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The Drowning Kind
by
Be careful what you wish for.
When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the ...more
When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the ...more
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Holly molly chips without guacamole! Another mind blurring, nail biter, soul shaker, stomach churning novel just crushed my mind!!!
Okay: there are two types of books: the forgettable ones: you give your self a mental high five when you finish them as another trim from your Mount tbr and you just already get another one in your hands, moving on your intellectually fulfilled life!
But the second type is a little complicated one. As soon as you finish it, you sit a few minutes, mouth agape, drippin ...more
Okay: there are two types of books: the forgettable ones: you give your self a mental high five when you finish them as another trim from your Mount tbr and you just already get another one in your hands, moving on your intellectually fulfilled life!
But the second type is a little complicated one. As soon as you finish it, you sit a few minutes, mouth agape, drippin ...more
The year is 1929 in Lanesborough, New Hampshire. Ethel Montrose is married to Will Montrose who is called Dr. Montrose to everyone else. Ethel calls herself Mrs. Will Montrose. Ethel wishes to have a baby and Mrs. Tuttle tells her about a folk remedy for anybody who wishes to be with child and Ethel tried to do this remedy.
Will later tells Ethel he has a surprise for her. He asks her if she has ever heard of the Bradenburg Springs and Ethel tells him that she has never heard of it. He tells her ...more
Will later tells Ethel he has a surprise for her. He asks her if she has ever heard of the Bradenburg Springs and Ethel tells him that she has never heard of it. He tells her ...more
The Drowning Kind, by Jennifer McMahon, is one supernatural, creepy, spooky, twisty, story. I enjoyed the different timelines and working to figure out how the various characters connected to the old family home, with the dank, dark, stinky spring fed pool, all tied together. Deep murky water, with plant growth that can touch your legs, is a big fear of mine. It's hard to believe that I swam a mile in a brown, Texas lake, years ago. That's what I kept thinking about with this creepy, smelly, poo
...more
Be prepared to turn on the lights, because they could visit you during the night...
This book blew me away! I loved reading both POVs (Jax, in the present, and Ethel, in 1929) and I enjoyed the eerie setting so much! Some parts spooked me (that pool!!😱) while others touched me. There was everything I look for in a good story: unique and endearing characters, mystery, no plot holes and, above all, an ending that gave me goosebumps.
The Drowning Kind was my first read by this author, even if som ...more
This book blew me away! I loved reading both POVs (Jax, in the present, and Ethel, in 1929) and I enjoyed the eerie setting so much! Some parts spooked me (that pool!!😱) while others touched me. There was everything I look for in a good story: unique and endearing characters, mystery, no plot holes and, above all, an ending that gave me goosebumps.
The Drowning Kind was my first read by this author, even if som ...more
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!
There was a nursery rhyme recited by the children of Brandenburg, Vermont in the 1900's.
A time when people like Ethel O'Shay, believed in Superstitions, like carrying a sparrow's egg close to your breast when trying to become pregnant.
Or, that the underground springs which fill the pool at the Brandenburg Springs Hotel can not only heal what ails you, but can also grant wishes...
People flocked to the hotel from miles around, to bathe in and drink from the Springs...i ...more
There was a nursery rhyme recited by the children of Brandenburg, Vermont in the 1900's.
A time when people like Ethel O'Shay, believed in Superstitions, like carrying a sparrow's egg close to your breast when trying to become pregnant.
Or, that the underground springs which fill the pool at the Brandenburg Springs Hotel can not only heal what ails you, but can also grant wishes...
People flocked to the hotel from miles around, to bathe in and drink from the Springs...i ...more
Be careful what you wish for...
Jennifer McMahon knows how to write creepy, atmospheric and haunting reads with underlying dread and tension. You know there is something sinister going on in this book but what?
2019: Jax has received nine missed calls from her sister, Lexie. Believing her sister is manic, she goes to bed and learns the next day that her sister is dead. Lexie has drowned in a pool at their grandmothers’ estate. Prior to her death, Lexie has been researching their family history in ...more
Jennifer McMahon knows how to write creepy, atmospheric and haunting reads with underlying dread and tension. You know there is something sinister going on in this book but what?
