This book sort of fell apart at the end for me. Until approximately 80%, I was INTO IT. Unfortunately, that's when things started to cross over, all bows were being tied up, and it was just too many things and got too confusing. However, I'm giving it four stars because it was a book I enjoyed, though I would have liked to know more about the whistlers.

Hannah awakens to the scene of an accident after being evacuated from her boarding school. Can she and her few survivors survive until they can be rescued?
Meg awakens to find herself and several strangers trapped in a car stranded above snowy mountains. Can she and the rest of the group arrive at their destination alive?
Carter and his friends think that they are safe in the cabin that they call home. Until, the generator begins to die. Can they make it?
Three groups of people, can any of them survive?

#thedrift:⁣
⁣
Thank you @prhaudio & @randomhouse for the gifted copies!⁣
⁣
“You’re either a good guy or you’re a survivor, someone had once told him. The earth is full of dead good guys.”⁣
⁣
Hello. Welcome to my favorite book [so far] of 2023. Holy. Macaroni. That’s what you call a third act twist y’all. This post-apocalyptic winters locked room book had everything in it. I was cold, grossed out, and as always, in awe of C.J. Tudor’s writing. This book is a banger.⁣
⁣
Audio was top tier. I listened to The Drift mostly on audio because it was so good. I only switched to print whenever everyone fell asleep and I had to be quieter than a mouse. ⁣
⁣
I loved this book. It is wild it was written in 2019, because it definitely felt like a 2020 world. Absolutely smashing, favorite book of the year right now. Amazing, my kind of chaotic. Oh! It’s out today as well! ⁣
⁣
“Because caring is all we have left. If we stop caring—about life, about other people—who are we? What have we become?”

A Dystopian Murder Mystery

Under the shadow of a deadly virus, society is breaking down. Three groups are seeking shelter at the Retreat, but are forestalled by accidents. Hannah and her classmates are on a bus heading for the Retreat when the bus goes off the road in a snowstorm. The bus is on it’s side with the unbreakable windows on the exposed side. Meg is trapped with strangers in a gondola swinging a thousand feet above the mountainside. Carter is already at the Retreat where he works, but the generator is going out and getting more supplies would be difficult at best.

The three threads of the story seem seem disconnected at first, but as the novel progresses the author cleverly pulls the strands together for a surprising conclusion. Although the book with multiple narrators and numerous characters seems difficult to follow at first, it’s worth sticking with it to get to the ending.

The writing is atmospheric and the difficulties faced by the three groups will have you on the edge of your seat. There is rather a lot of horror and blood. If it makes you uncomfortable, this may not be the book for you. However, the murder mystery and the interacting strands make for plenty of twists. I couldn’t figure out the trick at the end until well into the second half of the book.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

I enjoyed this book alot although different from the normal thriller books I read it was still very good full of tension and surprising things along the way! I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a different type of thriller to read!

Much thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC
All thoughts and opinions are my own

I've been trying books outside my usual genre to see if I enjoy anything besides fantasy. This one sounded pretty good. It's kind of post apocalyptic/thriller.

There's been a deadly virus outbreak. Hannah is on a bus on her way to safety at the Retreat. It's a safe haven in the mountains away from the infected. The bus crashes.

Meg is on a cable car, also headed for the Retreat. The cable car stops.

Carter is at the Retreat already. Is it really a safe haven?

This was ok for me. I didn't love the characters. I did think it was pretty realistic as far as the rich getting preferential treatment if something like this happened. Overall, it's a decent story, but not one that will stick with me.

Multiple locked-room mystery scenarios set against the back drop of a plague-ridden dystopian future? Sign. Me. Up. This book was a win for me. The author cleverly wove together the story lines while creating compelling characters. I really enjoyed how it all slowly unfolded and came together like a puzzle. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Publication Date - January 31, 2923


The Drift Is An Excellence In Horror!

C.J. Tudor' s new book is just so good that I don't know how she will top this one but please keep writing Ms. Tudor because I and all of your other fans will keep reading and waiting for each new unique creation that your imagination brings to written words!

