Weaving together three seemingly different narratives, each culminating with a life or death situation for the characters makes "the Drift" an interesting read. In the time of a viral pandemic, the government and their lead scientist have decided to set up "Retreats", set up like a soothing mountain spa to attract those whose plasma carries the antibodies needed to keep the healthy/wealthy members of society alive. The "volunteers" for the program do not know that they are going to be held prisoners and periodically milked for their plasma. The story follows three groups of people that are being "evacuated" to one of these retreats and the disasters that befall them on the way. Characters who are not who they appear to be and who have a host of hidden agendas make keeping track of possible suspects in the sabotage that occurs a challenge for readers. Culminating with an ending that reader's won't suspect, "The Drift" is for those who like to track the clues and puzzle out the "whodunit" before the author's reveal at the end.

The whole book was edge of your seat action and was completely breathtaking. I found myself shivering at the descriptions of the snow and the cold.

When starting the book I felt like I was missing something like I was starting book two without reading book one and I almost gave up because nothing was getting explained. But everything was explained eventually.

I think it went a little too far into the government and lab controlling things, without that it would have held up just as well.

I’m a huge fan of thrillers but come on? The multiple perspectives? 3 stories in one? How was I supposed to even care about the book?

This dragged. There are better thrillers out there.

Review of uncorrected eBook file

Hannah and a small group of students are on their way from the Academy to the Retreat when their coach crashes and becomes half-buried in a snowbank. Half a dozen are dead, others seriously injured. Now trapped in the coach as the snowstorm swirls around them, they have no way to call for help.

Meg and several other passengers find themselves stranded in a cable car when a power outage stops the cable car mid-transit. But none of them remembered actually boarding the cable car. And now, stranded high above the ground, a snowstorm swirls around them.

Carter is one of a small group of caretakers at the Retreat tasked with maintaining the mountaintop Retreat and its grounds, keeping the place running, even as the snowstorm swirls around them.

With everyone isolated, facing unique hazards, unable to summon help, will they survive?

=========

Tense and apprehensive, dark and disturbing, this is the chilling story of disparate characters dealing with the fallout from a global pandemic. Told from the viewpoints of three different characters, this gritty post-apocalyptic thriller spreads over multiple timelines. The story unfolds via groups of characters . . . those in the coach, those in the cable car, those in the Retreat center . . . with several characters in each group. There’s a parallel between the three groups; paranoia, secrets, distrust, and death all play a part in the unfolding of each group’s story. As the story progresses, readers will discover that there’s an unexpected link between the groups as the plot twists and turns in completely unexpected directions.

With the exception of embarrassing comments regarding zaftig characters, there is little description for most of the characters. Added to an almost-nonexistent backstory for the majority of the characters, it’s difficult for readers to connect with them or to relate to their actions. To pull the readers into the telling of the tale, they need to be able to empathize with more than the characters’ desire to survive the plague.

Some other, but important, thoughts . . . .
. . . . Considering the [at times] still-raw aftermath of the still-lingering pandemic, it may be a bit too soon to give readers a worldwide, rapidly-spreading, lethal virus, even if it is fictional.

. . . . Dumping the anti-Christian, anti-conservative views of the author into the telling of the tale adds nothing to the story and serves only to distance readers

. . . . The unnecessary and extensive overuse of a particularly offensive expletive mars the telling of this tale and lowers the rating for the book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley
#TheDrift #NetGalley

The Drift by C. J. Tudor. Is a crafty, dystopian thriller that slowly fits the puzzle pieces together. While some parts are a little convenient and have you rolling your eyes, on the whole, it’s a really fun read. Definitely recommend.
#TheDrift #NetGalley

This book was excellent. Very well done. The way the ending pulled everything together was masterful. The characters were fascinating and intriguing. No one was safe - you didn’t have “main characters” getting out of everything and surviving unrealistically. It was just brilliantly done.

This is such a very clever book. It's quick moving, fairly dark, and just a wee bit gruesome, and I enjoyed reading it quite a lot.

The book is structured around three storylines for three different characters who are each trapped in a high stakes, life-and-death situation in some remote, frozen landscape. The story alternates between each character, and we the reader assume these three people will all connect eventually. How that unfolds is where the book truly shines.

This story moves fast. Each of the storylines require little set-up--the characters are in danger from the opening pages. Instead, the story concerns itself with how each of these characters will get themselves out of their situations, and who is on their side and (who is not) while they tackle that task, (in two of the three stories, the characters are surrounded by strangers, so this is difficult to figure out.) One of the storylines had a bit of an Agatha Christie vibe, IMO.

My only quibble with this book? While do you get to know these three main characters in great depth, many of the rest of the characters in the book fall a little flat. Literally the set up for each of these stories is a person in a room with a bunch of people who are described with only a few words (e.g. "older man," "overweight boy," etc.) Many of these people are quickly killed off. This seemed akin to Star Trek's red shirt problem...these other people were added to the environment only to create a sense of doom and urgency, they didn't serve much more of a narrative purpose.

But that's just my opinion. Overall, this book is like an elaborate puzzle that is very, very fun to put together. The thrills are visceral. (I could have used WAY more whistlers, but that's just me.) Would be a fun read on a cold, snowy night.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another book that is difficult to provide a review for.

I didn't care for the book at all.. yet... I kept reading.. I had to know what was going on, and what would happen next.

There were multiple storylines about survival. They of course end up converging, but it takes you a while to see how the author will get there.

What did I not like?
I didn't care about any of the characters. They didn't have enough depth or something.. I kind of hoped for them to die...lol
Then each story had a "friend" betray them - I mean really?
I couldn't follow the logic of the characters thinking sometimes - I was like "how did they make that jump?"

