This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations. The character development was excellent. I would definitely recommend to others, a must read!

If you are looking for a book that operates in the gray area and isn’t strictly black and white then give Adrift a chance. I would classify this book as a physiological mystery and if you liked the book The Last Thing He Told Me than this book is definitely right up your alley.

Ess wakes up on a boat with no recollection of who she is and how she got here and all she has to go on is a note. What seems like a simple case of amnesia turns into something almost sinister when more strange consequences arise. With the help of new people and a mysterious shadow, Ess searches for answers but she begins to wonder if finding them is worth the hassle.



Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

“Even if you know the odds are astronomically against you, when everything else is dark, a tiny spark of hope has immense power.”

"This is the only way out alive. Start over. Don’t make yourself known. Don’t look back.....You want answers, but this has been done to keep you from them."

"The old ways weren’t working anymore, but people were desperate to stick to what had once made them prosperous and they stubbornly refused to adapt. Refused to change."

"Something had snapped. She felt detached. Rudderless. Entirely adrift."

Blurb: Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat in the remote Pacific Northwest with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a note, but it's more warning than comfort: Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back. Ess must have answers. She sails over a turbulent ocean to a town hundreds of miles away that, she hopes, might offer insight. The chilling clues she uncovers point to a desperate attempt at erasing her former life. But why? And someone is watching her…someone who knows she must never learn her truth. In Ess's world, the earth is precariously balanced at a climate tipping point, and she is perched at the edge of a choice: which life does she want? The one taken from her—and the dangerous secret that was buried—or the new one she can make for herself?

My thoughts: You guys, this one we intriguing, and I couldn't put it down because I had the "what the heck is happening??" vibe! I loved the setting (freaking love all things boats!) The storyline, the plot and the characters. The ending was pretty predictable and wrapped up with a bow, and I think with this type of story it could've been more drastic (CLIMATE CHANGE KILLS EVERYONE!! THE END!) but it was still good! You guys should pick this one up!

This is such a unique and thought provoking concept! The book started off a little slow for me but it really picked up about halfway through, and I loved how it ended.

Waking up on a boat, unsure of her surroundings, "Sarah" finds a note telling her not to look for her past. Sarah has no memories. She can still function and knows how to do things, she just has no memories of who she is. She's got a sailboat, identification, and a bank account in a foreign country. How would you react to that type of news? You don't know if you have family, a job, a partner, or even your true name. Sarah is determined to find out anything she can about herself, despite the warning note.

This book was very thought provoking. It's impossible to think how you would feel at having no memories at all. It started off slowly, but built up into an amazing, beautiful story of human connection. There is a bit of suspense too and obviously Sarah doesn't know that she can trust anyone. I really enjoyed the story once it picked up a bit.

This was such a unique and interesting book. I felt it was more of a slow burn mystery than a thriller. I was intrigued from the beginning and I liked how the pace kept ramping up. I loved the premise and it didn’t feel like anything I had ever read before

What happens when you wake up alone...on a sailboat,..on the open water...and have no idea who or where you are? She finds a notes that says "Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back." This is where we meet Ess.

I really enjoyed this book, though it was a bit slower of a burn than I usually prefer. The story was good and the characters were very vivid. The dilemma: do you choose safety or the desire to know who you are?

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Adrift by Lisa Brideau: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Format: ebook courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley

The truth won't always set you free...

The year is 2038. The effects of climate change are live and in stereo. Hundreds of millions of people have been displaced by rising sea levels and inhospitable conditions. But those major problems are only the background when Ess wakes up on a sailboat in the Pacific ocean with no memory of who she is or how she got there, only the ominous warning: Don't make yourself known. Don't look back.

This excerpt from the novel’s blurb puts it best: In Ess's world, the earth is precariously balanced at a climate tipping point, and she is perched at the edge of a choice: which life does she want? The one taken from her—and the dangerous secret that was buried—or the new one she can make for herself?

