) better a train than a plane, and 2) I had an excuse to binge it.

This one hooks you right from the get go, and while things weren’t necessarily always believable, I think Newman did a good job of explaining the unexplainable. Even if I think the truth was stretched a bit here and there, it was still a REALLY enjoyable read and the pure entertainment factor was what made it a 5-star read for me!

Definitely pick this up for some light but exciting summer reading.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

A great summer blockbuster read that kept me up all night to finish! I enjoyed even more than Newman's first book!

Happy publication day to @tj_author and the AMAZING book, Drowning!! To say that I was excited when @avidreaderpress sent me TWO ARCs of this book would be a massive understatement.

The moment I picked up Newman’s debut novel in 2021, I knew that I had found an author whose work would continue to excite me for years to come. This sentiment has now officially been proven- as Drowning is SOMEHOW even better than Falling?!

Six minutes after taking off, Flight 1422 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. The story that follows is one of endurance, horror, courage, and an unwavering determination to survive and save everyone possible.

While the thrills found in this novel are different from that of Newman’s debut, they add a whole new level of complexity and emotional depth as each character grapples with their regrets, decisions, and what they want out of the life they may not get to have anymore. The heart is strong in this book, the characters deep (I particularly LOVED Chris), and the story one that had me on the edge of my seat and on the edge of tears. Please read this book, you won’t regret it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

B O O K R E V I E W

Triggers : loss of a child, divorce, loneliness

What I thought :

First off, thank you @netgalley for this ARC! I was so excited when I got approved and dove right into this suspenseful read!! I never read FALLING (they’re stand alone reads so no need to read it before this one. After learning about Falling, I can’t wait to read it as well.

I was immersed from the very first page and couldn’t put it down. It was fast-paced, action packed and extremely suspenseful like on the edge of your seat ‘what’s going to happen next?’ suspenseful! I binged it and believe you will too! Definitely going to be enjoyed by many readers and I highly recommend it.

Characters : I was rooting for the dad the whole time, not sure if it was the way Newman wrote his character or what, he was my favorite! I did enjoy how well Newman created and detailed the other passengers on the flight. It reminded me of Dear Edward, which coincidentally I read right before this book so I was in the mood for a plane story already.

Read if you like : suspense
Would I pick it up again? Yes

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A plane crashes into the ocean. Who can be saved? How can they be saved? Drowning is an intense and unrelenting story of disaster and survival. The suspense kept me turning pages far into the night and I read the book in one sitting. They characters were varied and well developed with outsized personalities, which gave great dimension to the book. The book was tightly plotted with few extraneous distractions. All in all, a great book which I highly recommend. Thank you net galley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.