The Drowning Kind has made me SO happy that I didn’t buy a house with a pond. Or, a lake. Hell, even a pool. Because I am legit now a little creeped out by all bodies of water and what may be lurking beneath the surface.
What’s The Drowning Kind about?
This supernatural horror story is a mix of contemporary and historical fiction. It follows two main characters. There’s present-day Jax, who returns to her Vermont family home after learning her troubled sister drowned in the “it always felt creepy” swimming pool. Then, there’s Ethel, who lived on Jax’s family’s land in 1929 and suspected that a wish-granting natural spring had something to do with her rather unnatural pregnancy.
A little history about me and Jennifer McMahon
I’ve been a Jennifer McMahon fan ever since I read The Winter People. McMahon’s written numerous novels since then, all of them perfectly entertaining, mysterious, and even a little scary…
But I know what you’re capable of, Jennifer. (Please excuse my informality.) And I’ve been waiting for a book that’s as perfectly, unsettlingly creepy as The Winter People for a long time.
Enter The Drowning Kind. Which I devoured in about three days because I just couldn’t put it down. And, despite jumping at every noise and peeking over my shoulder at shadows until even my cat was annoyed with me, I didn’t want to put this story down. The Drowning Kind is the best book McMahon’s written in years, and it was well worth the wait.
What I loved about The Drowning Kind
I loved pretty much EVERYTHING about The Drowning Kind. The dual narratives linking together past and present; the eerie descriptions of the haunted, enchanted pool; the family dynamics between main character Jax and her sister Lexie.
And, of course, ALL THE GHOSTS. The ghosts that emerge from the water and slip through the house at night, leaving wet footprints in their wake, to lure the living back down into the depths…
Yeah. YEAH. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
Trust me. IT IS.
The Drowning Kind sheds a whole new eerie light on the theme of “There’s something in the water.” (In my head, that phrase was whispered by a ghost child. Possibly a British ghost child. Because they’re the creepiest of all ghost children.)
Should you read The Drowning Kind?
You should definitely, positively, absolutely read The Drowning Kind if you love supernatural stories and hauntings; if you love a bit of folklore and mysticism; if you loved The Silent Companions and, obviously, the lauded The Winter People.
But, read it on dry land. Not near a pool. I’m just sayin’.
What’s the book-inspired recipe for The Drowning Kind?
Don’t forget to check back in for my book-inspired recipe: Chicken Pot Pie
I think I’ve noticed before, you usually review and recommend a really scary book around Halloween time! This one sounds pretty darned good! Have you read Our Last Night, by Taylor Adams? I love his books, and this one is a truly creepy ghost story
I do love me some scary books around Halloween! I start requesting horror books in September from the library so they all come in in time for October. I’m currently working my way through about 3 creepy books right now. It’s fantastic, haha. Thanks for the rec about Our Last Night! It looks good. Adding it to my list!