I can’t think of another climate change science fiction-dystopian book that I’ve read… ever. Though the setting affects much of the plot, the story is really about the mystery behind Ess’ identity. The blurb for this book is fantastic, and the cover is stunning- but I did not enjoy this book quite as much as I thought I would. Many of the questions are left unanswered by design, and though I can appreciate the author’s decision, that is not a choice that will please everyone. Some of the MCs decision making logic seemed flawed or confusing, and so little is known about her or the world that I had a very hard time getting past 25% and almost DNFd. If this wasn’t a NetGalley read and I didn't want to take the percentage hit, I probably would have given up.

Things did get a bit better in the second half when Ess gets to Nanaimo and forges real relationships with other people and more information is laid out, but it takes a while to get there and then there are still lots unanswered by the end. Also, there is weirdly a LOT of vomiting.

You know those Thrillers where the MC wakes up with memory loss and the whole story is about finding out who they are and why they can’t remember? And it usually has something to do with the husband? Yea, I hate those stories! It’s like rinse and repeat for me. Every one I’ve ever read has been a carbon copy of the first one I read. <<Yawn>>

Except this one! This one is u like any memory loss story I’ve ever read.

Not gonna lie, I almost didn’t pick this one up when I saw it was a memory loss theme. But the Climate Change and Pacific Northwest theme had me take a second look… and I’m really so glad it did.

I really loved this story and actually could not put it down!

Great, different type of characters, unique settings and the dystopian type feel to the story gave this a fresh new perspective.

Full of action and suspense, this one is definitely worth the read!

This book was very different than I anticipated. Even though I read the synopsis and was aware of the theme, I expected more of a survival on the seas (sailboat) story. Great concepts and themes, though!

Hmm. So. Lots of thoughts about this one. I don't think amnesia thrillers are for me? Because I've only read one or two that have been done well. And this one, uh, let's just say I probably would've DNFed it if it hadn't been an arc?

This is an INCREDIBLY slow burn. I found the first third of this book so boring and ended up switching to something else because my brain refused to concentrate, it was so bored. (I was reading this at work and could only read so I didn't have any other options to get up and do something else and come back to it since work was slow.) The other two thirds weren't too bad. So I am glad I powered through. But I might also avoid amnesia thrillers in the future??

What I did really like about this book is the commentary on climate change. This is set in a future that could all too easily become a reality so, in a way, this read more like a horror story than anything. I liked that this book wrote a world that could easily exist (as much as I dearly hope it never does).

As a thriller though, I just wasn't a fan? This ended up being more of a mystery but the pieces were easy to assemble so I guessed all of the twists before they happened. This ultimately ended up being more about sailing than anything which really took the edge off the thriller aspect. It did get it back by the end though??

Overall, this was just pretty meh for me? It did get better after a VERY slow start but it ultimately didn't really stand out to me? I was mostly just glad to be done so I could focus on the other book I'd started as I was enjoying it more.

Anyway. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

In ADRIFT, Lisa Brideau, a sustainability specialist, has written a fantastic debut eco-thriller. It is fantastic in both senses of the word: well written and engaging, and also a fifteen year stretch into the future when global warming has changed the world's landscape. The setting is the Canadian coast, where refugees who have lost their homes to the rising oceans and heat farther south are arriving. Wild storms are pounding the coastline, each more unprecedented than the last, adding to the sense of life's fragility.

On the ocean, a woman wakes up alone on a sailboat with a horrific headache and no autobiographical memories. She has no memory of sailing in the past, but must find her way to safety in part by freeing her mind from logical constraints and letting her body's muscle memory take over. Throughout the book, she searches for an answer to the question of her past. Her efforts are successful enough that she knows she was part of something illegal. As she builds a new life, she grapples with the conflict between needing to know her past and becoming a new version of herself in the present.

