I read C.J. Tudor's book, The Chalk Man, years ago and while I generally enjoyed it, it ultimately wasn't for me. However, I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed The Drift! The book synopsis definitely keeps things very vague, plot-wise, but I think that's a good thing. I'm impressed that the author could make a pandemic/zombie story feel fresh and interesting. The book alternates between three different characters in three different storylines. The Drift does a great job of building tension and slowly revealing the full story and how everything connects. This was definitely a page-turner, even though I was honestly a little scared to read it at night! I would absolutely recommend The Drift!

Review of The Drift by C.J. Tudor

My thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

This is a post-apocalyptic novel. There is some sort of disease running rampant seemingly worldwide that affects both humans and animals. Plus, this disease can be transmitted from one to the other.

The Retreat is a remote outpost built to house people who are not infected with the disease with the hope, I suppose, of saving humanity when/if a cure or protective drug can be invented. The Drift is organized in three groups. There is a group of people on a transport bus headed to The Retreat which crashes mysteriously within a few miles of the outpost. I call this Hannah’s group. There is another group of people in a cable car headed to The Retreat which mysteriously stops a few hundred yards from the cable car station. I call this Meg’s group. And then there is a group of people already living at The Retreat. I call this Carter’s group. I named the groups like this, because those are the names of the chapters in the novel. This is helpful starting to read so that you can begin organizing the story at the outset.

Without spoiling the book but giving you a bit of a heads-up, know going in that the timeline of the novel is not linear. It took me longer than I liked to figure that out. When it occurred to me what was going on, it was confusing. Also know that names change…more than once. I never did get a solid handle on this. All is explained at the end. I hope you do a better job than I did following the conclusion.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed this novel. My confusion at the end could very well be attributed to my being distracted or just my personal issues with keeping track of this many characters. There were a bit too many for me. The weather is also a character. The story takes place either in the winter or in a northern area affected by climate change. There is snow…lots of it. Hence, the name of the novel.

As you can imagine, there are good guys and bad guys everywhere…on the bus, in the cable car, and at The Retreat. As with all pandemic situations, there are people immune to the virus, asymptomatic people who can still spread the disease, and those who die from other things than the virus.

The novel ends with somewhat of a positive outlook for the future. I think. You decide.

My star rating: 3 stars

3.5 stars
The Drift is a mixed read for me. It is a graphic, disturbing apocalyptic horror novel set in a snowy, virus-ruled future. This is definitely not my typical genre, and though it’s truly horrifying in so many ways and not for the squeamish or faint of heart, there is something so utterly captivating about the plot, that it’s hard to stop reading.

The accessible writing and atmospheric setting are immediately immersive and the plot, told from three perspectives, sucks you in. Despite the unsavory content, the plot, with its diverging perspectives, is really unique and the way they weave together is spectacularly clever.

I’d be willing to give it a higher rating, but there is such vitriol towards Christians and blasphemous commentary towards God, that I cannot in good conscience give it a high rating. I don’t understand why authors do this. Believe what you’d like, but don’t spew hatred and think it’s acceptable because it’s “fiction”, or a character speaking and not a real person. There are all kinds of trigger warnings in this story as well as some unfortunate how-to descriptions. In some aspects it felt like the author included gory details just for the shock value, and there is a great deal of language. I find it interesting when authors think that that is a common way that everyone speaks.

As far as structure goes, at first I liked the rotating points of view, but the further we got into the story, the less I liked being pulled from the plot at hand, only to hop into another. It did make for a fast-paced read, and the way it was written did construct a rather comprehensive story with pieces slotting into place after a bit of contemplation. The conclusion is bleak and it leaves questions unanswered. It will be too soon for many to read this type of novel, but regardless of my issues with it, it was a compulsive, unusual, intriguing story, if also graphic and disconsolate.

I felt this book needed a photo with snow, but it’s -10 right now, so this is the best I could do. Please clap.

This was my first time reading anything by CJ Tudor and I really enjoyed it!

The novel follows 3 characters in the United States after a zombie-type virus outbreak. The three stories intertwine, but how and why they do is slowly revealed over the course of the novel. Hannah wakes up in a bus that has crashed while transporting her and other students to a safe place; Meg wakes up in a broken down cable car suspended partially up a mountain on its way to “The Retreat”; and Carter lives and works at “The Retreat.” There is an ever-present backdrop of snow and cold in all three stories, so it’s a perfect thriller for this time of year!

After having previously given up on the Chalk Man, I was a bit worried about this one. I enjoyed the atmosphere but everything kinda just faltered afterwards.

