Drift

by M.K. Hutchins

Tenjat lives on the shores of Hell, an ocean filled with ravenous naga monsters. His island, a massive Turtle, is slowed by the people living on its back. Only those poor enough to need children to support themselves in old age condescend to the shame of marriage. Tenjat is poor as poor gets, but he has a plan.

In the center of the island rises a giant Tree, where the Handlers—those who defend and rule the island—live. Against his sister’s wishes, Tenjat joins the Handlers. He couldn’t have picked a more dangerous time. The Turtle is nearing a coral reef where it desperately needs to feed, but the naga will swarm just before they reach it. Even novices like Tenjat are needed for the battle.

Can Tenjat discover his sister’s secrets in time? Will the possibility of love derail all his plans for a richer, marriage-free life? Long-held secrets will at last be revealed in this breathtaking debut from M. K. Hutchins.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Fiction

398 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On an ocean world where communities live on the backs of gargantuan sea turtles and survival is key, orphan farmer Tenjat finds his lands ruined and takes the test to become a Handler, one of the warriors that defends the Turtle. But with another Turtle heading in their direction, will the new crop of Handlers be ready to defend it in time?

I saw this on John Scalzi's The Big Idea and just had to read it. Villages on the backs of giant sea turtles? What's not to like?

The worldbuilding is both my favorite part of this book and the part that kept me from really enjoying it. Allow me to elaborate.

As I said above, I loved the idea of villages on the backs of sea turtles warring with each other and with the nagas, the creatures that harried the Turtles at every turn. I also thought the idea of Handlers and Tenders taking care of the rest of the islanders by protecting them was also very cool. The magic system was fairly unique.

Here's the part I didn't like: As with some other Young Adult books, I found some logical flaws in the worldbuilding. Just as I found the faction system in Divergent to be illogical and the fact that the other three houses allowed Slitheren to exist among them knowing what buttheads they are, I just didn't buy the culture of the Turtles.

Survival is key on the Turtles and people become Handlers, Tenders, or Artisans if they have the aptitude and pass the test. Everyone else becomes farmers and are the only caste that breeds and they are looked down upon because of it. Huh? If survival is key, wouldn't you want the people with the talent breeding? Where do the inhabitants of the Turtles think babies come from? Also, this takes place in the chaste world of YA so there is no thought given to casual sex. Even if people on an island looked down on getting married, I guarantee there would still be people giving in to their throbbing biological urges.

All that aside, I still enjoyed the story of Tenjat rising from his orphan roots to become a handler. The romance with Avi was predictable and seemed bolted on but wasn't nauseating so I gave it a pass. I found the world refreshingly original, despite my problems with it. The ending was satisfying, if a bit pat.

The good and the bad balance out and since I liked it more than I disliked it, I'm giving it a three. It had to work for it, though.

[Scott Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me first say, that I judge books purely by the enjoyment I get from reading them. I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours, so I would definitely give it a 5/5. I hope I can convince you to find a copy yourself without giving anything away. (This review contains no spoilers!)

I got this shiny new book after my mother recommended it. (As a side note, I was pleasantly surprised by how cheap it was on Amazon). The cover is beautiful, but the world inside is truly amazing.

The characters and plot certainly have a lot of depth. The story comes from a simpler time where working hard for food consumed the majority of people's time. The societal structure has many similar elements to Mayan culture. For instance, most people farm, but warriors and artisans are the most respected positions. This social hierarchy becomes the basis of the conflict in the book. While some plots rely on truly evil characters who are evil for evil's sake (think of almost every Disney movie), Drift has characters and enemies with a variety of motivations. Conflict comes across realistically instead of contrived.

I mentioned the word realistic in my review of a book based on a community living on the back of a giant turtle? MK Hutchins makes her world real. There are economics, religion, social structures, and also magic. Unlike Harry Potter or Rick Riordan's novels, this world is not built on a modern 1st world country's alternative high school. Drift unfolds a reality as a completely unique and fascinating as our own with a different set of rules.

At one point in the novel, I almost stopped reading the book and yelled at the book, "No, not another Hunger Games!!" While Hutchins could have gone in that direction, she didn't. Drift doesn't ride on the success of a current fad like Divergent rides on the Hunger Games. In fact, I can't think of a good comparison. The plot has its own unique elements.

Ok, I do have a few complaints. If I read the word "hub" one more time, I'm going to smack someone. Seriously, these people have 20 different types of magic users and types of food, but one insult. If you've seen just a few episodes of Battlestar Galactica, you probably feel the same about the word "frack." It's just as bad with "hub."

On a more neutral note, the author is LDS and it does shine through. Hutchins has nothing remotely dirty in this book. If a character curses, Hutchins says, "he cursed." Even violence is shoved to the side. While my favorite LDS author, Brandon Sanderson, would describe a battle or torture in gory detail, Hutchins would mention the event after it had passed. This book is written for young adults and any parent would be pleased by the contents.

