Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this thought-provoking and interesting novel set in the near future (2038 -2039). In a dystopian near future, climate change has accelerated with disastrous results. Floods, stronger storms, unbearable heat, drought, crop failure, and famine are now usual. These are addressed urgently and are all too believable. People are fleeing their now unmanageable situations in the USA and flocking to Canada as refugees, where the conditions have not become as grim....yet. This is a slow-paced book, and its classification as a thriller is a mistake. It is more of a psychological drama where desperate choices are made. Are people willing to have their past lives obliterated and forge new ones? I regret I was not fully engaged. I failed to connect with some of the notable characters.

A woman wakes up on a boat in turbulent waters near the island of Haida Gwaii near the BC coast. She has lost memory of her past and cannot recall who she is and how she got there. She cannot recognize her face in a mirror but knows how to navigate the sailboat and read charts. Only her personal memories are gone. Documents identify her as Sarah Song and that she is the boat's registered owner, has access to a large sum of money, and other identification papers. She feels this is not her actual name and calls herself Ess. She has a strong suspicion that she is under electronic surveillance and is being followed. Is this to cause her great harm or to protect her? She worries that she may be fleeing some wrongdoing in her past. She finds notes saying: Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back. These directions increase her unease.

I felt references to boats, sailing, and navigation took me out of the mystery. Later discussion of the neurology of amnesia was interesting but detracted from the story. After a mishap on the boat, Ess goes on shore to the beautiful, forested island where the people are welcoming, but she feels driven to uncover who she used to be and why those memories were erased. Was it deliberate? While sailing far along the coast of British Columbia, she learns that many refugees are showing up with amnesia, and without the resources that had been left for her. Why is she different? Her symptoms are similar.

She meets a man, Hito, who I a member of Harbour Patrol. Among his duties is rounding up amnesiacs, sending them for neurological assessment and then into detention. She knows she must keep her condition secret from him, even though a romance may be slowly developing. Hito's troubled and unstable sister, Yori, was once a talented artist. Ess and Yori form a deep and strong friendship, which I thought unlikely. Ess explains her present circumstances to Yori, who vows confidentiality, and she requests Yori's help. She keeps her distance from Hito but may be harbouring feelings for him. Finally, Ess learns that a flight to Vancouver can fully uncover her past life. A terrible storm puts Yori's life in danger, and Ess chooses to rescue her and save her life, missing her chance to discover details of her past in Vancouver. However, most of the mystery of why her memory has been blocked and the reasons are already known to her.

Now she must choose whether to pursue her old life or to live in a time of climatic disaster with an entirely new life, new identity and friends. How far would one go to avoid their grim circumstances at home for a place with a more stable climate but without their past memories?

Imagine waking up with zero memories of who you are, or anything from your life on a sailboat, in the future where global warming is in full swing and natural disasters are everywhere.

That is the general idea of this book. I loved the mystery of Ess trying to figure out who she is, what kind of person she was, and her connections she makes with two people she meets in Canada. I literally feel like I can’t say much about the plot because it would be giving you spoilers, but it was an enjoyable read! The plot went in a direction I didn’t expect at all, and the pacing was on point. It starts with a bang right off the bat so you immediately get sucked into the storyline. I’m not sure how I would classify the genre. It isn’t a thriller, maybe more of a psychological mystery? This was a fantastic debut novel!

DNF @ 38%

I think some people will really like this book - it is an interesting premise and well written; however, for myself, I found it too slow-paced and not as thrilling as I was hoping it would be. I think I could try picking this book up again and finishing it, but for right now, I just don't think I was the audience for it.

When a woman wakes up on a yacht Mord by a group of violence saying her name is Sarah with a bunch of cash and her financial and personal credentials she cannot remember her past and she finds a note warning her not to look for answers but to look towards the future and do not make herself known. She spends the first few days alone even for going getting her water system fixed and despite feeling thirsty and totally dehydrated when I man comes to check on her in his own boat and she can clearly see water in his she doesn’t ask for any due to being nervous and not wanting to give her situation away. When she finds a business card from a boat repair shop that’s on an island six weeks away she said the course to go there despite the talk of bad weather. After a treacherous trip that almost killed her she finally makes it to the island and goes to the repair shop where she meets Moe who instantly acts like she knows Sarah and even though this is what Sarah was hoping for she is a little taken aback after questioning Mo she finds out she went there with an intimidating man who acted more like her employee then the boss. Later on back on the boat the harbor police make their presence known and say they’re climbing aboard. after an inspection in an awkward conversation with a good looking harbor police S hand him the papers for the boat and find out that she is at a class level the that insist her and her boat be treated with kit gloves. Before the cop leaves however he a XS if she would like him to show her the island and unlike her past personality she said yes. OK I’m going to stop here because just like the book I’m totally losing enthusiasm to write this review it’s about a woman who wants the fine I’ll wash of them Knigge why she has to take these pills every day and who the hell watches before all this started. The things she will find out will be shocking and although they have many twists in this book it just wasn’t really my type of book that was romance adventure what’s that all falls under my wheelhouse but I don’t know if it was her ridiculous personality I DK I know the author is one of my favorites and so I thought I would absolutely love this book and even put it on the list of books I couldn’t wait to read but unfortunately it just wasn’t my type of book I finished it only for the purposes of this review but I would’ve definitely DNF this book had I read it on my own time. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This is more of a mystery book than thriller but I really enjoyed it. Ess wakes up on a boat with complete amnesia with a note saying Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back. Should she do as the note says and start over or try and figure out who she is? I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Lisa Brideau brings her debut novel to forefront with this psychological mystery, more than thriller, with Adrift.