The Drift was such an attention grabbing read. This was my first by author CJ Tudor and I am looking forward to reading others now. The mystery of how the different people whose points of view we hear from are all connected really kept me reading. All three groups are dealing with a horrendous virus that has changed all life as they know it. The gore and grit of all of the story really kept me wanting to read until the end. The end is where I felt I had more questions than answers, though from what I understand that is how this author writes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book follows three main characters through three separate timelines before connecting them at the end. The stories are all unique, and each character faces their own challenges in hopes of surviving. While I loved reading The Chalk Man, I found this book to be a little bit too much of a challenge for me to follow, In my opinion each storyline was great on it's own but once you combine all three and the numerous secondary characters it became too hard to keep track of what was going on.

I read a review where a woman stated that she almost 💩 her pants when reading this book at night, so that was enough for me to run over and request it immediately.

This book follows the lives of Meg, Hannah, and Carter. Each character is seeking safety at The Retreat to escape an infection that’s quickly spreading and taking the lives of loved ones across the country.

The Retreat has promised safety and security but it comes with a hefty price…your life. Meg, Hannah and Carter are on their way to The Retreat but tragedy strikes during evacuation. Can they survive the freezing snow, the infection, and reach their destination?

I loved the cold, eerie setting that bloomed in my mind as I read. I’m always hesitant to pick up post-apocalyptic books because of the virus that we all survived but this one was written so well that it gave me the creeps.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor is an absolute 5 star book. There isn’t much I can say because I don’t want to give away how the storyline progresses but I will say that each and every character was written to perfection. I was shocked several times and was unable to figure out where the story was going. When I saw, my mouth was hanging open. Somehow, Tudor ended every single chapter on a cliffhanger and I was so invested in the three POV’s, I never knew who I was more worried for. Basically locked room mysteries, the sense of claustrophobia was always present. I was completely satisfied by the ending. So basically, no notes!!

This is probably Tudo's darkest book yet. The varied storylines and writing were fabulous. If you have read Todor's other works, you can even catch references to other books. I think anyone who has read a CJ Tudo book before knows there will be a mix of horror, just beware this one has a lot more violence and gruesome imagery than usual. Overall, not my favorite of hers, but I'm always happy to read anything by this author. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 4 stars

Confusing as all get out, super creepy, super gross, and yet I couldn't stop reading!! It was very intense from start to finish. I'm still not a hundred percent sure how everything wrapped up- I'm going to need to read it again!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

This book pulls you in quick with multiple POVs and quick cliff hangered/big reveal chapter. It is a detailed atmosphere in an apocalyptic world that has a lot of action and violent scenes.

I'm going to rate it at a 4 as you don't know until the last quarter who you are even rooting for. I was entertained and didn't want to stop reading, but I was never fully backing/rooting for any character in particular until the end.

CJ Tudor never fails to miss the mark. She is an incredible author who loves her twists.

4.5 stars! The Drift gave me Emily St. John Mandel meets Justin Cronin’s“The Ferryman” meets kinda Stephen King vibes? A very contagious & deadly virus hits, leaving the world in a post-apocalyptic state. Without giving too much away, I love how C.J. Tudor spun this one.

Even though this book came out today, I got a ARC from NetGalley and finished it on it’s pub day.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine, C.J. Tudor, and Netgalley for the digital arc of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

NO SPOILERS EVER

C.J. Tudor's latest novel, The Drift (as in snowdrift), is an apocalyptic, medical thriller with a dash of supernatural horror that will chill you to the bone. Hannah, Meg, and Carter are all stranded on a snowy mountain in the middle of a blizzard, trapped in different life or death survival situations. (And that's not the only thing they have to worry about.)

The story is told from three different viewpoints, and as you are reading, you get the sense that the stories connect, but I'm not telling you how. I loved all three characters POVs. It was like getting three books in one and I don't think I could choose a favorite if I tried. Each was gripping and terrifying and though there were a few similar elements between them (the cold, snow, survival, etc.) each storyline was completely distinct.

This book was impossible for me to put down. All the chapters end on cliffhangers, which compels you to read "just one more chapter" all night long. I love books in a harsh winter setting or with a end of the world theme, so this fit perfectly in my wheelhouse. The Drift will definitely keep you guessing. You won't know who or what to believe. I guessed one of the twists to the book fairly early on, but that just made me enjoy it more - waiting to see if I was right. I love it when books feel like puzzles you can put together as you read them.

The only thing that slightly bothered me was there was no real backstory. You're sorta just plopped down into a world that exists the way it does in the book, and it was never explained. The Drift is a twisty thriller in the vein of A.G. Riddle or Blake Crouch. It's the perfect book to curl up by the fire with on a snowy winter day.

