Wow, talk about a book you can’t put down! Drowning had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved it even more than Falling and I really loved Falling. The feeling that Newman puts into her books, the human connection…it’s amazing. Thank you for an incredible ride.

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and Avid Reader Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is available May 30, 2023. ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ This was my second T. J. Newman book and I enjoyed it as much as her first. Action packed from the first page. This kept me reading and I didn't want to put it down. It's a quick read, perfect for the summer.

Wow! This was heart-pounding, edge of your seat action from the very first page. While I had trouble keeping characters straight, the plot more than made up for it. It was the perfect fast read after a heavier book. I recommend going into this one without reading the jacket copy. You don’t need it!

Holy shit - this one jumped in from page one as the plane is going down and never lets you go until the last page. Trapped on a plane that’s gone underwater is the stuff of nightmares OR thriller action movies starring someone super hot like Chris Evans or Michael B. Jordan saving lives down below while Evangeline Lilly or Uma Thurman works above sea level.

Legit brought tears to my eyes at least once and made me so anxious I wasn’t sure I could read it fast enough to see what happened to everyone…

I would watch the hell out of this movie.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

What a ride! I finished this book in under 24 hours. I could not put it down, I had to know what happened next. This story was full of action, a real page turner. If you read Newman’s first book, Falling, you understand. This was an even better showing for her. She did such a good job humanizing ALL of the characters (and there were kind of a lot). I especially loved her viewpoints from the parent perspectives. I also loved Ruth and Ira. Only retractions were the aforementioned long list of characters as well as some longer technical explanations regarding ships, the navy, and welding. But definitely a book I recommend for a rush of adrenaline and a quick read.

Well hold onto your seat for another wild ride thanks to JT Newman! I loved Falling and hoped for more of the same. This book was action packed, intense, scary. and ultimately hopeful.
The main characters are Will Kent, an engineer from Hawaii, his 11 year old daughter, Shannon who is going to summer camp in San Francisco, and his wife Chris. Will and Shannon are among the passengers of Flight 1421 which crashes into the ocean shortly after take-off. Some of the passengers get off the plane, but Will, Shannon and 10 others look at the debris field, the fires from the jet fuel, and decide to stay in the aircraft.
TJ Newman's background as a flight attendant again comes through and we become privy to some of the internal and external communications during the operation.
I felt that the characters were stereotypical - like the group exercise in 10 stranded people - and I needed more backstory about them. I had a hard time connecting with them and would have like to see them more fully developed. Their outcomes were completely predictable as well
I also thought that the technical aspects of the plane, divers (I am a certified SCUBA diver), and the rescue devices took precedence over the human interest story. There was a lot of detail about the different issues that the team encountered, but I don't think that it added to the story. I guess that I prefer reading about the people in a book rather than the situations.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions expressed are my own.

Will Kent and his daughter Shannon, along with a few other passengers, are trapped in an airplane 200 feet underwater off the coast of Hawaii after their plane crashed just moments after take-off. Fortunately, there is a pocket of air and several oxygen tanks that will keep them alive for a while. Will it last them long enough to stay alive until rescuers arrive? Is survival even possible?

If you liked Falling and The Martian, you will love Drowning. It had me rapt from the very first sentence. The character development is great and the story is action-packed the whole way through. It was also surprisingly tender and even made me tear up several times. This was a 5-star read for me.

Huge thanks to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this ARC of Drowning. What a gripping book! It grabbed me like a bear and never let go. A couple of times reality almost squeezed me so hard I had trouble breathing.

Seriously, Will, Chris and Shannon were vital characters with a heart-wrenching backstory, but the whole cast was so engaging and emotionally laden I identified with them all at times.

It was clear that T. J. Newman has great familiarity with the subject and conducted her outside research very well. I found myself reading parts of the technical aspects several times to make sure I understood what was happening. I think she did an excellent job of making the more difficult material easier for laypersons to grasp. For instance how the module was going to attach itself to the plane. I could almost see that in my mind’s eye. Great descriptions!

I read Falling in 2021 and I rated them both two big thumbs up, I thought Drowning might be a bit better. The characters and their familial relationships were just touching. Something that is hard to portray with the written word.

Super book!