Some people might say that the romance in the novel lacked development. I would argue that the romance fits the setting. Finding a spouse meant something very different to ancient Mayans than it does today. Hutchins makes no effort to make her character's lives similar to the modern teenager's lives for which it's written.

In conclusion, I recommend it. If you're reading this review and you know me personally - I might buy it for you. Seriously, I enjoyed it that much. If you're looking for something fresh, this book is for you.

[Laurie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down! I cared about the characters right from the first page. I like to guess at possible plot developments, but I don’t like books to be too predictable. Drift did not disappoint! I loved the world setting. I am a diver and I love turtles and coral reefs. I liked how the turtle’s health was connected to the health of the Island, the soil and the Island’s people. I liked the novel’s balance of relationships vs. adventure and great plot development. Tenjat grows up in a society with prejudice and bigotry; it take a crisis for him to see that the world and people in it may not be what he has always thought they were. Tenjat finds out life really is what happens while you are making other plans…Just when you think you have your life map figured out you get a whole new atlas. I love fantasy fiction and I am so excited to find a new author that I love.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book. I swear, I don't know whether I wanted to finish the book or throw it across the room at various points while I was reading it.

First of all, let's start off with the good parts. The cover is gorgeous, I loved the premise of worlds on the back of giant sea turtles and the twist at the end where we find out where the turtles came from and how the people came to be was completely unexpected and I loved it. Yes, the revelations could have been spread out more rather than chucked in the last quarter of the book but I liked the info.

Now it's rant time.

- Tenjat. Why such an arsehole? Not even the good kind where you can see why and then he grows and becomes better. And love interest, Avi, isn't that much better especially when she talks about hubs getting what they deserve (i.e. beatings and death) and it wasn't called out. There was one point of the book where I thought Tenjat would go 'that's my sister you're talking about' and leave her for good but it never happened and Avi never properly apologised for it.

- Tenjat's sister whose name I cannot remember. Literally there to hold back information until the 'right' time and to cause Tenjat several shocks. Not saying Tenjat didn't deserve it but it didn't seem like his sister liked him very much at all and the relationship felt very unequal.

- worldbuilding. I said this is a bit I liked but that's mostly because of the premise. In this world of Drift, those who have children are slowing down the turtle. Too many people on the turtle means the turtle starves and they all die. This taboo against having children was so interesting but then it was done in such a way that it became far more frustrating than anything else.

First of all, why are no gay/lesbian relationships mentioned? Two women having sex, two men having sex, don't result in children. It's just assumed that anyone having sex is having children and it's never really thought of outside of there.

Second of all, everyone on the turtle came from a parent. Why didn't Hutchins base his worldbuilding on real-life events like China's One Child Policy? Why did he make people with children so demonised that the fact everyone was born from someone is never even mentioned?

Thirdly, if Handlers and Tenders were so rare, why not go the whole dystopia route and just draft people into the Tree?

Fourthly, why is there no mention of any way of stopping pregnancy? I mean, later revelations explain it but before that there is no mention of contraception, abortion or casual sex even. You can't just skip over these and expect people not to notice!

- evil bad guy on evil turtle. I can't remember his name either but he wasn't mentioned as a possible villain until the last 50 pages it felt like. If you're going to have a villain like that, you have to mention it earlier and build up to it.

Okay, I'm done. I found this book incredibly slow and I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone. 2 stars!

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was somewhat disappointed with this book. There's some interesting world-building and mythology-building going on here, but the pacing, the characters, and the writing just don't do the world justice.

We learn a little bit of how the world works at the beginning of the book, but the rest of the details are hidden from the main character for a large part of the story. Those secrets aren't slowly uncovered, but instead just dumped on the reader in a couple large blocks of explanation. The first infodump happens about halfway through the book, and without the full explanation (which only happens just before the final climax), what you get seems weirdly arbitrary and kind of awkward.

I find the central premise (a world where having a family is a social taboo) intriguing, but Hutchins doesn't quite sell it, as far as I'm concerned. All the characters seem to equate child-bearing with sex and romantic love, as if it never occurred to anyone that sexual activity could happen without having children, that two people could be in love without having children, or that sex might ever happen outside of a monogamous relationship. And while I understand that this is supposed to be a young adult novel, every reference to sex feels like it was written by a young child who's only conception of sex is that it's something mommies and daddies do to make babies.

Much of the world feels like it wasn't fully fleshed out. Hutchins came up with the idea of turning the word "husband" into the derogatory term "hub", and while that's a nice touch, it seems to be the only insult anyone in the world ever uses. All the farmers seem to have only one crop most of the time. And every person who violates the taboo on having sex/children seems to have done so for the exact same reason.

If Hutchins has any experience with the way boys bully each other, it didn't really make it into the book. Refusing to talk to someone is certainly no small thing, but if you put a bunch of teenage boys into a school where they're being trained to fight, I guarantee it's not going to be the only ostracization strategy in use.

