The Drift by C.J. Tudor features three main characters each with their own story. I felt the plot ideas were good but the characters aren’t as developed as I liked. It is quite the active thriller!

The Drift covers the lives of three main characters in three different storylines. They are all in precarious situations due to a massive snowstorm. To make matters worse, there has been a virus going around causing deadly and horrific consequences.

I’ll be honest, it took a while for me to get invested in the story. The characters are mostly unlikable and not very well developed. I can’t say that I cared for any of them, with the exception of Hannah. Nevertheless, I kept reading and near the end I found myself absorbed by the events and revelations that unfolded.

I don’t read much horror, so I feel readers like me should know that there is quite a bit of death and gore involved in the story. It has a dismal feel throughout. By the end, I did feel like the author presented a clever ending for a dystopian horror novel, leaving an opening for a possible sequel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing -Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to offer my honest review.

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 40%. I will give this author another try but this story was not what I was hoping for. I did not connect with the characters and I did not care enough about where the story was going to continue reading.

This was a decent enough thriller that kept me entertained while I was reading it. My concern with this one is the number of characters who are similar and brutal to distinguish between. As the reader, you get the sense that the three settings and their paired set of people are related to the others, but having them all be so one-dimensional was tough. I had to take notes to keep them straight and follow the breadcrumb trail here. I'd say it's a great vacation read while you're cuddled up by the fire in a ski lodge. Is it the best thriller I've read? No. But it was brain candy for sure!

Thank you so much @netgalley @randomhouse for the eARC of this in exchange for my review.

This was my first action thriller that I have ever read. I have read all of CJ Tudor's previous works and really loved them. While I enjoyed this book overall, it did not live up to the previous novels written. I think action thrillers just might not be my thing. I think if you enjoy disaster and action-packed thrillers, then you would likely enjoy this book. The writing is well done and holy crap can Tudor build an atmosphere. Anyone who likes The Last Of Us, Walking Dead, etc. should read this one! I did like that in the end all the story lines came together, even though it was heartbreaking. This has some level of gore to it that might be a bit much for some readers but didn't bother me at all. Would recommend for anyone that likes this genre.

#TheDrift #NetGalley #bookreview #Ballantine #disasterbook #TheLastOfUs

This story is told from three different points of view In one, a school bus carrying passenger to a retreat overturns, the passengers need to work together to get out and to safety in a snowstorm. The next one is a cable car suspended far above a snow storm with no memory of how they got there. The last, Carter is at the retreat when the power goes out. As you keep reading, through many twists and turns, you find out how the stories come together for the shocking ending.

This was a really interesting novel and it kept me on my toes. I loved how the chapters were short and switched between characters so frequently. There were constant cliff hangers and I just had to know what would happen next. It was a little more gore than I typically like, but I just tried to read those sections quick. All in all it was an entertaining read. Thank you netgalley for my free review copy.

"The Drift" is a dystopian, pandemic book set in a secluded ski chalet. Three stories with semi-different motivations wind together throughout the story. It starts as more of a slow burn then picks up speed quickly towards the end of the book. Typically, I don't like books about pandemics (we just lived through one; I don't need to relive it so soon after) but author C.J. Tudor does a nice job of making this particular pandemic feel different than 2020. I also love the ruthless characters who create an environment where no one is safe.

This was one of my anticipated books of the year and I was seeing it all over bookstagram. Unfortunately, books that are really hyped (either by the publishers or fellow readers) don’t always appeal to me and let me down. I love a lot of books by this author so I’m bummed. There were so many characters to keep track of. I wish there was one storyline.

Calling all fans of The Last of Us and the like, this pandemic based viral #thriller is perfect for when you want something that will actually have your pulse pounding and too locked in to stop obsessively turning the pages.

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This one is a wild ride, taking place from three different viewpoints at three different times, all of which revolve around a pandemic that has ravaged the world and left it a shell of what it once was.

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The story begins when an influential boarding school attempts Tom evacuate it students in the midst of a campus infection to safety. Unfortunately, a horrible accident leaves nearly all of the students dead with a few exceptions, who scramble to fight for their lives in brutal, blizzard like conditions before government officials can find them.

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Absolutely exhilarating. Out of all of the three viewpoints, I will admit that Hannah’s was my favorite, and the awful, heartbreaking angle of her father’s involvement and ultimate betrayal destroyed me.

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I thought this was a good mystery thriller. I haven't read much by this author but still enjoyed this one as well. I did like the mystery aspect of this story and what was going to happen. I don't like going into a book already feeling like I know what was going to happen. The only downfall i had were all the characters and trying to keep track of everyone.

End of the earth, end of humanity, end, end, end. Told from three distinctive POVs this amazing apocalyptic book kept twisting and turning and moving in on itself and veering off and I was never really sure where it was going but I was loved it.

The characters are caught in a life and death struggle to survive but the real question is “Survive what and why bother?” A totally ugly reveal of mankind and explanation of how an apocalypse happens and the ordinariness of the explanation. So no clear cut white or black hat - people just interpreting and misinterpreting each other until society “rumbled or crumbled”.