2019: Jax has received nine missed calls from her sister, Lexie. Believing her sister is manic, she goes to bed and learns the next day that her sister is dead. Lexie has drowned in a pool at their grandmothers’ estate. Prior to her death, Lexie has been researching their family history in ...more
Oct 04, 2020
Dorie - Cats&Books :)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
buddy-read,
2020-netgalley-challenge
This was the first book that I’ve read by this author and I think it’s a good one. I found this to be engaging, page turning and “ghostly”, although at times I had some problems with believability. I wasn’t expecting this amount of supernatural elements but it was something new to explore.
There are dual timelines. One is told by Ethel Monroe, the time is 1929. Ethel has married the town doctor and after one year of trying is desperate for a baby. Ethel has already tried numerous “folk” remedies, ...more
There are dual timelines. One is told by Ethel Monroe, the time is 1929. Ethel has married the town doctor and after one year of trying is desperate for a baby. Ethel has already tried numerous “folk” remedies, ...more
Nov 20, 2020
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-all,
mystery-thriller-etc
4.5 Stars ⭐️
This book was super creepy! Jax comes back to the old home her gram left to her sister, the home with the healing pool. The place where her sister died. A home she wished she stayed in with her sister. It had been a long time and now Lexie is gone. But what was she looking into before she died? Will Jax find out? Unfortunately for her, she does!
I loved the book, it had the right amount of creepiness! I wanted to hide many times. And don’t go in the water!
*I would like to thank Net ...more
This book was super creepy! Jax comes back to the old home her gram left to her sister, the home with the healing pool. The place where her sister died. A home she wished she stayed in with her sister. It had been a long time and now Lexie is gone. But what was she looking into before she died? Will Jax find out? Unfortunately for her, she does!
I loved the book, it had the right amount of creepiness! I wanted to hide many times. And don’t go in the water!
*I would like to thank Net ...more
Feb 15, 2021
Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
physical-book-from-publisher
Wowwww!! This whole book was fantastic.. but that ending.. blew me away❤️ Jennifer McMahon is now on my "must read" list of authors. When you have to reread the ending, because you are just in such shock...😳...well you know it was a good one! Creepy, a bit gothic, supernatural, dual timelines...YESSS! 🖤We are talking my kind of book!
A swimming pool made from a natural spring that is rumored to heal people. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? Well everyone in 1929 thought so when a grand hotel was built ...more
A swimming pool made from a natural spring that is rumored to heal people. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? Well everyone in 1929 thought so when a grand hotel was built ...more
“The pool gives and the pool takes.”
Jax is a social worker who receives many missed calls from her sister, Lexie, one night. Unable to answer, she wakes up the next morning to find out Lexie drowned in the pool at Sparrow Crest...the house Lexie lived in, and where they used to spend every summer with their grandmother.
Jax returns for the funeral and to settle affairs. The pool is just how she remembered it: Pitch black as night, earthy smells, freezing cold, unknown depths, a strong presence i ...more
Jax is a social worker who receives many missed calls from her sister, Lexie, one night. Unable to answer, she wakes up the next morning to find out Lexie drowned in the pool at Sparrow Crest...the house Lexie lived in, and where they used to spend every summer with their grandmother.
Jax returns for the funeral and to settle affairs. The pool is just how she remembered it: Pitch black as night, earthy smells, freezing cold, unknown depths, a strong presence i ...more
Feb 02, 2021
megs_bookrack
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arcs-read,
2021-mt-tbr-challenge
Sisters, Jax and Lexie, were always close growing up. They spent every summer at their Grandmother's property in Vermont and have great memories of that time.
Lexie, the older of the two, was very different than Jax, however, in a lot of ways. Lexie was more like their father, flighty, free-spirited and at times, manic.
The older the girls got, the more apparent the differences in their personalities became. It was clear Lexie's mental health wasn't stable. She struggled to remain rooted in realit ...more
Lexie, the older of the two, was very different than Jax, however, in a lot of ways. Lexie was more like their father, flighty, free-spirited and at times, manic.
The older the girls got, the more apparent the differences in their personalities became. It was clear Lexie's mental health wasn't stable. She struggled to remain rooted in realit ...more
⭐3.5 wish me love, a wishing well Stars⭐
Wonderfully creepy, The Drowning Kind explores the theme 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧.
Told in two POVs, we meet Ethel in 1929.
Married to the town's doctor and struggling with infertility. The couple take a holiday at a new luxury hotel that boasts a natural springs pool known for its healing qualities.
We also meet Jackie, in the present day.