And it's really a shame because the world Hutchins has imagined is a pretty unique one, and there's almost no chance to explore it at all in the book because it's completely hidden until the book is almost over.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hutchins has created an incredibly unique fantasy setting for her Young Adult debut. The vibe reminds me a lot of Diana Wynne Jones--fantastical to a weird, creepy extreme. Some of the inspiration comes from Mayan mythology, with islands set on turtles. The concept of "tending to the land" takes on new meaning when your land is a turtle that needs to feed itself and the giant world tree on its back.

Tenjat is a teenage boy who is utterly devoted to his sister. He's a bit like Luke in Star Wars Episode IV--impetuous, whiny, but with good intentions at heart. He wants to be a Handler for his island and assist in fighting off nagas. The protagonist of the book might be a young man, but the wisdom and fighting prowess is demonstrated by the young women of the cast, namely his sister Eflet and trainer Avi.

The tension in the story increases dramatically about halfway through; I didn't want to put the book down! The biggest criticism I have is that the shame of marriage within the world feels heavy-handed at times. There were some crazy, weird revelations as the plot develops, the kind that take you aback but make sense in retrospect. It's the kind of edgy world-building that keeps you from getting complacent. Good stuff.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The World Turtle exists in several cultures, namely the Mayan and Hindu cultures. The idea is that the world rests on the back of a giant, space-faring turtle. I first heard this myth about two and a half years ago, and was intrigued by the idea. It wasn't until I picked up a copy of Drift at the library and saw the beautiful cover, featuring a sea turtle with an island on its back, that the story came back to me, and I knew I just had to read this book.

Drift is a tough book to rate. On the one hand, once I started reading, I knew I wanted to finish, but there were some parts that made me squirm. Allow me to extrapolate my meaning.

The concept is certainly original and fresh. Inspired by Mayan mythology, villages exist on the backs of giant sea turtles, with one enormous tree growing out of the center of the turtle's back. Each turtle swims on the surface of Hell (in naga-infested waters) from coral reef to coral reef, grazing and feeding. If the turtle is eating well and often, crops are abundant on the island, and all is well. However, if a warring island's turtle is already at a reef, or if reefs are few and far in between, a turtle can go too long without proper sustenance, and then the crops on the island start to fail and the turtle becomes slower and weaker, making it vulnerable for a hostile take-over by another island.

The turtle island is tended by Handlers, Tenders, and artisans, all of whom live in or around the main Tree. Spread out across the island are cassava farmers, many of which are also "hubs" or "husbands." In this world, it is a shame for a man to marry and bear children; one, because it means he did not have the talent or skill to make it as an island care-taker, and two, because bearing children means the turtle has a heavier load to carry, thereby slowing it down, affecting both the health of the crops and the safety of the island.

Tenjat and his sister, Eflet, are orphans. Though Tenjat is a farmer, he is determined to do more; never would he condescend himself to become a filthy hub. Against Eflet's wishes, he enters training at the Tree to become a Handler. Then, life gets complicated. Island Guaji is starving, an approaching island seeks a hostile take-over, and the root-eating, blood-thirsty nagas are making matters worse. In the middle of this, Tenjat must deal with his growing attraction to Avi, his mentor, and his discovery of a life-changing family secret that Eflet holds. Can the island be saved? What is Eflet hiding? Does love have any place in a world where marriage and children are symbols of shame?

I do not typically choose to write a synopsis of the book in my review, but I feel the cover synopsis didn't quite do the job. There is, of course, a lot more to the story, but it's not my story to tell. On to my review...

The world-building in Drift was pretty darn wonderful in most parts, and lacking in others. As I read further, I could almost feel the Tree swaying with each stroke of the turtle's fins, smell the decaying cassava fields, and glimpse the fangs of the nagas in the swirling darkness of Hell. I almost wish I lived in a village on the back of a giant turtle (minus the nagas!) One disappointment was the logic behind the disgust towards those who chose to marry and bear children. It makes sense that more weight would slow the turtle down, but why were only farmers having children? If everyone in and around the Tree was so talented, why didn't they have children, to carry on the superior gene pool and further secure the protection of the island? Also, not everyone who marries has children. Why the disgust, then, towards everyone who married? Finally, where did all of these people think they came from?!

Unfortunately for this character fangirl, the characters in Drift left a lot to be desired. There's not one specific thing I can put my finger on, but I think I felt the characters to be too one-dimensional. Tenjat's constant hub-hating was grating on my nerves, especially since he was taken in by a "hub" when he was orphaned, and Eflet's unwavering goodness was too saccharine for my digestive system. I also felt that none of the characters, with the exception of a certain farmer and a certain little boy, ever went through any real heartache or trauma. I was happy to see the mindset of the community changing by the end of the book, but do feel that the ending was buttoned up rather nicely, and it all just felt a bit convenient.

There is definitely an odd religious feel to the plot, with Handlers and Tenders claiming their "treasures" from Deep Hell. The explanation for the existence of the nagas and imps is, actually, a little disturbing and rather confusing. And don't get me started on the "sacrifice" that both Eflet and Tenjat make when dealing with the nagas toward the end of the book. Suffice it to say that if anyone has suffered a miscarriage or stillborn baby, you may want to avoid this book purely for emotion-triggering reasons.