Hannah awakens to moaning and stiffness and wonders where she is. The last thing she remembers is daydreaming while looking out the coach window watching the snowstorm that keeps getting worse by the minute on the way to the retreat after leaving their academy along with a dozen other students. What has happened and why and where have they stopped? What are all those other awful, strange noises she keeps hearing and why is she so, so cold?

Meg awakens out of her dream or nightmare that she can't quite remember to a room filled with windows and all she can see is a blizzard of wind and snow but No, not a room though, she is on a cable ski car hundreds of feet up high in the mountains with several other people bundled in heavy snow suits fast asleep. But why? Meg has no recollection of getting on the ski lift or even leaving her room.

Clark gazes out the immense windows with the most beautiful scenic view from the resort known as "the retreat". A snowstorm is building and it's his turn to travel to the village for new supplies, one of the duties he despises the most. Clark knows another storm is brewing at the retreat but he is unsure of everything involved and knows he must be very, very careful of the next steps he takes otherwise the wrong step could be his last!

I couldn't wait to finish this superb horror novel yet I still didn't want it to come to an end end since the story and the characters were so mesmerizing that I felt as if I was in a reading trance. C.J. Tudor has written an awsome story with all the horror, tension, creepiness, blood, gore and surreal atmosphere that any reader could have asked for. I went into this book blind and what a fantastic treat it was, although even if readers think they have ideas about how this novel plays out they will be seriously mistaken! I just loved the parallels between each group of people thinking how they would all intersect at some point but in my wildest imagination I never would have figured out where this author would make all the journeys evolve and intertwine. I was truly enraptured with everything in this book. Brilliant storyline, Brilliant writing, Brilliant characters and Brilliant Horror! Did I mention Brilliant? I plan to read this excellent book again someday! All horror readers, please don't miss out on this book especially if you love a claustrophobic and Snowbound atmospheric ride into terror!

I want to thank the author C.J. Tudor, the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and of course Net- galley for the opportunity to read this special novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!




I have given this wonderful horror book a rating of 5 FRIDGID SNOWBOUND 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

My first CJ Tudor book and wow what a ride! Nice change up of POVs. This was dark and intense
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Read this on a perfect ice day while the kids had off from school. Perfect seasonal backdrop. Big fan of this author so the dystopian theme was a fun change of pace. The setting was the perfect backdrop to immerse yourself in this tale of horrors.

This was definitely a thriller that leaned on the horror side. There were some gory and gruesome descriptions. I had no problem with them, but just as a heads up to readers who are not expecting that! I really enjoyed the way the three disparate "plot lines" came together. The characters were intriguing, and the backdrop of a deadly pandemic was timely, for sure. Overall, an extremely propulsive read that I could not put down. If you are looking for a neat ending, look elsewhere. I will look forward to trying more of CJ Tudor's books in the future.

The drift is a chilling post apocalyptic horror that is so gripping from the start! Three separate plot threads are introduced in the beginning and the book alternates through them as the story develops. You have no idea if or how these characters are related to one another, just that there are mysterious circumstances surrounding all of them.
One woman wakes on a bus that has crashed after evacuating a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm. The handful of survivors are trapped and must work together to escape, all while keeping their secrets intact.
Another woman awakes in a cable car, stranded high above mountains with five strangers. None of them have any recollection of boarding the cable car, but they were all going to a place called “The Retreat.” Tensions rise as temperatures drop and it soon becomes apparent, they all are not making it out of this alive.
A young man is in an isolate chalet that he and his few companions call home. Their generator begins to fail during the snowstorm, risking their security and everything they have worked hard to protect and stay safe. But who are they hiding from and what are they protecting?

This book was a little chaotic (in a good way) in the beginning with the multiple plot threads and numerous characters to keep straight, but I plowed through the first 50% in one sitting, so I think that helped me. The characters weren’t difficult to differentiate and it was so fascinating watching the twists and secrets come out! I simply could not put this one down. It is so dark and horrific at times, and the snowstorm setting was perfection for me. At times it was like reading three locked room mysteries at once! I cannot believe this is my first book by CJ Tudor, but I guarantee it will not be my last!

This one is a bit confusing for me to rate.
I knew very little going into this and was surprised that this was very gory and more horror than thriller or mystery. I was also surprised that this was a pandemic book. It didn't bother me but I know many people could struggle with that topic.

