4 ⭐

This book deals with some hard subject matter. There is Domestic Violence, Isolation, murder, suicide, one of the MMCs Drew the husband is a narcissist, he is extremely abusive mostly verbally, he plays mind games to keep the wife isolated with their son in a small boat, that is secluded from almost anyone else. Samson the son all he has ever known is the way his father treats his mother. Both parents are writers, but the mothers dreams the father squashes, and he puts down her writing and makes her feel less than! It is really sad to think that there are women in these types of relationships, where they don't have the means to leave, especially when they have a child by the man, they have no money to their name and are isolated with no family. I enjoyed this book in the sense that it was thrilling and eye opening. I will definitely check out more work by this author. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Peggy and Drew live on an old houseboat with their teenage son. Drew runs a strict household, which soon worsens as he moves the boat further up the canal, further from civilization. As Drew’s mood darkens, Peggy makes a decision, with drastic consequences. Adrift is a claustrophobic, dark story of mental abuse at its worst, and this book will have a visceral effect on the reader. While there are few scenes of actual violence, that doesn’t diminish the emotions the reader will experience as this tale of abuse, isolation and mental cruelty unfolds. The less plot details revealed here the better. This is a tough read, but it’s smartly written, hard to put down, and it’ll stay with you for a while. The best of this author’s books. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

🚤 ARC REVIEW 🚤

PUB DATE: Feb 16 2026

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Pensive Stars

😵😵😵 oh my gosh , I had NO idea what to expect when I requested this book , but let me tell you it’s not even close to what I thought it would be .

“He seems rattled. He knows I am taking myself back from him , tiny piece by tiny piece .”

I do not know how to review this book with out giving any spoilers but I’ll try my best not to.

Told from dual POV’s Peggy and Peggy’s son Samson who is a 14 year old teenage boy .

They have a hard life living on a boat in a canal with Drew the father and husband of Peggy .

There is this slow tension throughout the book that keeps building and building, and every breath I read felt on borrowed time .

There was this visceral feeling with the turn of each page and I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller but more of a mystery with this beautiful foreboding playing in the background just waiting for the bomb to drop .

The character building was so raw and tender and calculated, at one point I didn’t know if I could continue because my heart was breaking for Samson and all I wanted to do was reach inside the book and tell him “ I got you , you’ll be ok “

This is my first Will Dean novel and has now become an auto buy for me , i literally can’t shake it .

Although the ending was not quite what I was looking for it still blew my socks off so that’s saying something 😂😂

I really think fans of S.A. Cosby and Jon Basoff will gobble this one up !

Thank you NetGalley , Atria Books , and Will Dean for this astonishing ARC🖤

⭐ Rating: 5/5 stars (all the stars, really)

I went into this one blind (didn’t even read the blurb first) and honestly? It blew me away. Adrift is one of those books that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go, it’s intense, emotional, and at times disturbing, so please know this going in.

What It’s About ❔

This isn’t your typical thriller. It follows Peggy, her husband Drew, and their son Samson living on a rundown canal boat. On the surface, Drew, once a famous author, claims he just needs “peace and quiet” to write again. But what’s really happening is far darker.
Drew is manipulative, controlling, and downright terrifying.

Peggy is quietly, secretly fighting for her independence.
Samson, only 14, is caught in the middle, bullied at school, isolated, and desperate for a way out.

Every chapter is full of dread and claustrophobia. It’s about toxic control, survival, and one woman’s bravery to stand up and protect her son before history repeats itself.

Why I Loved It ❤️

The psychological tension was next level
Peggy’s secret writing was such a powerful act of rebellion, and I rooted for her with every page.

The atmosphere of living in isolation on that creaky canal boat was written so vividly I could almost smell the damp air.

Will Dean doesn’t shy away from tough topics, bullying, emotional abuse, gaslighting, forced isolation, but he handles them with such honesty.

If I could explain the look on my face after finishing this book I’d have to say I was just pale and spent. I am still thinking about Peggy and Samson long after I closed it. It’s not an easy read, but it’s one I’ll never forget and would love to read again for the first time.

If you love psychological thrillers that dig deep into human relationships and survival, this is a must-read.

This will be one of my favourite reads of 2025.

Thank you so much @willrdean for this masterpiece as well as @atriabooks & @netgalley for my eARC.

This one’s expected Feb 17, 2026

4⭐️
Will Dean’s upcoming release ADRIFT (publishes February 17, 2026) shows how Andrew has terrorized his wife Peggy and teenage son Samson and anyone he sees as obstacles in not having 100% of their attention.

Andrew is a villain–completely evil. The author gives Andrew no nuance or even one positive characteristic, which seems unrealistic. You’re pulling for Peggy and Samson to escape his clutches because you can see how there is no easy way out for them. Andrew is completely controlling them through finances, living conditions, psychology, and taking away any other outlet they have. The terror Andrew instills is complete.

➕ Portrays ongoing domestic abuse
➕ Good writing
➕ Exquisite cover

➖ No nuance, particularly in Andrew
➖ Could be rough to read for some readers with a history of domestic abuse
➖ Predictable

This novel publishes February 17, 2026. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Will Dean is gonna deliver a claustrophobic thriller like no other. I felt like I couldn’t breathe several times and if you like that thing you will love this

4.5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley and Atira Books for early access to to Adrift by Will Dean!

In Adrift, Will Dean tackles domestic violence in through eyes of the child and adult victims. Emotional abuse, coercion, gaslighting, and financial control and manipulation are all very present in this story - readers who are triggered by these topics should be aware and read with care.

The charter development and overall story were developed well and pulled me in. I found some of the writing a bit “choppy” in places, but this didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of the story and l was definitely invested in the outcome for both Samson and Peggy.