After reading my review, it may seem that I didn't like Drift enough to give it even three stars, but it does earn bonus points for originality and world-building, and for keeping me reading until the end with sustained interest. I say, you may want to give this one a try, even if just from a curiosity aspect. Many readers loved this book, and you may, too!

[Constance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this from the library on a whim. I didn’t expect much from it. I ended up loving it. A wonderful world and surprising plot twists. Did I always love the characters? No. Was it a bit simplistic in some ways? Yes. But I’m really glad I read it. It was really unique from a lot of the run of the mill YA out there, and that counted for a lot to me, because I’ve been missing unique.

[Hattie Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems the world of young adult fiction has turned into a rat race for authors to contribute their own slightly different takes on the same ideas. No matter how interesting the original idea was, few authors are bringing anything fresh to the table.

Well, I can confidently say that Drift is wholly original and fresh. The world of the turtles, islands, and trees is such a strange one, and it was so fun to explore it with the characters! I can't say much about it without giving things away, but it's a fascinating, well-built place. Strangest of all, (and this isn't much of a spoiler) is the shame of marrying and having children. This is such an interesting conflict because it is an inherent standard of our own culture. To watch characters struggle with this as a "necessary evil" is one I've never seen before in a book.

The first third of the book sets us up in the world, knowing enough to be interested and get a taste of foreshadowing. Once our character, Tenjat, leaves for the Tree, there is twist after twist, reveal after reveal. I was impressed with the pacing and variety, how each twist enriched the setting and changed the characters and their opportunities. An unpredictable foreigner of a book, it was a joy to read!

[Koori no hi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was difficult to get into at the beginning. This was mostly because the setting was just so foreign that it took some time to wrap my head around. Once I had figured out how the setting played into the plot points of the story the whole thing flowed so much more easily and turned out to be a brilliant story. I give it four stars despite the slow start because it is so original.

[Jessica Banfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really love this book, and I honestly think not enough people know about it. I couldn't put it down. The world is so amazing to find out more and more about as the story continues, and the storyline is captivating. M.K Hutchins is so creative, and I encourage everyone who likes adventure/fantasy to read it.

[Ninian Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read I love the turtle island it was amazing and really well written

[Alyson Grauer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a really hard time with this. The action builds so very slowly and the protagonist is not particularly likable, unique, or memorable. The word building clearly held research and hard work but everything was exposition word-vomited to the reader through the protagonist. Nothing had any weight. Action sequences felt like checking off a list - training, combat against monsters, big boss fight against rival island’s warriors. There was no chemistry to build a romance on - in no small part due to the world building including a severe social disdain for marriage and child rearing. The vitriol with which it’s handled by most of the characters (protagonist included!) mean that later when a potential romance appears the reader can’t even picture it happening - because we already know the protagonist hates the very idea of marriage. There is no named antagonist until the final section of the story - and the conflict is resolved EXTREMELY quickly. There are pacing issues throughout. Also - the magic/ethereal elements in the book are wildly vague and hard to picture/follow. It seems very hand-wavy in parts, including some deep cut world lore reveals later on about HOW and WHY magical abilities are gained and used.

***SPOILERS START HERE:***
All that talk about disdaining those who marry and raise children... and then the protagonist’s sister (a much more interesting character from the beginning) reveals that this is all an afterlife. They all are reincarnated from stillborn or miscarried infants of another realm far above their current one. The nagas (sea monsters) they fight are ghosts and incomplete souls yearning for deliverance. Magical abilities are gained through the way you were previously buried and what items you were buried with. All this gave me a massive yuck-feeling on top of me being confused as to how exactly these average run of the mill folks could ever possibly comprehend that level of complex cosmic truth.
***END SPOILERS***


I don’t DNF books because I want to give every book I read a full chance AND I want to see what can be learned from the issues I have with it. I think there are definitely lessons here about info dumping, protagonist characteristics, pacing, and conflict.

[Brooke Banks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like most other reviewers, I'm fucking torn. I'm along different lines though.

I love, love, love the mythology and larger world building.

While Tenjat did get a tag annoying at times, I get the power of societal brainwashing and the desperation to rise above his station. Him and his girl opposite were a good match and I liked their journey.

The problem for me is how strictly binary and heteronormative the world is!

If only the elite rule without children, and being married and spawning are bad, then how could the elite not be gay AF??? And they can take care of the kids and kill off the breeders as sacrifices to the naga if they're overburden.

I mean really. I am disappoint, Hutchins!

Instead, a gay couple was found out and kicked out. Tenjat and everyone else was just so repulsed. WHAT?!? Well, fuck you very much for that utter bullshit.

Everything else was great, but damn. How can I give three stars with such homophobic nonsense?

