Member Reviews

I have two things to say about this book. I couldn’t put it down and I ended up very confused about who was who. It was an amazing tale of COVID on steroids, power struggles, hidden identities and backgrounds.

Was this review helpful?

Another great twisty thriller from Tudor who has quickly become an auto-buy author for me.
So much heavier on the horror than her prior stories.
While this is not my favorite of hers, it still has a lot of her trademark elements that makes her work so fun and engaging.
I do feel that if I had read this in the depths of winter I would've enjoyed it more.

Was this review helpful?

This ISN'T a bad book. But it wasn't my favorite from Tudor. I honestly wanted more from the "whistlers." Overall, though, it has some pretty solid twists

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. This story is told by 3 different POV. Without saying to much I love how it all 3 MC are intertwined. It was love-hate when the chapter would end in a super good part with one character because you had to wait 2 more chapters to find out what happened. The story is definitely low key thriller vibes and I am totally here for it. This is the first book I read by this author. But have her other books on my TBR so this is definitely not my last

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

I enjoy a book that can be seen as a blend of multiple genres. I think it’s because it makes the book feel fresh and unique, if the author can pull the blend off well. The Drift sounded like it was going to be a good blend of thriller and horror, two of my favorite genres, so I was excited to get an e-ARC on Netgalley!

This novel follows several POVs during a crisis. Hannah finds herself trapped in a wreck with a small amount of survivors. Meg is trapped in a cable car with strangers and no memory. And Carter is stuck in an isolate ski chalet with a group and a secret in the basement. All of them are stuck with a killer, but none of them know who it is.

I have to say, I was hooked into this story from the very beginning! Multiple POV stories can be rather hit or miss for me, but the author managed to strike the perfect balance in this story. I found I was excited to continue each character’s story and I was invested within a few short pages. The fact that I found each main POV character fascinating is a credit to the author, as well. Hannah, Meg, and Carter really came to life on the page and I was so wrapped up in their stories. This is one of the few times in a multiple point of view book where I didn’t have a favorite POV. I enjoyed them all equally, which made the chapters fly by.

Now, as for the plot, I was into it! That is, until I got to the last two chapters. UGGGGH! The last two chapters felt so unnecessary to the story and had me wishing I could pretend they just didn’t exist. I hate when a book has me so invested in a book and then the last few chapters make me want to fight, haha. This book was a solid four star until I got there and then reading them (and one particular scene relating to the above trigger warnings…) made me drop off an entire star.

Still, this book has a lot going for it, overall, and you’re mileage my vary when it comes to those last chapters. You might love them and I truly hope that you do! I’ll certainly be reading more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

I love C.J Tudor and I wanted to love this. I don't know but I think covid might have put a distaste in my reading for anything related to deadly viruses. You'd think I'd be over it but nope. I think this didn't work for me for that reason alone.

Was this review helpful?

The Drift is a dystopian thriller about a deadly disease outbreak that is spreading like wildfire and destroying humanity as we know it. The novel follows three storylines and points of view: Hannah, Carter, and Meg. All three find themselves trapped in different life or death scenarios affected by the virus. Ultimately the stories merge in a way that I was not expecting and found to be twisted and smart. Sticking through the sometimes difficult to follow plot pays off at the end of The Drift, as a CJ Tudor novel always does. Readers may find scary parallels to the COVID-19 outbreak and be forced to think about what could have happened if it had gotten wildly out of control.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine Books for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Was this review helpful?

this book throws you right into midst of 3 claustrophobic mysteries that play with structure and time in a way i found gratifying.

the writing is taut with quick character development.

i appreciated the assumption that the reader could figure out the world situation without it being the whole of the story.

i do wish the ending had been a bit less bleak for the main protagonist.

Was this review helpful?

3 different groups of people are in danger. Danger from the dropping temperature. Danger from lack of food and water. Danger from a highly contagious virus. Is anyone coming to help? Will they be found in time?

