This was my first time reading this author’s work. It was a crazy ride! I had no idea what or where this storyline was going, but it was fast, intriguing and had me engaged.
Well done. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

I have really enjoyed Tudor’s other books, so I was so excited to pick this up. Fair warning, it is much darker and more horror based than her past books. That being said, I loved it. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I was surprised at how all the storylines came together. It’s a little unnerving reading about a deadly virus after covid, but I think that made the story seem even more plausible. I definitely recommend for horror and thriller fans.

This is probably the most satisfactory book Ive ever read. From beginning to end its extremely engaging. And that ending. I'm constantly disappointed in endings, but this ending is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Some of the characters are lovely and some not so much. But I enjoyed hating the bad ones. About 75% through, I was so astounded by what I read, I said a bad word. It blew me away. This whole book blew me away. I know I'm going to read this again.

The Drift..SO SO good! Immediately drawn in to this book. Has everything a thriller lover is looking forward...lots of mystery, lots of suspense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If mysteries and thrillers are your thing...then this is your book! Add shades of catastrophe, dystopia, apocalypse, and the fight for survival--the result is a page-turner that will keep you engrossed from the first page to the last.

C.J. Tudor does a fantastic job of telling three distinct, yet interconnected stories. This was one of those books that surprised me. Twists and turns are always there in mysteries, but seldom is a puzzle laid so intricately that I am surprised at where we land.

The book's description says: "The imminent dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle." That is so very true, just about every piece of the puzzle fits in the end, even if you didn't think it essential when you originally read it.

Highly recommended. One of the best books I have read this year. I am now adding C.J. Tudor to my list of favorite authors.

#TheDrift #NetGalley #Ballantine

This was a crazy ride. I was drawn into this world instantly. It wasn't hard to imagine people in the world today as these characters.

I loved how the three perspectives unfolded as the book progressed. Definitely pick this one up.

I loved it! I was drawn in immediately. The way the events unfold is brilliant. It's not hard at all to imagine the world becoming this. Each character had such devastating experiences throughout their life leading up to the moment that they meet that you hope so hard that they'll make it through that tragedy too. When all the stories finally lined up I was stunned. My mind is still reeling. Excellent book!

Seems to be a good balance of forward plot movement and character development. If it continues as the first 10% did, our patrons will generally enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

A group of students is stranded during a deadly health crisis and in the grips of a brutal snowstorm. In an evacuation gone wrong, these young people wake to confusion and the aftermath of a bad accident. They ultimately find themselves battling a mysterious disease, the harsh elements of nature, and each other in order to survive.

I read this one during a cold snap, so it made the thought of being in a remote area fighting for life and limb in the bitter cold ever more vivid. This narrative created suspense, a style that felt somewhat reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel. A sometimes chaotic story that provides an entangled bundle of evidence to be gathered by the reader . . . a stage set that is isolated and wrought with peril, random clues, and a curious cast of characters thrown together in dangerous times.

There’s plenty of action and carnage throughout this chilling apocalyptic thriller.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Drift for my unbiased evaluation. 4 stars

This novel follows three different characters, each in unique and terrifying situations. As they all fight for survival, each one struggles to keep their sanity and secrets intact. But always lurking in the background is something much more frightening that may make their survival futile.

Utilizing each chapter with unknowingly connected characters within the novel was an approach that made it more enjoyable to read and was a fun addition to your typical end-of-the-world plots.

Overall, it was a decent and quick read for what it was. But unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of this novel. The characters were hard to connect with, and the plot direction was sometimes predictable. While I tried hard to like the book, this genre and style of writing aren’t my usual go-to.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was gripped right from the start, there was just the right mix of tension and intrigue to keep me riveted. I liked getting the different POVs and all the characters were interesting.

Very interesting take on a world after a very contagious and dangerous disease takes over (sound familiar?). Great character development and atmospheric - all the snow will make you wish for a fire.

The story had such a smooth flow, and I loved every second.
All those delicious twists and turns. I was surprised multiple times and the ending.... what!
I definitely need to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book wasn’t what I thought it would be. It didn’t mesh with my reading tastes. There was so much death. It goes through three different time periods. I’m sure fans of this genre will love it. Unfortunately I’m not one of them. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor is a superb and engrossing read with a great plot and engaging characters. Well worth the read!

