Thank you to Random House - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that the author had a new book out, I knew that I had to add it to my TBR list right away! The Drift by C. J. Tudor is a post-apocalyptic thriller that seems to be, at least partially, pandemic-inspired. The story revolves around 3 characters - Hannah, Meg, and Carter. Hannah and her companions are trapped in the wreckage of a bus crash. Meg is stranded in a cable car with another group of survivors. Carter lives in a futuristic "home" in permafrost.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the first chapter, which is from Hannah's point of view:

"A watch alarm was beeping. Someone was being sick. Loudly, close by. Several people were sprawled at odd, impossible angles over the uprooted coach seats. Blood pooled in eyes and dripped from gaping mouths.
Hannah noted this dispassionately, clinically. Her father's nature kicking in, her mother would have said. Always able to detach. Sometimes, this lack of emotional empathy made life difficult. Other times, like now, that side was useful."

Overall, The Drift is a post-apocalyptic thriller that will appeal to fans of Taylor Adams's No Exit or Allie Reynolds's Shiver. One highlight of this book is that it is very exciting. I did take off 1 star because it had three character POVs, and I had trouble understanding at least one of the reveals because there were so many characters to keep track of. I took off another star because I wasn't a fan of the ending. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book when it comes out in January!

Wow! What a thrilling ride The Drift turned out to be!! Suspense on top of suspense on top of terror! The writing in this book was great, all the characters were interesting and engaging, and the flow of this story was excellent.
3 groups of people, all caught in a snowstorm, try to survive the brutal weather and each other. The story switches back and forth from one group to another, and you're not really sure how they are all connected. When it finally dawned on me how, let me tell you, 🤯 mind blown! Great job C.J. Tudor! Definite recommend!

I really like what Tudor did with this one. For most of the book we're following three different, but related, scenarios in a dystopian, post-pandemic world: a) a crashed bus, b) a cable car stranded midair, c) a retreat for survivors. There are several pulse-pounding sequences in all three locations, some very clever twists/reveals, and a very satisfying ending. This is the second Tudor book I've read, and so far no misfires.

Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world, This story kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through and I could not put it down. I’m usually not a fan of sci-fi, post apocalyptic stories but this one was so well written and even though it incorporated what you think are three separate story lines, everything converges perfectly. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Fast paced and entertaining. Tudor puts you in the setting and captures your full attention. With multiple points of view and character story lines, she weaves them together wonderfully.

This book was recommended by a friend who has very similar reading preferences and it definitely delivered in keeping me engrossed in the story.

Living in our current world of navigating a pandemic drove me to read this book. Here was a new "pandemic" and one with horrifying aftereffects for those very few who survived, deemed "The Whistlers" due to the noises they made from the effect of the sickness on their lungs. The Whistlers also turned somewhat zombie like, which at first, almost made me stop reading the book. This level of science fiction usually turns me off, but I am glad I persisted.

The book switches between three groups of characters, all affected by the virus who find themselves in dire circumstances. One group is trying to survive a bus crash, another a stalled mountain cable car, and the third, the staff at the "Retreat" which was the center for research on this virus, enduring a power outage and possible security breach.

As a reader, there were clues that the three stories were connected, but it takes a while and a lot of incorrect guesses in my your mind before you really find out how these puzzle pieces all fit together.

Every chapter ended in a mini-climax, making me keep reading, However, since it shifted between the three groups of characters, it would be two additional "check-ins" with those other groups before getting back to that climax from group one. But then there would be a mini climax with group 2 and then group 3 so I just kept reading!! I loved the author's use of this technique to keep me wanting more!

My only disappointment was one unsolved whereabouts of a character. It bothers me that this piece was not mentioned. Also, there were times that so many character names made it difficult to follow.

It is definitely a book I would recommend for others to read. It explores the lengths humans will go to in order to preserve themselves and loved ones, even if it means sacrificing others' loved ones.

Grab your blankets and get cozy, The Drift does not disappoint. Utterly terrifying, sleep with the lights on type of novel. A must read this winter!