She's returned home to be with her family after the drowning death of her sister.
The tension is high in this book ...more
Wonderfully creepy, The Drowning Kind explores the theme 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧.
Told in two POVs, we meet Ethel in 1929.
Married to the town's doctor and struggling with infertility. The couple take a holiday at a new luxury hotel that boasts a natural springs pool known for its healing qualities.
We also meet Jackie, in the present day.
She's returned home to be with her family after the drowning death of her sister.
The tension is high in this book ...more
Something’s in the water… and it’s not a crap ending this time!
With The Drowning Kind, Jennifer McMahon has turned me from a hater to a believer. I’ve only read one other book by her, and she ended it THE LAMEST WAY POSSIBLE (per my GR bio: conclusions that rely on a character pulling out a gun in a kitchen or some such place while he/she neatly and conveniently answers all your questions about who/what/when/where/how/why). I was so turned off I skipped her next few novels, but early buzz for he ...more
With The Drowning Kind, Jennifer McMahon has turned me from a hater to a believer. I’ve only read one other book by her, and she ended it THE LAMEST WAY POSSIBLE (per my GR bio: conclusions that rely on a character pulling out a gun in a kitchen or some such place while he/she neatly and conveniently answers all your questions about who/what/when/where/how/why). I was so turned off I skipped her next few novels, but early buzz for he ...more
Dec 16, 2020
daph pink ♡
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-mystery-thriller-tbr,
2021-tbr
Blurb :- Be careful of what you wish
Me:- I have always been reckless.
Me:- I have always been reckless.
The past is never dead. It's not even past. - William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun--------------------------------------
Captain Louis Renault: What in heaven’s name brought you to Casablanca?It may be that many of the people who have come for the special, healing waters to Brandenburg, Vermont over the year ...more
Rick Blaine: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters.
Captain Renault: The waters, what waters? We’re in the desert.
Rick: I was misinformed.
- If you don’t recognize this, for shame.
Creepy. Oh so creepy!
Usually, when I read a book, I read it all in one sitting. I like to know what happens. Well, this is one of those few times when I had to put the book away. It happened around the 50% mark. I got so spooked that I couldn’t continue reading.
The story is an interesting one. Famous springs that are whispered to grant wishes. Sick people getting better after bathing or drinking the spring water. However, there is a price to pay.
Are you willing to pay the price?
The Drowning Ki ...more
Usually, when I read a book, I read it all in one sitting. I like to know what happens. Well, this is one of those few times when I had to put the book away. It happened around the 50% mark. I got so spooked that I couldn’t continue reading.
The story is an interesting one. Famous springs that are whispered to grant wishes. Sick people getting better after bathing or drinking the spring water. However, there is a price to pay.
Are you willing to pay the price?
The Drowning Ki ...more
Now available!🙌
A terrifying, chilling and atmospheric tale about family, tragedy, secrets and wishes
"Be careful what you wish for."
Jax, a social worker returns to her beloved grandmother's home after her sister mysteriously drowns in the menacing swimming pool there.
Ethel, a newly-wed in 1929 visits a hotel in Vermont. Whilst there, Ethel, who is desperate for a baby discovers a natural spring, rumoured to grant wishes.
Both women learn that the water gives, but it also takes...
Jennifer McMahon s ...more
A terrifying, chilling and atmospheric tale about family, tragedy, secrets and wishes
"Be careful what you wish for."
Jax, a social worker returns to her beloved grandmother's home after her sister mysteriously drowns in the menacing swimming pool there.
Ethel, a newly-wed in 1929 visits a hotel in Vermont. Whilst there, Ethel, who is desperate for a baby discovers a natural spring, rumoured to grant wishes.
Both women learn that the water gives, but it also takes...
Jennifer McMahon s ...more
An atmospheric, gothic read that gave me chills and had me second guessing my second guesses..
Growing up, my family had a huge deep inground pool surrounded by cedars and we loved to swim at night, floating in the dark.. but for me, with my active imagination, there was always a sliver of fear, of a hand that might reach up from the black and grab you down. Well thank-you Jennifer McMahon, that electric, childhood memory was activated like a light switch, I had chills of dread on my arms at the ...more
Growing up, my family had a huge deep inground pool surrounded by cedars and we loved to swim at night, floating in the dark.. but for me, with my active imagination, there was always a sliver of fear, of a hand that might reach up from the black and grab you down. Well thank-you Jennifer McMahon, that electric, childhood memory was activated like a light switch, I had chills of dread on my arms at the ...more
Jennifer gave me a sneaky early copy of this one. You're going to want to read this. Trust me.
...more
Sep 17, 2020
DeAnn
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020,
edelweiss-2020
5 Ghostly Stars
This was a fascinating, creepy tale that I didn’t want to end. And when it was over, I had to re-read the ending!! This was my second book by this author and she’s a winner for me.
There are two separate stories and timeframes in this one. Often, I like one storyline more than another and I think I enjoyed the one from 1920s just a bit more than the present-day storyline.
I’ll start with the present-day story – featuring two sisters, Jax and Lexie. Jax is a social worker and she’s b ...more
This was a fascinating, creepy tale that I didn’t want to end. And when it was over, I had to re-read the ending!! This was my second book by this author and she’s a winner for me.
There are two separate stories and timeframes in this one. Often, I like one storyline more than another and I think I enjoyed the one from 1920s just a bit more than the present-day storyline.
I’ll start with the present-day story – featuring two sisters, Jax and Lexie. Jax is a social worker and she’s b ...more
Find out what you're afraid of and go live there.
That'll give you pause.....
Sparrow Crest has been part of their childhood all their lives. With the passing of their grandmother, the huge house with the deteriorating smile now belongs to Lexie. Grandmother bequeathed it to her including all the grounds and that deep, dark swimming pool fed by the natural spring. Jax, Lexie's sister, felt unsettled because she was left with nothing. A nothing that will eventually become a something.
Jax, a busy so ...more
That'll give you pause.....
Sparrow Crest has been part of their childhood all their lives. With the passing of their grandmother, the huge house with the deteriorating smile now belongs to Lexie. Grandmother bequeathed it to her including all the grounds and that deep, dark swimming pool fed by the natural spring. Jax, Lexie's sister, felt unsettled because she was left with nothing. A nothing that will eventually become a something.
Jax, a busy so ...more
Oct 25, 2020
Brittany Lee | Healing Happy
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-arcs
The exact type of spooky feels I was looking for! A real page-turner without being too scary.
At times my breathing picked up, my heart raced, I held my breathe at other times and sped-read while having goose-bumps.
Reads like this are perfect for me because I don't like to be terrified. This was great!
I won't be swimming in any dark waters anytime soon!
"The Lexie on land was like a real butterfly, flitting from one thing to the next, staying focused only long enough to briefly excel, then growi ...more
At times my breathing picked up, my heart raced, I held my breathe at other times and sped-read while having goose-bumps.
Reads like this are perfect for me because I don't like to be terrified. This was great!
I won't be swimming in any dark waters anytime soon!
"The Lexie on land was like a real butterfly, flitting from one thing to the next, staying focused only long enough to briefly excel, then growi ...more
If you’re looking for a creepy October read, this paranormal thriller is it!!
Dual timelines with separate stories that evolve around a mysterious spring with magical healing powers! Wow...I was caught up in this dark and creepy story immediately. And kept in suspense as I tried to determine fact from fiction, while putting the puzzle pieces in place. The stories and speculation relating to the water and it’s healing powers are fascinating! But the spring has a tragic history.
Dual timelines with separate stories that evolve around a mysterious spring with magical healing powers! Wow...I was caught up in this dark and creepy story immediately. And kept in suspense as I tried to determine fact from fiction, while putting the puzzle pieces in place. The stories and speculation relating to the water and it’s healing powers are fascinating! But the spring has a tragic history.
“The water gives an...more
I LOVED this book. It blew me right out of the water (pun intended). 😉
Two stories, perfectly dovetailed into a magical realm of life and death. It’s a beautiful and haunting tale; spooky, creepy and completely absorbing.
I loved both stories, that of Jax in the present time and Ethel in 1929.
Jax receives 9 calls from her sister, Lex, who leaves frantic, odd messages on her answering machine. Jax doesn’t answer because she’s tired of Lex’s mental issues. By morning a return call is too late, as ...more
Two stories, perfectly dovetailed into a magical realm of life and death. It’s a beautiful and haunting tale; spooky, creepy and completely absorbing.
I loved both stories, that of Jax in the present time and Ethel in 1929.
Jax receives 9 calls from her sister, Lex, who leaves frantic, odd messages on her answering machine. Jax doesn’t answer because she’s tired of Lex’s mental issues. By morning a return call is too late, as ...more
While I mostly enjoyed The Drowning Kind, it definitely wasn't a five star read for me.
This novel is beautifully atmospheric, which is rapidly becoming a Jennifer McMahon trademark. I'm not sure any author alive today does the truly creepy, gothic atmosphere as well as Ms. McMahon. At times, the swimming pool, which was a character in its own right, truly freaked me out. At other times, it reminded me of the M. Night Shyamalan film, Lady in the Water, which was, frankly, kind of silly.
Not ...more
This novel is beautifully atmospheric, which is rapidly becoming a Jennifer McMahon trademark. I'm not sure any author alive today does the truly creepy, gothic atmosphere as well as Ms. McMahon. At times, the swimming pool, which was a character in its own right, truly freaked me out. At other times, it reminded me of the M. Night Shyamalan film, Lady in the Water, which was, frankly, kind of silly.
Not ...more
Jax's phone continuously rings all night but she refuses to answer when she knows her sister Lexie is in one of her manic states because she went off her meds again. Nothing could have prepared her for the news the next day that Lexie had drowned in her pool. Guilt ridden and heart heavy Jax flies immediately out to her grandmother's house which now belongs to Lexie where both girls spent every summer growing up and swimming in the same pool that that has now taken Lexie's life. How could that b
...more
More Than a Game
Jax’s sister has been found dead in the swimming pool on her late Grandmother’s estate. It’s a special pool with reported healing powers from the springs underground feeding it.
It’s also ice cold and appears black as the granite and stone composition distort its appearance.
Lexie’s drowning is mysterious to Jax because her deceased sister was an excellent swimmer. Having grown up playing in the pool, “The Dead Game” was a frequent pastime both girls participated in. Morbid for ...more
Jax’s sister has been found dead in the swimming pool on her late Grandmother’s estate. It’s a special pool with reported healing powers from the springs underground feeding it.
It’s also ice cold and appears black as the granite and stone composition distort its appearance.
Lexie’s drowning is mysterious to Jax because her deceased sister was an excellent swimmer. Having grown up playing in the pool, “The Dead Game” was a frequent pastime both girls participated in. Morbid for ...more
Nov 15, 2020
Tamar...light at the end of the tunnel?
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
The Drowning Kind is an excellent eerie and chilling story covering two periods. Jackie (aka Jax) 2019 tells us the story of how she and her sister Lexie (aka Lex) were dropped off by their parents to spend every summer at their grandmother Margaret’s home, Sparrow Crest, in Brandenburg, Vermont. The house was large and there was a natural pool on the property, fed by the Brandenburg Springs, which had legendry healing powers and was known to fulfill wishes. Some would warn, however, that for ev
...more
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio or my audiobook. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. The book is told through two different POVs from different timelines. The narration from the past adds an extra layer of creepiness to this already eerie mystery. There were many times I felt a chill while listening to this ominous tale of hope and loss. This story both clutched at my heart and frightened me at the same time. The
...more
Feb 13, 2021
Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc
Jax is ignoring calls from her older sister Lexie, not yet ready to deal with their strained relationship. Since their grandmother passed away and left her large home known as Sparrow Crest solely to Lexie, Jax has found it important to maintain a healthy distance from both the home where they spent their childhood summers and her sister’s increasingly manic episodes.
The next day, Jax learns that Lexie is dead — an accidental drowning at the pool on her estate. This fate is especially chilling c ...more
The next day, Jax learns that Lexie is dead — an accidental drowning at the pool on her estate. This fate is especially chilling c ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Corner: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon --> Starting March 13th, 2021 | 31 | 13 | Mar 25, 2021 07:07AM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Drowning Kind / Jennifer McMahon. 5 stars | 1 | 9 | Jan 31, 2021 07:24PM |
I'm the author of nine suspense novels, including Promise Not to Telll, The Winter People, and my newest, The Drowning Kind. I live in central Vermont with my partner and daughter, in an old Victorian that some neighbors call The Addams Family house.
...more
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“Grief is a monster.”
—
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“In the water, dark and deep where she waits, fast asleep All alone, pale and cold, don’t wake her up, or she’ll catch hold Her soothing voice, so soft and low is the last thing you’ll ever know Four simple words whispered in your ear, a gentle wind only you can hear: Come swimming with me”
—
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