Book Review: Drowning by T.J. Newman

Rating: 3.5⭐

Flight 1421 from Honolulu to California crashes into the Pacific on account of mechanical malfunction six minutes and thirty- seven seconds after it takes off. Of the 99 passengers on board most of the survivors are evacuated, but the waters prove to be equally dangerous. Twelve remain inside the plane as it sinks into the ocean to come to rest on an unstable cliff. Among the twelve are the copilot, two flight attendants, an elderly couple, an irate male passenger, a newly married man who lost his wife in the crash, an unaccompanied minor, a nurse, a young woman who is a bartender by profession and an engineer, Will Kent and his daughter, Shannon. As the narrative progresses we follow the twelve passengers trapped in the submerged airplane as the conditions worsen and they struggle to stay alive while the rescue operations led by a team of professional divers headed by Chris, Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife strive to reach them before its too late.

Drowning by T.J. Newman is a thrilling read. Intense and well-paced, the vivid setting, the tension and the heightened emotions make for an immersive read. It does get a tad too technical midway which does detract from the overall reading experience. The final 20% is unputdownable! While I did overall enjoy the story, it is evident that this book was written keeping in mind the possibility of an onscreen adaptation, which is something I would definitely watch, but doesn’t quite always make for smooth reading. I wasn’t a fan of the author’s debut novel and was wary of picking this one up. Overall, I did enjoy this one bit more!

I paired my reading with the audio narration by Steven Weber and Laura Benanti, who have done a wonderful job of capturing the mood and tone of this thrilling read.