I liked the three different storylines and how they were all equally tense and full of questions. I liked how chapters often ended with a cliffhanger or a reveal which made me want to keep reading. I also liked how all of the stories worked together and eventually intertwined. It was clever, but also a bit predictable.

I found the pacing to be a bit slow, especially in the middle of the book. There was just a lot of talking, and discussing across all of the timelines that made it a bit tedious to keep reading. I also felt like I was left with a lot of questions and some underdeveloped parts at the end. Finally, the last 10% felt rushed with not a lot of explanation or time to process or understand what was happening.

Overall this was an interesting story but it had some faults for me.

I was hesitant to read a post-apocalyptic novel, worried that it would be too dark and angsty. But C. J. Tudor has given us a story about the will to survive, and maybe a fable for our current situation - one that tells the story of what happens when/if we lose our humanity.

The story is told from three different scenarios: a coach bus that has crashed on its side in a snow drift, a cable car suspended and stalled over an abandoned ski run, and a compound called The Retreat, a living quarters for survivors. Each group has one or more people with secrets, as the body count rises and the survivors do what they must.

And if that isn't enough, Tudor writes with just the right amount of humor (the second book I read this month that riffs on our favorite car loving, space traveling, social media buying celebrity), right amount of cursing, and megatons of tension throughout. Their lives will intersect in the most surprising and gruesome ways. So I offer you this recipe for a great novel:
• 1 lb of suspense
• 45 cliffhangers
• 1-2 dozen well defined characters
• 1 jigger of horror tropes
• Stir together
Enjoy!


Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an arc of this thrilling novel!

“The Drift,” by C.J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, 352 pages, January 31, 2023.

Hannah is among those evacuated from a boarding school during a snowstorm. The bus careens off the road, trapping her with other survivors. Hannah is a medical student.

Meg, a former police officer, is in a cable car stranded high above snowy mountains, with five strangers and no memory of how they got on board.

They are heading to a place known only as The Retreat, an isolated former ski resort now functioning as a research facility for a deadly virus.

Prior to boarding, they all agreed to give up their phones to protect their destination’s location so they have no way of calling for help.

Carter is employed at The Retreat. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, something terrible is happening. The dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle. There are plots within plots which finally comes together. There is a plot twist near the end.

I had difficulty keeping track of the characters and the plot is dark and violent. It is heavy on the apocalypse side of things. I liked C.J. Tudor’s novel “The Chalk Man,” but this one wasn’t for me.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Oh, my! That was clever! Even the title has a double meaning! Kudos to C.J. Tudor!

The Drift is a survival/horror story set in a post apocalyptic world that has been ravaged by a virus. Sounds familiar? 😉 Although this one strays from my usual kind of read, I had to read it because… C.J. Tudor! Do you really need any other reason? I dare you to read the prologue of this and not be immediately on it’s grip.

The story is divided in three scenarios with a different cast of characters in each of them.

Hannah is one of the survivors of a coach crash while being evacuated from their boarding school to The Retreat during a snowstorm.

Meg, a former police officer, awakens with a group of strangers in a cable car suspended 1000 feet above ground while on their way to The Retreat, with a dead body in their midst.

Carter lives in The Retreat, a ski chalet, along a group of people whose purpose is manufacturing vaccines for the deadly virus, but when power and generators go off during a snowstorm, the death toll starts increasing.

I can’t remember many books that maintained the level of tension all throughout the story as good as The Drift did. It builds and builds, keeping the reader on their toes, while creating new layers of depth both in the plot and the characters. Having gone through the COVID pandemic, I’m sure most of us will relate to some of the psychological aspects presented in the story.

Some of these characters may not be likeable but you care for them all the same, cause you can’t help but admit that faced with the same situation you would act exactly the same as they did, reprobable as that behavior may be, or could you really say where your limits would be when it comes to survival?

The writing was taut, tense and added to the chilly and brutal atmosphere, in which no one could feel safe and secure at any given time. No holds barred here!

I was curious to see how all three storyline would connect and when they did I was like 😱😱😱. They all came together in a really well-executed manner I never foresaw.

