This book is for both the people who have survived abuse and for the ones who hope to one day escape the cycle. It speaks on every facet of psychological manipulation and the things that it can do to the victims mind. Peggy goes through so much in her marriage and she calls her life a "maze". I think that's a perfect description of how it feels to go through these things, especially with someone who claims that the things they do are out of "love". If you plan on reading this book please make sure to know beforehand if you're okay with reading something that dives so deep into the minds of people who go through mental abuse. For me personally, I've been through a similar situation and it was hard at times to read about these topics from the "outside" since I got out of the situation, and even knowing what Peggy is going through it was easy to think that she has to just leave, but abusers always do everything in their power to try and stop you. This book brings you on her mentally taxing journey and shows how a mother will do everything in her power to protect her child, and also gives you a child's perspective on what it's like to live such a confusing life under the roof of a terrible man.

Overall I enjoyed looking into the mind of people who have gone through something similar to me, so I think you'd appreciate this book if you can relate. However, the writing wasn't my favorite. It was very choppy and plain and I wish the writing style had changed with the different POVs since each family member was so different. I gave this a 3⭐ rating because I did enjoy it at times and it definitely made me think a lot and reflect on my own life, it just wasn't what I was expecting because it didn't feel very "thrilling" as it is described

I love the mystery and suspense of this one. I love how we had to see the survival and how they lived.

When I say this was unlike any book I've ever read, I mean it. I feel like it's hard to describe the process of reading this. It's very claustrophobic, as it mostly takes place on a small boat alone in the water. The characters are absolutely haunting. There were often times when I felt very uncomfortable reading it. The descriptions were very intense. The mental abuse of Peggy will probably haunt me for a while. I've liked everything I've read by this author so far, and this one didn't disappoint. Know that it is a very slow burn.

I loved this story! It shows what happens when generational trauma is paired with isolation. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

This was a very...interesting book. It dragged and I had trouble staying interested in it. In fact it took me almost a week to get to page 50. But then I got hooked and finished the rest in one night. The best thing about this book is how it portrayed the very real problem of abuse and mental health. That was the part that hooked me in and had me questioning the direction the book was going. That was really the only thing I liked in this book.

Now for the bad. The main character, Peggy, just borders on Too Stupid To Live. It takes way too long before she starts putting the pieces together, and once she does, she doesn't really do anything about it. The other main character, Samson, starts out as likeable, but by the end he becomes a completely different person that I didn't care for. There were also inconsistencies in the timeline. Things that happened to Peggy didn't make sense in the timeline presented, seeing as who did it and why. Then there was the timeline jumps? I'm not really sure what to call them. Like, a character would say something about how another another character was doing and then in the next chapter, sometimes with only a day or two between the last conversation, something major would happen to that character. We didn't see any of it, it was just told to us in flashbacks. Like it didn't even matter, or like we should have already known the information. I don't know how much of that is because it's an advance, unedited copy or because that's how the story goes. Also there was 2 epilogues, so I'm assuming an ending hasn't been settled yet since the epilogues are separate from each other. Odd as it might sound, I prefer epilogue 1. It makes more sense for the characters, but it needs to be expanded a bit, more information to round it out and give it a true ending.

Also with all the Britishisms and trains, I kept forgetting that this supposedly took place in America. I figure this is probably because the book is being published in the UK first, and being adapted for readers in America, but I could be wrong. Really, the book should just be set in England. I think it would be easier than going back through and replacing all the British words and phrases.

Adrift tells the story of Peggy, her teenage son Samson, and her husband Drew, who all live in isolation on a narrow boat. Drew uses this seclusion to exert total control over his family, subjecting Peggy and Samson to psychological abuse that leaves Samson in a constant state of fear. Peggy secretly begins writing again and finds small success, Drew’s jealousy and paranoia spiral, driving them into further isolation.

This was def a heavy, unsettling read, filled with difficult themes and MANY trigger warnings. Drew is one of the most hate-able characters I’ve read in a while, and the gradual, realistic escalation of his manipulation was chilling. At times I even questioned Peggy’s perception of reality, which speaks to how convincingly the abuse was portrayed. This is a dark story that may not be for everyone.

