Drifters: A Riveting Sci-Fi Mystery About a Forgotten Friend and a Deadly Town Secret for Children

by Kevin Emerson

A mystery about a girl who sets out to find her missing best friend--and discovers her small town is hiding a dark, centuries-old secret.

Jovie is adrift. She'd been feeling alone ever since her best friend, Micah, left her behind for a new group of friends--but when Micah went missing last fall, Jovie felt truly lost.

Now, months later, the search parties have been called off, and the news alerts have dried up. There's only Jovie, biking around Far Haven, Washington, putting up posters with Micah's face on them, feeling like she's the only one who remembers her friend at all.

This feeling may be far closer to the truth than Jovie knows. As strange storms beset Far Haven, she is shocked to discover that Micah isn't just missing--she's been forgotten completely by everyone in town. And Micah isn't the only one: there are others, roaming the beaches, camped in the old bunkers, who have somehow been lost from the world.

When Jovie and her new friend Sylvan dig deeper, they learn that the town's history is far stranger and more deadly than anyone knows. Something disastrous is heading for Far Haven, and Jovie and Sylvan soon realize that it is up to them to save not only Micah, but everyone else who has been lost to the world and set adrift--now, in the past, and in the future.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Teen, Childrens

559 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2022

About the author

Author of sixteen novels for children and young adults, most recently LAST DAY ON MARS, BREAKOUT, and the ATLANTEANS series. His books have been published in ten different countries. Formerly a science teacher and a creative writing teacher, Kevin is also a singer and drummer. He has won a spelling bee, lost a beauty pageant, and once appeared in a Swedish TV commercial.

Reviews

[Christi M · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an epic, & thrilling sci-fi mystery. I absolutely fell in love with everything about this. This is also a story with relatable issues at its core. Issues many kids will relate to, & understand. Like friendships changing & drifting apart, not feeling seen/heard, not belonging, feeling invisible, not feeling a connection to anything. The way the author weaves all of those issues into this INCREDIBLE sci-fi mystery, & have it all come together the way it did-mind blown. BRILLIANT!

We start current time(& come back to this point occasionally, until we are all caught up on events & the story moves forward), & then the chapters go to 2018 & those events leading up to where we are now. And each of those chapters has a countdown showing how long to “breach”. Then occasionally, there will be an “Interlude” part, written up like a document/case file(or even a teleplay about 1 event in one case)discussing an event that has happened before. I don’t even know how the author had the brain capacity to WRITE this, because I’m having trouble even trying to DESCRIBE it, & express how amazing it is lol.

Everything he has created is so imaginative, detailed, vivid, mysterious, emotional, & thought provoking even-the correlation between becoming a “drifter”, to feeling invisible..like no one sees you, you have no connections..makes you think. Everything from the drifters, the gradient, the Bathhouse & THAT whole story & those people, the blue suit, the bracelet, the spyglass, the town itself, the forgetting, 1 characters journal & their story, & so much more are just some of the incredible ingredients to this deliciously mysterious story. Another great message is taking choices away from others, because you think you’re doing them a kindness. But not telling people the truth, taking away their ability to choose for themselves is unfair.
Another great lesson-don’t let appearances fool you. Nobodies life is perfect. The happiest looking people can be the most broken inside. Never assume someone has it all together, so they don’t need support or help. Everyone needs it sometimes.

This won’t matter to some but-THERE IS A NIRVANA UNPLUGGED REFERENCE!! When I tell you, my grungy 90s loving heart loved that-LOVED. Lol Loved how it all came together, & it completely blew me away. I had no idea how this was going to go, couldn’t guess anything that would happen. EPIC! The characters are incredible. Sylvan has my heart. What a great friend, who shows the true meaning of not only friendship, but bravery. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this. I want to read everything this author ever writes now lol STUNNING cover by James Firnhaber as well!💜