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Tenjat’s world, inspired by Maya legends, everyone lives on islands carried by gigantic turtles through monster-infested waters. Each island depends on its Handlers, working from the island’s heaven-high central tree, to keep the turtle healthy and keep the naga monsters away from its roots. Most islanders aspire to be Handlers, Tenders, or artisans; the greatest shame is to marry and have children, who slow down the island. Tenjat knows he will become a handler, not a shameful “hub” with children, but when he passes the tests, he finds his life more complicated than ever. His failing island is under threat not just from nagas and its starving turtle, but from other islands seeking slaves and resources. Then there is the treasonous family secret his sister holds, and Tenjat’s reluctant attraction to his mentor Avi. Can Tenjat save his island and his family?

I struggled with this one for many reasons. First, it was depressing—more of a dystopia than a fantasy, and reminded me of Philip Reeve’s Hungry Cities chronicles, where mobile cities pursue and attack each other through the ruins of the ravaged earth. Second, while I think the world the author built was fascinating, I also found it terribly confusing—and I’ve read a lot of fantasy. Mainly I was confused about the tree—did it grow through the turtle? On top of it? Then I didn’t really understand how they maneuvered through it. I think she needed to explain her world more, earlier on. Third, I got endlessly tired of being whammed over the head with the 2x4 of how much people hated men who had children. It just made no sense. Hating men who had too many children, fine-—clearly an island needs population control. But it makes no sense to hate *everyone* who has children, because as Benedick says in 'Much Ado,' “The world must be peopled!” I didn’t buy it. And didn’t buy that so many people were able to turn off their sexual feelings so easily—when Mercedes Lackey has asexual characters, at least she explains why.

I did like the final explanation of the world, and the author’s explanatory note about grave goods. It’s definitely different, and interesting. I had heard of world turtles before, in Terry Pratchett, but this is really the first time I’ve read a YA story with them as central to the workings of the world. I’ve also read south-seas/Maori/etc. inspired fantasy excellently done by Frances Hardinge, but Maya-inspired fantasy is new to me, and I like having the characters be non-white. Regarding maturity level, I wouldn’t give this to sixth graders, since so much of the plot centers on childbearing, marriage, etc. Definitely one for the older group.

[H. Givens · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the world of subsistence farming, children are valuable as extra work. Poorer families have more kids, rather than fewer. Drift throws a wrench in the works by making the land a scarce resource -- her people live on the backs of enormous turtles, and if there are too many kids, the turtle could be overfarmed and even sink. The upper classes don’t have children because they can support themselves in their old age, or if they’re artisans, they have apprentices to do that. Even the subsistence farmers are shunned if they have more than a few kids. So, there’s a really interesting class dynamic where there’s a pressure to have kids, but also a pressure not to have them. However, even though the writing is generally good, we're beaten over the head with the premise, and every time something is mentioned, it's described AGAIN.

What bothers me more are the gender roles in the book. Celibacy is challenged, but the gender roles aren't, and that bothers me. There are men's roles and women's roles, both magically and in day-to-day farming. There are "hubs" or husbands, and then also their wives... "hub" is a derogatory term for men, but women who marry are just "hub-makers." It's all about the man's shame in marrying, the women are secondary.

I did like that we have a bigoted main character who learns not to be prejudiced against the poor and married. However, the message of the book is that it's normal and desirable for everyone to marry and have kids. Sure, people shouldn't be shamed when they do that, or forced not to, and I appreciate the message of peace and negotiation allowing for family life instead of warriors, but is "it's okay to get married and have kids!" really a message kids desperately need to hear in this day and age? No. They need to hear that their value ISN'T solely in marriage and kids, and that if they choose something else, that's fine. This book never addresses characters who just DON'T want to have kids for their own reasons that have nothing to do with status. That bothers me too.

And what happens to LGBT people in this culture? One can surmise they have secret relationships like the secret marriage in the book, but that's just a surmise, even with all the extensive descriptions of the culture and who's reviled and who's not, there's no mention of any LGBT people existing at all. That bothers a lot.

Basically, it's a book with interesting worldbuilding and good YA-level writing, but the underlying assumptions are concerning.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an Advance Reader Copy of this gorgeous book last week and was not disappointed. The story is as satisfying as the cover promises; I couldn't put it down! When this book is released in May, I'm buying a copy for everyone I know! (But if you are someone I know, then you should be aware that the previous statement was hyperbole so ... buy your own copy!)

I especially enjoyed the world building in this book. Discovering the truths of Tenjat's home along with him was magical. The ecology of a world built on the back of a giant turtle, as well as the deeper secrets of the universe, were explored masterfully. M.K. Hutchins put her imagination to work and created a setting that is both intriguing and carefully considered, then parcelled out its secrets at a delightful pace.

I adored the cast of characters; they were multi-dimensional and fun to read about. Many of them seem like good friends to me now and some of them have become mentors that will inspire me as I continue thinking about this book.