Imagine waking up on a sailboat alone and not knowing where you are, or more importantly, WHO you are; then you find a note that say to move forward and not look back. This is our first introduction to the main character Sarah (Ess) Song.

With the undeniable knowledge of sailing, Lisa Brideau slowly reveals the thrilling journey of Ess as she attempts to figure out who she is and what happened that caused her amnesia. The revelations that she finds are unpredictable and intriguing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC and for the opportunity to read and to provide an honest and unbiased review. 3.5 stars

Ess has no memories. The first thing she remembers is being alone on a sailboat, drifting near a remote island off the coast of Canada, with a note telling her to start her life over and warning her not to look back, telling her “this is the only way out alive.” But once she makes her way to civilization, she finds out she’s not the only person this has happened to - though all the others have been taken into custody and studied. In spite of the warnings, Ess feels driven to find out what happened to her, but she must do so without being found out.

I've seen plenty of books start out with the main character having no memory, usually in the sci-fi genre. Since this book takes place in the future during a climate crisis, and centers around memory-erasing technology, it’s definitely sci-fi, though it doesn’t really have the feel of a sci-fi book. I think it’s supposed to be a thriller, but it’s not especially fast-paced. I found my attention drifting (ha) frequently as I read this book. One of the most suspenseful things that happens, in terms of emotional stakes, was resolved quickly and easily, which was kind of a letdown because I thought the book was finally about to get good. The story revolves around Ess, but she’s kind of bland, maybe in part because she’s a blank slate memory-wise. I always found the side characters, like Raven, Hito, and Yori, more interesting. The side characters are what saves this book from a lower rating.

This is an okay book but there’s better climate change sci-fi, memory-loss sci-fi and memory-loss thrillers out there.

I’ve honestly never read a book with this kind of plot line. I thought the idea of using amnesia was excellent and it really helped Ess find herself as a person.

DNF at 50%. There was so much boating/sailing talk that I just couldn't get into this. The main character had no motivation to find out what was going on with her so why would I care? I felt like the plot/premise seemed like it would be really strong starting out but just kind of fizzled as the book went on and got super bland. Not the book for me.

Special thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will say this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Set in the future of the 2030s and paints a lot of backstory of the climate crisis the entire Earth is in.

We meet Sarah as she awakes on a sailboat alone, and confused not knowing who she is or why she’s there. She quickly finds a note telling her not to dig up her past, and that she will not be able to remember anything from her prior life because her memory has been wiped.

After sailing to Nanaimo and meeting a Harbor Authority sailor named Hito, we start to watch Sarah (now going by Ess) try to unravel the story of how she came to be, and what is going on. She quickly befriends Hito and his sister Yori, and is on a thrilling chase to figure out who she was in her past life, and why this memory wipe, and fresh start was necessary.

Read like a true thriller, I could not put this book down. I kept telling myself one more chapter, as I read late into the night. The story ends with all your questions answered, which is something I really appreciate in a suspenseful story like this.

I think this book will for sure be one of the hottest thriller reads this summer!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. From the start the story grasps you with such a wild beginning, a woman waking up in the middle of the ocean with no knowledge of who she is and how she got there. With each page it helped you better understand who Ess truly was- smart, thoughtful and a truly good friend.

There were several parts in the book though that frustrated me: the intensity of the storms just seemed to be overdone but yet the damage was not mentioned again at all throughout the rest of the book. The meeting of Hito seemed so off its hard to think about someone immediately going on a date with an officer who just searched the boat of a "possible criminal".

Although there were holes in the book I find it easy to overlook because the book overall was a great read with lots of detail and an interesting story line. I would recommend this book.

I am still trying to work out my thoughts on this read. It is a slow burn that can be a bit muddled in the beginning. Which you can attribute to the main characters amnesia, you are just as confused as she is. Why is she waking up on a sailboat in the remote Pacific Northwest. She does not know her name, why she is bobbing around in the ocean, and what she is supposed to do. There is a note telling her not to look back, not to dig up her past, to move forward. If I was put into this position, I know I would want to know what my real name is and want to know my story. Ess of course decides to dig, having her sailing over traitorous waters. Dealing with the ever-climbing seas, and terrifying storms that are caused by climate change. Will she ever find out her story?

