I’m a huge fan of Tudor’s work. Enough to request her latest title on Netgalley without so much as reading the plot summary or checking the page count (usually prerequisites).
She’s been branching out lately and I’ve bene appreciating that too. From supernatural tinged mystery thriller to a recent proper collection of scary stories and now this…an apocalyptic survival tale. Tudor being Tudor, this one still has plenty of elements of mystery and thriller, plus, concept alone (straight out of the recent few years) is enough to terrify and yet…
And yet, the book left something to be desired. I believe it had to do with the fact that for the overwhelming majority of the novel, it reads like three separate stories and only toward the end does it properly come together.
Sometimes that works. Sometimes it just kind of overpowers the story. I mean, the number of individual characters and plot threads alone was way too much here.
And yes, Tudor being Tudor does bring it all together in the end in a very clever and satisfying fashion, but getting there is…kind of a mess, lots of juggling narratives. As a result, there’s a choppy quality to the book itself. Mind you, it’s still all very well written and eerily claustrophobic and all that, but it just…well, it just not really my favorite Tudor book. In fact, it’s my least favorite Tudor book.
Considering the golden standard the author set with her previous works, even her lesser than is still a good read. And I would absolutely continue reading her work, despite being somewhat disappointed by this one. User mileage may vary. Thanks Netgalley.

Wow! This was a book that I could not figure out but had me on the edge of my seat. Three stories of survival and good versa evil. This is a book that when your done your like whoa what the heck but in a fantastic way. I loved the authors other books but this one was the best yet.

This was a DNF for me. I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters, their dilemmas or the settings. It could be my mood. Winter is coming and I live in a cold, snowy Wintery climate so I didn't want to speed it up and read about it now since we're having such lovely Fall weather.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor is a pulse-pounding thriller!

This book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world following a viral outbreak (gulp). It follows three characters: Hannah, Meg and Carter, each dealing with a horrific emergency threatening their already fragile survival.

This book hit a little differently following the pandemic--some parts were difficult to read, maybe because it a little too close to home. Tudor's descriptions of the best and worst aspects of humankind were gut-wrenching and graphic at times. Despite this, the author is an excellent storyteller--I was able to vividly picture what these characters were going through throughout the entire novel.

This book is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it was a well-written and layered tale of an apocalyptic world. If you are looking for a thriller with countless twists and turns, check out The Drift.

The Drift is a post-apocalyptic mystery with many different strands, told in three separate stories. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end - and the end really shocked me.

Central to this story is a virus - with the potential to wipe out all of humanity.

Hannah is a main character. An ex-police woman she has been through hard times after the death of her young daughter. A suicide attempt and a stay in a hospital to stabilize her helped somewhat but she is still under a shadow of sadness and is not fully engaged in life. She is stranded with a group of strangers. Then she finds a dead body and a familiar face - and realizes that they are very much in danger. No way to get help.

Meg is a medical student who is on a bus that has been sabotaged and crashed. There are a small group of survivors on board, people are ill and of course there is no way to call for help.

Carter works in a ski chalet with a group of scientists who make vaccines that they now sell in exchange for life's necessities. Until the generation breaks down. There is danger in the basement and the question of whether they should be released in the world is a dangerous one.

It took me a long time to establish the links here. I loved/hated every page because it was so stressful lol. Which is, of course, why I read the book.

Read it when you have time so that you won't have to stay up at night!

I think it is now official - CJ Tudor is my favorite author. All of her books have this easy-breezy writing style that is completely juxtaposed to the tense and suspenseful plots and I think that is her genius. Her writing lulls you in comfortably and then her plots wake you right up and this book is no different. This one is a pandemic driven plot (which may be a trigger for some) and is told through three small groups fighting for their survival. And I agree with some reviewers that the characters in all three were similar, but I thought it was intentional, as the author repeatedly tells the reader that everyone fits into just two categories - good guys or survivors. To me, I thought it was brilliant that no matter who you were or what your situation was, in the brutal world of this plot it was all coming down to just two character traits - being a good guy or being a survivor. This book is chocked full of small twists and turns, plus a couple of really big ones, and each small cliffhanger kept me reading fast and furiously! Animal TW: There is a lovely, cute little dog and you will worry about him and he does meet his demise, but it was humane and I blessed the author for not ruining my experience with some kind of tortuous end for him. There is also a bit of animal concern at about 39% that I did skip over.

C.J. Tudor has been creeping me out since The Chalk Man. Just when I think she can't possibly scare me any more, she does. It's the unknown that does it for me. And Tudor is a master at the unknown. Well done.

Oh mah goodness. What a ride. This is one of those books that makes you thank your lucky stars it’s not the end of the world.

This might be my fave Tudor book!!! This was so good and suspenseful. Pretty sure I got some Apple Watch fitness points while reading 😳
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Mini Synopsis: It's the apocalypse and most of society was killed by a virus. Those who survived have either gone crazy, or survive by working at "retreats"- basically experimental centers.

