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The Drift
10 hours, 49 minutes
Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.
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.
The imminent dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle. Lurking in their shadows is an even greater danger—one with the power to consume all of humanity.
Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.
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.
The imminent dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle. Lurking in their shadows is an even greater danger—one with the power to consume all of humanity.
Audiobook
First published January 19, 2023
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About the author
C.J. Tudor
15 books8,722 followersC. J. Tudor was born in Salisbury and grew up in Nottingham, where she still lives with her partner and young daughter.
She left school at sixteen and has had a variety of jobs over the years, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, shop assistant, ad agency copywriter and voiceover.
In the early nineties, she fell into a job as a television presenter for a show on Channel 4 called Moviewatch. Although a terrible presenter, she got to interview acting legends such as Sigourney Weaver, Michael Douglas, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams. She also annoyed Tim Robbins by asking a question about Susan Sarandon’s breasts and was extremely flattered when Robert Downey Junior showed her his chest.
While writing the Chalk Man she ran a dog-walking business, walking over twenty dogs a week as well as looking after her little girl.
She’s been writing since she was a child but only knuckled down to it properly in her thirties. Her English teacher once told her that if she ‘did not become Prime Minister or a best-selling author’ he would be ‘very disappointed.’
The Chalk Man was inspired by a tub of chalks a friend bought for her daughter’s second birthday. One afternoon they drew chalk figures all over the driveway. Later that night she opened the back door to be confronted by weird stick men everywhere. In the dark, they looked incredibly sinister. She called to her partner: ‘These chalk men look really creepy in the dark . . .’
She is never knowingly over-dressed. She has never owned a handbag and the last time she wore heels (twelve years ago) she broke a tooth.
She loves The Killers, Foo Fighters and Frank Turner. Her favourite venue is Rock City.
Her favourite films are Ghostbusters and The Lost Boys. Her favourite authors are Stephen King, Michael Marshall and Harlan Coben.
She is SO glad she was a teenager in the eighties.
She firmly believes that there are no finer meals than takeaway pizza and champagne, or chips with curry sauce after a night out.
Everyone calls her Caz.
She left school at sixteen and has had a variety of jobs over the years, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, shop assistant, ad agency copywriter and voiceover.
In the early nineties, she fell into a job as a television presenter for a show on Channel 4 called Moviewatch. Although a terrible presenter, she got to interview acting legends such as Sigourney Weaver, Michael Douglas, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams. She also annoyed Tim Robbins by asking a question about Susan Sarandon’s breasts and was extremely flattered when Robert Downey Junior showed her his chest.
While writing the Chalk Man she ran a dog-walking business, walking over twenty dogs a week as well as looking after her little girl.
She’s been writing since she was a child but only knuckled down to it properly in her thirties. Her English teacher once told her that if she ‘did not become Prime Minister or a best-selling author’ he would be ‘very disappointed.’
The Chalk Man was inspired by a tub of chalks a friend bought for her daughter’s second birthday. One afternoon they drew chalk figures all over the driveway. Later that night she opened the back door to be confronted by weird stick men everywhere. In the dark, they looked incredibly sinister. She called to her partner: ‘These chalk men look really creepy in the dark . . .’
She is never knowingly over-dressed. She has never owned a handbag and the last time she wore heels (twelve years ago) she broke a tooth.
She loves The Killers, Foo Fighters and Frank Turner. Her favourite venue is Rock City.
Her favourite films are Ghostbusters and The Lost Boys. Her favourite authors are Stephen King, Michael Marshall and Harlan Coben.
She is SO glad she was a teenager in the eighties.
She firmly believes that there are no finer meals than takeaway pizza and champagne, or chips with curry sauce after a night out.
Everyone calls her Caz.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,195 reviews
January 31, 2023
The Drift by C.J. Tudor
I chose this book for its mystery/thriller potential and hadn't realized it was so heavy on the horror/apocalypse side of things. I'm a wimp with horror and apocalypse stories so the blood, guts, and gore was hard for me to take in this story. Tudor does a great job of bringing out the wimp in me, which isn't very far under the surface. What I enjoyed about this story is the mystery. There are three small groups of people with each group finding themselves in dangerous and almost impossible to escape circumstances. Death is an escape so there is always that option.
Hannah and her group have just been in a bus crash, the exits are blocked, and the only windows exposed are unbreakable. There are dead and injured people and if the living people don't get out they will die. If they do get out, they have a really good chance of dying, too. Meg and her small group wake up in a cable car that has been stopped midtrip. The ground is 1000 feet below. Each person had been drugged and put on the car and freezing to death is a very real unwanted option. Carter and his group seem to have the best circumstances, by far. They are living in an abandoned ski chalet with access to their own rooms, living quarters, a pool, gym, food and water. But their situation is precarious and it's obvious that not everyone can be trusted. The generator is going and it's a difficult trip to stay supplied. Also, there is a very horrifying type of "supplies" that no one wants to discuss.
