Thanks to netgalley for this ARC.

This book is a very emotional ride with a lot of intensity throughout. You don't know how you're going to feel next with this book. There is a lot of isolation and suspense the entire book and ends with a satisfying twist.

Dark, gripping, and emotionally charged, Adrift by Will Dean is a chilling exploration of isolation, manipulation, and the strength it takes to survive when the people closest to you are the ones holding you underwater. From the first page, I was pulled into the harrowing journey of Peggy and her son, Samson, and found it nearly impossible to put the book down.

Dean masterfully paints a portrait of emotional abuse—gaslighting, control, manipulation, and relentless lies—that feels all too real. The atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic, mirroring the psychological prison Peggy and Samson are trapped in. I found myself rooting for them with every page, desperate to see them break free and for Drew—the embodiment of control and cruelty—to finally drift away into the nothingness he deserves.

Adrift tackles heavy, triggering themes: emotional abuse, mental health, loneliness, bullying, and the heartbreaking realities of living under someone else's control. It’s not always an easy read, but it is a vital and thought-provoking one. Dean doesn't shy away from the painful truths of toxic relationships, instead illuminating the quiet courage it takes to endure—and ultimately escape—them.

Raw, powerful, and deeply unsettling, Adrift will stay with you long after the final chapter. It left me reflecting on the silent struggles many endure behind closed doors, and the resilience it takes to finally surface for air.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adrift is a tense, beautifully written story about a family living on a canal boat where isolation and control slowly take center stage. Peggy’s quiet strength, Samson’s resilience, and Drew’s unsettling manipulation create a dynamic that is both heartbreaking and impossible to look away from. Dean makes the setting feel almost alive, turning the boat into both sanctuary and prison as the family drifts further from safety.
What I loved most is how the novel captures the creeping dread of emotional captivity while still holding onto hope. It’s suspenseful without ever feeling forced, and the characters stay with you long after the last page. A powerful, haunting, and unforgettable read.
I am a forever fan of Will Dean. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc. Find it where books are sold when it comes out on February 17, 2026!

Peggy and Drew, married with son Samson (14), are both aspiring writers. The family has recently moved away from their home to a small canal boat. In alternating chapters we follow Samson as he is bullied at school and navigating life as a teen, and Peggy who is trying to care for the family. As Peggy finds possible success as a writer Drew moves the family further and further into isolation. Without spoilers the story escalates and you won’t be able to set this book down.

I enjoyed every bit of this book, it finally was the story I’ve been looking for for months. I haven’t had this excitement to go back to my book or keep reading for a while. Absolutely recommend picking this book up! The gaslighting and everything was written so well and I enjoyed all the psychological aspects of this story.

A huge win for Will Dean

Adrift may well be the most haunting, frustrating and maddening book I’ve ever read. The Great Alone was pretty close but this book topped Hannah’s book.
This is an evocative, slow-burning thriller that puts the reader into the dysfunctional world of a family unraveling on a small poorly equipped canal boat. In no way, a boat meant for three people to live.
Married couple, Drew and Peggy , are both aspiring writers, who have moved with their 14 year old son, Samson to an isolated stretch of water in the Midland's (some place close to Cairo, Illinois), hoping to escape the pressures of urban life. But what I picked up is a paranoid man who doesn’t want to be discovered for his serious flaws. Here begins the psychological battleground. Samson is relentlessly bullied by classmates, tormented really. Peggy’s book has been picked up by a small publisher putting Drew and his work on the back burner. He won’t be outshined by a woman! He keeps moving the boat further from civilization, increasing the distance Sam takes to school and Peggy to her library volunteer job, where she is not allowed her to take on a paying position. He doesn’t want her to create any modicum of independence for herself. This deepens the emotional isolation, setting the stage for this chilling and unstoppable descent into darkness.

As I read on, I developed such a relationship with the characters. I wanted to jump in tell Peggy I believe she in not off mentally and protect her. And her son. Drew is a master of gaslighting, manipulation, and effortless narcissism. I wanted to push him off the boat myself.! He seemed to thrive and find joy in torturing his wife and son and having them second guess every little detail and constantly walking on eggshells. He even groomed Samson into a weapon to use against his own mother.

Will Dean’s writing is tense and atmospheric, as you feel the eerie stillness of the canal and the mind bending strain of confinement. Then finally the twist comes when the power dynamic shifts.

The conclusion is both devastating and emotionally moving. It weighed quite heavily on my mind but read on to the epilogues for some peace.

This was a novel I truly could not stop reading.

I ate this book up. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this and I value my sleep over almost anything. From the very first chapter, we are taken along a wild ride of murder, psychological abuse, gaslighting, and so much more.
Through out this book I felt all the emotions. I was excited,
angry, scared, doubting myself and seeing one of my
biggest fears play out.
What an absolute roller coaster of emotions.and honestly
this is all I can say without giving away spoilers.

This was my first time reading a Will Dean book but it sure as shit won’t be my last.

Wow. What a ride! I love when an author can develop a character that you absolutely love or absolutely hate. This book had my blood boiling. I could feel the hate for Drew deep in my soul. The twists had me reading well into the night.

Adrift by Will Dean is an interesting take on a typical domestic thriller. Told from the perspectives of a mother (Peggy) and her son (Samson), we learn how they both survive living with their abuse husband/father. I initially went into this book thinking it was a thriller, after reading it, I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as thriller but rather a suspenseful drama. This book is very sad and depressing at times, specifically reading about all the bullying of the two main characters. The writing is strong which made it easier to read, but ultimately it was emotionally difficult to get through. (3.5/5)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book is an absolute knockout— unflinchingly intense, psychologically riveting, and disturbingly brilliant.