I was super happy to get a copy of The Drift by C. J. Tudor, as I enjoy post-apocalyptic stories. The story switches between different groups of people, which feels like three different stories and gets confusing. The author brings the story together, but by the time you get to that point, you are exhausted and don't really care anymore about the characters. I struggled getting through the book and skimmed several chapters.

What I found thought-provoking was the question in the book, "What did I achieve? What did I make of this tiny space carved out in time?"

There are definitely readers out there that will love this book, and I would recommend giving it a try, but overall, this book just didn't hit all the marks for me.

#TheDrift #NetGalley @atrandom

The Drift by C. J. Tudor is riveting, engrossing and hard to put down!

She brilliantly created these characters. All three of them sucked me into their world and lives. I was hooked to their story. They are well depicted and inviting.
Tudor is most definitely one of my favorites and honestly her books keep getting better and better.
A tightly plotted, atmospheric story... once I started reading it I found it hard to stop thinking about it.
I love how she creates great characters a creepy setting and the best atmosphere possible.
A riveting page-turner and extremely very well written.
What a brilliant read! An extraordinary one! And one I wish I could undo and read it again!

Rating: 5

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Random House & Ballantine Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

2.5 stars
I jumped at the chance to review an ARC of CJ Tudor’s upcoming release for Ballantine and NetGalley. I love post-apoc books so it was right up my alley. The story starts with three separate groups finding themselves in life-threatening situations, two of which having no recollection of how they got to be where they were. There’s a global pandemic spreading in the background. The pull of the book is trying to figure out how the three POVs are going to come together. Unfortunately, there is more push than pull in this book. I personally found the fat-phobic language to be off-putting. I know it was amped by one character in particular as an example of her toxic upbringing/conditioning but the passive comments outside of the character’s inner thoughts were unnecessary. It was very disappointing. Aside from that, the three groups of characters were at the same time unremarkable and unsympathetic. I had a hard time remembering who was who in each POV and I reached a point where I no longer cared to try to keep track of where things had left off with one group when it came back to their turn again. I could have gotten over most of this had the reveal/ending been compelling enough. But it wasn’t. That being said, I do want to go into this author’s back catalogue because I am a huge fan of Richard Armitage as a narrator so I know that listening to him read her previous books will automatically make me like them more!

The Drift tells the tale of three individuals, each stuck in their own life threatening dilemma, during a major snow storm, all in a world ravaged by a virus that has managed to end society as we know it. All the stories seem to revolve around The Retreat, where cures for the virus are being investigated. As the book moves forward, pieces of the puzzle slowly come together to explain how it all fits together. While I thought I guessed the reveal, I sure was wrong.

Two of the story elements take place in claustrophobic settings, one an overturned bus and the other a stranded cable car. Tudor skillfully invokes the claustrophobia in each of these settings, reinforced by the severe cold during the blizzard. The third setting, The Retreat itself has its own dread inducing issues that are well described. I can’t say that characterization is the authors strong point in The Drift, but nonetheless she successfully creeped me out. I also have to give her credit for eliminating characters to propel the plot, as opposed to the typical fare of almost everyone surviving.

My thanks to Random House-Ballantine and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of The Drift.

I'll say off the bat that I enjoyed the Chalk Man, but admittedly didn't seek out any of CJ Tudor's other books. I considered picking up the Burning Girls, but just never did. So when I was approved for this ARC I was intrigued. Would I like any other book by her or was she a one-and-done for me?

Unfortunately, for me at least, she's the latter.

The mysteries surrounding these characters in their locked-room scenarios compelled me enough to not put the book down because I really wanted to know how it all connected, but I didn't actually look forward to picking it up. And by the end of it, I was fairly unsatisfied with the ending. I didn't feel like anything was resolved, or that there was a clear point to the story as a whole except for portraying the drastic and brutal things we'll do to survive.

I feel like if we'd followed the character from the very last chapter throughout the book it would've tied in better, but maybe not. By the end this book felt kine of pointless to me.

I do look forward to hearing other people's thoughts when it comes out next year. Especially because I really want to know if that was incest we were hinting at or if I was completely making something up.