Drowning

 

Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 by T.J. Newman

Fiction

2021

Narrated by Steven Weber and Laura Benanti

Finished on June 5, 2024

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman—whose first book Falling was an instant #1 national bestseller and the biggest thriller debut of 2021—returns for her second book, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean, and sinks to the bottom with passengers trapped inside, and the extraordinary rescue operation to save them.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent—Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife—who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.

Ugh. Once again, had I been reading the print edition of Drowning, I probably would have quit after a few pages, but since I was listening to the audio, I stuck it out and finished the book. On the other hand, maybe if I had been reading the print copy, the story wouldn't have felt so melodramatic and soap opera-ish. It didn't help that the second reader (Laura Benanti) was too emotive and that her voice grated on my nerves. (I also have a hard time believing an eleven-year-old with a peanut allergy would mistake a cracker with peanut butter for one with cheese...) 

I listened to Falling (T.J. Newman's debut) in 2021, and thought it was very good, but her latest suspense novel was a big disappointment. I don't plan to read her upcoming release, Worst Case Scenario, which comes out in August. I've had my fill of plane crash stories for a while.

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If It Bleeds

If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Fiction/Novellas

2020 Simon & Schuster

Narrated by Danny Burstein, Steven Weber & Will Patton

Finished on January 29, 2022

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Readers adore Stephen King’s novels, and his novellas are their own dark treat, briefer but just as impactful and enduring as his longer fiction. Many of his novellas have been made into iconic films, including “The Body” (Stand By Me) and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (Shawshank Redemption).

Four brilliant new tales in If It Bleeds are sure to prove as iconic as their predecessors. Once again, King’s remarkable range is on full display. In the title story, reader favorite Holly Gibney (from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy and The Outsider) must face her fears, and possibly another outsider—this time on her own. In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” an intergenerational friendship has a disturbing afterlife. “The Life of Chuck” explores, beautifully, how each of us contains multitudes. And in “Rat,” a struggling writer must contend with the darker side of ambition.

If these novellas show King’s range, they also prove that certain themes endure. One of King’s great concerns is evil, and in If It Bleeds, there’s plenty of it. There is also evil’s opposite, which in King’s fiction often manifests as friendship. Holly is reminded that friendship is not only life-affirming but can be life-saving. Young Craig befriends Mr. Harrigan, and the sweetness of this late-in-life connection is its own reward.

When I downloaded this audiobook, I didn't realize that it is made up of four novellas and I was initially disappointed since I was enjoying the first story so well and didn't want it to end. I needn't have worried. "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" was perfect in length and the conclusion came at the right moment. Any longer and it would have lost its magic. I loved it and know it will stay with me for a long time. Stephen King is such an great storyteller. As I listened, I found myself reminiscing about other stories and books of his that I've read over the years. His young characters are so well drawn and their youthful innocence stirs up memories of my own childhood and the freedom we had as kids. 

"The Life of Chuck" starts off as a disturbing look at where we might wind up if we don't take climate change more seriously, but after the first part of the story, the narrative takes a surprising turn. This novella is comprised of three "acts" and the chronology is reversed, which makes for an interesting read.

Just as I was about to begin the third story ("If It Bleeds"), I discovered that the main character also plays an important role in another Stephen King book. Anyone who reads King knows about these type of cross-overs, but I wasn't familiar with Holly Gibney until I added this book to my Goodreads list. I spotted the Holly Gibney #2 notation and realized I was about to begin this story out of order. I quickly paused the book and downloaded The Outsider, which I reviewed here. Once I finished listening to that book, I returned to "If It Bleeds." I'm glad I didn't read the books out of order, as I would have learned several spoilers about The Outsider. (I've since learned that Holly also makes an appearance in Mr. Mercedes, but I'll just have to live with those spoilers.) "If It Bleeds" is an entertaining, albeit, creepy story and I enjoyed learning more about Holly, who has quickly become a favorite character. 

"Rat," which is the final story in this collection, was my least favorite and had I not been listening to the audio edition, I might have just skipped it. Do we really need another story about a struggling writer?

All in all this was an entertaining book and I'm eager to read more by King. He never fails to entertain!

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Falling

Falling by T.J. Newman

Fiction/Thriller

2021 Simon & Schuster Audio

Narrated by Steven Weber

Finished on October 2, 2021

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

To be honest, I really wasn't expecting much from this popular thriller, in spite of several rave reviews by fellow bloggers. I listened to another airline drama (Before the Fall by Noah Hawley) in 2017, which was anticlimactic and disappointing. So, going into this new release, I was prepared for another mediocre story about a possible plane crash. I was wrong. Newman is a former flight attendant (and indie bookseller) and her experience shines through as she gives her readers a glimpse into the professional side of air travel. She does have a problem with stereotypes and the outcome is predictable, but I was fully engaged and enjoyed this exciting ride, nonetheless. 

Steven Weber's audio performance is well done and I've added him to my list of favorite narrators. His smooth voice and accurate pacing reminds me of Scott Brick (the excellent narrator of Justin Cronin's The Passage trilogy). I was surprised and pleased to discover that Weber is one of three readers in my current audiobook, If It Bleeds by Stephen King.