Books based on viral pandemics are nothing new, but we're likely to get more of them in a post-COVID world. C.J. Tudor enters the mix with The Drift where a pandemic has upended society, leaving the infected as what are referred to as Whistlers because of the noise they make. Trying to save humanity from the virus is an organization known as The Department headed by a genius scientist that carries out its research at a location called The Retreat.

Our story follows three protagonists: Hannah, Meg, and Carter. All are separate from one another in different locations of our unnamed European setting where snow and wintry conditions are as much of a threat as predators and Whistlers. As the story progresses, it's revealed that there is a connecting thread to all three stories, and it unfolds in a nice twisty fashion that keeps you invested throughout.

What's important to note about this book is that it's a small story within a bigger world, which means you don't get a fully-fleshed worldview of the virus like its intercontinental impact. Also, there are bigger ideas that come in tidbits ("The Farms," a Whistler society) and could use more exploration. However, with its shifting narratives, The Drift is a fast-paced, quick read. And if you enjoyed Tudor's The Chalk Man, there's a little Easter egg for it in The Drift.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"

The Drift
By CJTudor

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review!

A sci-fiction horror novel set in post apocalypse times. A virus has wiped out most everyone except those that it didn't. Most of whom would be better off dead then dealing with life as they now know it. There is a mad scientist and the corporation who now run what's left of the world, zombie like undead roam unchecked and some very shady characters up to no good.

I love this author and have read all of Tudor's books however, this was not one of my favorites.

Well written with well developed characters however, the story is pandemic based and maybe if we were not living with the reality of Covid I would have enjoyed it more.

To be fair, it was a good book. Just not a subject matter that I enjoy reading about. It has all the stuff that C J Tudor novels are famous for. Cringe worthy, gruesome and frightening depictions. Always a good scare regardless of the topic.

If Sci-Fiction or virus based horror is your thing, you will enjoy The Drift.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy of this thriller dealing with plague, control and the horror within us all.

Global events and tragedies are of course reflected in the literature that follows. World War One made a professor write of Hobbits, gave horror Weird Tales, and made literature more experimental via Virginia Woolf. Coming off of a global quarantine, a still continuing pandemic, and the darkness of the Trump Administration, these events will cast a shadow that will effect writers and readers for quite awhile, affecting how we read books, and how writers portray actions. There have been pandemic books before, even stories about mindless creatures like zombies, but the fear that grips the heart hearing a wet cough in a crowded space, or after seeing mindless thugs looking for brains in the Capital, that gives these kind of stories a realness that wasn't there before. A relatability that grips the heart and the throat. C. J. Tudor the author uses that in The Drift a story about a plague, secrets, lies, things in the dark, and the coldness inside us all.

Hannah awakens in a bus that has crashed, upside down, trapped in a blizzard with no way out, and no way to contact the outside world. Hannah is part of a group of medical students headed to the Retreat a refuge and research center one of the few safe places in a world riven by plague. As time passes she and her fellow survivors realize that there is no bus driver, and maybe the sickness they were to fight might be among them. Meg awakens in a tram high over a valley also in a blizzard. Meg's last thoughts are of the Retreat, but she finds herself with a few others in different clothes, with a dead body that shows signs of being stabbed, a person she knew in her life as a police officer. Carter is in the Retreat, his body ravaged by frostbite tasked with helping in the creation of medicine to fight the sickness. However the power from the generators is getting spotty, and people are starting to disappear.

A grand style pandemic thriller like Stephen King's The Stand, with a hint of Andromeda Strain, and locked room mystery, but of our paranoid anti- science times. Tudor balances the three storylines and the narrators well, along with the large cast of characters they all interact with well. Each character is different, looks at problems in different ways, and has different ways of dealing with people, and their situation. The story is propels along, slowly unfolding and drawing the reader into the world and their stories, with a very clear voice and narrative. The atmosphere is spooky, but very of this time, with a few jump scenes that might be a bit showy, but still work well in what Tudor is doing. As the stories merge and the larger picture becomes clearer, readers will be flipping along, but never losing the narrative, or wanting to know why and what things are happening.