[Sab Ay · Rating 5 out of 5]

y'all are sleeping on Kevin Emerson's books

[Charlotte DeLuzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like goodreads should stop asking whether my review contains spoilers. *shakes head sadly
It wastes both of our time. *tsk tsk
ANYWAYS MOVING ON
"I'll miss you." Boy
Max
/Mason
Whoever you are
YOU WILL STILL BE A BACKSTABBING LIL CHEAT AND YOUR LUCKY SHE FORGAVE YOU.
*thumps onto chair, panting
*shrugs
Cuz I haven't forgiven you ☺️
And I must add this isn't a light read, although im disappointed I couldn't finish it faster.
I'm losing my touch *sobs

AND MOVING ON FROM BACKSTABBING BETRAYER AND TO SYLVAN
red
Velvet
Cupcake
THE single most adorable moment in this book fr
My heart has melted multiple times this week, and this melted it YET AGAIN
I love Jovie for giving him that.
SPECIALLY SINCE THE DISGRACE TO THE NAME, CHARLOTTE, WAS TOO BUSY AT A PARTY TO VISIT HER BROTHER ON HIS BIRTHDAY
...
Anyway 😊
"You CAN count on me"
I'm sorry but I might cry rn-
SYLVAN YOU BRAVE ( i suppose not so little anymore 🤨 )DOES EVERYBODY LEAVE YOU??????????
ALSO ALSO ALSO
I NEED TO RANT
LIKE IN ALL THE REVIEWS/RANTS
SYLVAN KISSED A GIRL AT THE END OF A DANCE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
*sighs happily
Adorable
Also he grew up in two pages so I'm allowed to freak out about this 🫠

And I got jumpscared by the COVID mention. I didn't realize this book was as new as it is.
Also JOVIE I HATE YOU FOR LEAVING SYLVAN FOR FOUR YEARS!!
*Indigo plays

""Music isn't math" Charlotte had said"
I could see myself saying that. Sorta. No not rly actually.
*shoves away book Charlotte
ALSO ALSO ALSOOOOO
IS SYLVAN AND MICAH GONNA BECOME A THING??
CUZ I WANT THAT SO BADLY RN-
and moving on to talk about Micah

"I have always been a sucker for a cute boy in peril"
MICAH YOU QUEEN-
"Who's this, another boyfriend?" Hopefully soon to be yours, mam

I'm prolly forgetting something important about Rosa tho...whoops

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jovie's best friend, Micah, disappeared a few months ago. Well, technically she was really her former best friend. Something happened and they hadn't hung out in a while before the day Micah disappeared. At first the police were all over Micah's case, but now it seems like Jovie is the only one looking for her. And it isn't just that people have given up hope. Every time Jovie talks to someone about Micah now they don't look at her with pity, just confusion. It seems like no one remembers Micah any more. The principal at school even calls Jovie in asking her why she's posting these missing person posters for a made up person and doesn't remember Micah until Jovie strongly encourages him to look her up in the school's system. He and Jovie are shocked and disturbed. How could he have forgotten? People forgetting Micah isn't the only strange thing in Jovie's life. Her mom suddenly develops horrendous, blinding cataracts over night. And she finds an object in her bag at the emergency room that lets her see people no one else can see. What is going on?

This is a huge doorstopper of a book for a middle grade mystery (though the argument can be made it segues into being a MG/YA crossover), but I devoured it pretty quickly. It was very hard to put down. The strange things going on in Far Haven kept me listening/turning pages (I went back and forth between the audio and physical book) to find out where Micah disappeared to, what caused Jovie's mom's cataracts, and more. Emerson writes an exceptionally well-paced scifi mystery that balances reveals about what's going on, things that need to be done to stop worse from happening, and character development. Micah's two allies are a boy no one else can see unless he's touching them (or they use the device Jovie found) named Mason, and her former reading buddy a couple years younger than her, Sylvan, whose mom helps get Jovie's mom to the hospital. There are ties between this and the Chronicle of the Dark Star series, which was a fun tidbit to learn from the author's note at the end. I will have to let the many fans of the other series know. Even though this is huge, there are several Emerson fans who will be eager to tackle this and get swept away to Far Haven.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. The phenomenon at the heart of the mystery causes events that can result in very dangerous circumstances causing health problems, deadly storms, and even explosions all of which can and have resulted in deaths. One parent has a drinking problem. One child is still dealing with parents getting divorced. Missing people and children are a huge part of the story.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A massively epic middle grade sci-fi that ponders bigger questions about humanity and belonging within a plot centers around the strange and potentially deadly mystery that has people forgetting loved ones that have gone missing.
Jovie feels very alone as she seems to be the only one that remembers, Micah. Getting to the bottom of the mystery that has taken her best friend, and seems to be sucking the life out of her small town, becomes the most important thing in her life. Who is responsible for the disappearance of Micah? Is she alive? Who can she trust? These all become important questions that she needs to figure out.
This is a long book, but I love the ambitious nature of Emerson's writing including the links to some of his earlier books and references to X-Files. The publisher makes the comparison to Stranger Things and I think the kids from that universe would have fit in with Emerson's characters as well. 4.5 stars