All three groups have been facing life and death with a horrible virus that has changed life as they used to know it. The virus is on everyone's mind all the time and surviving it might be some people's worst nightmare depending on how a person is left to "survive". Maybe facing death and getting it over with is better than facing what horrors life has to offer.
I enjoyed the mystery of this story almost all the way through the book. I wanted to know how these three groups of people might be connected. It was hard to hope for the best for them when the best seems to be a dangerous and hopeless existence in a world that is all about survival. And it seems that many of these people don't have much of a future left without being trapped where they are because their choices were so limited even before the story begins.
In the end though, the trip through this bleak existence left me feeling like I wanted some answers, which often happens when I read Tudor's work. I'm always left wanting to know more and I know I won't get my questions answered. This is not a feel good story, if you haven't already guessed by now.
Publication: January 31st 2023
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
I chose this book for its mystery/thriller potential and hadn't realized it was so heavy on the horror/apocalypse side of things. I'm a wimp with horror and apocalypse stories so the blood, guts, and gore was hard for me to take in this story. Tudor does a great job of bringing out the wimp in me, which isn't very far under the surface. What I enjoyed about this story is the mystery. There are three small groups of people with each group finding themselves in dangerous and almost impossible to escape circumstances. Death is an escape so there is always that option.
Hannah and her group have just been in a bus crash, the exits are blocked, and the only windows exposed are unbreakable. There are dead and injured people and if the living people don't get out they will die. If they do get out, they have a really good chance of dying, too. Meg and her small group wake up in a cable car that has been stopped midtrip. The ground is 1000 feet below. Each person had been drugged and put on the car and freezing to death is a very real unwanted option. Carter and his group seem to have the best circumstances, by far. They are living in an abandoned ski chalet with access to their own rooms, living quarters, a pool, gym, food and water. But their situation is precarious and it's obvious that not everyone can be trusted. The generator is going and it's a difficult trip to stay supplied. Also, there is a very horrifying type of "supplies" that no one wants to discuss.
All three groups have been facing life and death with a horrible virus that has changed life as they used to know it. The virus is on everyone's mind all the time and surviving it might be some people's worst nightmare depending on how a person is left to "survive". Maybe facing death and getting it over with is better than facing what horrors life has to offer.
I enjoyed the mystery of this story almost all the way through the book. I wanted to know how these three groups of people might be connected. It was hard to hope for the best for them when the best seems to be a dangerous and hopeless existence in a world that is all about survival. And it seems that many of these people don't have much of a future left without being trapped where they are because their choices were so limited even before the story begins.
In the end though, the trip through this bleak existence left me feeling like I wanted some answers, which often happens when I read Tudor's work. I'm always left wanting to know more and I know I won't get my questions answered. This is not a feel good story, if you haven't already guessed by now.
Publication: January 31st 2023
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
September 27, 2022
“Anxiety puts both your mind and body under immense, prolonged pressure.”
― Lori Deschene, Tiny Buddha's Worry Journal: A Creative Way to Let Go of Anxiety and Find Peace
And pressure is what we get in ‘The Drift’ - lots of pressure.
A coach crash in a snowbound icy ski resort with a group of students on board, a cable car full of adults stuck mid journey, no power, and a mountain top ‘Retreat’, with an assorted bunch of people, all of these groups are somehow connected.
The chills don’t just come from the snow laden landscape but also from the dystopian world following a viral outbreak that has destroyed life as we know it.
Three separate groups of people just trying to survive, a storm of massive proportions on the way, added to which, some of the people in the groups may already be infected - and there’s no way out!
Lots of tension, wondering how the three groups are going to survive the nightmare with seemingly no escape. It’s also gripping waiting to discover just how the groups are linked, but with C.J.Tudor at the helm it’s all brought together nicely, and a difficult one to put down!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
― Lori Deschene, Tiny Buddha's Worry Journal: A Creative Way to Let Go of Anxiety and Find Peace
And pressure is what we get in ‘The Drift’ - lots of pressure.
A coach crash in a snowbound icy ski resort with a group of students on board, a cable car full of adults stuck mid journey, no power, and a mountain top ‘Retreat’, with an assorted bunch of people, all of these groups are somehow connected.
The chills don’t just come from the snow laden landscape but also from the dystopian world following a viral outbreak that has destroyed life as we know it.
Three separate groups of people just trying to survive, a storm of massive proportions on the way, added to which, some of the people in the groups may already be infected - and there’s no way out!
Lots of tension, wondering how the three groups are going to survive the nightmare with seemingly no escape. It’s also gripping waiting to discover just how the groups are linked, but with C.J.Tudor at the helm it’s all brought together nicely, and a difficult one to put down!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
March 18, 2023
Hannah wakes up and finds out that her coach has fallen on its side over a hillside road and stuck in the snow during a snowstorm. There is no way to call for help. . The driver of the coach is missing and she is with others who are trying to survive.