A book that really delivers, and is impressive to watch come together. Readers can tell the care, ideas and work that went into crafting this novel, the dropping of hints, the merging of the storylines. Read it so one can be ahead of the zeitgeist when this is streaming in the future, for this would be a good episodic series. This is the first book by C. J. Tudor I have read and I am excited to read more. Recommended for horror fans, body horror fans, and people who enjoy good stories with lots of thrills.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of The Drift! This was a captivating book that I devoured in less than 24 hours! The only criticism that I’d give is all the characters sweat in their snowsuits too much as it was mentioned all the time. Now for some spoilers. I loved the different points of view and the way they were always left on a cliff hanger so you just needed to keep reading to see what happens! Now how I thought this was all happening at the same time and they’d all meet at the retreat! SURPRISEEEE!! I did not see the twist in how they were all intertwined and the actual timeline! That was the best part! I thought his ending was intriguing how he went through all that to kill Grant just for him not to be in the chamber and then have him be a whistler and die instead of going with the whistlers since he’s now finally infected. AND FOR HIM TO BE INFECTED BY THE DOG BECAUSE THE BODIES WERENT DISPOSED OF PROPERLY! Then how the very end was the very beginning. Also how Eva got a happy ending and refused to be a lab rat and was a badass! Also the gore and horror in this was lovely! Definitely not for the faint of heart! Poor kid eaten by a bear with gory details! I loved it all. Highly recommend. Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC!!

The Drift is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a deadly virus is going rampant. Meg awakens in a cable car stranded above a snowy mountain top. Also in the can't car is five strangers and none of them have any memory of how they got there.

Meanwhile In an isolated ski chalet Carter and his friends prepare for a storm to hit. Soon after their generator malfunctions and power is lost. In the depths of the Chalet something threatens to escape and the groups friendship is put to the test.

This is my 3rd read by CJ Tudor and this one is a but different than her prior books. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me. Instead of a thriller with horror elements this is more of a horror/sci-fi read. I do enjoy reading horror and scifi but I'm not a fan of gore or violence. The Drift contains a TON of gore, violence and gruesome imagery. I feel as if a lot of this gruesome imagery could have been removed and it would have made for a more compelling story.

There is not a life on this planet that the COVID pandemic has not impacted. Many parts of the world are still dealing with the horrible pandemic so reading about the deadly virus in The Drift just made me feel glum. Even though The Drift wasn't a hit for me, I do see a lot of readers enjoying this one. I have enjoyed Tudor’s prior works and I will also look forward to giving the authors work another try in the future.

The Drift by CJ Tudor will be available on January 31, 2023. Many thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

Fantastic creepy read! I will definitely be on look out for more!! Thanks to NetGalley and publisher.

I don't read a lot of Post Apocalyptic stories anymore - especially pandemic/disease based (even though they are one of my favorite genres), but I had to make an exception for one of my favorite authors, C.J. Tudor. And I'm so glad I did! I loved this one!

There are three storylines and a lot of death.
1st storyline is Hannah. She's on a train, headed to a facility as a medical student to start studying and attempting to find a cure for this odd disease that is infecting everyone. Of course, the train ride doesn't go as planned and they wreck in the snow and must survive and find help.

2nd storyline is Meg. She's volunteered as a test subject to help find a cure. She wakes up in a cablecar, stopped precariously above a snow covered ground. The cablecar has nothing - no food, no heat and only 5 people in snowsuites and nothing else.

3rd storyline is Carter. He's AT the facility attempting to find a cure. He's working, doing grunt work, but really struggling morally with what they are doing - both with the current vaccine that they have and the cure they are attempting to find.