This was a good book. At first, it was slightly confusing keeping 2 of the groups of people straight cause their situation was very similar to each other. But I enjoyed the idea of kinda not really knowing what was going on and who you could really trust. I was slightly disappointed in the ending. Just felt like the reader goes along for the ride in the hopes that there will be some resolution and it ended up not being what the resolution that should have happened. Although maybe that was for the best.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I love a snowy thriller and I also love apocalyptic stories. THE DRIFT by C.J. Tudor was such a fun and fast read! Truly a "popcorn" thriller book with short chapters and heart-racing suspense. We follow three main characters -- Hannah, Meg, and Carter -- who are all in different life-and-death situations. I was so excited to see how all of the storylines converged. The zombie-like virus was also really fun (and gory) to read about and I could definitely see this story on the big screen. I read it in just a couple of sittings and was fully immersed. Fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, Riley Sager, and Ragnar Jonasson will enjoy this one.

Was this review helpful?

This book is quite different from other C.J Tudor's books, and it may seem confusing at first. But once you get past the first few chapters it really intrigues and sucks you in! It was a good read overall and it was very interesting to see how everything connected in the end.

Was this review helpful?

THE DRIFT – by C.J. Tudor

‘Ten years. That was all it had taken for society to crumble. For the virus to ravage the globe. For the riots, the wars, the hatred. For the infected to become pariahs . . . In a fight against a constantly mutating enemy, needs must. There had to be sacrifices. And some of them had to be human. Or almost human.’

As an avid reader of Horror, it makes me uncomfortable—at times—whenever I express my love of a book that can only be described as gloriously horrific, yet heartbreakingly warming, which, I know, makes me sound like a weirdo . . .

Who am I kidding—let’s face it—‘Normal’ is boring and overrated 

So, in other words . . .

THE DRIFT IS F**KING AWESOME!!

P.S. I also love the way Tudor chose to write the storyline, which makes for an intense and engaging read—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books (Penguin Random House LLC), for providing me with an eBook of THE DRIFT at the exchange of an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

C.J. Tudor is a go in blind author for me. If she writes it I will read it. I loved how the scene amped up the tension and I was hooked from page one.

Was this review helpful?

This is a very fast-paced book. I’d describe it as an apocalyptic murder mystery. The plot runs along three points of view, told in alternating chapters. Some of the characters overlap but that doesn’t become clear until later. It’s a dark story. Most of the characters are alternately self-interested and cowardly. One of the threads seems wholly unnecessary and it seems like its main function was filler to lengthen the book. It was entertaining but ultimately forgettable. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an advance copy to review.

Was this review helpful?

In C.J. Tudor's 'The Drift,' readers are plunged into a post-apocalyptic world where survival is a daily battle. The narrative weaves three distinct storylines featuring Hannah, Meg, and Carter, each facing unique challenges amid a devastating pandemic. Tudor's narrative prowess is evident in the intense atmosphere she creates, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with unpredictable plot twists and heart-pounding suspense. 'The Drift' is not just a thriller; it's a chilling exploration of human nature under extreme circumstances, making it a compelling read for fans of dystopian fiction and adrenaline-pumping suspense.

Was this review helpful?

I have finally come to terms that CJ Tudor just isn't the writing style for me. I think if the writing style were different all of their books would be 5 stars for me because they all give the edge of your seat chilling aspects.

I think if you're a CJ Tudor fan you're going to love this one and you'll think it's the best book of the author's so far because it does have everything to make it a legit amazing thriller!

I just tend to find it confusing and long because I'm not a fan of the writing style.

Was this review helpful?

This was just not for me. I felt like it was all over the place. I could not connect with any of the characters. At times I felt like there were too many characters to keep track of what was going on.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, that was one wild and crazy ride. I started this book during a cold winter storm and while I don't regret doing that, I feel like it added more eeriness to this book and genuinely freaked me out a few times. I loved the virus aspect and how this story was told from three different perspectives of people stuck in danger. The setting was so descriptive I was actually shivering a few times while reading this in my nice and toasty house. The ending though is what really blew me away, I'm pretty sure I said "what?!" more than a few times while finishing this book.

The only reason I'm giving it a high 3 stars is because it did take me a couple of months to finally finish this book. While none of the book was really slow or boring I just found myself losing interest a few times and not wanting to pick it back up. I'm glad I did finally finish the last 190 pages I had left because wow, that ending was fantastic.

Was this review helpful?

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Was this review helpful?

this book was not what i was hoping it would be. i still enjoyed it but not as much as previous ones by this author

Was this review helpful?