Meg is a former detective and she wakes up to a gentle rocking. She is in a cable car hanging high in the air during a snow storm. She is with a bunch of strangers. They do not remember how they got there.
Meg and Hannah are heading to the Retreat.
Carter is an employee at the retreat. He is at a ski resort with his crew.
This book is in the horror apocalypse thriller genre. It did not scare me at all. Everything that happens in this book happens during a pandemic. The pandemic is so different.
If you enjoy the horror apocalypse thriller genre and enjoy pandemic books then this one might be your kind of book.
I was disappointed with this book.
There is a lot of blood and gore which does not bother me and it's a little dark also. I love dark books but I really didn't enjoy this world. I did not know that this was about a pandemic and I don't like pandemic books.
I enjoyed the Hannah parts of the book. It was my favorite part.
I did enjoy the clever ending and how it all wrapped up.
I love this author and can't wait to read her next one.
I want to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Meg is a former detective and she wakes up to a gentle rocking. She is in a cable car hanging high in the air during a snow storm. She is with a bunch of strangers. They do not remember how they got there.
Meg and Hannah are heading to the Retreat.
Carter is an employee at the retreat. He is at a ski resort with his crew.
This book is in the horror apocalypse thriller genre. It did not scare me at all. Everything that happens in this book happens during a pandemic. The pandemic is so different.
If you enjoy the horror apocalypse thriller genre and enjoy pandemic books then this one might be your kind of book.
I was disappointed with this book.
There is a lot of blood and gore which does not bother me and it's a little dark also. I love dark books but I really didn't enjoy this world. I did not know that this was about a pandemic and I don't like pandemic books.
I enjoyed the Hannah parts of the book. It was my favorite part.
I did enjoy the clever ending and how it all wrapped up.
I love this author and can't wait to read her next one.
I want to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
November 2, 2023
Wow! This post apocalyptic and claustrophobic thriller makes you shiver and sucker punches you with its brilliant twists and entertains you a lot with its pure dark sense of humor!
There are three different storylines with bunch of different characters make you think this book takes place in near future with a huge crowd of characters like Stephen King’s apocalypse thriller Stand where the virus keeps affecting the nation and only a few people are the survivalists! Well, there are some similarities but a huge twist make you think about that entire story’s execution again! So give your full attention not to get tricked by ultra intelligent author!
Welcome to the Department or Research into Infection and Future Transmission a. k. a DRIFT if you don’t hate acronyms! And let’s quickly meet with Hannah, Meg and Carter who are trapped in different places in the middle of Choler pandemic which is dangerously infectious and turns into people into Whistlers ( a kind of zombies who lost their extra status at after the last season of Walking Dead, are named after whistling sound they make through their lungs) .
Unfortunately the traditional vaccine trials fail. So the government’s special scientists extracting blood plasmas from the survivors who are used as volunteered Guinea pigs to provide the immunity. Scientists’ trial centers such as Retreat is mostly used that incarceration of the people who are infected and extracting more blood plasma.
Hannah, medical student of a genius professor father finds herself locked in a coach that has careered off the road with a bunch of survivors/ boarding school students including a sarcastic annoying girl, a German MacGyver, a short-nerdy- infected boy, a bulky brother and his highly injured sister. Somebody sabotaged their ride and all of the students hiding big secrets. Could they find a way to get out of the coach?
Let’s meet with another main character Meg: ex police officer, locked in asylum for months after committing suicide several times. She is grieving her little girl Lily’s lost and she is volunteering for the tests that will get practiced at Retreat but now she is trapped in a cable car that stopped in the middle of nowhere, dangling from wires, with a bunch of strangers. And there’s a dead man in the cable car. She knows who he is. That means one of the people in the car is a murderer.
And Carter, whose faced blown away, working at bizarre ski chalet with his companions. When he returns back from grocery store, he realizes there’s an electric outage and two of his companions were brutally killed. Why and who? There are dangerous things in the basement caged behind locked doors. What if somebody set them free?
You keep asking what’s the connection of those different characters? You’ll get very pleasant and satisfying answer to your question. So keep reading patiently and enjoy the ride!
Especially the last chapters of the book made me scream WTF loudly! I giggled several times and jumped from my seat with pure adrenaline rush! This book is a little different from the author’s other works! I think this is so far my favorite book of hers!
Many many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing / Ballantine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
There are three different storylines with bunch of different characters make you think this book takes place in near future with a huge crowd of characters like Stephen King’s apocalypse thriller Stand where the virus keeps affecting the nation and only a few people are the survivalists! Well, there are some similarities but a huge twist make you think about that entire story’s execution again! So give your full attention not to get tricked by ultra intelligent author!
