5 Star ARC Review

“Adrift” by @willrdean swept me away in a current of raw emotion and psychological tension. This wasn’t just a thriller it was a heart grabber. Sammy and Peggy felt like family, and my protective instincts kicked in hard. The mother in me ached, the woman in me roared, and the reader had to take breaks but because it was that good, I had to let some moments sit with me and go back a few hours later.

Dean masterfully blends suspense with soul deep character bonding, making this one unforgettable. I cried. I gasped. And just wanted to jump into the book myself as another character in the story.

It left with me with the feelings of “even when you feel alone and vulnerable, you never truly are”.

If you love thrillers with teeth, heart, and fierce female spirit this is the one.

I'm not normally a big slow burn fan, but this one totally pays off...dark, tense, and deeply unsettling in the best way. This one got under my skin in a slow, sneaky way... and by the end, I was fully spiraling.

The setup seems simple: Peggy and Drew pack up their lives and move onto a canal boat with their teenage son. Kind of peaceful... kind of weird. But things go downhill fast. Drew gets jealous when Peggy’s writing career starts taking off... and instead of dealing with it like an adult, he slowly drags them farther and farther away from people. Like literally and emotionally.

It’s super atmospheric—quiet water, tight spaces, long silences... you feel the isolation creeping in. And Drew’s gaslighting? Subtle at first, then seriously twisted. You just want to shake Peggy but also totally get why she’s stuck.

The tension builds and builds... and when things finally snap, it’s intense. If you like domestic thrillers with emotional depth, messy relationships, and major “get me off this boat” energy, Adrift is so worth it. Not your average thriller... it’s quiet, heavy, and totally haunting.

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This one was hard to read, trigger warning for emotional abuse. This book takes place in the US, but the characters are originally from the UK I believe, which translates into the writing style. Dual perspectives of a boy and his mom, living, while walking on egg shells with a writer who is suffering from publishers block. Toxic masculinity in the form of the dad character, who just broke my heart, over and over again.

Synopsis: Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.

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.

Oh my gosh I felt like I was the one walking on eggshells while reading this, not just Peggy. Like this book makes you FEEL. So be prepared. To feeeeeel. Anxiety, anger, fear, sadness, hope, disappointment, disgust, faith, relief. So much feels.

What a spectacularly written story. Will Dean is able to make the reader one with the lives of Peggy, Samson, and Drew. It’s difficult to say I liked this book because of just how difficult and stressful it is to read but once 8 started reading I didn’t want to stop. I felt like I had to keep reading because I needed to know how Peggy and Samson turn out, if they would be ok. I was so scared for them the whole time.

If you have active trauma from DV I wouldn’t recommend reading this. But otherwise, I definitely recommend it. Just be prepared.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria, Emily Bestler Books, and Will Dean for this ARC.

This review is only for the publisher. I will not post it elsewhere! My understanding is that this book was written to be set in the UK, but the author wrote an American version too? Regardless, an American editor needs to go over this book. It would be a fairly quick edit, but the dialogue needs a lot of work. (Maybe this has already happened post-ARC??? Fingers crossed!)

Examples: From an American teenage bully: “Skinny little peasant. Look at the armpits on it, dripping they are.”

From an American dad: “Nice for Shelby’s father, that.” (This kind of phrasing is CONSTANT throughout the book, and I kept getting surprised to remember we were supposed to be in Illinois.)

Referring to football gear as a “kit,” plus a mention of “bailiffs."

Referring to a Band-aid as “Elastoplast”

A candy called “white mice” which I’ve never seen in the US.

From an American teen: “You never was!”

“High dependency unit” instead of NICU

I stopped keeping track at some point. Hopefully this can be fixed before publication in the US. Thanks!

Such a good book thank you for letting me read in advance. Five stars. Loved the characters and all the twists and turns. Stayed up way to late trying to finish it in one day.

Dark, gripping, chilling, thought provoking and hard to put down! Adrift left me afloat in isolation, sadness, despair, and pain. Will Dean's latest book, Adrift depicts a mother and son (Peggy and Samson) who are dealing with daily gaslighting, control, abuse, manipulation, and lies. I had a hard time putting this down, while rooting for Peggy and Samson, and hoping that Drew would go float his own boat and leave them alone! This book deals with heavy and triggering subjects such as loneliness, bullying, gaslighting, emotional abuse, control, mental health, manipulation, and controlling behavior.