Of course, what I loved best was the exploration of marriage and childrearing. I'm a sucker for books about the importance of the family. It was interesting to read about a (fantasy) culture that strives for zero population growth because of a measurable ecological imperative and then to watch that conflict play out in the pages of the novel. Mini spoiler alert!!! I loved the way this conflict was resolved: with childrearing re-enthroned as a sacred work rather than a distasteful prospect.

Good soul food.

[A.C. Lillywhite · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world-building drew me in first, but I stayed hooked as I rapidly got to know the characters. Drift takes a lot of typical elements from YA and plays with them in a way that's really unique, but beyond that, that world-building element that I'm so crazy about feeds into how the society is structured which further feeds into the characters attitudes and motivations and it all just feels so logical, not in spite of the fact that everyone lives on the backs of giant turtles, but because everyone lives on the backs of giant turtles. A lot of subtle craft went into creating this world and the story unfolding in it, it feels careful and it feels cared-for. My favorite, favorite part (without actually saying anything about it) is the very end, when the world structure is revealed to be even more fantastic than originally presented.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drift was a very fast-paced fantasy action, Tenjat, the main character wants to be a handler, someone who fights off nagas who destroy their home. Their home is a on a turtles back and needs to feed on coral reefs occasionally, but their turtle, Island Gunaji, has not fed in awhile due to bigger turtles already occupying the coral reefs, but now, their turtle has to feed. Tenjat hates "hubs" people who have many wives and have a lot of children, saying that their children is killing the island, but little does he know he'll have to become what he hates most to save the island. When Tenjat loses his farm, the only source of income, he goes to Jesso, a very well known hub, but one that would not do them any harm. He leaves his sister, Eflet, with Jesso since his mother, father, and brother are gone and Eflet would have nobody to take care of her. What about Tenjat? Well he went off to become a handler, to fight nagas. He meets Avi his trainer and finds out they share the same treasure, artifacts that give them power to fight nagas, something that has never happened. They stop for a market trade with a similar sized turtle before finding out it was a trap, as the other turtle stalled them, a larger turtle approached the coral reef they were going to feed on which was a huge problem, they cannot run away, Gunaji will die if it does not feed, life or death, they had to fight. Tenjat finds out that his best friend turned into a hub and married his sister but soon comes to accept it. Tenjat later makes a deal with the nagas, vengeful souls. He will give them a new life, by becoming a hub. He marries Avi and supposedly lives a happy, married, life. This book had an amazing plot and it was packed with action that made you want to continue reading! I do wish it would've slowed down and explained things better since during certain parts it felt like they were rushing it, other than that it's a amazing book that I would recommend to most.

[Brinton Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drift belongs to a long tradition of stories about people who live on the backs of giant turtles, a concept that dates back to the "world turtle" motif that has occurred in mythologies from around the world and has inspired worldbuilding elements in works of contemporary fiction (Disworld, the Tai nai from Words of Radiance). Drift's contribution to this tradition is its practical exploration of the real life consequences of living on the back of a giant turtle (not to mention its gorgeous cover).

Drift is set on Gunaji, an island resting on the back of a turtle. Gunaji is a small island that relies on its speed to avoid potential conquerors, which includes the rival island of Ita who would likely slaughter and enslave the people of Gunaji if they ever caught them. But as the population of Gunaji grows, the slower the turtle moves, the more likely they are to get caught.

Understandably, the people of Gunaji are concerned about overpopulation. There don’t appear to be policies restricting population growth -- there’s no “one child” policy -- but there is a strong social stigma against child rearing. They’ve even coined a special slur for men who marry and have kids: “hubs.” This slur has a certain bite to it and it feels punchy when people are throwing it around.

One interesting microcosm of how this stigma plays out is the dynamics between the novices at the Tree. Just as sometimes happens with young men in real life, they are cruel to each other. Except rather than bully each other for being too chaste, like might happen in today’s world, they bully each other for a lack of chastity. They call Tenjat a hub because it looks like he’s getting too close to Avi. And Tenjat gets his revenge by exposing the fact that his bully had proposed to a girl. All of the sudden that guy is the hub and Tenjat gets to be the office hero. Being bullied for acting on one's heterosexual attractions? What a reversal!

Like anyone his age, Tenjat just wants to fit in. And in this world that means eschewing anything that might hint that he is a hub. Like Jesso. Because he has 14 children, Jesso is the most infamous "hub" on the island. Tenjat doesn't want to be associated with him. Except Jesso literally saved Tenjat's life by taking him in when he had nowhere else to go. He treated him like one of his own. How does Tenjat describe the man who saved his life ? “Jesso might be cheerful, but he was still a disgraceful hub.” Jerk move, Tenjat. Jerk move.

But in spite of the toxic attitude he’s absorbed from his toxic culture, Tenjat has a good heart. When he outs Kosel as a "would be hub," he doesn't revel in it. Instead he tries to get everyone to stop bullying him. He thinks the world of Avi, despite the fact that she's despised in the Tree, and he sticks out his neck to defend her to Jerohn. Winning points for me. While he doesn't stomach Jesso, he is accepting of the run-of-the-mill hub acknowledging that "without hubs, no one would be here." His attitude proves to be more accepting than that of others. Avi, for example, believes that hubs "slow us -- they might as well be nagas."