There were certain aspects of the book that bugged me. How can they clean up after category five hurricanes so fast? This my biggest hurdle of the book I could not overcome. If you enjoy dystopian novels, with complicated characters I would suggest this book. The mystery of who exactly is Ess is a fun one to be in the middle of. The people she meets along the way add an interesting element that makes you want to keep reading. Thank you to Lisa Brideau and Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy.

This book hard to classify, but I wouldn't call it a thriller. It's more of a psychological mystery. I love the premise. The main character, Ess, wakes up on a sailboat, alone, and has no idea who she is. Her efforts to reveal her identity, layer after layer, are compelling. It's more of a slow burn than I would like, but it maintains its mystery and intrigue throughout.

The author's knowledge of sailing is obvious, and some of the best parts of the book are when Ess is re-learning how to sail and fighting the ocean alone on her boat.

I think adding more "thriller" elements would have improved the book overall.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I very much enjoyed Adrift!
I found the premise very interesting, and the memory loss logically portrayed. I enjoyed all of the main characters, though especially Yori’s character. The pacing of the plot and the reveals of information were well handled; there were no bits of slowness of story and I was always wanting more information. The end was a little neat and tidy - the final “twist” was not a huge reveal, but was enjoyable and a sufficient end to a well-written story.

I liked the premise of this book and there were things that I found interesting about it but for some reason I just didn’t connect with it.

Maybe because Ess’ memory is erased and she doesn’t know anything about herself that it felt like there wasn’t much there to connect to?

It’s more plot driven and a little heavy on the info dumps. I found myself skimming sections and I wasn’t overly engaged in the story, I was more curious about the outcome.

One thing I did like about it was this feeling of hopefulness that Ess finds in starting her life over. It takes her awhile to come to terms with the loss of her old life but she begins to see it for the second chance that it is.

I know this is marketed as a thriller but I think it’s more a mystery... Sarah, who goes by Ess, is trying to remember who she is. She has no previous memory and the world is dealing with climate issues due to global warming.

The mystery was intriguing. I definitely wanted to know what Ess was going to do. Was she one of the amnesia refugees? Will she listen to the note or will she look back into how she got there? But just know it’s a slow burn mystery. It took me a little bit to become invested in the story and for it to actually unravel.

I like the sailing parts! They made for some tense moments when Ess was navigating through them. Even though I know nothing about sailing, it was nice to learn a little bit about it. Did it seem repetitive or drag sometimes with all the sailing? Yes. But I still enjoyed those moments.

Overall, it was a solid debut novel. I’d say go into this one as more of a mystery with some self discovery and you’ll be set. Don’t look at it as a thriller or you’ll be disappointed.

Upcoming D E B U T novel to put on your radar, “Adrift” by Lisa Brideau!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Sarah/Ess wakes up on a boat with terrible pounding migraine. She is all alone with no recollection how she got there .. and zero memory to boot. She finds a note onboard that urges her to move forward and NOT move back:

“There are pills in the drawer for the headaches. You want answers, but this has been done to keep you from them. This is the only way out alive. Start over. Don’t make yourself known. Don’t look back” 🤯

And with that, the downward spiral begins! This book is incredibly atmospheric, emotionally charged and touches on themes like climate change issues in the future, hidden identities and memory loss!

Thank you kindly to @bookbrideau @bookmarked @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This unique debut releases on May 9, 2023!

This book was so refreshingly captivating. Set into the future the main character, Sarah but she goes by Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat. Her memory is gone, she doesn’t know how she got there but finds a note that says: Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back.
The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest area of Canada. From the first chapter I was installed hooked to the mystery of what was happening. She struggles with wanting answers about her past life but also fear of who to trust to be able to find that information. Slowly as she uncovers a few details so more of the reason she is in the situation she is in becomes more apparent. This book was a thrilling read, the chapters flew by. The cover is also beautiful! Such a fantastic well written debut. The details of the story and location were well done. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I'd long to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of Adrift.
I wouldn't call this a thriller but more of a mystery. This book was an interesting read. It takes place in 2039. The entire world is dealing with global warming, which in turn is causing a host of climate issues. All the climate issues are causing a mass amount of people to flee, and as a result there's a refugee crisis dealing with amnesia. Ess, short for Sarah, wakes up on a boat and cannot remember anything about her life. Ess is confused as she knows how to sail, is on a boat, and has money. Ess is determined to find out about her prior life and how she ended up on this boat.
This was an intriguing book, but as someone who isn't huge in sailing, it left my kind wandering at times. I did enjoy Adrift though. The pace built up as the story went along. The ending was great.

Adrift is a 2023 novel by Lisa Brideau. Readers follow Ess, a woman who wakes up on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean with no memory of who she is or how she got there. As she tries to piece together her past, she must also contend with the dangers of the open sea and the possibility that she may not be alone.

The book is well-written and engaging. Brideau does an excellent job of conjuring up a sense of suspense and mystery, and Ess is a sympathetic and relatable character. The setting of the open ocean is also well-realized, and Brideau does an excellent job of capturing the beauty and danger of the sea.

However, the book is not without its flaws. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and the ending is somewhat anticlimactic. Additionally, some of the characters are not as well-developed as Ess.