4.25 ⭐️

Will Dean’s signature writing style is distinct and atmospheric. He expertly builds tension through the character’s isolation and environment and uses the setting as though it were a character—oppressive, inescapable, and deeply symbolic. He even goes beyond the claustrophobic atmosphere by supporting his thrillers with psychological depth and slow burn suspense that builds a gradual simmering tension. Even more, rather than relying on nonstop action, Dean focuses on creating emotional tension through gaslighting, power dynamics, and psychological trauma.

Will Dean delivered a subtle, emotionally rich, and psychologically charged story in Adrift. Each character made the narrative less about shocking twists and more about how people break-and rebuild-under pressure. I especially appreciated how every character served a symbolic purpose, reinforcing themes of control, isolation, and resistance. What began as a quiet domestic situation slowly evolved into a chilling, claustrophobic thriller.

The characters were morally grounded yet deeply flawed, which added to their realism. Peggy wasn’t portrayed as a perfect victim; her doubts, fears, and hesitations made her arc all the more compelling. Drew’s menace didn’t come from cartoonish evil, but from the chilling authenticity of his emotional manipulation. Dean masterfully created a sense of suffocating isolation with just a few characters and a tightly confined setting. The tension simmered from within-driven by unspoken moments, shifting power dynamics, and internal unraveling.

I highly recommend Adrift to readers who appreciate Will Dean’s signature atmospheric suspense, character-driven storytelling, and psychological depth. It’s an ideal pick for fans of slow-burn domestic thrillers that linger long after the final page.

Once again, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy of this immersive read by Will Dean in exchange for my honest review-I truly appreciate it!

This book was very unexpected 😳 I honestly requested this one on NetGalley because the cover looked eerie 👀 I’m a sucker for a good cover!

From the first “um seriously?!” moment in the first chapter, I was locked in and knew this book was up to no good 😬 The MMC is sooo unlikable!! One of those situations where you just want to punch someone through your Kindle 😂📱 Super frustrating and sad 💔 And as his behavior escalated, my anxiety level rose right along with it 😵‍💫😣

This book is a classic case of a toxic relationship 🧨 and the effects of gaslighting! Someone being made to feel like they’re going insane. 😣 The effects it has on children 💔 and how typically, if you feel uneasy about something and your gut tells you something isn’t right… you’re probably correct!😮‍💨

I had never heard of @willrdean before, but his storytelling and character development is something serious 👏🏼📖 Looking forward to reading more from him! 💪🏼 Definitely recommend this suspense-filled novel! 😱📚

#bookstagram #adrift #suspense #ARC #netgalley #gaslighting #manipulation #toxic #isolation #booklover

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster and the intensity that I felt deep into my bones! The suspense is there. The manipulation. The unfathomable decisions Peggy had to make, the experiences that Samson had to endure, and the haunting past of Drew....I just cant say enough how thought-provoking, heart-wrenching this book was. It is definitely unforgettable.

Overall, I gave this read 5 stars. I will touch your heart and keep you turning those pages.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc

This book was such a powerful representation of what domestic violence looks like. I had viseral reactions to Drew and the way he interacted to his family. I think people who are sensitive to DV should proceed with caution. This was so well written that it felt like I was being exposed to the verbal abuse and acts of aggression. It hooked me from start to finish because I had to find out what happened next.

This was my first introduction to Will Dean and I’m only mad because I didn’t discover him sooner. What an emotionally draining, painful read this was. I felt like I was in the story myself experiencing all of the trauma and abuse that our main characters did.

Sam is a teenage boy who is consistently bullied each day to a level I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Peg is the doting, empathetic mother who is psychologically abused by her abusive and misogynistic husband, Drew.

Together, they live on a boat in the canal in a small town and each time Peg begins to show any sign of independence or success in her job/writing, her husband moves them further and further away from town,work and school. Things take such an unimaginable turn and I was up late so I could see how it ended.

How you’ll feel: pissed off, hopeful, suspenseful and sad

Thanks to the author and Net Galley for the ARC.

How is it possible to love each Will Dean book more than the last? Adrift is the perfect mix of eerie, atmospheric, and gut wrenching. I had to read the epilogues twice to really grip how the story wrapped up!

We follow Peggy and Drew, a couple of aspiring writers and their teenager son Samson. We follow Samson and Peggy's POV's (of at times questionable narration) in their strained lives on a houseboat in a canal. Adrift takes us on a journey of a boy facing brutal bullying trying to come into his own, a wife and mother left questioning her sanity and safety, and a controlling father/husband puppeteering it all. The lengths in which comfort and companionship were ripped from Peggy and Samson was hard to endure at times. I haven't felt this connected to characters in a long time. The nostalgic elements of floppy discs, walkmans and libraries were the icing on the cake for me. I won't say too much as the beauty is watching the story unfold, but be aware there are elements of domestic violence, animal loss, and unhealthy relationships.

This book was a new angle for Will Dean branching deeper into the psychological thriller niche, and I look forward to whatever he keeps cooking up. And per the authors note at the end... we truly do need empathy from reading books now more than ever.

Thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was heartbreakingly tragic. While listed under the thriller genre, I don’t know that calling it a thriller really does the story justice. Yes, it has intense moments that are hard to look away from that make it so you don’t want to put the book down, but its overall emotional journey/message is so much more than that.

Having the author state that they put so much of their heart into the characters and this story makes sense because it definitely shows. The plot is both interesting and incredibly sad at the same time. I deeply connected with both Peggy and Samson in a way I didn’t think that I would. I found my own heart aching for them so many times which only proves that the author did a fantastic job of a writing a realistic and devastating story.