4 ½ stars rounded up to 5 stars
Recommended for fans of:
Thrillers, Suspense, Mysteries, Science-Fiction, Action Adventure, General Fiction

In the middle of a catastrophe, three people come together for survival. Hannah is one of several survivors that had been evacuated from a boarding school. Meg is with strangers in a cable car suspended in midair headed to The Retreat, and none of them have any memory of how they got there. Carter is in an isolated ski chalet with companions, and the generator is failing in the storm; somewhere within the chalet is something trying to escape. The three strangers' stories are each part of a larger puzzle, of something threatening all of humanity.

The threat is a virus, one spread through air, blood, saliva, or ingestion of infected meat. The outbreak is terrible and worldwide; as readers, we're only too aware of how that works. Hannah and the surviving students try to escape the bus, but her father is the lead researcher and is more than willing to kill the infected to contain the virus. That includes Hannah. A former policewoman, Meg is a volunteer for testing possible vaccines. The Retreat is an isolated location to do that, but one of the people in the car is a murderer. Up at the Retreat, survivors weather the storm, each with their own agenda.

The way the three threads are woven together is clever. As the timelines collapse and we understand where and when things happen, we are completely invested in their stories and want to know how it turns out. The three POV characters are survivors, each with their own core of goodness. Hannah compartmentalized everything and can be seen as cold, but we know where she gets it from and she still cares enough to try saving the survivors. Meg might want to die to be with her dead daughter again, but she still wants to see others safe. Carter has a niece that he wants to protect and had hoped to help the friends he made at the Retreat. We see the best and worst of humanity in each thread, and the ending pulls it all together flawlessly. This was an engrossing book keeping me up long past my bedtime.

BEST BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR!!! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! This was a twisted, fast-paced, interesting read, that I found I did not want to put down! It had well-developed, multi-faceted characters. It was suspenseful, thrilling and addictive! I gasped, I cried, I cheered, my heart beat wildly with anticipation and, sometimes, even fear! I felt ALL of the "feels". I was glued to my Kindle screen from the first page to the last. If you like unputdownable psychological suspense as much as I do, you CANNOT miss out on reading this book!!!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for an advance copy of this book!
CJ Tudor is on fire y’all! The Drift is a perfect mix of thriller and horror, with a bit of apocalypse thrown in for good measure.
3 separate groups of people are stranded in deadly blizzard conditions: a bus crash, a stalled ski lift, and an abandoned ski lodge. In addition to being stranded with little to no resources, they are also being faced with a deadly virus with no cure.
Fantastic read!

This is not the book one should read if you need a pick-me-up. This is the second book I've read by this author, and just like in The Other People, there are multiple complex threads that seem entirely disconnected until the book is much further along. The story is narrated in third person from three different points of view: Carter, Hannah, and Meg. You discover fairly quickly that a terrible pandemic has struck the world, but I'll leave it there because this book will be a lot better if you have no foreknowledge going into it. I loved how the author was able to connect the threads, but even toward the end, I still couldn't figure out the exact story. This book is dark, depressing, brutal, and violent, but there are elements of the better side of humanity on display. By the end, despite the pessimistic view of what the world faces, you still think that humanity might find a way to finally live with the virus. I'm sure the author was inspired by our own Covid-19 pandemic, but this is one of the better books inspired by Covid-19, and it moves towards the paranormal, as the author is wont to do. I'm not usually a fan of zombies, but occasionally, a book manages to get it right, at least for me.

In terms of thrills and chills, I thought it was more horror than thriller, but that may vary depending on the reader. I ended up liking this at least as much as The Other People, and will continue to look for her books.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and the author, CJ Tudor for advanced copy.

CJ Tudor needs no Introduction to those of us thriller lovers!

The Drift is a 3 for 1 for storyline. We have three different prospectives of people who find themselves in life or death situations. One woman has been in a bus crash in a remote snow ladened area, trapped. Another woman is in a cable car suspended in the air. And a man in a high security facility named The Retreat. All three stories come together and they need find out what they have in common.

Page turner because you NEED to find out what happens and why. 5 stars, highly recommend!

The Drift was a fast paced, heart pumping thriller with lots of mystery and puzzle pieces to put together. Unfortunately, the repetitive nature of the survival story had this structure going stale at around the halfway point. I did enjoy the snowy atmosphere, but the characters were not developed in a way that made me care about what was happening to them. I was watching the twists occur knowing that they might have been shocking, but without the emotional buy-in, this didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to. I’m beginning to think that Tudor’s writing style just isn’t for me. Disappointed 2 stars.