[Ryry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a 3.7 stars. Stranger Things kinda vibe, but the end got a lil goofy and not where I wanted it to go. But it was fun none the less.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I LITERALLY CANNOT I LOVE THIS BOOK


So this was a reread of this book and last time I rated it a 4, and omg this time was sooo good the story over roll was literally so interesting and I never like a Sci-Fi but this is the only book that I’ve enjoyed SO PLEASE GO AND GET THIS BOOK

[Crisis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A long drawn-out connect-the-dots, and then it’s over. My seventh grader loved it though, so I’ll enjoy talking about it with them.

[Patti Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually long books intimidate me, especially books this long (almost 600 pages)! And I am not a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy but after reading Last Days on Mars last year, I knew I had to read this one. Thanks to Kevin Emerson and Waldon Pond Press for sharing it with BookPosse on Twitter, I got my hands on an ARC and started it last week. It honestly held my attention from start to finish. The premise (without too many spoilers) is that Jovie's best friend Micah has gone missing and everyone seems to have forgotten she even existed. Jovie is struggling with her own issues (mainly her parents divorce) but she continues to post flyers around town hoping they will lead to some answers as to where Micah is. When a mysterious spyglass is left in her backpack, Jovie discovers it can be used to "see" drifters or forgotten people who are trying to leave this world for good through a portal that only opens during intense storms. Along the way Jovie befriends Sylvan and Max who help her try and solve the mystery of the gradient portal which could lead to them finding Micah. Definitely a great story full of twists and turns!

[Emalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would travel the universe with Jovie, Sylvan, Micah, and Max any day of the week. The book had me figuring out puzzles and collecting clues right alongside the characters. Absolutely deserved five stars. Or more.

(this book also reminded me of the songs "Eternity" and "Chasing shadows" by Alex Warren. if you just listen to them, you will know what I mean.)

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

trigger warning
child disappearance, trauma, grief, memory loss

Months after her best friend's disappearance, Jovie seems to be the only the person who remembers Micah. Is this tied to the mysterious company that claims to clean up a years old nuclear tragedy?

Part of this novel is told in transcripts from interview, but those make up a small portion of the book and not a sizeable chunk, so if you're not into that, I can promise that you can ignore it.
It starts off with a series of mysterious things happening, that at first seem entirely random. Of course, further investigation shows that they are connected.

For the most part, this was fine. Okay. What rubbed me the wrong way was the epilogue that is set years after. Our group of friends try to save drifters who throw themselves into the sea from the urge to connect with the portal. They save a young woman, who is then ignored while the characters banter and the author tells you look! look at them! they're fine! they've grown! look how awesome they are! It didn't even feel like the author forgot there is a drenched person sitting on the beach, he just didn't care because he was so busy showing you stuff he felt you needed to know. Felt very forcibly added and I did not care for it at all.

Apparently, this is part of a bigger series but I have no intention of going that road.
Would only recommend this is you are badly in the mood for conspiracy theories and weird interdimensional things going on, and this is the easiest way to scratch that itch.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

[Erika Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated review 1/6/25: 5/5! I originally read this as a stand-alone in 2022, but realized it was a tie in to another series by the author. After finishing the Chronicle of the Dark Star a few weeks ago (5/5 series) I re-read The Drifters. It does work as a stand-alone but when you read it after the Dark Star series, oh man. It’s so much better. Bumped the rating to a 5/5!