Going into this, I wasn’t aware that emotional and psychological abuse was going to be involved. It didn’t particularly bother me, but I can see how Drew’s behavior throughout the book may be very triggering to others. Perhaps a trigger warning or content warning might be wise towards the beginning. Just a thought.

Overall, this was a captivating story and quite the experience to read. I enjoyed it a lot and I hope others do too.

Adrift by Will Dean, I had a hard time getting into it. I was hoping for some dramatic events, but never really came upon any.
If you looking for a book that’s just about how crazy someone can be, this is the one. I will say the dad made me want to scream. Not a bad read, just went into it expecting something different.

4.5 stars. Wow! Thrilling read in which a family living on a boat is kept controlled and isolated from as much as possible. The story of their journey was exceptional. I was kept at the edge of my seat on multiple occasions wishing she made other choices and just knowing something bad was right around the corner waiting for her. Very enjoyable read and highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Adrift by Will Dean. I have read all of Will Dean’s stand alone books and am in awe, everytime! Adrift was an emotional roller coaster of a story about Peggy, Sampson and Drew. They live on an English boat on the canal. Sampson is a 14 year old scrawny kid with red hair who is constantly picked on in school. Drew is a tough guy who doesn’t treat his wife and son very well. He aims to be a writer and is very proud that he won one writing award. Peggy, is also a writer and when she comes home with a book offer, Drew is quick to insult and abuse her. The writing is amazing, you can feel each characters emotions. I was kept on edge as to what will happen next and I was rooting for Peggy and especially Sampson.
5 star read! Will Dean, you knocked it out of the park. Keep on writing and I will keep on reading!

I don’t think this book was for me.

This book was a story of domestic trauma and relationship abuse, from my perspective at least. I have alot of education and training in trauma counseling and trauma in general, so reading this story felt like a good way to show what it can look like for people. But I’m not sure that was the point of the book? It was marked as a mystery/thriller which feels inaccurate. There was no mystery, twists, or unexpected parts to this book for me.

This book is a very thrilling and heavy read with excellent character development. I didn't see any of the twists coming and the ending was incredibly satisfying!

A beautifully written, haunting story. I was expecting more of a murder mystery, but the author sets the stage early on and you quickly learn that this is a character driven story. The plot centers around a couple and their teenage son. Without getting too much into the details, the family lives on a boat in the Midwest. I'm from a different part of the Midwest and you know families like these really do exist but getting up close and personal with them is almost hard to read at times but so eye opening.

You have to be in a good headspace to read this, but I'm glad I did and will look into more of this author's work.

WOW! This was my first Will Dean book and it certainly will not be my last. I won’t go over the synopsis only to say it’s about a couple of authors and their son . They are by no means wealthy , they live on a small boat. Drew the husbands on goal is to write a book. Peggy who is basically not allowed to make money secretly writes a book and finds that it’s going to be published. Let’s just say Drew’s not very happy! You’ll have to read it to find out what happens.

I couldn’t put this book down, I finished it in two days! It kept me on the edge of my seat and times was a bit unsettling. All in all it was a fantastic book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Adrift.

I'm a big Will Dean fan and while I thought this book was enjoyable, I wouldn't label it as a thriller. This read more like a domestic drama with sprinkles of a thriller (a very light sprinkle). The story highlights the dynamic of a low-income family, parents Drew and Peggy and son Sam, who live on a small riverboat in the middle of the country. Drew's main goal in life is to publish a novel and spends all his free time writing. Peggy, because she is not allowed to work and make money, spends her time taking care of the family and volunteers at a local library and Sam is in school where he is relentlessly bullied because of his family's lifestyle. When Peggy receives the good news that a novel she was working on in secret is going to be published, Drew sabotages every aspect of her life to make sure that never happens.

The story had me going back and forth as to whether Peggy was an unreliable narrator or if Drew really was behind it all. I felt like there could have been more character development in terms of Drew and Peggy's upbringing - especially when the very beginning of the book discussed something that happened in Drew's past and was hardly mentioned again. I would have liked to hear more about his upbringing, what his parents did to deserve what happened to them, etc.

All in all, it was a good read just not what I was expecting.

Wow!!! This is my first book by Will Dean and I am forever hooked and will continue to read his masterpieces.

This book follows a family of 3, Drew, Peggy and Samson(Sammy). Drew thought he was everything after winning an award early into their life together. You get small snippets of his life before and the evil that is Drew. You honestly feel like you are on edge and just want the best for Peggy and Sammy.

You see how Drew continues to control and manipulate both of them. He goes as far as to have her committed to keep her quiet and managed by him. He thinks they should kiss the ground he walks on for everything he does for them. He has control of absolutely everything.

This book has some real life struggles and brings a light to the abuse many women endure. I was so glad to see that Peggy got a happily ever after, she went through so much!!
I absolutely devoured this book and if I could give it 10 stars I absolutely would!!
Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for letting me have an earc!

This book left me frustrated and on edge in a good way! I was immediately hooked from the beginning and could not put it down. There were parts that I didn not see coming and the author really makes you feel isolated and all the other feelings of the characters.

Oof this was too heavy for me. Not much thrill. Overall didn’t work for me. I still love his other books but this one didn’t work for me.

I read this in two days. The setting of this story takes place on a very small canal boat and that creates a tense, eerie and claustrophobic mood throughout the story. It hooked me right at the opening lines and didn’t let up. The story is told from 3 points of view with each chapter heading having a character’s name.

Would definitely recommend to anyone that likes suspenseful family situations that keep you guessing if any of the characters are reliable narrators.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the chance to read this in advance!

I love a story with in depth character development and this definitely satisfied. This book was intense, fascinating, and emotional. I fully recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I loved it!