Thankful to receive the ARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! https://www.netgalley.com

The canal boat setting immediately triggered my claustrophobia. I spent a weekend on a friend's boat once, and that feeling of walls closing in, water on all sides, nowhere to escape - Will Dean captures that suffocating atmosphere perfectly. Add family tension to that confined space and I was anxious from page one.
Drew's jealousy over Peggy's writing success hit uncomfortably close to home. My ex was also a writer, and when I got published first, our relationship imploded. That specific brand of creative envy, where support turns to resentment, where every success feels like betrayal - Dean nailed those toxic dynamics. I found myself grinding my teeth during Drew's passive-aggressive moments.
Their fourteen-year-old son broke my heart. Being bullied is awful enough, but when your safe space - your home - is literally drifting away from help and witnesses? I kept thinking about my nephew who's the same age, imagining him trapped on that boat with increasingly unstable parents. The kid's attempts to cope while his world shrinks to just water and walls made me genuinely distressed.
The physical act of moving the boat further from civilization was genius metaphor made literal. Every time Drew started that engine, taking them deeper into isolation, my dread ratcheted up. I actually looked up UK canal maps while reading, trying to figure out how far from help they could realistically get. The answer terrified me.
Peggy trying to hold everything together while being gaslit made me furious in that personal way only certain books can achieve. I've been the family glue before, making excuses, smoothing over conflicts, pretending everything's fine when it's falling apart. Watching her slowly realize she can't fix this, that her strength is being used against her - I had to take breaks from reading.
That catastrophic series of events Dean mentions? When it started, I was reading in bed and had to get up and pace around my apartment. The way generational trauma plays out in real-time, how patterns repeat even when you're desperately trying to break them - it felt less like reading fiction and more like watching a documentary of every dysfunctional family's worst nightmare.
The ending wrecked me. Without spoiling anything, the way Dean handles the aftermath, showing how isolation doesn't just affect the moment but ripples outward - I'm still thinking about it days later. This book made me grateful for neighbors, for witnesses, for the mundane safety of being surrounded by other people.

Loved this book and the creepy atmosphere that Dean created for the reader. This is my favorite of his yet!

Adrift is one of those books that creeps under your skin. It’s not a fast, twisty thriller but more of a slow burn that pulls you deep into the reality of a family stuck on a canal boat. Peggy and her son Samson ugh bless their hearts….. what they went through. Drew… whew. He’s written so well you’ll want to throw the book across the room a few times.

This one is heavy. It digs into emotional abuse, gaslighting, bullying, and the way control can break people down. I absolutely had to take a breather, but that’s also what makes it powerful. The writing is atmospheric, the tension builds quietly, and the story lingers with you long after the last page.

If you like character-driven suspense that’s raw and emotional, this one’s absolutely worth picking up.
Thank you Atria books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Peggy and Drew live an isolated and minimalist life on a houseboat with their teenage son, Samson. Samson is bullied constantly at school, and Drew is frustrated by his waning success as an author. When Peggy writes a novel that may be published it sets off a traumatic chain of events.

This novel was completely unexpected for me. I didn’t read the synopsis and was expecting a murder mystery, which it’s not. This was such an emotional ride, and an important story. I loved how we had both the mother and son’s perspective. It was one of those special reads that manages to be heart wrenching sad but also hopeful.

“It is terrifying to imagine how many crimes go unsolved or mislabeled in this world. How many perpetrators take their dark secrets to their graves.”

Adrift comes out 2/17.

Thank you, #Partner @atriabooks #emilybestlerbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 2/17/26.

This book was dark! I was expecting more of a story with jaw-dropping twists, but #WillDean has a way with words and making this story seem so alive. I literally felt like I was on the boat with them, and the characters felt so real, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since I finished the book. This was actually really heartbreaking and comes with many trigger warnings. Pre-order and add this one to your TBR!

Husband and wife, Drew and Peggy, and their fourteen-year-old son, Samson, live in a small houseboat. When Drew gets mad about Peggy's success with the book she has written, he moves the houseboat further and further from civilization. Peggy tries to leave Drew and take Samson with her, but everything backfires on her. Will Dean takes us on an emotional, dark journey through the canals of loneliness and what a mother will do to protect her son from his awful father.

I wanted to like this book so bad, but i just don’t think I was the right audience for this. I went into it thinking this was going to be a mystery/thriller but I don’t think it had either of those elements. The whole time reading this I just felt so angry and annoyed at drew for gaslighting Peggy and just couldn’t stand it.

Honestly, this one was a tough, claustrophobic read, but ultimately satisfying (thank god). Will Dean crafts a very dark, well-written story in ADRIFT. It's like an exploration of dread, documenting all the different kinds of abuse – gaslighting, bullying, physical and emotional abuse, forced isolation, parental cruelty, with a touch of suicide and murder – at the hands of a narcissist. So... not exactly light reading. I appreciated its unwavering examination of how poverty, sociopathic behavior and creative jealousies affect a family, and also keep them from escaping. I'm just not sure I ever want to see the horror of this all up close ever again.

Just add this book to your list now. The writing and storyline in this book was absolutely incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever empathized with characters as much as I did while reading “Adrift” (mainly Peggy and Samson). This is a total five star read, and I am now adding Will Dean as one of my go-to authors moving forward.