Welcome to the Department or Research into Infection and Future Transmission a. k. a DRIFT if you don’t hate acronyms! And let’s quickly meet with Hannah, Meg and Carter who are trapped in different places in the middle of Choler pandemic which is dangerously infectious and turns into people into Whistlers ( a kind of zombies who lost their extra status at after the last season of Walking Dead, are named after whistling sound they make through their lungs) .
Unfortunately the traditional vaccine trials fail. So the government’s special scientists extracting blood plasmas from the survivors who are used as volunteered Guinea pigs to provide the immunity. Scientists’ trial centers such as Retreat is mostly used that incarceration of the people who are infected and extracting more blood plasma.
Hannah, medical student of a genius professor father finds herself locked in a coach that has careered off the road with a bunch of survivors/ boarding school students including a sarcastic annoying girl, a German MacGyver, a short-nerdy- infected boy, a bulky brother and his highly injured sister. Somebody sabotaged their ride and all of the students hiding big secrets. Could they find a way to get out of the coach?
Let’s meet with another main character Meg: ex police officer, locked in asylum for months after committing suicide several times. She is grieving her little girl Lily’s lost and she is volunteering for the tests that will get practiced at Retreat but now she is trapped in a cable car that stopped in the middle of nowhere, dangling from wires, with a bunch of strangers. And there’s a dead man in the cable car. She knows who he is. That means one of the people in the car is a murderer.
And Carter, whose faced blown away, working at bizarre ski chalet with his companions. When he returns back from grocery store, he realizes there’s an electric outage and two of his companions were brutally killed. Why and who? There are dangerous things in the basement caged behind locked doors. What if somebody set them free?
You keep asking what’s the connection of those different characters? You’ll get very pleasant and satisfying answer to your question. So keep reading patiently and enjoy the ride!
Especially the last chapters of the book made me scream WTF loudly! I giggled several times and jumped from my seat with pure adrenaline rush! This book is a little different from the author’s other works! I think this is so far my favorite book of hers!
Many many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing / Ballantine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
January 31, 2023
AVAILABLE NOW!
4.5 stars
A survival thriller set during a snowstorm? Yes, please! Never mind that it’s a dystopian future during a pandemic, because the virus is not the focus of the story. We are talking about survival.
Three POV/ storylines that will eventually merge:
1. Hannah, a med student and daughter of the world’s leading virologist, is trapped with her fellow passengers when their bus crashes during a heavy snow storm.
2. Meg, a former policewoman, and her group are stranded in a cable car when the power fails, which leaves them dangling 1000 ft in the air during a raging snowstorm.
3. Carter and his group are living the good life in a ski chalet with all the amenities. But the snowstorm rages outside, supplies are dwindling, and the generator dies.
All 3 groups are fighting for their lives from the elements and the virus, but perhaps the greatest threat to their lives comes from within. How long did it take for society to break down? TEN YEARS. Who is a good guy and who is a bad guy? Is everyone who they say they are? I was kept on my toes, never knowing who to trust. There are evil forces at play, of the human variety. After all, The devil was an angel once
CJ Tudor excels at creating stories that ooze atmosphere. Thrillers set during snowstorms is one of my favorite tropes, and this one delivered. I felt the cold and the terror of being trapped and in danger on all sides (especially in that cable car *shudder*).
There are a lot of characters to keep straight, which is perhaps the book's greatest weakness. But I just kept reading, trusting that it would all come together. And it did.
Everyone here has secrets that are eventually revealed, and there are surprises in store that I didn’t see coming. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I flew through the majority of the book in one day. I enjoyed all three storylines and appreciated how they came together in the well-executed ending, which offered a glimmer of hope for the future.
I prefer strong female characters, and I especially appreciated that the author made her two female heroines whip-smart, determined, and accomplished. The author’s sly humor is also on display, bringing much needed relief from the tension.
This is another winner from CJ Tudor! She has a talent for writing distinct and unique books. No two are remotely similar to one another and all are memorable. When many books I read are forgotten the moment the last page is turned, her plots are ones I never forget.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce and Dorie. Highly recommended by 2 of us. Do check out their reviews to see what they thought!
· I received a digital copy for review from NetGalley. All opinions are my own
4.5 stars
A survival thriller set during a snowstorm? Yes, please! Never mind that it’s a dystopian future during a pandemic, because the virus is not the focus of the story. We are talking about survival.
Three POV/ storylines that will eventually merge:
1. Hannah, a med student and daughter of the world’s leading virologist, is trapped with her fellow passengers when their bus crashes during a heavy snow storm.
2. Meg, a former policewoman, and her group are stranded in a cable car when the power fails, which leaves them dangling 1000 ft in the air during a raging snowstorm.
3. Carter and his group are living the good life in a ski chalet with all the amenities. But the snowstorm rages outside, supplies are dwindling, and the generator dies.