This was truly an un-putdownable book for me. Ess, the main character, struggles to find her place and identity all while facing peril from the elements, border patrol, criminals, and the medical establishment. The various locales in the book are extremely well written and transportative. The storms are almost characters in themselves: frightening, villainous characters. Human characterization is very strong, with the reader feeling the disorientation Ess feels as she tries to make sense of how to live in this new life in which she finds herself. The supporting characters are equally well written, making each feel like a real, complex person. Brideau drops bits of experience into the plot just as Ess must have experienced them, as tiny clues to her past.

The plot, with the criminal, medical, natural, and authoritative world all threatening Ess in either her current or past identity, is very fast-paced and fully engaging. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to read the last half of this book, unable to put it down. Even in the midst of this strong plotting, Brideau manages to make the reader reflect upon the nature of identity and social responsibility, bringing a depth to the book that far exceeds most thrillers.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel, given its complexity and finesse. I will certainly be watching for Brideau's next effort.

Wow! What a great debut. This one had me hooked right from the start. The ending was very satisfying too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Adrift - Mini Review 🛥️⬇️

ARC - Pub Date May 9

Okay, so we know I don’t always love a mystery/thriller so this book wasn’t necessarily for me but it did keep my interest and I do think it’s 3 star worthy 😁

The story was different, I did like the characters and the ending was decent. Overall, if you like mystery/thrillers give this one a try 😊

Adrift is a complete surprise of a debut. It’s a unique speculative thriller. I was intrigued with the choices Ess made throughout. It’s a fast-paced page turner I’d recommend reading.

A woman wakes up on a sailboat, and has no memory of who she is, or where she is.
So begins this book, which is set in 2038, during a climate change crisis.
People are fleeing areas that have been destroyed by storms and rising sea flood waters, and Canada has become a safe refuge.
Ess, as she names herself, has found a note that tells her to hide, never try to find her true identify, and don’t seek any answers about her past life-or else she will be in grave danger.
She has no memory at all, yet she is still able to read navigational charts, tie complicated boat knots, and raise the sails. Thus, her journey begins to start a new life, AND find answers to explain her amnesia, despite the warnings on the note.
This was an interesting book, with an intriguing premise. Certainly a look into the potential future is quite frightening, but human nature of kindness and goodness remains still exists.
4 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmarks publishing for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

This book was not what I expected. Right away there was a twist I didn't see coming and it surprised me. I love when books do that. It was interesting the way the author created her setting. The book however, was slow in some parts and nothing was happening. It really picked up towards the end, but the end itself was bland. The book was entertaining and I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I wouldn’t call the book a thriller, more of a mystery. But it is as an enjoyable read.

Adrift - Lisa Brideau

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this captivating eARC.

Imagine waking up alone a boat on the open sea, with no meinmory of how you got there, and no idea if you ever learned how to navigate a watercraft, with only ONE botte of fresh water on-board...

That is just the beginning of this mind-blowing story, Finding out WHO is responsible for putting the book's main character (Ees) in this dire situation will really blow your mind.

Until next time, hold on tight, you are in for a heck of a ride!

I’m going to be very honest and say that at first I wasn’t at all sure about this book. I did keep reading and I am glad I did. This book is unlike anything I have read and the more I think about it the more things I realize I liked. It’s so unlike anything I have ever read and I definitely want to read the author’s next book.

Ess wakes up and has no idea who she is, where she is for what happened. All she has is a note basically telling her what not to do and to just live her life.

What follows is Ess’s search for answers and also learning who she is and wants to be. It was so interesting realizing she had some knowledge, for example how to sail, but no recollection of learning it.

In the background of this story and also playing a major part is what has happened to our planet by the year 2038. So much of this could happen regarding areas being underwater and increased daily temperatures.

The book being set in the future, but not so far that it seems out of reach was also interesting to me. The year 2038 is one most of us will live to see and we are already seeing things described in this book.

This story is quite the journey with Ess. I found myself wondering what I would do in the same situation. I’m still not sure.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.