I don't usually read sci-fi or virus books (too soon!) so not sure why I requested this, but I think it was because I enjoyed the author's prior book, The Burning Girls, and assumed this would be similar..

I liked this more than I expected. The story has three strands that eventually converge: a crashed bus that has left surviving passengers trapped by a snowstorm, a group of people also trapped in a cable car that is dangling from its cables, and a group of people at the Retreat, where a virus is being studied.

In each location, people start dying, and not just from the virus. Picture three versions of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None playing out in three different locations.

The Drift doesn't skimp on the gore, but it also does a good job with character development, giving each location a main character.

I can see from others' reviews that some people didn't love the ending, but I didn't mind it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this novel in exchange for an honest review. I went into this having never heard of this author. When I was approved for this ARC, I went into it blind as I couldn't remember what it was about. I was hooked from the very beginning! The book went into a completely direction than I was thinking, and I loved every second of it. Started off strong and ended even better. So many twists galore. I have since checked out more books from this author from my library, and I cannot wait to start them. Thanks, NetGalley for giving me this amazing new to me author to binge!

I love stories like this. Post apocalyptic, a whole bunch of different storylines that don't seem connected, and people that aren't who they say they are. Perfectly tied together in the end, all the intricate pieces coming together, this was fantastic!

This book was so odd.
This book struggled to hold my attention for the beginning.

I really got hooked into it when we were halfway through.

And the end had me so incredibly frustrated. It felt like a lot of people had hit wits end and then just truly everyone started dying and or being murdered. I hated the villainous element throughout the book because in a world with a deadly virus, it's like - isn't that the villain? but no! We had someone in every one of these stories who was ready to fight and murder to get their goals accomplished but ALSO like MY GOODNESS the reveal made me a lot more annoyed than I thought it would be.

Overall, a fine book. I really wanted to learn so much more about the whistlers and the world itself but considering this was a ...locked room story (?), it makes sense we didn't.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for the chance to read and review.

"ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ᴏɴᴄᴇ."

I went into this book with some pretty high expectations, given the fact that I have never given a book by CJ Tudor less than 4.5 stars. However, this book will now go down in history as my least favorite book by this author.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. The extremely cold, snowy, and just completely isolated setting of this book set it up for success. Where the book fell flat for me, was the cast of characters. First of all, there were way too many of them. Second of all, not only are we following a huge cast of characters, we are also following three separate timelines. There came a point where I just could not keep straight which people were existing in which timeline and I sort of gave up trying to keep them straight.

The ending wasn't really satisfying to me, even though the twist did take me by surprise. I really just wish we would've gotten more out of the "infected" plot because that's what I signed up for, and it was what made me want to read this book initially.

[ARC REVIEW]

I will be honest, this book is outside of my usual preference.

I enjoyed the story but it just wasn't very intriguing.
I kept waiting for suspense!

It's very apocalyptic and it actually showed me how traumatized I am from COVID... LOL

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book.

This was unlike Tudor's other book, Chalkman, I had read prior. Think Walking Dead meets Outbreak and this just didn't do it for me. Lots of guts and gore when I came for the suspense and thrill. I am all for books with a thrill, but not ones centered around survival mode. I found myself pushing to finish and I'm glad I did. The ending was appropriate but the journey was not as enjoyable. Average rating from me - 3/5 but won't be one I quickly recommend.

WOW!

I was riveted to this dystopian story from the first page!

Three different POV’s, so much action, good guys, bad guys, a few crazy twists and you’ve got yourself a 5 star read!

I was on the edge of my seat, trying to read as fast as I could, even talking to myself every time I was shocked by something in the story.

Put down the book you are reading now and pick this one up!! <only if you like dystopian books, obviously 😄>

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Drift by C. J. Tudor in exchange for an honest review. This book gripped me from the very beginning and didn't let go. It was suspenseful and gripping. Don't start this at night or you can say goodbye to getting any sleep till your done reading it.

Enjoyed this read and the parallel of pandemic life. I'm a sucker for zombie lore and this is a unique read. Perfect for fans of last of us

I'm not a big reader of post apocalyptic stories, but I was intrigued with the blurb for this one.