All 3 groups are fighting for their lives from the elements and the virus, but perhaps the greatest threat to their lives comes from within. How long did it take for society to break down? TEN YEARS. Who is a good guy and who is a bad guy? Is everyone who they say they are? I was kept on my toes, never knowing who to trust. There are evil forces at play, of the human variety. After all, The devil was an angel once
CJ Tudor excels at creating stories that ooze atmosphere. Thrillers set during snowstorms is one of my favorite tropes, and this one delivered. I felt the cold and the terror of being trapped and in danger on all sides (especially in that cable car *shudder*).
There are a lot of characters to keep straight, which is perhaps the book's greatest weakness. But I just kept reading, trusting that it would all come together. And it did.
Everyone here has secrets that are eventually revealed, and there are surprises in store that I didn’t see coming. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I flew through the majority of the book in one day. I enjoyed all three storylines and appreciated how they came together in the well-executed ending, which offered a glimmer of hope for the future.
I prefer strong female characters, and I especially appreciated that the author made her two female heroines whip-smart, determined, and accomplished. The author’s sly humor is also on display, bringing much needed relief from the tension.
This is another winner from CJ Tudor! She has a talent for writing distinct and unique books. No two are remotely similar to one another and all are memorable. When many books I read are forgotten the moment the last page is turned, her plots are ones I never forget.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce and Dorie. Highly recommended by 2 of us. Do check out their reviews to see what they thought!
· I received a digital copy for review from NetGalley. All opinions are my own
January 19, 2023
5 stars
Oh boy, is this clever, it’s CJ Tudor on tiptop form, knocking it out of the park etc etc ! A coach crash buried in a snowdrift with a few student survivors, a small group stuck in a stranded cable car with a snowstorm raging outside, all bound for The Retreat. Meanwhile, at the mountaintop Retreat things aren’t exactly rosy either as supplies are vanishing and one of their party is missing. Danger inside and outside where lurks infection, wild animals prowl, to say nothing of the Whistlers. Will they survive? Can they survive?
I think I need a lie down with a cold flannel on my head after reading this and possibly oxygen as it takes my breath away in places! Talk about intense. This is apocalyptic and how. This is a tale of the survival of the fittest (especially those that can pay), anyway, anyhow and ethics and morality be damned. It’s shockingly dark, it’s definitely not a pretty tale as the fertile imagination of this talented author strikes again. Are there twists? Er, that would be a Y-E-S! Top tip, assume nothing and be prepared for jaw thunking moments as mine is now heavily bruised. Is there evidence of the CJT brand of humour? Again, yes, thank you for making me LOL on several occasions and some of the dry witty dialogue makes me smile in the face of the horror both within The Retreat and without.
This is a brace yourself, buckle up really tight read which isn’t for wimps as it gets very chilly, chilling and brutal in places. Of course, I love it. The pace is fast, it’s a high octane action packed never a dull moment read with lots of smart plays on ‘Drift’. Even better it has a good ending! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Oh boy, is this clever, it’s CJ Tudor on tiptop form, knocking it out of the park etc etc ! A coach crash buried in a snowdrift with a few student survivors, a small group stuck in a stranded cable car with a snowstorm raging outside, all bound for The Retreat. Meanwhile, at the mountaintop Retreat things aren’t exactly rosy either as supplies are vanishing and one of their party is missing. Danger inside and outside where lurks infection, wild animals prowl, to say nothing of the Whistlers. Will they survive? Can they survive?
I think I need a lie down with a cold flannel on my head after reading this and possibly oxygen as it takes my breath away in places! Talk about intense. This is apocalyptic and how. This is a tale of the survival of the fittest (especially those that can pay), anyway, anyhow and ethics and morality be damned. It’s shockingly dark, it’s definitely not a pretty tale as the fertile imagination of this talented author strikes again. Are there twists? Er, that would be a Y-E-S! Top tip, assume nothing and be prepared for jaw thunking moments as mine is now heavily bruised. Is there evidence of the CJT brand of humour? Again, yes, thank you for making me LOL on several occasions and some of the dry witty dialogue makes me smile in the face of the horror both within The Retreat and without.
This is a brace yourself, buckle up really tight read which isn’t for wimps as it gets very chilly, chilling and brutal in places. Of course, I love it. The pace is fast, it’s a high octane action packed never a dull moment read with lots of smart plays on ‘Drift’. Even better it has a good ending! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 26, 2025
The Drift is a Post-Apocalyptic Thriller from beloved author, C.J. Tudor. This story is full of action, twists and turns.
Unfortunately, even though I generally love Tudor's work, this one fell flat for me personally. It hurts me to say, but I actually feel like my 3-star rating is a bit generous.
The reason this hurts so much is because I've read A Sliver of Darkness, which was a fantastic collection BTW, where in the Author's Note, Tudor discusses this most recent release and what it meant to her.
It's a bit of a passion project, if you will, a little outside of her normal lane. I would never want to poo-poo on anyone's creativity, so it hurts that this one didn't hit with me more.