The irony about Tenjat is that he really does want to be a hub. There's a delicious tension that emerges after he learns that Avi was allowed to pick her own trainee in hopes that she would fall for him and get herself kicked out. So did Avi pick Tenjat because she liked him? (Bad because he doesn’t want her trying to make him a hub. Too tempting!) Or did she pick him because she found him repulsive? (Bad because he likes her and he wants her to like him back.)

Tenjat changes a lot over the course of the book. At the beginning, he has this plan to take care of Efflet by putting her up in the House of Kin. He never thought to ask Efflet what she thought about the plan. He just assumed she'd go along with it. Awfully controlling if you ask me. Then Efflet upsets the whole thing by getting married. A favorite moment is Tenjat's acknowledgement that his plan stinks: "Efflet had such plans for the future. My old goals of making a life for myself and her seemed small."

Another favorite moment is when we learn that the policy of discouraging child rearing is actually driving more problems than it is solving. This relates to the revelation that the people living on the turtles are actually the reincarnated souls of stillborns and miscarriages from another world and that the nagas are "bits of souls who waited too long for life." If people had more children, more nagas could gain bodies. The nagas are slowing the turtles down by gnawing at the roots of islands, but they are willing to stop if assurances can be made that an island will bear them. Fantastic subversion!

In the world of Drift, child rearing has cosmological significance. There are preexistent souls waiting for their chance at life. This is reminiscent of Latter-day Saint theology which also asserts that there are preexistent souls waiting for their chance at life. Child rearing is a sacred work indeed to one who embraces such a theology.

But even if one does not share such a view, Drift suggests that having children has more worldly benefits. Jesso is wealthy because "fourteen children can plant a lot of cassava." While Tenjat eats cassava cakes day after day, Jesso has honeyed wafers, spiced squash stew and toasted pumpkin seeds. What's more, Jesso uses his wealth for good, taking in Efflet for free. On the other hand, the Tree is severely understaffed. The Gunaji handlers were badly outnumbered in the battle against Hibu. Did it occur to them that if they had more children, maybe they would have had more handlers to fight in the battle?

To change the subject completely, I love how every MK Hutchins novel has some interesting archeology-inspired detail. One of my favorite subplots is Jerohn's quest to find an ink that lasts as long as paper does. The writing in some of the old codices have faded and he's experimenting with different types of ink to see which lasts longest. Love how this results in a smelly ordeal for Tenjat -- extracting ink from gallnuts. Wonder what other inks Jerohn might try. Can we have a whole book about Jerohn’s hunt for the perfect ink?

In that vein, Drift certainly has sequel potential. Ita is still out there and if they got Ceibak, they can get Gunaji. It seems like Gunaji is headed for civil war. Yes, the handlers may no longer be necessary but I doubt they are keen on the idea of giving up power. For Tenjat this could get personal. Daef was his best friend and they are not on good terms anymore. It hurt when Daef called him a hub! Finally, Tenjat's father is still out there and in need of rescuing. As a former handler on Ita, he’s probably got some juicy secrets.

[Robyn Arnason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drift by M.K. Hutchins is a thrilling, action-packed fantasy. If you enjoy books with magic and monsters, this is a book for you.
Drift is about a young man named Tenjat who struggles to keep him and his sister Eflet healthy and well fed after he loses both his parents and younger brother. They live on the backs of giants turtles, just above the surface of hell where nagas, flesh-eating monsters, swim patiently waiting for a person to fall in. Tenjat’s dream is to become a handler, protecting the turtle from nagas and other turtles, traveling to deep hell to slay imps, but another fortune may await him if he fails the test to become a handler.
This book is one of my favorite books of all time. It is thrilling and slightly strange, given that they all live on turtles. M.K. Hutchins makes you very attached to the characters and you become part of the story. It is one of those books that you can’t put down and want to stay up until two in the morning reading it because you just can’t wait until the morning to pick it up again. M.K. Hutchins put a ton of detail in every sentence, but they aren’t all that long. When the book says you are going down into hell, it really feels like it and you get little shivers because of the way she describes it. It was a really good book.
My overall opinion is that Drift is amazing. If you like fantasy and thrill, you should definitely read this right away. A good age group for this book is nine through fourteen, so if you are in that group, go find this book at your local library soon and you will find yourself not able to put it down. Drift is definitely five out of five stars in my opinion.

[Wendy S. Delmater · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hardcover small-press YA novel with a stunning cover that says small presses have come of age. Any of you looking for a good books for your tween or teen simply cannot go wrong with this. Not only is the world-building gorgeous and very, very different (it’s based on Mayan legends) but the plot twists and magical system are first-rate. As are the characters.