The story has three separate situations, narrated by three pov's. There's Meg in the bus crash, Hannah in the gondola, and Carter at The Retreat. I was most intrigued by the snowstorm disaster aspect and how they would survive. The pandemic storyline -- well, we're still living that one, so I'm a little on the fence about that aspect of the story.

I have not read this author before, but I was intrigued and entertained by this dark thriller and I'll be on the lookout for more from this author.

C.J. Tudor has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read the Chalk Man. I was a bit hesitant to read a post-apocalypic pandemic-style story given...well, you know. But since it was by C.J. Tudor.....I got over it and read this book. So glad I did! I loved the blend of suspense, creepiness and survival.

This book is 3 intertwining stories meshed together. A medical student on a train. A woman trapped on a cable car. A man working in a medical research facility. Add in a killer virus and a deadly mountain blizzard.

I'm not going to say anything else about the main plot. I've seen too many reviews of this book with major plot spoilers. I will say that this story is scary in spots, very suspenseful and creepy-cool. I started reading and ended up on a hours long binge reading session.

C.J. Tudor never disappoints me! I loved this book! I can't wait to find out what she will come up with next! Very entertaining read! When the audio book releases, I'm going to listen to this story again. Somehow stories like this creep me out even more when they are read to me!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Random House/Ballantine. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

Super graphic - not necessarily my cup of tea. Still, a different take on pandemic-like conditions. It may have taken place a bit too close to the pandemic for me to appreciate.

Through "The Drift," CJ Tudor depicts a society in collapse after the emergence of a deadly pandemic - a society that mirrors our own in ways you won't expect and ways you might find quite uncomfortable. Through three closed-off setting mysteries, we get to explore the ultimate question: If the worst happens, what are you willing to do to survive?

I think the Cable Car story was my favorite, but all three intrigued me equally. THE DRIFT was a thriller/mystery that was made for this moment. Tudor rarely misses.

Love C.J. Tudor and all of her previous books but unfortunately this wasn’t for me.. just not my favorite genre. Good premise and storyline though.. I wish I could have loved it

This book follows three groups of characters - each group trapped in a life or death situation, facing one crisis after another. The first is a group of students who were sent from their school to be safe from a virus outbreak. Then their bus crashed. The second group is trapped in a cable car. The third group is at facility that produces a vaccine to combat the virus. There are a lot of bodies that require burning at this facility.

I am glad that the author returned to the trope of a zombie-inducing virus in this post apocalyptic thriller (although the infected are not the threats in this book). I don’t want to read about Covid. That was just one of the things that pleased me about this book. Wow, this story was cold, very clever, but ice cold. When someone picks up a gun, you had better believe that they will use it. Characters you have gotten to know will die. The connection between the three groups really snuck up on me. And keep your eye on the smelly little dog.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher

An apocalyptic virus…a scientist hard at work at finding a cure, who really subscribes to the theory of curing the many is worth the cost of a few. Huge swaths of the public getting the virus and either dying outright or living but not really better… a group of people entrenched in THE RETREAT….a space where science is purportedly hard at work on curing the virus. A group clustered in a crashed bus, another in a lift over mountain on the way to the retreat….quite a variety of characters and a slew of hidden identities.
Great reading. Edge of your seat who is who mystery.
Very much enjoyed it. The ending just blows your Sox off.
Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC.

❄️ BOOK / REVIEW ❄️

Ok - full transparency ... I am unsure about this review.

On one hand, I really liked this book - the premise, the atmosphere, the high stakes suspense ... ALL OF THAT. I was utterly transfixed by this book for the first half. I would be desperate to open it back up every single time. It was fast paced, horrifying and graphic - usually a trifecta for me.

Then, I got super bored and annoyed with the characters. The 3 separate, yet conjoined storylines got old. I kinda rushed to finish this and wasn't super satisfied at the end.

The truth? It's not a bad read, but check the description out before grabbing this. With the current state of the world and viruses, it may be triggering to some!

What a ride! Three different storylines with three very different characters but come together with a jaw-dropping climax! Creepy and unputownable!

Wasn’t my favorite of his books. I thought the plot and characters were interesting and it moved at a decent pace. I would recommend it.