If you enjoyed “The Great Alone", “Educated”, or the like - then I highly suggest you check out Adrift when it’s released on February 16, 2026!

Let me start by saying this was my first Will Dean book and WOW. I really need to read through his catalog. I was completely submersed in the scenes. I felt awkward, scared, and nervous. I wanted to shake the main FMC so many times. If you want a fast paced, atmospheric, psychological thriller… this is definitely the one!

Wow. Adrift is real, raw, and tense. Take care of yourself when reading this. This book deals with a lot of real themes of trauma and abuse. And not always visual. It’s an emotional, dark, disturbing ride. I hate saying it’s an incredible thriller or how riveting it was because of how real and emotional is.

Kudos to the author. Fully recommend this, but know your limits.

Thank you for the arc!

4.5/5 stars 🌟! This book follows main characters Peggy, her husband Drew, and their son Samson as they fight to survive familial and individual struggles while drifting farther into isolation on their canal house boat. Yet another Will Dean thriller that did not disappoint!

This story was frustratingly addictive, powerful, heartbreaking, and captivating all at the same time. Characters so raw and real, and despite the heavy themes depicted throughout, I found myself completely invested in their journey from the very first page. The setting was also so vivid; the canal boat almost felt like another character in itself. I did find myself waiting for a few more plot twists to happen, although now I realize I don’t think that’s the point, nor purpose the author was trying to convey. This is a story about life, about survival, with characters that linger long after you turn the last page. I can’t wait to see what Will Dean writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria / Emily Bestler Books, and the author for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

- Pub date: February 17, 2026 -

This was my first book from
this author and it was fantastic! The characters were so real and the plot full of suspense. I could not stop reading this book and when I had to stop, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

This book was not quite what I expected, which I think is mainly because it is mislabeled as a thriller. The book is well written with a good storyline that holds you attention, but I would not consider it a thriller. Overall, it made me sad, and I felt the ending was a bit rushed and anticlimactic. Additionally, there are a few plot pieces I don’t feel were well explained or ever fully answered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.25 stars

Will Dean is a master of crafting slow, suffocating desperation. Adrift was my second Dean novel—after The Only One Left, which I dove into knowing almost nothing. That book was unlike anything I’d read before, and Adrift echoed its tone while delivering a completely fresh and compelling story.

Dean’s writing pulls you in with quiet intensity. I kept turning pages not because of explosive action, but because I had to know what came next. Only a gifted author can do so much with so little movement. His characters feel startlingly real—their emotions leap off the page and settle into your own psyche.

The atmosphere of unease is relentless. It’s the kind of dread that creeps in slowly and never lets go. I genuinely feel like I need a fast-paced popcorn thriller just to decompress.

If you love suspense, richly drawn characters, and that slow-burn tension that lingers long after the final page, I highly recommend this book.

One note on the epilogues: I wasn’t sure if both were meant to be published together or offered as alternate endings. The first felt more somber but needed more development to fully land its emotional impact. The second, more hopeful one, resonated more strongly for me as a satisfying close.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have a very positive, dnf review. I am not in a place emotionally, anxiety-ally to handle this book right now. However, I have read other Will Dean novels and they are excellent.

I got about a third of the way through Adrift, and it is in praise of Dean that the characters feel so real, and the situations so plausible that my fragile emotional state just cannot handle it right now. This is actually an A+ review if you are looking for something absolutely devastating and depressing.

I will be back after release in February., and when I'm ready.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc.

This was a frustratingly wild ride (literally and figuratively). Every time I read a Will Dean book, the ending ALWAYS has me sitting and thinking about my life choices every single time, and if I should read more books by said author. (I always do).

If you want an emotionally driven and dark domestic-ish family thriller, this is it.

I am not a water person, so the thought of being stuck on a boat with my family already sends me anxiety into overdrive.

This has multiple POV's, and a houseboat the family lives on, so a very confined space. A lot of family tension and some struggles with mental health. Peggy and her husband are both writers, so there's also the authors trope involved in this. (two married writers in a confined space? what could go wrong, lol).

Thank you to Will Dean, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a phenomenal thriller. It made me nervous the entire time I was reading it and truly made me question a lot of the things that were happening. This is probably my top thriller I’ve read this year, and I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author!!

This bone-chilling, intense and riveting thriller made me anxious within the first pages. It was raw and thought-provoking as well. I strongly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for giving me the opportunity to read this captivating thriller.

WHAT HAPPENED?! This book is a visceral, heart-pounding survival thriller that will leave you breathless.

This novel is a masterclass in claustrophobic tension, trapping the reader alongside its protagonist in a terrifying and desperate situation at sea.

Dean has a phenomenal talent for making the vast, empty ocean feel like the most suffocating and dangerous place on earth. The sense of isolation is palpable, and the psychological weight of the ordeal is handled with an expert hand, making the protagonist's struggle feel incredibly real and immediate.

What makes this book a five-star triumph is its relentless pacing and its surprising depths. The plot is a lean, mean machine of suspense, with every chapter adding to the escalating horror and every decision feeling life-or-death.

The narrative takes sharp, unexpected turns that will challenge your perception of what's happening. For anyone seeking a truly immersive, unforgettable thriller that will push you to your limits, Adrift is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a temporary e-ARC!

I really like Will Dean. It's fun to read his books because he always takes you into a different scene. This one is about a family living on a boat and what happens when there's some mental health issues with at least two of the family members. This was very sad and suspenseful. I wasn't sure what was going to happen and kept waiting for the twists and turns. I'd definitely recommend it.

I've gone back and forth on how to rate this. The writing style felt a bit dry for my tastes. However, that's personal preference, not a reflection on the author.

The character development is very well done. The level of little details that contribute to the whole, without dragging the story down, is impressive. These things work together to draw the reader into the story. It is intense and heartbreaking at times.