Original Review, 10/10/22: 4.5 that I’m rounding to 5 for the Goodreads average ♥️ Like Stranger Things but with less annoying kids.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not mean to stay up till 11:30 finishing this book, but there I was. Though it is very long, it did not feel that way. Fascinating premise and interesting characters.

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌌🌊Drifters✨🌌
3.5 Stars
Micah, Jovie's best friend, has been missing for a long time and, slowly, the people of Far Haven seem to have forgotten her. Jovie will not give up, something is off about Micah's disappearance and, with the help of a smart child named Sylvan, they find out a important secret: There are more people who are forgotten, drifting around Far Haven invisible to most eyes. They dig deeper into the history of their town and find out that there is a pattern: Every four years in January a strange event happens, the ocean opens up and a glowing mysterious light appears drawing people within. Jovie meets a drifter named Mason but finds that within this mystery many things will change. Kevin Emerson deftly and successfully delivers a mystery filled with history, science, friendship, and a intriguing plotline.

Drifters was fascinating, scientific, but also with strokes of fantasy within the fast-paced and deeply engrossing story, the catalyst of the book is its characters. Emerson defines his sci-fi book in a new way. At first glance, when I think of sci-fi, I think of planets, space battles, aliens and an empire. This book was long but didn't even feel that long when it was reading. I was instantly immersed in the unique plot that weaved not just scientific topics but friction between friends, addiction, difficult relationships, grief, and loneliness.

This was filled with an adventure that made room to breathe. There were scenes that focused on characters. These characters didn't get a surface level dive. They had great characters that managed to be written to their fullest potential despite the interesting plot. The combination of plot-driven and character-driven meet together in this book.

I loved how the plot twists were answered and how the many intricate plot lines meet together. This book focused on Jovie and Micah's friendship. Friends grow apart, and I like her Emerson focuses on how it can be for several reasons. Sylvan was such a benign and smart character. This book was so intriguing. I loved the interesting concept that had me screaming (wow....). Any sci-fi fans desperate to pick up an interesting middle grade sci-fi with an interesting plotline.
✅PLOT
✅PLOT TWIST
✅CHARACTERS

[Tales Untangled · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Drifters.

I was so surprised when the opening is set so far in the past. But after it jumped to the next chapter, I was so intrigued to see how it all fit together.

Drifters has that Stranger Things vibe and focuses on friendship. However, it has an entire different premise and solution. Honestly, I just loved everything from beginning to end.

I love how there's a correlation between being adrift or becoming a drifter and loneliness. How often do kids feel like they're not seen or heard? This theme will strike a chord with readers. We see how family and friends are so important as well as how we're all connected in a community. I also love a book with mysteries or secrets to unravel—and this story is full of them.

I wondered what is Sylvan holding back. Where is Jovie? Are she and Micah alive or dead? What the heck is in that light? The mysteries unfolded in such a way to feel satisfying that I was getting some answers along the way but with other twists that made sense in hindsight.

A couple of times characters take the Lord's name in vain but this book is pretty clean for language. There are no sexual innuendoes either.

I highly recommend this book! It's perfect for middle-grade and up.

[Pamela Sewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads Giveaway. Jovie has been feeling adrift since the disappearance of her best friend Micah four months ago. Despite the fact that the police have stopped searching and everyone seems to have forgotten her, Jovie continues in her dogged determination to find her. While checking out abandoned military bunkers near the beach she discovers a group of drifters, others who have been lost and forgotten. With her new friend Mason and the research aid of Sylvan she suspects the disappearances are tied to a centuries old cycle of severe storms and strange events. Are they being visited by beings from other worlds or is the government behind it? I get ribbed for my enjoyment of middle grade books but they feature some of the most creative concepts and innovative plot threads. This one was exceptional. Jovie and her band of helpers were engaging characters and featured issues that young readers could relate. This would be a good one for parents and their offspring to read and share.