WOW! I have truly and throughly enjoyed each of Will Dean’s books so far! This one was nothing like what I was expecting! I was absolutely hooked from start to finish! I have to say there was an event in the story that made me really angry!!!! How could you!?!?! But, this story was so consuming and so important. The message, the journey of these characters. This can be triggering for some, I would definitely seek out trigger warnings for this one, there is a lot of abuse addressed in this story. His writing style is just so consumable, I’m always drawn all the way into his stories and I can’t wait for everyone to read this one!

Will Dean is an auto buy author me and this book was no different!! If you want a book to make your body physical react just read something from him. This was stellar, no doubt five stars from me! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

3.25⭐️

An emotional and dark book. I wouldn’t say it’s a thriller though. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I knew that before reading. Some parts were super slow and felt dragged out. That being said, I was pretty interested in the plot and there were moments that had me hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

As others have already mentioned, this is CLAUSTROPHOBIC. It's also way heavier than I expected. That wasn't a bad thing, I was just a bit surprised. Honestly, Will Dean is an auto-buy author for me and Adrift has really just cemented his place in the literary world for me.

Adrift is tense, claustrophobic, and honestly hard to read at times—in a good way. Drew is one of the most infuriating, realistic “bad husband” characters I’ve ever read, and the gaslighting made my blood boil. Peggy and Samson had me rooting for them the whole way through.

This isn’t a twisty, fun thriller—it’s heavier, darker, and emotionally draining. But if you can handle the weight, it’s powerful and unforgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This tale truly left me speechless! From the outset, I found myself captivated by Peggy and Sammy. My heart ached for them as they endured the cruelty inflicted by Drew, their husband and father. At times, the narrative was challenging to digest, yet my deep-seated disdain for Drew and my desire for him to face justice fueled my perseverance. The story also included some surprising twists that caught me off guard. Without a doubt, this is a five-star read!

This is such a good book!!! It is a perfect thriller with so many twists and turns. You never really know where the book is going. I think it was full of emotion and great writing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Adrift by Will Dean is a haunting, slow-burning thriller that plunges readers into the claustrophobic world of a family unraveling on a canal boat. Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move with their teenage son Samson to an isolated stretch of water in the Midlands, hoping to escape the pressures of urban life. But what begins as a quiet retreat quickly turns into a psychological battleground. Samson is relentlessly bullied, Peggy’s writing career begins to outshine Drew’s, and Drew’s frustration morphs into controlling behavior. As the boat drifts farther from civilization, the family’s emotional isolation deepens, setting the stage for a chilling descent into darkness2.

The characters are sharply etched, with Peggy emerging as the emotional anchor of the story. Her quiet strength and maternal instincts contrast with Drew’s increasingly manipulative and gaslighting behavior, making their dynamic both disturbing and compelling. Samson, vulnerable yet perceptive, adds emotional weight to the narrative, and his relationship with Peggy becomes a lifeline in the midst of growing tension. Dean’s prose is taut and atmospheric, capturing the eerie stillness of the canal and the psychological strain of confinement. The twist comes when the power dynamic shifts Peggy, pushed to her limits, takes a stand that upends everything, revealing long-buried truths and igniting a chain of irreversible events.

The conclusion is both devastating and cathartic. Dean doesn’t offer a neat resolution but instead delivers a raw, emotionally charged ending that lingers. Peggy’s transformation from passive partner to fierce protector is deeply satisfying, and the final scenes underscore the cost of survival and the strength required to break free from toxic cycles. Adrift is a masterclass in psychological suspense, and as a first-time reader of Will Dean, I found his ability to blend emotional depth with creeping dread utterly captivating. This novel is a chilling reminder that isolation can magnify danger and that sometimes, escape requires more than just distance.

Adrift by Will Dean is about a family of 3, Drew, Peggy, and their son Sam. Drew is a narcissistic abuser who controls Peggy’s life entirely and every decision made made on their isolated houseboat. Throughout the story, we see the toll that this takes on the family, and how they deal with it. This book was emotional, poignant, and I couldn’t put it down. 4/5 stars, thank you so much for the ARC NetGalley!

I’m giving this 2 stars instead of 1 strictly for Phoenix’s character. This book would have been a DNF if not for it being an ARC. It could be the writing style, but it was very minimalist and not for me. I wanted more details on settings, characters, emotions, and on the story has a whole. It felt like the story dragged on with no development until the final few chapters. It was not captivating and it felt very robotic in the storytelling. This book fell flat for me. It left me thinking I could have read the first few chapter and skipped to the end without missing much. Just gaslighting after gaslighting after gaslighting about the same thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books forgiving me this opportunity to review this ARC.

Thank you to atria books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Adrift by Will Dean is one of the most claustrophobic and haunting reads I’ve picked up in a long time. The atmosphere is thick with tension. You can almost feel the walls closing in as you journey alongside Peggy and Samson on their narrow boat. The characters felt so real, I could almost hear their voices and feel their exhaustion in my bones.

What struck me most was the humanity at the heart of the story. Will Dean captures both the darkness of human nature and the moments of quiet beauty that shine through even in the bleakest situations. Despite their suffering, there were still people looking out for Peggy and Samson, which added such depth and emotional resonance to the journey.

It’s the kind of book that pulls you completely under, leaving you breathless until the very end.