You need to read this crazy, twisty book!!! Thank you @netgalley

“The Drift” by C.J. Tudor introduces us to three groups of people in the middle of a horrible snow storm. Group one includes Hannah, who has awakened in the aftermath of a horrible coach crash. Group two includes Meg, who awakens in a cable car headed to a remote resort in the mountains. Group three takes place at the resort itself and we are introduced to Carter. What complicates this situation further is the fact that the world is facing a global pandemic that has taken a dramatic toll on the population. What secrets are they all hiding? Were these accidents or is something more malicious at play? What are they all willing to sacrifice in order to survive?
I give this a solid 3.75. Most definitely worth a read if you enjoy claustrophobic horror. There are several instances that made me cringe just due to the proximity of the characters involved. I feel like this can be seen as both a thriller and a horror novel. It is even more compelling after the events of covid 19. C. J. Tudor is most definitely worth your time and this current novel is no different.

It can’t be too soon for a post apocalyptic novel when it’s this good.
Tudor outdoes himself with the epic weirdness, and his previous works were pretty damn epically weird. I tore through this book like flesh on a rotting corpse

❄️❄️❄️❄️
I normally try and avoid reading too much of the blurbs provided by the publishers, as they end up giving away details that at least to me should remain hidden to the reader.

Sometimes this works and I get the read I knew was coming.
While other times I end up completely surprised!, having no idea where it’s going to take me!
This was one of those times!

All I knew going in was ‘there was a bus crash in a secluded snowy area leaving few survivors’. That’s all I read. And since I was vacationing and expecting a huge snow storm that may lock me indoors, I thought ‘what great timing to pick up this book. To read about a snowstorm while in a snowstorm’! You can’t ask for more atmosphere than that.🤩

But wow! This was so much more than just surviving a winter’s crash!🤦🏻‍♀️ Now I’m not sure how much to share to avoid spoilers for those readers who also avoid the blurbs. So I’ll keep everything on the vague side.

This book is told from three totally separate storylines.

Meg: A medical student who survived a bus crash en route to The Retreat. Can she aid the remaining survivors to get out of the bus before it’s too late.

Hannah: A former police officer who lost her daughter…then her will to live. Hannah wakes up on a gondola, hovering midway in the heart of a storm. As her fellow riders gradually wake, they quickly realize help may not be coming and it’s up to them to survive.

Carter: Employee at the Retreat. And right now has his hands full as everything on top of this mountain is rapidly falling apart. He and his fellow workers share the same stark terror. They too may not survive the snowstorm.

I had no idea how these separate themes would come together, but C.J. Tudor seamlessly weaves the stories into an intricate pattern that left me exclaiming “OH”! out loud more than once.

Did my jaw drop? Well…no. Did I gasp? Ummm…no. I do think it was exceptionally clever and frightening! But I wanted a bit more shock at the end.

Still this book was extremely hard to put down and I zipped through it in a mere couple sittings. If you’re a fan of C. J. Tudor and are looking for a read on a cold snowy night, I highly recommend this one.

Maybe try going in blind as I did.💁🏻‍♀️

A buddy read with Susanne,☃️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

The world in this story is post-apocalyptic due to an aggressive virus. This story follows three groups. The first is a bus load of students being evacuated from an elite academy after an outbreak of the virus. The bus crashes in a snowstorm on its way to safety at The Retreat. The second is a group of testing “volunteers” on a cable car that has become stuck on its way up a mountain to reach The Retreat. The third group is the remaining staff at The Retreat who have been surviving as best they can after an uprising. Each group is struggling to survive, and each group has a mystery to solve.

This book is brimming with action. The author flings the reader breathlessly from group to group following their survival journeys, and she doesn’t shy away from sacrificing characters along the way. I appreciated this, as it it never feels realistic to me when there is a catastrophic event such as this and, miraculously, everyone survives.

This story grabbed me immediately and never let go. The mood of the book is like the weather portrayed in it - gray, cold, stark, and unsettling. The book is very insular, and the only glimpses of the world beyond are through the character’s back stories. As I read, I anticipated that the three groups would come together in some way, as they are apt to do in books structured in this manner,. However, the way I envisioned this happening was not how it unfolded, and I liked being surprised.

I would call The Drift a post-apocalyptic thriller as each of the three groups was not only struggling for survival, but also had a mystery to solve. I did not love the ending, as I felt it was a bit weak and ambiguous. All-in-all , though, I did enjoy this book as it slotted itself well into my love for post-apocalyptic stories.

VERY clever. This one got me, I never saw it coming!

Chilling and genuinely unnerving this is a closed in, freezy mystery with horror elements and absolutely magnificent plotting.

I say no more. Wouldn't want to spoil or dilute the craziness.

The Drift will be 2023's first hit I reckon. Loved it.

“Either you’re a good guy, or you’re a survivor.”

C.J. Tudor has done it again with not one, not two, but three locked room connected mysteries in The Drift!

Carter is trapped at The Retreat
Hannah is trapped in The Coach
Meg is trapped in The Cable Car

Likely inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Drift explores a fictional deadly virus’s impact on humanity ten years after its discovery.

At the end of the world, what are people willing to do to survive? Everyone holds a secret, no one is who they appear to be, and all are seeking redemption.

Who will survive?