The Drift was an action packed, fast paced read, with accomplished characters and a plot full of surprises, thrills and emotions. This will chill you to the core and not just because of the cold. Pop

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one big ole mesmerizing page-turner as the action flips between three intense situations. There are villains and heroes, though you may have trouble deciding which is which.

If you're looking for a well-paced post-apocalyptic thriller, this should do quite nicely.

C.J. Has started to become one of those authors I love to devour. It was claustrophobic and so intense, edge of seat, thriller for me.

What would you do for redemption at the end of the world?! Hannah wakes after surviving a crash that has locked her and other students in. There’s a virus brewing that all stuck are unaware of. Meg wakes stuck in a swaying ski lift, in the frozen cold ( I’m talking this is a nightmare for me). She has no memory and is surrounded by strangers. Carter is stuck in a ski lodge, trying to survive. All are trying to survive by any means in a deadly frozen place.

This is survival at its finest. I mean can you image the apocalypse happening and at that time you’re stuck somewhere that’s beyond cold. It’s in the negatives where I live but I was shivering, imagining this. Tudor is so descriptive in her writing, that imagining it is transformative. I think this book has a fine line of love/hate because of the pandemic, but if you’re looking for a dystopian escape, look no further.

Wow, I had to sit and absorb this one in. I only read one CJ Tudor before The Drift and the style is very different. Where "The Burning Girls" was dark with haunted vibes, The Drift is a real-deal horror that's violent and full of despair. Some scenes will probably even gross you out. 🤢

A highly contagious virus with a 75% death rate has wiped out civilization leaving just a few survivors. Those who caught the virus are either dead or become something else...

Here, everyone who isn't at The Retreat is heading to The Retreat. The story is told from three groups' of perspectives; Hannah, a med student from the bus crash site. Meg, a former detective in a dangling cable car a thousand feet up. And Carter from The Retreat.

Not one, but three locked "room" locations!

The Drift is a post-apocalyptic horror. Reading the book is like watching a dreadful season of The Walking Dead "snowy" edition without Rick Grimes. There are a bunch of characters that I don't know too well and don't really care. This is the season that someone dies in every episode. Then when someone you like dies, you need therapy so you tune in to Talking Dead afterward. Yes, you know what I'm talking about.

I LOVE survival stories and this one is that. Not only is the virus so deadly, but also the cold element comes into play. There are wild animals, the "infected beings" and other humans that are out there to get you! LOVE the reveal, how it came together was very clever and probably the best part. If I didn't sit on it, I would have given this two stars. I was kinda mad to tell you the truth. I guess I do care after all. 3.5⭐

Brilliantly unique and electrifying! You won’t be able to put it down.

CJ Tudor is an excellent author that has disturbingly creative and creepy imagery that is mind-blowing! After reading her first book, I knew I was going to be a lifelong fan.

Last April I started going through withdrawals when I became aware of the length of time it’s been since I read her last book. Let's just say…FOREVER! No pressure…I hope the next one is published a little speedier 😉.

Thrillers don’t get much better than “The Drift”. A devastating virus is endangering humanity. Madness and insanity are lurking in the darkness. The suspense, desperation, and fear ooze from the pages.

Hannah and some of the other students are being evacuated from a secluded academy in the mountains when a snowstorm hits and their coach turns over. Fear and panic are intense as they try to escape their situation.

Meg and other passengers are on a cable car headed to the Retreat when a power outage stops the car and wakes them all. None of the passengers remember boarding. Their last memory is eating breakfast in their rooms, so they suspect they were drugged and loaded. But why? Now they’re stranded in a snowstorm with no means of communication.

The Retreat…a mysterious and secretive place hidden away for medical trials. Very few people know of its existence. It should be one of the most secure places you can be. It’s also one of the creepiest. When Carter returns from a grocery run to find most of the lights off, I had goosebumps as he crept around looking for the others. When he finds them, I knew I wasn’t putting this book down until the end!

Sincere thanks to CJ Tudor and Ballantine Books for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheDrift #CJTudor #ballantinebooks #netgalley #giftedARC #MedicalTrials #endoftheworld #honestreview #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecommendations #juliereadzintherockies #justfinishedreading #coloradoreader #bookreels #igbookreels #booksbooksandmorebooks #newrelease