But again.. I just kept reading it. I couldnt stop myself from reading more.. I kept thinking it HAD to get better.. But it really didn't.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which obviously did not impact my review. This is one of my rare 2 star reviews. (usually when it is that bad, I don't finish it which means I dont review it)

I strongly disliked this NetGalley ARC. The characters are drawn so thinly. The trope of "character turns around to find another character they thought was their friend pointing a gun at them" is used literally a dozen times. Characters jump to insane conclusions in the service of pushing the plot forward.

I normally would DNF a book I dislike this much, but there <i>was</i> something compelling about the plot. There were just enough little cliffhangers and interesting tidbits about the wider world to make me want to continue on. Unfortunately the wider world never amounted to anything worth continuing on for.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Intense, action, you’ll be on the edge of your seat.

OMG , she did it again, this book was everything I was hoping it would be and just as good as her other books, it's right up there with her books The Burning Girls ,and the hidden place. And yes I've read all most all of her books except for her other new one A silver In darkness which I also have to read but as soon as I was invited to read this one I couldn't wait to read it ,it had my all time favorite trope which is strangers meet for the first time and are stack with no way to get help in a remote location, secrets come out and Murder happens. And just like her other books I've read and loved it had me on edge the entire time, It was dark, creepy , and a bit gore , but over all the perfect book to read under the blankets on a cold wet day.

This is the first book I've read by CJ Tudor and wow, what a story it is. This is an edge of your seat, intense, action packed story. It grabs you from the first line and is impossible to put down.
The story takes place in multiple locations with multiple people who are trying surviving after a pandemic. Each of these people are hiding a secret. As the story unfolds, secrets get revealed and the truth unravels.
The characters are unreliable storytellers as no one is to be trusted. You question who these people truly are and what their ultimate goal is. You wonder how they all relate to each other and if their storylines will interconnect.
I loved this book. It has elements of mystery, action, and science fiction. It has me left waiting another book just on The Whistlers. I think anyone who likes action and suspense will like this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, C.J. Tudor and the publisher for this e-ARC.

Oh I just love survival books and this one does not disappoint.

Three groups of people are stranded in 3 separate places, all trying to survive being stuck with no escape, not knowing who to trust, while also trying to avoid being infected by a contagious virus, AND also avoid being found by the government who is trying to kill any and all infected people or those potentially infected. A total shitstorm!

This one kept me on edge the entire time and I did not want it to end. Most of the characters were unlikable, but while reading and seeing what they're going through, you can understand why they do what they do. Everything is about survival. "You're either a good guy, or you're a survivor".

I would've given it 5 stars but keeping up with 3 sets of characters, and 3 locations, was very confusing at times. However, all of that was tied up and made sense in the end. It was also incredibly gory and I don't really enjoy that.

Otherwise, excellent book and I'm so excited to have gotten an ARC.

This was such an intriguing story. The plot twist was awesome. I love how the story unfolded. I don't think I've ever read a story quite like it. It was unnerving and more than a little twisted. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only negative for me was not learning more about Eva. Maybe there will be a book #2?

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many thanks to C.J. Tudor, Random House - Ballantine Books and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. I am a huge Tudor fan, having enjoyed all of her previous novels, and so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one. I also particularly enjoy dystopian fiction — so this seemed like a perfect fit.

Unfortunately, The Drift just didn’t work for me. It kept my interest, for sure — I had trouble putting it down — but I found it confusing and ultimately, unsatisfying. It’s a clever story, and for those who love fast-paced thrillers, it may be perfect, but in the end I felt like there was very little resolution and too many loose ends.

Still, I will look forward to Tudor’s next novel, and I appreciate the opportunity to read this one.

Three different people in unique situations try to survive during a snowstorm but even if they survive the snowstorm, there are other obstacles to face. Hannah is trapped in a bus after it rolls over in an accident. Meg is in a ski lift that lost power and is far away from the lift station. Last is Carter who lives in an abandoned resort that is losing electricity. As you get further into the story, you realize something strange is going on in the world and you also know somehow these three different characters are going to intersect somehow. I did not forsee the ending at all!

I am at a loss for words with this book. What a wild ride. This was a thriller not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of blood, guts, and gore.

It’s told from the perspective of three characters: Hannah, whose father is the mastermind behind The Department, Meg, who is a resilient former cop dealing with demons from her past, and Carter, a hypothermia survivor at The Retreat.

There are quite a few other characters, and when the book finally starts winding down and revealing bits and pieces at a time, it is satisfying.

I actually found myself not being able to put this one down and I finished it in just a few hours. If you are into thrillers, this is a must read!

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

There were alot of twists and turns in this book. A few points were hard to keep up with. Overall, a pandemic situation and you could feel the story picking up with full speed. I enjoyed the book!

A explosive post apocalyptic thriller that occurs after a deadly virus ravaged the world. A stranded cable car with people inside. A school bus crash that held students trying to get to a retreat that was deemed to be safe. They were all trying to get to the retreat and avoid all of the dangers that this new world brought about. l enjoy this type of thriller that explores the outcome of a world disaster and how humanity behaves when there are no rules or morals. The only thing that was confusing was the timeline of the story from chapter to chapter. The author should put an additional heading with a date at the start of the chapter since some of the book took place at the beginning of the virus outbreak and some of the book was ten years later. Also at the very beginning the author could give us a preface as to how the virus came about and more about the virus so we would have a better understanding on what was going on in the world at the time. Overall a very entertaining book that kept me reading with anticipation until the end .

I started reading The Drift, wondering where these seemingly 3 separate stories would merge. But after about 21%, I found the violence and blood to be too off-putting, and I could not continue.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to try out The Drift.