[Lisa Kizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this as a freebie in exchange for a review. I'm in a public middle school. This is an interesting story and it did keep me engaged, but I really think that only and maybe even stretching that number 1 or 2 of my students would be interested in reading this. I really felt like even though the main characters Jovie, Mason, Sylan are all 12 and under; the story was more geared to adults with just kids as the narrators. I would compare this book to The Colours of Madeline series by Jaclyn Moriarty. a lot happens in the 500+ pages but it takes so dang long to get there and you are amazed that you stuck with the book.

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so annoyed with myself for taking so long to read this book . I think it's cause I liked it so much I didn't want it to end.

Jovie's best friend is missing and everyone in town seems to have forgotten about her except Jovie. She is so worried that something odd is happening... her gut feelings were right.

When a mysterious boy appears out of nowhere she realizes there is more going on then she expected.

This is such a fun time traveling adventure sco-fi book HIGHLY recommend it for new Sci-Fi readers. Yes the size of the book vsn be intimidating BUT it's so good that the story moves fast and you don't realize that you're almost done until you are.

[Thistle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read two other books by him, one I loved and one I hated, so I gave this one more of a chance than usual.

Set in the modern world (Portland), a nuclear power plant had a meltdown (...) but a bunch of families were too poor to move off the land (...). People kept going missing, but nearly everyone else forgot those missing people ever existed.

I really tried to stick with the story, but I actually fell asleep while reading it. It didn't hold my interest at all plus it really stretched believability. DNF

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating! I would highly suggest this book, but there are some points I want to make. First, the talk about the drifters got a little real. What I mean by that is the description of how drifters become drifters makes it sound like an allegory for a mental health condition or what happens when your mental health deteriorates. I am not sure how much of the target audience is going to pick up on that detail, but that is how I thought about it. Second, I wish there were either two epilogues or we had a little bit more to go on. It was nice to see the group from a different perspective, but it led to more questions.

Verdict: I say read it.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic middle grade science fiction. Jovie and Micah are best friends that live in Far Haven. When Micah disappears after they’ve been estranged she doesn’t understand why no one seems to remember her. She’s determined to figure out what happened, and then other odd things begin happening. It’s a wonderful novel about a friendship that spans across universes.

[Sharon Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drifters is a complex and interesting science fiction novel. Very much the vibes of Gravity Falls and Stranger Things with a small town, conspiracies, and maybe some horror aspects. I didn't love it as much as the Dark Star Chronicles, but I still liked the atmosphere and the science fiction elements.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long, sci-fi, mystery, relatable characters
Jovie is feeling adrift - her best friend is missing and no one seems to remember her. As she continues to search for her, she finds others who are roaming, forgotten. What is going on? When she pairs up with a new friend, Sylvan, they discover that something strange is happening in Far Haven and it is up to them to fix this.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a goodreads win. I enter the children giveaways for my grandkids. But I read them before I pass them on to them. This was a very long story that has just enough suspense in it to keep them interested in the story. To be captured by another planet of life source and hoping to be able return to your home town is the jest of this story.

[Irina Goldberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Walden Pond Press for an advance reader’s edition of this book. This is a very engaging and creative science fiction story and I highly recommend it to late elementary and early middle school Stranger Things fans. The book does move a little slow and it did take me a long time to get through it. I would have enjoyed it more if I was reading it with my ten year old.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m actually so incredibly obsessed with this world building. I’m especially in love with the way these otherworldly storms are tracked through math and the way the story jumps through time. sylvan is my favorite character and he’s so important to me. i’ll quite honestly think about this book for the rest of my life. i’m already making a list of who i want to read this.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels weird to give one of Emerson’s books only 4 stars. I enjoyed it a lot, but there were some moments when I was like can we just stop all the speculation and get on with it already. I read The Chronicle of the Dark Star trilogy a couple of years ago and absolutely enjoyed every second of it.

[Glenn Stenquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will keep you reading

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

To everyone feeling forgotten about: You Matter!