This book is 100% action; addicting and hard to put down! A plane goes down into the ocean within minutes of taking off - do you evacuate the plane and face the elements, debris, and fires? Or do you close yourself inside the plane and hope that it floats until someone can reach you? You can't change your mind and you have seconds to decide. How long will it take for a rescue operation? How much time do you have to survive?

Much like this author's previous book (Falling), I think this would make an excellent action movie. Come on, Netflix!

Thanks to NetGalley for early access.

From the first sentence to the last page this book is edge-of-your-seat suspense. It's a complete adrenaline rush that I've never experienced while reading a book. Not only was I wrapped up in the terror of the plot, I found that I was completely invested in every character. I was holding my breath because it wasn't just words on a page, I really felt like it was people I knew trapped inside a plane deep down in the ocean. If you were a fan of her first book, Falling, you will love this one as well. I would also recommend this book to people who enjoy science fiction because it felt like they could be trapped on the moon just as easily. I cannot recommend this book enough!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm torn as to how to rate this book! It was very readable - I finished it the same day I got it. I suspect it's going to make a terrific movie someday, as well. However, I didn't feel that the characters were fully fleshed out, and I could predict what was going to happen to some of the characters just about as soon as they were introduced.

Did that stop me from reading it? Definitely not. Will it stop me from recommending it? Definitely not!

Looking for a five star book that reads like a blockbuster? This one’s for you.

DROWNING tells the story of the harrowing rescue of flight 1421 as it plunges into the pacific ocean minutes after takeoff. Will Kent and his daughter are stuck inside the flooding plane with their fates held in the hands of an elite rescue team led by Will’s soon to be ex-wife.

I was completely and utterly immersed from the technical aspects of how an underwater rescue could be executed to the deeply human emotions in this life or death scenario. Drowning was incredibly tense, downright gripping, and unexpectedly full of heart.

TJ Newman’s background as a flight attendant adds authenticity and expertise to this completely bingeable thriller.

PUB DATE: May 30, 2023
RATING: 5/5

Shortly after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific ocean. The majority of the surviving passengers get off the plane, but due to an explosion, engineer Will (correctly) deems it safer to stay inside the plane. The plane then sinks 200 feet, teetering on a cliff. Can a rescue crew make contact and figure out how to rescue the survivors from this completely uncharted scenario before their air runs out, or the plane goes off the edge of the cliff?

Much like when I read Falling by this author, I am very glad I don't have a flight booked in the near future as it's most definitely a terrifying read for someone with any anxiety around flying. I loved the cast of characters and how they really bonded and worked together. They were not all likeable which made them all the more believable. I would have loved more of a back story for the rest of them, as we really only learned about Will and Shannon, though I loved hearing the story of their family.

I loved the pace and intensity of this book and was very invested in what happened to the passengers. The author's history as a flight attendant is evident and I love the little fun facts and insider info thrown in. Highly recommend as a read for when you are safely on the ground.

Shortly after settling into my seat on a long-haul flight over the Atlantic I started to read Drowning by T. J. Newman. I didn't get very far before putting it down until we safely landed as it was too realistic and believable, especially considering the author had been a flight attendant with a wealth of knowledge and experience. The thriller is written with electric suspense and taut tension with heavy doses of tongue-gnawing anxiety in the very best way possible.

Ninety nine passengers are on board Flight 1421 when flames are visible after losing an engine shortly following takeoff. Those unseated are tossed around the cabin like rag dolls, there are screams, goodbye texts and flight attendants are too calm. But it gets worse. Passengers are instructed how to brace for impact and how to use inflatable life vests. The dreaded message is delivered from the captain as the plane plunges. The nightmare just continues from there as the plane sinks deep beneath the water and rests precariously on a ledge. Just before that some are able to escape the plane but most become fatalities as the plane explodes.

Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are on Flight 1421. Shannon's mother Chris is frantic as news reports come in. Will initially wasn't going to accompany Shannon to summer camp but changed his mind at the last minute. As an engineer his knowledge is crucial . Meanwhile, Chris is a part of a Herculean rescue plan but time is running out. Fast.

Thriller and suspense readers, this one is unmissable. Your insides will feel turbulent and your heart will beat a bit faster. It is snappy, quick-paced, active and the ending is clever. This isn't an ordinary book. It's an experience. Just remember to breathe.

My sincere thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this stupendous novel. More, please!