In this story we have a family of three- Peggy, Drew, and their fourteen year old son, Samson. After Drew decides they sell the bungalow they were living in (which was Peggy’s mother’s house), they now live in a canal boat. Drew didn’t like the bungalow they were living in prior to the boat, because it wasn’t good enough for him and the bills were just too much. Drew then purchased the boat with the sale of Peggy’s bungalow, and he is in charge of all the finances- and money is tight!

Drew is very controlling, and he is the only one who works. Peggy is allowed to volunteer at the local library, but she isn’t allowed a paying job. Peggy and Samson must also be very quiet at night, so that Drew can concentrate on his book that he is writing.

Samson is a loner, and he gets picked on by the other kids at school for how he looks and the clothes he wears. His only dream is to one day make it out of his town/houseboat.

Whenever things don’t go Drew’s way, he continues to keep moving the boat further down the canal- as far from civilization as possible. Drew wants his family secluded, and he likes to keep his wife, Peggy, questioning and doubting herself and her abilities. As situations begin to escalate, will this family ever make it back to land?

I am unfortunately quite familiar with the actions of Drew, and I resonated a little too much with this story. Consider yourself lucky if you’ve never been manipulated, gaslit, belittled, or controlled by another human being. I wanted to run inside these pages and pull Peggy and Samson away, and run as far away as I could. This book also made me realize and be thankful for the kindness of strangers around me.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books, and the author for an DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading, in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: February 17, 2026
Genre~ General Fiction (adult), Mystery & Thrillers

This is my second book by this author. As with that book (The Last One) the writing is good - really good. The subject matter though, leaves me a little flat. Adrift felt so heavy throughout the entire story. Which I don’t mind, I’m drawn I dark and heavy books, but I do like there to be some sort of meaning or redemption behind the darkness and despair and I just didn’t find that here. Drew and Peggy were almost comically stereotyped and would have liked to see some more dimension to their characters. I loved Samson and was cheering for him through the whole book. I look forward to reading more from this author.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review*

Sooo very good read, throughly enjoyed it and I had a lot of fun reading this; my first by this author, hope it won’t be last. I have at least 2 other books by Will dean! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!

Wow what a roller coaster of emotions!
Full of trauma, heartbreak and rediscovery. Definitely not what I was expecting in any way.
I absolutely loved it. I could feel Peggy and Samsons emotion. It was so raw and powerful.
Honestly a top 5 book of this year. I will recommend this to everyone!

5⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the chance to read this early advance copy. These are all of my honest options and thoughts.

I am finding it difficult to review this book because the writing was fantastic, but the subject matter left me disconnected and even angry. I didn’t see any real resolution – at least not one to my satisfaction as a reader. And this left me wanting more.

I am rating it 3.5 and rounding up to four which I don’t usually do, but I feel the writing deserves it despite my feeling on the book.

Trigger warnings: Domestic abuse, murder

I requested an ARC of Adrift because it was labeled as a mystery/thriller. Although there was some suspense, this book was more of a contemporary piece. Parts of it did a VERY good job of making me angry.

The book was supposed to be set in the Midwest, but read more like a British novel.

I would give this book a 3.5 star rating, overall.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It will be released on 02/17/2026. Opinions expressed are my own.

Adrift By: Will Dean

Coming to you in February - a domestic thriller. Dive into the brain of a crazed writer. An abused writer. And a kid just trying to make it.

A family lives on an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Parents are aspiring writers and Samson, the son, attempts fitting in.

With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.

Once picking up this book, I felt the darkness. The horror. The tension.
I loved the vibe the Will Dean was able to project off the pages to the reader. I enjoyed the multiple POVs that wove the story together.
The knock of stars comes from the few nagging thoughts that popped up while reading. For instance, is this America or UK? I kept picturing America, but the lingo, words and even the fact they are on a long boat felt very United Kingdom.
I never connected with the MC Peggy. This made it difficult to understand her logic. Her need to protect her kid, the fear of her husband ... but then ... (no spoilers ;) ) You never know what someone is thinking, why they make decisions they do while in a domestic violence situation. So I try to be understanding and this book does a good job to remind the reader to 'check themselves'.
I really enjoyed watching Samson's POV evolve. I felt it was very believable.
It's overall a really solid, 'okay' book. I felt invested while I was reading it. I forgot about it. Remembered I have to write this review. Although I remember the story line, could tell you everything that happened, yet, I don't have any strong feelings about it. Is that good? Bad? Maybe being entertained in the moment is great too!
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Stats: 332 pages - Expected publication February 17, 2026
**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.