Alas, I have to be honest about my experience, because otherwise, what are we all doing here?
This story essentially follows characters in three different survival scenarios. We have a group of young people, fleeing a private school in the midst of a blizzard, whose coach violently hits a snow drift, trapping them in the vehicle in extremely hazardous conditions.
Also in hazardous conditions is the group of characters trapped in a gondola lift after a power loss. And finally, we follow a group of individuals who live in a large mountaintop estate known as The Retreat, as the estate's defenses begin to fail due to inclement weather and power issues.
Interestingly, the people in the coach and the people in the gondola were all trying to get to The Retreat. It's unclear exactly what this Retreat is, but it's definitely viewed as a safe haven against a dangerous world.
In the beginning, I was intrigued. The characters, though not likable, were compelling enough to keep me happily flipping the pages. Unfortunately, it got to a point where I was forcing myself to pick it up.
I just wanted to finish it. I ended up becoming so bored with the whole thing. I did not care at all what happened to anybody. I just wanted it to be over.
I know that sounds harsh, and I can't even pinpoint what in particular that it was that didn't work for me, it just didn't.
It's not the writing. Tudor is a fantastic writer and I think she did a great job of creatively revealing what was actually going on in this story. However, with this being said, by the time we got to some big reveals, I couldn't care less.
I absolutely understand that I am in the minority opinion on this one. I've read the reviews. I get it. I just wish I could have loved it as much as everyone else.
With all of this being said, the fact that this one didn't quite knock my socks off, in no way changes my opinion on C.J. Tudor as a writer and creator of thrilling, compelling and worth-while stories.
I will absolutely continue to pick up every single thing she writes. Also, just because this didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, you should give it a go.
Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it so much and look forward to seeing what Tudor comes up with next!
Unfortunately, even though I generally love Tudor's work, this one fell flat for me personally. It hurts me to say, but I actually feel like my 3-star rating is a bit generous.
The reason this hurts so much is because I've read A Sliver of Darkness, which was a fantastic collection BTW, where in the Author's Note, Tudor discusses this most recent release and what it meant to her.
It's a bit of a passion project, if you will, a little outside of her normal lane. I would never want to poo-poo on anyone's creativity, so it hurts that this one didn't hit with me more.
Alas, I have to be honest about my experience, because otherwise, what are we all doing here?
This story essentially follows characters in three different survival scenarios. We have a group of young people, fleeing a private school in the midst of a blizzard, whose coach violently hits a snow drift, trapping them in the vehicle in extremely hazardous conditions.
Also in hazardous conditions is the group of characters trapped in a gondola lift after a power loss. And finally, we follow a group of individuals who live in a large mountaintop estate known as The Retreat, as the estate's defenses begin to fail due to inclement weather and power issues.
Interestingly, the people in the coach and the people in the gondola were all trying to get to The Retreat. It's unclear exactly what this Retreat is, but it's definitely viewed as a safe haven against a dangerous world.
In the beginning, I was intrigued. The characters, though not likable, were compelling enough to keep me happily flipping the pages. Unfortunately, it got to a point where I was forcing myself to pick it up.
I just wanted to finish it. I ended up becoming so bored with the whole thing. I did not care at all what happened to anybody. I just wanted it to be over.
I know that sounds harsh, and I can't even pinpoint what in particular that it was that didn't work for me, it just didn't.
It's not the writing. Tudor is a fantastic writer and I think she did a great job of creatively revealing what was actually going on in this story. However, with this being said, by the time we got to some big reveals, I couldn't care less.
I absolutely understand that I am in the minority opinion on this one. I've read the reviews. I get it. I just wish I could have loved it as much as everyone else.
With all of this being said, the fact that this one didn't quite knock my socks off, in no way changes my opinion on C.J. Tudor as a writer and creator of thrilling, compelling and worth-while stories.
I will absolutely continue to pick up every single thing she writes. Also, just because this didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, you should give it a go.
Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it so much and look forward to seeing what Tudor comes up with next!
February 8, 2023
What in the horror did I just read??!!
It was a very chilly/icy week in Texas and this added to the chilling setting of the novel.
Three plot threads. Three locked room scenarios. Three POV's. That is all you need to know.
A dizzying post apocalyptic thriller that gripped me from beginning to end.
I listened to the entire book. The narration was amazing, gave it that cinematic boost that took it to another level of edge of your seat, nerve-racking, nail biting tension. Not scary, but oh so dark and foreboding.
Peppered with dark humor, lots of cursing, ghastly descriptions and a sense of dread that builds like a snowball heading downhill and fast.
The twist was brilliant! How did she pull THAT off? I was dumbfounded. She got me!
Available Now!
It was a very chilly/icy week in Texas and this added to the chilling setting of the novel.
Three plot threads. Three locked room scenarios. Three POV's. That is all you need to know.