Peggy and her teenage son, Samson tiptoe around their canal boat, as Drew needs total silence while he writes his next literary hit! He and Peggy are both writers, but it is Drew who had success with it in the past. Now the family live on a canal boat while Drew dictates their lives. Peggy works at a local library, and it is her one safe place. She enjoys her work there and her co-workers are supportive and encouraging of her love of books and writing. It it there where she writes a book that has garnered some interest. Samson is a scholarship student at a local school. He is skinny, perhaps malnourished, and is bullied day in and day out. As Drew continues to gaslight, control, sabotage, and manipulate Peggy and Samson, I found myself feeling many emotions. I felt for both Peggy and Samson while also being amazed at their quiet strength and survival skills. I wanted to give both a hug and encourage them to get out. As the book progresses, there are unexpected events happening around and to them.

Will Dean has created fully fleshed out characters that readers will be moved by - either in a positive or negative way depending on the character. This book was well thought out, dark, rippling with tension and dread. I kept wondering how much more can these characters take? Will Dean did a fantastic job of creating characters readers will care about in Peggy and Samson. I was drawn into their world as a silent observer and hurt for them. I was appalled by Drew's behavior and thought Will Dean did a tremendous job with showing us how one individual can wreck such havoc in the lives of others. This is not an easy book to read but at the same time, I did not want to put it down as I was glued to the pages wanting to know what would happen next.

Wonderfully written, well thought out, dark, gripping and hard to put down!

Was good but a bit hard to read the further along because of the husband’s toxic behavior. Good book though. Highly recommend!

Adrift by Will Dean is the first book I have read by this author.This is a book with emotional abuse and darkness and it covers many hard themes.The story takes place on an old houseboat and tells the story of Peggy and Sam and their interactions with Drew who is the husband and father.This is a psychological thriller of family drama with a lot of darkness It is not feast moving .I guess I was looking for more hopefulness.Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this ARC .

This is the 4th book I’ve read by Will Dean. Is it my favorite? No.
This is not a thriller, nor is it a mystery or suspenseful - if you’re going to read this, get those genres out of your head.
This book is heavy character development and a story about domestic violence and gas lighting. Reading this made me feel some heavy things and once I got past my expectations of a “thriller”, I was ready for the ride.
Dean has the ability to get you attached (or detached) from characters quickly and those first “upsetting parts” VERY MUCH upset me!!!! It says a lot about an author when they get my blood boiling about fictional characters I just met.
I’d recommend this book to anyone that enjoy character driven novels or realistic/literary fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Atria Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

This book made me so sad— there are really people like this in the world? I know there are but I’m just so fortunate to not have firsthand experience with a character like this one (I don’t what to spoil who the bad egg is, but you’ll figure it out when you read). I came to care deeply about the characters (except the one). This was an intense read that I couldn’t put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adrift by Will Dean is the kind of psychological thriller that sneaks up on you and then refuses to let go. Set almost entirely on a claustrophobic canal boat, this story slowly unravels a family dynamic so toxic, you’ll want to reach through the pages and shake someone. (Spoiler: it’s Drew.)
The book centers on Peggy, her husband Drew, and their son Sam—and it does an incredible job of pulling you into their world of isolation, manipulation, and subtle dread. You feel the pressure building with every chapter, like you’re stuck on that boat with them, watching the water rise.

This is not a thriller that relies on cheap twists or action-packed scenes. It’s quiet. It’s psychological. It’s terrifying in its realism. The way Dean captures gaslighting and emotional abuse is unsettling and honest—Peggy’s character especially feels heartbreakingly real. I wanted so badly for her to see the truth, to fight back, to escape.

The themes of autonomy, control, and the fight to reclaim your life are threaded through every chapter. If you’re someone who loves a slow-burn suspense with rich character work and an eerie, immersive atmosphere, this one’s worth the read. It’s uncomfortable—but in the way that matters.

Don’t expect comfort. Expect to feel. And maybe rage a little.

What did I just read??!! Dark, somewhat disturbing, heartfelt, poignant. I can’t think of enough words. Will Dean is a master at weaving a story that stays with you long after the last page. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

With a unique premise and a quick pace, this book had me hooked all the way through. A large chunk of the story takes place on an aging houseboat, which was a fun setting, and the character of Drew was so unsettling and manipulative that he was hard to read about. I felt alternately nauseous, claustrophobic, and angry as I rooted for Peggy and Sam to escape their situation.

I need to mention that this book was sooo much heavier than I expected. There should be a list of trigger warnings including mental/emotional/physical abuse, suicide (more than one), self harm, attempted murder, animal death, and probably more.