I liked almost everything about this book, the introspection, the profiling of the characters, the settings, the plot twists , the writing and never turning away from the inherent horror of the potential decimation of us. A very different and terrific story told with cunning, a bit of snark, some compassion and a hint of hope.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy.

✨✨ Book Review ✨✨
Synopsis:
Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors. They’ll need to work together to escape—with their sanity and secrets intact.
Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She’s 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,” but as the temperature drops and tensions mount, Meg realizes they may not all make it there alive.
Carter is gazing out the window of an isolated ski chalet that he and his companions call home. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, something hiding in the chalet’s depths threatens to escape, and their fragile bonds will be tested when the power finally fails—for good.

My Thoughts:
Told through multiple POV's, we follow Hannah, Meg, and Carter as they each find themselves in life or death situations. While each are in a different situation with a different group of people, they must find a way to survive the elements, wildlife, and people around them.
This a medium paced book with lots of challenges that each group must work to overcome. I spent most of this book wondering what connected the three groups that we follow. It does all come together in the end, but I felt a little let down by the twist. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and didn't see it coming but I felt like the components of the story were so well built that it could have given so much more. If you enjoy a multi layered story with great characters this one is for you!

⭐⭐⭐💫(3.5)

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the gifted copy of this book.

Clever and thrilling this book is a mix of post-apocalyptic horror, dystopian thriller, mystery and locked door scenarios. Thoroughly enjoyed!

The story is divided in three scenarios with a different cast of characters in each of them. I could feel the tension and suspense building in each chapter. This the first book I have read of CJ’s and I will be going back to read her others. Next up – The Burning Girls.

I want to thank NetGalley, the CJ Tudor and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

This book was so freaky and definitely made me feel like I was there. I would recommend this for people who love a good thriller, although some of it was a bit predictable.

Im not typically a fan of catastrophic, end of the world type books but this book was riveting and I couldn't put it down. The well written characters, the mortality issues, survival struggles....it just kept going and going. This book was. a fun, twisty ride!

This was a really great book. I love all the twists and turns, and it was certainly timely in subject. So many layers including morality questions, survival questions, and just a really great ride! Another wonderful book from CJ Tudor! Looking forward to the next one!

CJ Tudor's books are always a massive hit for me. I spend the first half of the book confused thinking WTF is going on, and then slowly and slowly things start to come together. The Drift is no different - the story is told from three different perspectives, from three different characters, Hannah, Meg, and Carter, as they battle a snowstorm and survival. However, as the situations the characters are in become more clear you realize there's more to the opposing POV's than it seems, and it's truly mind blowing as the characters stories start to connect. Theres a deadline virus, murder, shady dealing, sacrifices, and pretty much every other scenario you could imagine. As always with Tudor's works I was truly surprised by the big twists in the story, and with the biggest reveal of all is told slowly and hinted at throughout the work and its truly incredibly done.

I can't say much about this one without giving a way crucial plot details, but if you're a fan of dystopian horror, this ones for you. CJ Tudor hasn't disappointed me yet and as always, my only real complaint is I'm always left with some unanswered questions and wishing it was just a little longer. (but I've also reviewed all her books since The Chalk Man and I learn

I loved The Drift. This kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to piece together connections and twists. And while I guessed quite a few of the twists, there were certainly some surprises in here.

The Drift follows three characters as they try to survive a catastrophe, along with a virus ravaged world. Hannah wakes up in a mangled coach bus that has crashed. Meg in a cable car suspended over a frozen landscape. And lastly Carter, in an abandoned ski chalet. All of these povs and scenarios were so interesting and the overall sense of foreboding was done exceptionally well. Also the dark humor was just the icing on the cake. 5 stars, highly recommend!

4.5 stars

The Drift is a hard book to summarize in one sentence but I would say it's about three different groups of people in dangerous situations trying to figure out how to survive.

This is my 3rd book by C.J. Tudor and she has officially become a favorite author of mine (I've also read The Chalk Man and The Burning Girls by her). From the very beginning pages of this book, I was hooked. And to be clear, this is a very me type of book with a snowy setting, end of the world as we know it and isolation vibes, plus a mystery of what is really going on as an added bonus. It couldn't be more my type of book if it tried! What I had almost forgotten is that Tudor toes the line between thriller and horror seamlessly with her books. I was reading along just completely hooked and then bam - she hits you with those horror vibes perfectly. I loved it! My one and only complaint with this book (and the reason I gave it 4.5 stars rather than a full five) is I just wanted a little bit more from the ending. It was a good ending but with all the build up of tension and suspense to get to that point - I just needed a bit more (even if I can't pinpoint what that more should have been). C.J. Tudor is such a talented author and I am here for anything/everything that she writes at this point.

Readers who enjoy books that have eerie, isolated vibes and are complete page turning reads need to pick this book up! The Burning Girls is still my favorite by her but this book is a very close second. I'm so excited to catch up on her backlist after loving each of her books so much!