A dizzying post apocalyptic thriller that gripped me from beginning to end.
I listened to the entire book. The narration was amazing, gave it that cinematic boost that took it to another level of edge of your seat, nerve-racking, nail biting tension. Not scary, but oh so dark and foreboding.
Peppered with dark humor, lots of cursing, ghastly descriptions and a sense of dread that builds like a snowball heading downhill and fast.
The twist was brilliant! How did she pull THAT off? I was dumbfounded. She got me!
Available Now!
November 7, 2023
My thanks to Random House/Ballantine books, C.J. Tudor and Netgalley.
I'm not a fan of locked room mysteries, and this story had it in spades!
I started off actually despising the story, but somewhere along the way I realized that I was hooked.
I'm just a reader who loves multiple view points. It keeps things interesting and sometimes tense.
I'll confess that when the "major" death's started I was thinking w.t.f? But...just hold on to your shorts people, because this shit blew my mind!
This is probably my favorite story of C.J's!
Highly recommended!
I'm not a fan of locked room mysteries, and this story had it in spades!
I started off actually despising the story, but somewhere along the way I realized that I was hooked.
I'm just a reader who loves multiple view points. It keeps things interesting and sometimes tense.
I'll confess that when the "major" death's started I was thinking w.t.f? But...just hold on to your shorts people, because this shit blew my mind!
This is probably my favorite story of C.J's!
Highly recommended!
January 25, 2023
This book kept me totally captivated from start to finish.
It's a kind of dystopian thriller, with shades of mystery and locked room scenarios. There are three threads: Hannah is on a bus headed to The Retreat, when the bus careens off the road during a massive snowstorm. Carter is at The Retreat and their power is failing, they are down to a bare minimum of staff and trying to figure things out. Meg is a former police officer, trapped in a cable car in a snowstorm, with no rescue in sight.
How all of these separate storylines come together is brilliant and engrossing. I loved when the pieces started to click for me, my mind was spinning in the best way. This book is atmospheric, filled with action, and also shades of horror. There are a few things that weren't completely explained in the end, but overall this is a not-to-be-missed thriller that will keep you up at night. Highly recommended.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
It's a kind of dystopian thriller, with shades of mystery and locked room scenarios. There are three threads: Hannah is on a bus headed to The Retreat, when the bus careens off the road during a massive snowstorm. Carter is at The Retreat and their power is failing, they are down to a bare minimum of staff and trying to figure things out. Meg is a former police officer, trapped in a cable car in a snowstorm, with no rescue in sight.
How all of these separate storylines come together is brilliant and engrossing. I loved when the pieces started to click for me, my mind was spinning in the best way. This book is atmospheric, filled with action, and also shades of horror. There are a few things that weren't completely explained in the end, but overall this is a not-to-be-missed thriller that will keep you up at night. Highly recommended.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
October 25, 2022
❄️❄️❄️❄️
I normally try and avoid reading too much of the blurbs provided by the publishers, as they end up giving away details that at least to me should remain hidden to the reader.
Sometimes this works and I get the read I knew was coming.
While other times I end up completely surprised!, having no idea where it’s going to take me!
This was one of those times!
All I knew going in was ‘there was a bus crash in a secluded snowy area leaving few survivors’. That’s all I read. And since I was vacationing and expecting a huge snow storm that may lock me indoors, I thought ‘what great timing to pick up this book. To read about a snowstorm while in a snowstorm’! You can’t ask for more atmosphere than that.🤩
But wow! This was so much more than just surviving a winter’s crash!🤦🏻♀️ Now I’m not sure how much to share to avoid spoilers for those readers who also avoid the blurbs. So I’ll keep everything on the vague side.
This book is told from three totally separate storylines.
Meg: A medical student who survived a bus crash en route to The Retreat. Can she aid the remaining survivors to get out of the bus before it’s too late.
Hannah: A former police officer who lost her daughter…then her will to live. Hannah wakes up on a gondola, hovering midway in the heart of a storm. As her fellow riders gradually wake, they quickly realize help may not be coming and it’s up to them to survive.
Carter: Employee at the Retreat. And right now has his hands full as everything on top of this mountain is rapidly falling apart. He and his fellow workers share the same stark terror. They too may not survive the snowstorm.
I had no idea how these separate themes would come together, but C.J. Tudor seamlessly weaves the stories into an intricate pattern that left me exclaiming “OH”! out loud more than once.
Did my jaw drop? Well…no. Did I gasp? Ummm…no. I do think it was exceptionally clever and frightening! But I wanted a bit more shock at the end.
Still this book was extremely hard to put down and I zipped through it in a mere couple sittings. If you’re a fan of C. J. Tudor and are looking for a read on a cold snowy night, I highly recommend this one.
Maybe try going in blind as I did.💁🏻♀️
A buddy read with Susanne,☃️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
I normally try and avoid reading too much of the blurbs provided by the publishers, as they end up giving away details that at least to me should remain hidden to the reader.