All these storylines, it's hard, at first, to see why they are important. But all of them involve strangers, thrown together in near impossible conditions. All of them must decide what it takes to survive and if they are willing to do it. It's a bloody story and not everyone makes it to the end. But that's the reality of the world after this kind of catastrophe - and it's easy to lose yourself in the process. I loved the touches of humanity and putting the pieces together. I appreciated the love of a brother and the compassion of a beer and a hug. I loved the characters and understanding the motivation - but most of all, I just loved learning the world and how this had all gone down. I was hooked from the first chapter!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book definitely reminded me of the Walking Dead. It was creepy, thrilling, and mysterious. I didn't love the violence. It seemed like there was too much- for me. It was definitely a twisted story. One that keeps you guessing until the end!

Although the Drift was too soon for me to read in the ongoing Covid tragedies, it definitely held my interest as information was revealed and digested. Even though the book was too bloody and disturbing for me I can appreciate that it was well crafted and will be well liked by those less feint of heart than I.

Perfect book to read during a freezing snowstorm, this book combines horror with a post apocalyptic world where many people have died from a virus and the rest are either hiding out or have become "whistlers" a type of zombie. The entire book takes place during a heavy snowstorm and the beginning parts with the wind and heavy snow were exciting. I am a huge fan of Tudor's work and liked this book but didn't love it. I found it confusing since there were so many characters and I never found the story to be anchored enough for me to care about how it would come together in the end.

The book features three alternating sections. In one, Hannah a medical student is trapped in a bus which has been in an accident and is now sitting sideways in the snow. There are various people with Hannah including some who have died in the accident and all of the live ones have secrets including Hannah herself. In the second group, Meg a former police officer is trapped on a cable car which is stalled and malfunctioning also in a snowstorm in a desolate area. Meg is also with various people who have secrets. A third group finds Carter in a former ski chalet now called the Retreat, a facility that studies vaccines for the virus. Carter is with various people, again with some who have been found dead. It was hard to remember which character was with which group until the very end of the book.

A very violent story with lots of brutality and murder and it appears this world is comprised of people who mostly don't care about others and exist only to kill for various reasons. Since almost everyone with this virus dies or becomes zombie like, people no longer care about the sanctity of life. The book was depressing with no real spots of hope and it became difficult to root for any of the characters since they are all brutal killers. I did think the author brought the groups together in a clever way and think this would be a great story with half as many characters and some humanity and interesting leads. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

DNF @ 40% - this one was just too triggering for me between COVID-related events and the horror elements. I definitely didn’t expect this kind of story from the blurb or the promo surrounding this book 🥴 while I wasn’t the right audience for this, I know a ton of people who are - so this one just wasn’t a right match.

I love everything CJ Tudor writes; The Drift was no exception.

I don’t want to give much away, so here are 3 main things to know:

1) This book goes beyond her usual thrillers (and doesn’t have paranormal elements). It’s more post-apocalyptic horror, if you will. For those like me who love being well and truly scared, it comes out in a month!

2) A global pandemic has torn the world apart (see: post-apocalyptic), but this isn’t mentioned in the synopsis. If you’re still not ready to read about something COVID-adjacent, this is your PSA.

3) The twist will have your jaw on the floor. I promise you.

The Drift is a post-apocalyptic survival story that follows three separate groups struggling to survive- a group of young adults following a bus crash, a group of adults stuck in a cable car in a snowstorm, and a group of adults in an isolated cabin vaguely called The Retreat. As the story unfolds against the snowy, frigid landscape populated with all kinds of predators we learn that the world has been ravaged by a deadly virus and all three groups have been and continue to be affected by the fallout. This book has thriller elements, mystery elements, horror elements, and action movie elements all in one package and needless to say I was VERY into it. The three storylines are all equally incredible, and I was equally invested in all of them and all of their characters. As most apocalyptic stories go, it can be pretty brutal at times, so maybe if violence/body horror isn’t your bag this won’t work for you, but I loved it. I thought the pacing was fantastic and Tudor juggles a really big cast really, really well. I was invested right away and my attention never dipped. Huge recommend!

I'll be posting my review on my instagram @boozehoundbookclub closer to the publication date. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy.