Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of “The Drift!” Tudor expertly wove this story’s plot and embedded an incredible sense of setting and place. The snowy mountain “retreat” was almost a story in itself. There was an incredible twist that had me second guessing myself if it even WAS a twist—truly, a master of language. She also managed to convey the characters’ isolation in the story which, looking back on it in later chapters, helped make the twist even more unexpected.

The naming of the variant “Choler” did seem…lazy? You never want to chuckle in the middle of a murderer’s monologue.

Otherwise, truly great and suspenseful work! I will be thinking about this plot device for years to come!

This is an incredibly clever, well written story set against an Apocalyptic world.
A virus has wiped out most of humanity. There are a few survivors hoping to bring an end to the virus and still other survivors-The Whistlers-who lived through the virus but would be better off dead.
The story centers around three survivors-Hannah, Meg and Carter. The deterioration of society is told from varying perspectives and all three storylines come together in a meaningful way in the end.

I'm not a big fan of dystopian literature, and this isn't a book I would have picked up if C.J. Tudor's name wasn't attached to it.
As great as the storytelling is, I didn't enjoy this book. It's bleak. It's dark. And it's too familiar to the world we're living in today. COVID has been horrible for all of us, and I've read more in recent years as a means to escape the harsh realities of it. This book isn't for escapism. This book will have you glaring in the face of the virus: both its physical destruction on the human body and the political feuding that it caused.
And it all just left me feeling sad.

If you need a break from reality, give this one a skip. If you love post-Apocalyptic novels, give it a read. This won't be a book for everyone, but it does have a lot of heart and depth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a surprise. I love a good dystopian novel. I was a little weary as I thought the entire book was going to deal with young adults, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was a little too much violence for me but once I got past that it played into the story. I will not give any spoilers away but the way this book is told from the different perspectives and how it eventually ties together was the best!!

3.5 stars
What's with all the pandemic stories these days? ;) Anyway, this one is very readable with plenty of plot twists and complexities. I found it hard to really connect with any of the characters, though. Mainly why I didn't like it more is that it was so dark. (About which I can't go into details without spoilers.)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book

My thanks to Random House/Ballantine books, C.J. Tudor and Netgalley.
I'm not a fan of locked room mysteries, and this story had it in spades!
I started off actually despising the story, but somewhere along the way I realized that I was hooked.
I'm just a reader who loves multiple view points. It keeps things interesting and sometimes tense.
I'll confess that when the "major" death's started I was thinking w.t.f? But...just hold on to your shorts people, because this shit blew my mind!
This is probably my favorite story of C.J's!
Highly recommended!

This beautifully, depressing, & honestly scary book blew my mind !! 🤯
I'm still trying to figure out what I read .

Going into it this book I didn't think I would like it at all . Books like this usually are not my cup of tea but wow leave it to CJ Tudor to completely change my mind . This genre definitely needs to get changed to horror . The character development in every single character was GOLD !!!

CJ Tudor you wrote a masterpiece here 🖤
Thank you for my Arc of #TheDrift

Once upon a time in the future, there be the Whistlers........

They leave deep footprints in the snow and create fear with every step.

And C.J. Tudor creates buckets of fear around every corner in The Drift. We'll visit a period in which humans live on borrowed time. Survival will become a personal, lonely business when you have to surface still breathing ahead of any threat possibly criss-crossing your environment.

Tudor sets the stage with a three-tier storyline. We'll follow the actions and situations of Hannah, Meg, and Carter. Each find themselves painted into a corner with the odds not being in their favor. It's a journey into the future in which a deadly virus has taken hold of the world. And at the core of this is the thrusting fist of power and control. Just who is at these controls and callin' the shots?

Hannah is a medical student on board a bus leaving an academy with fellow students. They've taken to the icy highway in a snowstorm. After some time, the bus hits an ice patch and it's hurled over a cliff and into a dense snow bank. The doors and windows are jammed. Escape doesn't seem likely. Hannah takes charge only to meet unspeakable challenges. Students begin to show symptoms.....

Meg is a former police officer on board a cable car with her fellow passengers headed to a place called The Retreat in the mountains. That snowstorm has settled upon them as well. And then suddenly, the cable car shuts down suspended not even halfway to their destination. They notice a man in the corner. Dead from a stab wound. Questions a poppin': Why? Who? Next victim?

Carter is a member of a team creating vaccines against the current virus. They are hunkered down in an almost impenetrable compound. Each member has a questionable backstory and their methods are questionable as well. But the virus knows nothing of good intentions or bad.

C.J. Tudor laces this one with desperation. You can feel the hyperventilating going on in your ear as you turn pages. Perhaps it's your own breath pumping hard. Tudor knows that precarious situations are real now. The world's imagination doesn't have to extend very far to know panic. And just when you think you have analytical skills at your fingertips, you just may not. The game changes in a nano second and the players are no longer recognizable. Are they?

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Ballantine Books (Random House) and to the talented C.J. Tudor for the opportunity.

This wasn't my favorite of CJ Tudor's book, but it definitely wasn't bad. I think it started off a tad slow and I didn't really engage with any of the characters.
That being said it was still an entertaining story.

If a book is by this author, I know I'm gonna enjoy it. This was interesting from the get go and I couldn't put it down.

Action-packed thriller of a story! The author didn’t hold back and constantly surprised me with twists and turns that left me speechless. This book was a lot of fun. If you enjoy apocalyptic settings, high stakes, and morally grey characters, I thoroughly recommend The Drift!

The Drift grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let go. I think this is my favorite book from Tudor. Each POV was interesting and different, and each character gives off mysterious vibes and makes you question who is trustworthy. It was fast-paced and the twist towards the end was so great. It was one I truly did not see coming.

My only gripe is with the ending; it felt a little rushed. Carter’s last chapter felt so unsatisfying. After everything, the whole book, it was anticlimactic. I also would have loved more from the very last chapter. It was such a small slice added right at the end that it makes me wonder if there’s going to be a follow up book that explores it further. If not, I don’t really see why that last bit was added. It was nice to see what happened to that character, but I would like to have seen that play out more instead of just thrown in real quick at the end.

Wow, I cannot get over what I just finished. This book was crazy in all the best ways, and had me hooked!

3.5 ⭐️

TEN YEARS. That is how long it took for society to crumble. The virus was the start of the riots, the wars, the Anti-Science terrorism, and the HATRED.

A raging snowstorm…

A Coach has careened off a slippery hillside. Trapped inside is HANNAH, the daughter of one of the World’s leading virologists. But, if it wasn’t an accident, and the bus was targeted-would that even matter?

A Cable car has stopped, on its way to a place called “The Retreat”. Inside is MEG, a former detective, and a mother who lost her daughter to the virus. When she discovers a dead man amongst the occupants, she suspects that the car was halted on purpose.

CARTER and his compatriots work at “The Retreat”, where trials are underway on live recruits in an attempt to find a way to beat the VIRUS. But, the generator is failing….

“ THE EARTH IS FULL OF DEAD GOOD GUYS”

So, who is good? Who is bad? And, who will SURVIVE?

There are A LOT of characters to keep straight and I struggled with that. In addition, I found the two main women, HANNAH and MEG, to be interchangeable with little to distinguish one from the other. (3 stars)

BUT-the three narratives will converge in a VERY CLEVER way, and the thread that ties them all together was quite surprising. This story makes the lockdown that we experienced look like a vacation, and what is scarier than that? (Extra .5 star ⭐️ for how it all comes together)

So this is a difficult book to rate-

In the author’s last book, “A Sliver of Darkness”, the author shares that she lost her father during Covid, to explain why many of the short stories in the collection have “end of the world” and “isolation” themes. Perhaps she is/was still processing that devastating loss, as she penned this-since this story continues in that vein.

But, I find myself MISSING her past work-the subtle horror and Supernatural!

Although I enjoy creative Dystopian worlds, I don’t PERSONALLY enjoy reading about depressing Apocalyptic ones, not even from an author as talented as Tudor.

If it’s a trope that you enjoy-this is scheduled for publication on January 31, 2023.

Thank You to Ballantine books for the invitation to read an early copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

IT IS SO GOOD. This book is full-throttle from the very start to the very end. It is not for the faint of heart. It’s nail-bitingly gory and I loved every minute of it. The Retreat is eerie and ominous. The sense of foreboding is ever-present. We know something unusual and terrible is happening as we slowly uncover the secrets lurking in every corner. The interconnectedness of these three plots unfolding is crazy clever.

The situation of the world is apocalyptic, and this setting is expertly crafted. I was completely immersed. You'll feel every terrifying, desperate, nightmare-inducing moment deeply. The plot is brutal and wracked with carnage. The setting is claustrophobic. And the surprises will leave you screaming inside. This is survival horror in a world at ruin at its finest. We have an eclectic cast of characters, each in unique circumstances. Their comedic relief is golden, with witty dialogue, quirky personalities, and hilarious inner monologues.

I can’t even begin to describe this story to you, and I won’t even try because I went in with no expectations and I’m glad that I did. This story was all the better for it, more gritty and severe. The Drift is my favorite thriller to date, and easily one of my favorite books of all time. All the stars for this one, I can’t say enough good things. I’m obsessed and I highly recommend it to any readers who want something truly dark and devious. I don’t know how I’ll ever find another thriller to compare, but I will definitely be checking out this author’s other books!

This book just blew my mind! I absolutely adore a book that brings an end of the world/apocalyptic vibe. Hannah is trying to get out of a crashed bus, she wants to survive. Meg is trapped in a cable car in freezing temperatures, she feels ready to die. Carter can't believe he had to leave the safety of the retreat, what if he doesn't make it back?
Books that have multiple perspectives always get my attention, but this went one step further. As you read, you're immersed in this dark days, snowy world where every action could be the last. These characters give everything to keep moving. Their stories are very well written and the twists keep coming. Such a good book. Worth the read immediately. This is my second CJ Tudor book and I'm officially a fan. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The Drift by C.J. Tudor
The story is about a lethal disease that impacts the world. Pandemic-focused it follows a mixed and unknowingly connected cast of characters. It jumped from character group to character group as well as jumping back and forth between decades. The story has merit the style left me cold and confused.
Flawed characters abounded throughout the book. Philosophically “good” guys finished not only last but dead. Surviving was all about narcissism.
This is a very dark look at the future.
I did see on Goodreads that the book has over two hundred reviews and a 4+ star rating. With that in mind, as my own books do not have that many reviews, you may want to ignore my impressions.

Psssst. C'mere. Yeah, you. I've got a secret. Okay, maybe not that close, we're just getting through a pandemic after all. Okay, you ready? I. Don't. Read. Post-Apocalyptic. Books. Not my jam. Too smart and fantastical and complicated for me. I simply don't enjoy them. Well...I guess I can't say that anymore. It is completely by accident that I requested an ARC of this book. I wasn't really paying attention to the blurb and my fingers got ahead of my brain. But what the heck. I could suck it up and be a big girl. Just one book amongst many, right?

Well....

I freaking loved this book. It was claustrophobic, chilling (literally and figuratively), atmospheric, beyond clever, engaging, frantic. I ripped through the pages in no time at all. My jaw hit the floor a couple times. I was tense and I was invested.

If you like this trope (and heck, even if you don't), I think you will really enjoy this one and how it all comes together.

This book was heart pounding and terrifying. The chapters alternate between Hannah, Meg and Carter and the difficult situation they find themselves in. A deadly virus has destroyed all social norms and humanity has turned on itself. Little by little these three different situations culminate into one common theme of revenge. When everything clicks into place, you are left stunned.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to review.

The Drift is quite a ride. The story is set in a post apocalyptic world and everything has changed. The setting of the book is very inventive and I was drawn into learning about what this new world was like. The story is told in alternating POVs. At times it was hard to keep the characters.
Hannah- awakens to realize she and a handful of survivors have survived a bus crash. The bus was evacuating students from a secluded boarding school during a snow storm when it apparently careened off the road. The crash has left them trapped inside the bus but danger is lurking both inside the bus as well as out...they will have to work together to survive.
Meg- awakens to realize she and a handful of people are in a rocking cable car stranded high above the snowy mountains. They were volunteers, headed to a place known as "The Retreat". Not everyone is who they appear to be and Meg quickly realizes they might not all survive.
Carter- The generator at the isolated ski chalet is malfunctioning due to the storm. If it goes out, what they are trying to contain is released...and it may mean the end of humanity.
This one was a little different from other Tudor novels I've read - it's an apocalyptic thriller about a world during a pandemic. While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as other Tudor books,
The storyline, overall, is pretty depressing. There is a lot of sickness, death, anger, revenge. Very few alliances are made and very little trust is had by anyone.
Overall, it was a decent and quick read for what it was. But unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of this novel. The characters were hard to connect with, and the plot direction was sometimes predictable. While I tried hard to like the book, this genre and style of writing aren’t my usual go-to.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book and it has a publication date of Jan 31. 2023. Book was given free for a honest review.

So I finally get to read a book by C.J. Tudor! I heard so much about how awesome her books are so was really excited to read "The Drift" And it was killer! No pun intended.....

We have three different POVs that Tudor goes 123, 123, 123. First you have Hannah. She is a student heading by bus to "The Retreat" when the bus careens over a cliff. There are very few survivors and she and the others fight to survive in brutally cold and trapped conditions. Then you have Meg who wakes up with several others trapped in a cable car suspended about a mile up headed to "The Retreat" With a dead body among them.... And Lastly you have Carter. He is at a high end Ski Resort, aka "The Retreat" with his crew manufacturing vaccines to fight against a deadly virus.

And there is the rub. A virus has pretty much wiped out all mankind and has thrust everyone into a dreary and apocalyptic world. And wow, that is all I really want to say. I went into this thing blind and was gut punched about a hundred times! This is a dreary and brutal book, (with some dark humor laced throughout) and it is going to kick your butt but in a good way. You have no idea what these two unrelated POVs mean and to have them come together is a absolute masterpiece to read. Is it a twist to have them ultimately intertwine? I'm still not sure...

The only negative I found was the sheer amount of characters I thought I had to keep track. But don't worry, I already said this book was Killer. You won't have to worry about that many toward the end. Maybe don't get too attached to anyone? Oh, and the poop. Jesus, why is there so much poop in this book? Like real human feces all the place. I hate poop.

To sum up this book is how apocalyptic thrillers should be written and has Netflix series written all over it. I really recommend going into this blind. Five stars and I can't wait to read more books by C.J. Tudor.

I really appreciate Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book and it has a publication date of Jan 31. 2023. Book was given free for a honest review.