“The devil was an angel once.”

Tudor realistically captures the horrors of a deadly pandemic through depicting a fictional society that cleverly mimics our own.

But oh my! Poopity poop poop poop! There are so many disgusting scenes involving poop!

This book definitely explores the grotesque, so be prepared for some very gruesome scenes. If you enjoy zombie thrillers, there’s something for you too!

Overall, I enjoyed all three settings equally and liked how they eventually tied together. Another great book from C.J. Tudor!

4/5 stars

Expected publication date: 1/31/23

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Drift is intelligent, diabolical, thrilling, horrifying, on the pulse of current (future?) events. All of CJ Tudor’s work is fantastic, but this one is different. It was next level. I cannot find a single thing wrong with it. I hate to compare, but this was like reading Stephen King or Blake Crouch. I honestly go into everything Tudor writes blind, because she is an auto-buy author for me, but this one floored me. This needs to be a movie.

C.J. Tudor comes through with another winner! If you thought “The Chalk Man” was a stellar read, then make time for “The Drift”.

Though the stories are different, one being about childhood games, and this new one about Post Apocalyptic survival and horror, C.J. Tudor, weaves a compelling, twisty, riveting, and sometimes darkly humorous tale.

Three storylines make up this new novel. The centerpiece of the story is the Department of Research into Infectious and future Transmissions (DRIFT). Three characters, Hannah, Meg, and Carter have found themselves trapped in very dangerous situations, all in very different places. The world is crumbling due to a virus, that has no cure and turns people into ‘Whistlers’. So these three characters have to endure not only the claustrophobic situation they are in, the people they are with, but the fact, those infected are downright monsters.

So how do you do it? Who do you trust? Do you fear the monster or the person trapped with you? In a world gone bad, what is the worse thing you face, danger, monsters, or your own weaknesses?

The story is chilling, relentless and in a few parts rather unnerving. The world that C.J. Tudor creates, has echoes of the COVID Pandemic. So when you are reading this book, each of you should feel some of the claustrophobic elements, as well as the “I hope I’m not infected” thoughts that many of us felt over the last couple of years.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

What an adrenaline rush! This thriller was intense, anxiety inducing and pulse pounding the whole way through! I'm still trying to lower my heart rate over here. The post-apocalyptic setting is reminiscent of Resident Evil and The Walking Dead, where there is a viral outbreak and not much hope left for humanity. From the very first paragraph, you will immediately be immersed into a literal snowstorm of chaos, feeling every bit as trapped and claustrophobic as the characters.

The storyline is told in three different POVs, alternating between Hannah, Meg and Carter. Hannah wakes up to find herself trapped on a bus with strangers, some alive and some dead. Meg wakes up to find herself in the same predicament, but she is trapped in a cable car, swaying high over the mountains. Their only knowledge is their planned destination, The Retreat. A safe zone for evacuees to be protected from the virus. Carter is at The Retreat in an isolated area when the generator starts to malfunction. All three will have to fight against the elements, lack of sustenance and the risk of catching the virus in order to survive. But that's not all. They also have to watch out for the infected.

I really enjoyed this book, but I did get confused at times. There are a lot of different characters, and I wanted a little more of an explanation at the end. Still...this is one of Tudor's best books yet and I highly recommend it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and the author for allowing me access in exchange for my honest opinion!

CJ Tudor is truly one of my favorite authors!! I jumped at the chance to read this ARC and I am so glad I did. Fabulous writing!! My skin is still crawling from this book.

The Drift was my first experience reading CJ Tudor, and it was a good one to get me started! This is a post-apocalyptic thriller, set amidst a virus that has ravaged mankind, turning those affected into a violent, zombielike state. The book starts with three main characters (Hannah, Meg and Carter) and their groups, which slowly intertwine over the course of the novel. Hannah is stranded in a coach car that has wrecked on a snowy road, Meg is stranded in a cable car high in the mountains; both are trying to get to The Retreat, where Carter is stranded. There are some really nice twists throughout, some of which I saw coming and some I didn’t. I don’t want to give too much away, so that’s all I’ll really say about that.

The biggest problem I had with The Drift is that I wanted to hear more about the virus and the effect it has had on the world. Of course, the virus is really just a sub-pot, so I didn’t get nearly as much of that as I wanted. Other readers may not feel this way, but I’m a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, so I wanted to know more about that. This is not to say that the main storyline (the mystery) isn’t compelling, because it definitely is. I just kept waiting to hear more about that, but the bits and pieces I got didn’t satisfy me completely. There is room here for another novel or ten, I think. I’d read them.

Tudor is a great writer and keeps the suspense coming, ending just about each chapter on a cliffhanger to keep you reading deep into the night. The main characters are likeable and keep you interested as to their fates moving deeper into the pages. Overall, if you like a good mystery, you will probably really like The Drift and turn pages relentlessly. If, like me, you are into world building and care about the deeper aspects of the background, then you may find yourself somewhat disappointed at the end, but excited by the prospect of future novels that may get into the virus and its effects on the world. Otherwise, it’s a great fall/winter read that will keep you engaged. Thanks very much to Random House, Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy to enjoy.