Less then 2 years ago I picked up a debut book called ‘Falling’ and proceeded to binge it.
It was obsessive with how I devoured it, not pausing as I switched between audio and physical to finish the book… just knowing I needed to know what happens and blurring the line between the book I held and picturing it happening in real life. It was an easy favourite in 2021 but never did I think the author would top it with her sophomore book.

Here I’m going to preface my review by saying, yes I got a free copy (thank you @simon ) but I’m not under any sort of obligation to give a review on here nor does it have to be favourable.
And I’m also not going to give it away, because this tension filled suspension needs to be experienced by the reader without spoilers. What I am going to focus on is the emotions I had…

I started this book in horror as every flier’s worst nightmare comes true, the plane goes down just off the coast of Hawaii and while there are very few survivors, there are some that do. The only problem is… they’re trapped in the plane deep in the ocean. So, is this a living grave that we are dealing with or a race against a sliver of a chance of survival…. And what happens when the wreckage within the ocean has left a wreck on land as one mother fights to save her ex husband and daughter.

Thrillers and suspense reads can be a lot of things: tense, scary, disturbing… but with this one, TJ Newman tightly weaves the heart thumping of both fear and emotions.

The waves keep coming until everything stills.
And in that quiet, brief moment, the reader feels it all.

Loss, love, fear and hope.

Drowning is a book with depth: the tightness that I look for in my suspense/thrillers and the yank on the heartstrings that connect to the words on a whole other level.

This will be one of my top 5 of the year. Zero question about it

This was a pretty intense and entertaining read. If you already don't like flying though, beware. Lol ….A commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean and sinks, the passengers still inside. The rescue requires an elite team of divers. The aircraft is running out of air, and teetering on an underwater cliff.

Drowning was a thoroughly entertaining read. Do you have to suspend some disbelief?! Probably! A few to many coincidences?! Sure. But this was a fun read.

Out May 30.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads and Amazon once it publishes..

Will is accompanying his 11-year-old daughter, Shannon to camp, despite her insisting she could fly there on her own. But it's a good thing her dad is there, because 2 minutes into the flight, one of the engine explodes, forcing the plane to ditch (land on water). And less than 10 minutes after the plane got into the air in Hawaii, it is sitting at the bottom of the ocean, with a dozen live passengers...
I loved this! The writing was great, I loved how every scene, focused on one part on the action or one character or set of characters (it's told in multiple 3rd person POVs), rolls naturally into the next one. It grabbed be from the very first line. This is an action packed, page turner. I'm very claustrophobic, enough that reading this made me feel trapped. And just when you think things couldn't get any worse (really, what could be worse than being caught in a plane at the bottom of the ocean?), they do. This would make an incredible action movie. I would definitely watch and I definitely recommend the read. I laughed (I know this makes me seem like a horrible person, but the dialogues were amazingly witty), I cried, I hyperventilated... what more can I ask for?
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I gave T.J. Newman’s debut, Falling five stars so I was eager to read this next one. It starts out in typical Newman fashion. You’ll be biting your nails with your heart pumping in the first few chapters. But unfortunately Drowning just didn’t have the same overall effect.

I didn’t feel as connected to these characters. It felt like it could do with a lot less aeronautics and physics and more character development.

It was still enjoyable and would likely make a great movie.

Pick this up if you’re looking for a suspenseful hubby buddy read.

Will is flying with his daughter, Shannon, from Hawaii to California. When the plane crashes, it looks dire for everyone aboard. Will, Shannon, and ten others make the decision to stay onboard as the plans crashes into the ocean. They have no idea if that was the right decision or not and the next several hours are literally a life or death situation.

This book was phenomenal. I don’t know how you take a plane crash and make an entire book about it that is so captivating. I could not put it down and I will recommend it to anyone that will listen!!!

Wow just wow.

I’d like to start off by thanking NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of Drowning in exchange for my honest review.

I am not cabin crew, a diver, an engineer or a first responder so some of the technical language went over my head. However, I really enjoyed this book, I devoured it in one sitting.

I think the sign of a great author is someone who can make you fall in love with the characters, keep you on the edge of your seat and bring out your emotions and that is exactly what Newman did.

When I read Falling I really enjoyed that one of the cabin crew was there for comedic relief and Drowning was no different. I laughed, I cried and I panicked which goes to show that this book was perfect.

The terminology going over my head made it a bit harder to read by that’s definitely on me.