Avid Read Press/Simon & Schuster
304 Pages
My last book review was Falling by T.J. Newman. I will confess that I actually read both books on the same day. I got them both out of the Lockport Public Library on the same day after reading Newman’s newest book. Once I started the first, I couldn’t put it down and immediately started Drowning. While this one didn’t capture my intrigue quite as much as Falling, I was still amazed at the pacing and action of this book. I couldn’t stop reading.
An airplane leaving Hawaii crashes into the Pacific Ocean only six minutes after takeoff. The plane floats on the water for a time, its buoyancy allowing passengers to attempt to escape the sinking behemoth. However, jet fuel covering the surface of the ocean ignites when one of the spooling engines explodes. The plane starts to sink with some passengers still aboard. Their pocket of air within the fuselage won’t last forever. Will they be doomed to die a slow death of suffocation, or is there hope of a nearly impossible rescue?
Will Kent is an engineer, and he finds himself stuck in the plane as it settles in the shallow water. With him is his eleven-year-old daughter, Shannon, on their way to the Mainland. His engineering mind kicks into gear as he tries to save his daughter, himself and his fellow passengers. The situation is dire and their only hope is with a specialized deep sea diver, Chris Kent, who happens to be Shannon’s mother and Will’s estranged wife. Chris is an elite diver with an elite team working with her. Together, will they be able to save the day?
Meanwhile, egos and emotions start to rise as the plane sinks. Will must be able to keep everyone under control so they can work together towards facilitating their rescue. Can Chris convince the powers that be to use their equipment to save her child? The tensions above and below the waves heighten as the time crunch grows. When one plan fails spectacularly, the situation becomes even more dire.
In Drowning by T.J. Newman, not everyone survives. In fact, a lot of people die, including some characters we’ve connected with. The sorrow that comes with these instances lends more tension to the events going on, even for the reader. When well developed characters, rather than bit players, start dying, is anyone safe? Will the rescue be successful? Newman keeps you wondering right until the end. It’s not a cut and dry resolution by any means.
Drowning is T.J. Newman’s second book. It is a page turner. The fact action will keep you reading. Her character arcs from even the smallest of appearances have you invested in their well being. When bureaucracy rears it’s ugly head at one point, you will want to reach into the ink of the page and slap sense into certain people. Evoking an emotional response is what makes a book great. Newman is once again able to do this with her sophomore book. I think, if you like a good thriller, that you should pick up this book.
Craig Bacon loves books that make him laugh out loud…or swear. My wife can always tell whether I like a book by my vocalizations while reading.