In a sea called Hell, huge turtles that are also islands are protected by Handlers that fight off the fiendish underwater Naga and people from rival island-turtles. Our young protagonist–Tenjat, son of a disabled veteran Handler–is a youth who was cast adrift of their home turtle on a raft with his mother and sister as a child, due to mysterious treason by their family. Tenjat needs to discover this treason, as it gives a last chance to save their new Turtle island from encroaching threats and starvation.

This treason is just one of many mysteries that pop up and unravel, turning expectations on their heads. The reveal at the end is a paradigm shift for all who live in their newly-understood world, with profound consequences for their future.

[Thistle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Set in a fictional world made only of oceans, all humans live on islands on the back of a turtle. Cool idea! The story followed a boy who wanted to become a protector of his turtle. (For some reason, if two turtles meet, the humans on one always attack the humans on the other and enslave them...)

The story wasn't horrible, but the author did an annoying thing: Because the population on a turtle island had to be kept small, having lots of kids was discouraged (reasonable). But the author and the main character beat the reader over the head so endlessly with HAVING KIDS IS BAD AND DIRTY AND NO ONE WANTS TO HAVE THEM AND SO SELFISH AND EVERYONE HATES DOING IT AND ONLY POOR PEOPLE HAVE KIDS, it was just so unpleasant to read. Which is too bad, because I was curious about the rest of the story. Stopped reading at 18%.

[C Montaño · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely orignal story. The settings, details and plot are unique and well written. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author is talented at weaving together a story rich with the history of its characters.

The characters act as actual people. No change is quick. There are flaws and failings but not enough to make you lose respect for the characters. On the contrary, it brings them to life.

This story has life. I am in awe of the author's ability to have put it all together in such a working format.

Not my favoeite book by any means, but I can recognize great talwnt when I see it.

[Brooklynn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, this book cover is gorgeous and one of the main reasons I picked it up in the first place. Then the world-building is amazing and Hutchin's creativity is absolutely refreshing. I will say I wasn't too impressed with the character dialogue and lots of the scene structure felt off, like it wasn't building tension as much as it could have. Also, a few of the character's stubbornness (cough cough Avi and at times Tenjat) is annoying at times and illogical.
But overall I thought it was a fun fantasy adventure :)

[thebrunettebookjunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the sheer enjoyment of this book! I read the majority of it in one day. The concept is so bizarre, and my brain had to play catch up understanding the concepts of life on the turtle, heaven, hell, and all the other things I won't say because they're spoilers. I think this story is a perfect stepping stone into the fantasy genre for young readers and a delightful respite for us older ones. So clever!

[Audrey Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drift is a fictional book written by Rachel Maddow. The book follows the life of the narrater, a young man named Tenjat. Tenjat, his sister Eflet, and his mother fled their home island to escape imprisonment, leaving their father and little brother behind. The mother sacrificed herself in order to allow Tenjat and Eflet a safe way to a new home. When they arrived at their new home island, Island Gunanji, they were told to stay with an island native named Jesso until the island learned to trust them. After two years, Tenjat and Eflet moved onto their own land and began farming to make a living. When Tenjat became of age, he took a test in order to obtain a job in the tree, the middle of Island Gunanji. Tenjat passed the test and was ready to provide a better life for him and his sister by defending their island against attacking creatures called Nagas. While Tenjat was in the tree he began to fall in love with his trainer, Avi. On his island, it was a big no no to be married and have kids. The island was on the back of a giant turtle swimming on the surface of hell, so if to many people are on the back of the turtle, it slows it down and provides a greater chance of attacks from other islands. Tenjat tried to deny the fact that he was falling in love with her, but he couldn’t, he knew it would come out eventually. Tenjat tries his best to ignore the feeling as Avi continues to train him. After several weeks of training, Tenjat is chosen by a scribe in the tree to be his apprentice. While Tenjat was learning under the scribe, he found a chart very similar to the one that his sister used to draw when they were young. Eflet was obsessed with a “mythical” island named Cybek. Cybek was perfect with no nagas and the turtle carrying the island never starved. At the sight of the chart, Tenjat immediately recognized it and began to wonder what was really going on with his world. As he begins to learn more and more secrets about their world, he begins to realize that Cybek may be real. Tenjat leaves the tree and goes to speak with his sister who tells them all about their world and explains how she knows so much. Eflet was a seer, she could see and hear anything that was near gold, and there was a lot of gold on the islands. She told him what their world was and how they had gotten there. With all the new knowledge, Tenjat and his friends develop a plan to finish the battle once and for all. Tenjat no longer wanted to kill the nagas, he had his sights on a different monster, the man who had his father and brother. Will Tenjat and his friends be successful? Will he find his long lost family? Will Tenjat express his love for Avi? I guess you’ll have to read to find out…

[Emma Haupt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because it was so imaginative and had an amazing plot twist in the end. It had a good ending but I wish it was happier in the end. If you like fantasy and magic, its the book for you.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great addition to a middle grade classroom for multiple reasons: excellent world-building (based off of Mayan mythology), a unique plot-line that veers from dystopian/YA mythology trends, clean language. Four stars because of a slow start.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting setting