nika_nix's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was perfect. For me. I understand some people might not like certain aspects of this book, but I am not one of those people.
This was everything to me. I loved the plot, I loved the characters, I cried a lot, I cared so much and the technical jargon and all the physics made my little engineer heart happy. I love planes, I love deep sea horror, I love survival stories and I love real science and engineering - and this book delivered on all of those things.
I could gush about this novel for 300 more sentences but I'll stop now. My favorite book of the year, no doubt, and if you don't like this bool for whatever reason, just don't tell me because I refuse to hear it.
This was everything to me. I loved the plot, I loved the characters, I cried a lot, I cared so much and the technical jargon and all the physics made my little engineer heart happy. I love planes, I love deep sea horror, I love survival stories and I love real science and engineering - and this book delivered on all of those things.
I could gush about this novel for 300 more sentences but I'll stop now. My favorite book of the year, no doubt, and if you don't like this bool for whatever reason, just don't tell me because I refuse to hear it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cancer
the_pink_pharmacist's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Medical content
If you’re a medical provider, the depictions of death and dying might hit you pretty hard. I’m struggling with depression and it hit me pretty hard. Good book though, loved so much about it!astoriareader's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
SYNOPSIS:
- Shortly after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. In the process of evacuating, 12 passengers end up remaining onboard the plane, which proceeds to sink 200 feet underwater. They try to remain alive, while a rescue team tries to save them.
MY THOUGHTS
- Usually, books are so much better than movies, but this is one that I think would be a better cinematic experience.
- This is completely plot-driven with no real character development. The characters are all very flat & one-dimensional. I wasn’t into the writing style either.
- I do think the author did a lot of research, and I have read she is a former flight attendant as well. Kudos to her. But, I personally felt like the book was way too technical, and the technical plane descriptions didn’t serve a lot of purpose.
- Despite using fancy aviation lingo, the book is really hard to visualize. It felt like I was reading a manual in some parts.
- The premise is an interesting one, but the execution is lacking for me.
- The book is soooo predictable, and it is completely unbelievable.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️mehhh. in the minority here, but this didn’t live up to the hype. plot-driven, predictable, no character development, & extremely far-fetched.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Cursing and Injury/Injury detail
ruthypoo2's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Such an enjoyable and taut thriller. I easily read this in one day because it engaged me right from the start and the urgency of the situation described in the story never let up. I found the events and actions of all the characters believable.
This is a very well written story and the audiobook narration by Steven Weber and Laura Benanti was top notch. Their ability to inhabit the unique personalities of the distinctive characters really brought the story to life, especially as there are many emotionally charged situations that required thoughtful delivery in order to avoid being overly dramatic.
I highly recommend the book in any format and will be on the lookout for more from this author!
This is a very well written story and the audiobook narration by Steven Weber and Laura Benanti was top notch. Their ability to inhabit the unique personalities of the distinctive characters really brought the story to life, especially as there are many emotionally charged situations that required thoughtful delivery in order to avoid being overly dramatic.
I highly recommend the book in any format and will be on the lookout for more from this author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Death
Minor: Blood
r_o_s_e's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Grief, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Violence, Terminal illness, Alcohol, and Excrement
ksuazo94's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Medical content
Minor: Terminal illness
jennabeck13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Drowning by T.J. Newman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Genre: Suspense
About 290 pages
When Flight 1421 crashed shortly after takeoff, the water landing was initially thought of as a blessing as most passengers survived the landing. That blessing was short-lived as jet fuel started leaking and the water started on fire. In an effort to save those who couldn’t get on a raft, they shut the doors to the plane, effectively turning it into a submarine as the plane begins to sink. With only a few hours of oxygen, the rescue crews must scramble to come up with a solution to save the remaining passengers. One crew member, Chris, is particularly determined to safely rescue the passengers as her daughter and ex-husband are stuck on that plane. In a race against time, both those on and off the plane must get creative if they want to prevent drowning.
It seems like a character flaw of myself that I’ve read books about plane crashes a week before a flight twice this year… but the resulting anxiety was worth it. Newman nailed this one! Her real-life experience as a flight attendant adds so much value to her storytelling. It was so easy to picture every moment unfolding and she kept me on my toes the entire read. I really hope that Newman continues writing and I can’t wait to see what producers come up with when bringing this one to the big screen!
Favorite Quotes:
“And that was all life was. Shifting the balance, every day, to make room for joy and grace in whatever circumstances you’ve got before your time runs out.”
“Time is luck. You grab it. You hold on tight. And you be there. You have to be there for it. It’s going, with or without you. And no one knows for how long. No one knows.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Cursing, Suicide, Blood, Confinement, Child death, Grief, Vomit, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Cancer
jessyhayward's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Drowning by T.J Newman is a survival thriller based on one terrifying situation: being trapped in a plane that is submerged in the ocean. It follows Will and his young daughter Shannon as they navigate this terrible and rare dilemma while being surrounded by a diverse range of strangers. Unfortunately, air is running out and so is time.
This novel is short and suspenseful and I finished it in a few hours. I enjoyed it. The writing is engaging and transports you straight to the setting of the characters. It is descriptive and very good at showing rather than telling; I empathised with all characters and even came close to tears throughout the story. It felt…real, I suppose. The characters were very realistic and reacted as I’d expect anyone to. I loved Will, Shannon, Chris, Bernadette, Maia, and pretty much everyone else, honestly.
My only “criticism” is that it’s a little too quick. The pacing was far too fast and I did feel like the ending could’ve lasted longer. I also would’ve liked to see the impact of this event on the main characters. This is just my opinion, though, and I’d still recommend it to those who like this sort of book.
This novel is short and suspenseful and I finished it in a few hours. I enjoyed it. The writing is engaging and transports you straight to the setting of the characters. It is descriptive and very good at showing rather than telling; I empathised with all characters and even came close to tears throughout the story. It felt…real, I suppose. The characters were very realistic and reacted as I’d expect anyone to. I loved Will, Shannon, Chris, Bernadette, Maia, and pretty much everyone else, honestly.
My only “criticism” is that it’s a little too quick. The pacing was far too fast and I did feel like the ending could’ve lasted longer. I also would’ve liked to see the impact of this event on the main characters. This is just my opinion, though, and I’d still recommend it to those who like this sort of book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Child death and Alcohol
schnaucl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I really liked it. It was tense and well written. I'd read more from this author (though perhaps not on a plane).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, and Cancer