The ending was a bit anticlimactic to me even though something quite horrible happens — after everything else I had been reading about for 250 pages it just didn’t hit as hard as the author likely intended. Still well worth the read.

I found this one tough to get into—nothing much seemed to happen for the first 75%, and I struggled to connect with the characters, who were often frustrating and hard to relate to. That said, I eventually really felt Peggy’s mounting frustration, and Drew was disturbingly well-written. His bitterness and need for control as a small, unsuccessful man came through with uncomfortable clarity. Additionally, the novel offers a powerful portrayal of gaslighting and emotional abuse—the kind that’s easy to overlook because it doesn’t leave visible scars.

thank you to atria books and netgalley for this arc. Will Dean has done it again. What an incredible author. This domestic thriller/suspense kept me on my toes. i couldnt put it down and definitely stayed up well past my " bedtime" to finish reading it. 10/10.

A raw and reflective read!

ADRIFT by WILL DEAN

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Genre: Thriller, mystery, suspense
Release date: February 17 2026

Dean delivers a haunting and intimate portrait of a family on the brink, both literally and emotionally. The scene is isolated, tense and atmospheric while it explores the quiet devastation of gaslighting, the claustrophobia of codependency, and the long shadow cast by generational trauma.

Our main characters, once bonded by shared creative ambition, now find themselves unraveling in very different ways. One’s success becomes the other’s envy, fostering a toxic environment that pushes the family deeper into physical and emotional isolation. Dean masterfully captures the emotional dissonance of a family pretending to function while slowly falling apart.

Dean writes each character with such emotion that adds a heartbreaking layer to the narrative. Theres the emotional anchor of the story, worn down by the weight of manipulation and her son’s suffering. Their teenage son, caught in the crossfire of adult dysfunction and his own brutal experiences with bullying. His vulnerability underscores the true cost of parental dysfunction, even when intentions seem loving.

What I find particularly gripping is Dean’s ability to render both setting and character with quiet precision. The canal boat, with its slow movement and creeping isolation, becomes a metaphor for the family’s gradual detachment from reality and safety. The prose is stark but lyrical, and the pacing, while deliberately slow at times, builds to a climax that is both devastating and earned.

I definitely recommend giving it a read if you’re looking for a compelling and dark story about the power dynamics within families and the courage it takes to break free.

Thank you to the author, @netgalley, and the publisher for this advanced readers copy! 😊

Will Dean does it again! This book kept me interested from start to finish. I am looking forward to his next book! Give this one a try.

Wow. What can I say about this absorbing, deep, breathtaking story.
At first I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the abrupt and thought-like dialogue, and I found it slow, yet I had to keep reading. I soon came to realize the writing style mimics our internal thoughts and real family dialogues precisely. In fact, I wound up so caught up in the characters thoughts and dialogue I honestly felt like I was in their heads.
While I wouldn't list this as a traditional thriller, it is something truly special on it's ok. Yes it is slow and not action packed at all; but it explores some intense themes of abuse from domestic, to bullying, and thoughts we probably can all get caught up in.
I was so completely absorbed in this book that after a while I forgot it wasn't some exciting thrill chase (my usual desired genre), and couldn't stop reading.
The author has captured so many intense themes and probably some very close to home for a lot.of us.
Definitely recommend this if you're looking for a slow burn with deep seeded trauma and introspective looks into possibly your own childhood and adult life.
But he warned, if you want action this isn't it.
If you want to really feel character emotions and struggle then pick this one up!
Rounding up to a 5 because this really, really kept me reading even if I found it slow. It is so personal and you sink right into the life of these people. Some very messed up lives and themes that oddly spoke to me. I felt all of their emotions.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

This is the second book I've read by Will Dean and I liked this one more than the last one. I mostly enjoyed the other book but there was a trope that I didn't care for. This book didn't have such polarizing tropes.

Peggy lives with her husband and son on a houseboat. Drew the husband is very controlling and has serious anger issues. He takes his family and moves their houseboat away from the marina so the family has lost any form of community and are now totally isolated.

This was more of a domestic suspense than a thriller. It was very atmospheric with the isolation and the intricacies of living on a houseboat. There is so much gaslighting and domestic/emotional abuse that it shows how Peggy felt trapped to stay as long as she has. I wish publishers would make it more clear that this is suspense because it's beneficial to set your expectations according to how exciting it's supposed to be. If you're expecting thrills and it's a slow-burn suspense then your experience might suffer.

I was hooked with his book and I highly recommend it. Be prepared for being uncomfortable and look for trigger warnings