Sometimes this works and I get the read I knew was coming.
While other times I end up completely surprised!, having no idea where it’s going to take me!
This was one of those times!
All I knew going in was ‘there was a bus crash in a secluded snowy area leaving few survivors’. That’s all I read. And since I was vacationing and expecting a huge snow storm that may lock me indoors, I thought ‘what great timing to pick up this book. To read about a snowstorm while in a snowstorm’! You can’t ask for more atmosphere than that.🤩
But wow! This was so much more than just surviving a winter’s crash!🤦🏻♀️ Now I’m not sure how much to share to avoid spoilers for those readers who also avoid the blurbs. So I’ll keep everything on the vague side.
This book is told from three totally separate storylines.
Meg: A medical student who survived a bus crash en route to The Retreat. Can she aid the remaining survivors to get out of the bus before it’s too late.
Hannah: A former police officer who lost her daughter…then her will to live. Hannah wakes up on a gondola, hovering midway in the heart of a storm. As her fellow riders gradually wake, they quickly realize help may not be coming and it’s up to them to survive.
Carter: Employee at the Retreat. And right now has his hands full as everything on top of this mountain is rapidly falling apart. He and his fellow workers share the same stark terror. They too may not survive the snowstorm.
I had no idea how these separate themes would come together, but C.J. Tudor seamlessly weaves the stories into an intricate pattern that left me exclaiming “OH”! out loud more than once.
Did my jaw drop? Well…no. Did I gasp? Ummm…no. I do think it was exceptionally clever and frightening! But I wanted a bit more shock at the end.
Still this book was extremely hard to put down and I zipped through it in a mere couple sittings. If you’re a fan of C. J. Tudor and are looking for a read on a cold snowy night, I highly recommend this one.
Maybe try going in blind as I did.💁🏻♀️
A buddy read with Susanne,☃️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
December 8, 2025
Okay that was a lot 🙃
November 12, 2022
This marks a change in direction from CJ Tudor's usual fare, a chilling, dystopian, nightmare of a thriller that ventures into horror territory with a world devastated by a dangerous virus. There are 3 storylines with 3 separate groups in a frozen mountain scenario with the heaviest of snow blizzards. Hannah finds herself trapped, awakening as one of the survivors amidst the dead on a overturned bus with a missing driver, and no means of getting help. They need to work together with the each other if they are to stand any chance of survival. Meg, a former detective, is on mountain cable car transporting 6 volunteer 'recruits' heading to a research institute working on a vaccine, called The Retreat, knowing next to nothing of the experimental trials. The cable has broken, and the group of strangers are in the most precarious of situations, with no idea of how it happened.
Carter is part of a disparate group working on a vaccine at the isolated chalet housing The Retreat, there are matters of concern happening here too. None of the groups are aware of each other, and in this thrilling narrative, a locked room mystery, everyone has secrets and little is as it appears, and can anyone be trusted? Not only is there the threat of the virus, other dangers lurk, inside and outside, dark and murky activities, a killer, the wilderness, and the terrifying 'whistlers' in the woods. What could possibly connect the different groups? With the survivors tested to the limits of their sanity, will they make it through and survive? This is a atmospheric, highly suspenseful and nail biting chiller of a thriller with a wonderful sense of location, with numerous surprising twists and turns, and adversarial group dynamics, will they only look after number 1 or look to save others as well?
I can see many readers loving this shocker of a novel. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Carter is part of a disparate group working on a vaccine at the isolated chalet housing The Retreat, there are matters of concern happening here too. None of the groups are aware of each other, and in this thrilling narrative, a locked room mystery, everyone has secrets and little is as it appears, and can anyone be trusted? Not only is there the threat of the virus, other dangers lurk, inside and outside, dark and murky activities, a killer, the wilderness, and the terrifying 'whistlers' in the woods. What could possibly connect the different groups? With the survivors tested to the limits of their sanity, will they make it through and survive? This is a atmospheric, highly suspenseful and nail biting chiller of a thriller with a wonderful sense of location, with numerous surprising twists and turns, and adversarial group dynamics, will they only look after number 1 or look to save others as well?
I can see many readers loving this shocker of a novel. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
December 9, 2022
Tudor has crossed totally into horror with this one!! I enjoyed The Chalkman but friends, this is nothing like that.
If you like high body counts, hopelessness, despair and the Walking Dead, this one may be for you. I'm sorry I wasted my time!
There were so many things I did not like about this book but I'll just touch on some of them. You all have read the blurb and know that there are three groups of people, one hanging from a cable car on a mountainside, another in a bus that has crashed on the same mountain and a group at The Retreat itself that is running the whole operation and having problems with the generator and power outages.
*The characters are underdeveloped. Most of the ancillary characters were so similar they could have been switched from one group to another.
*The atmosphere, while gripping for the first 50%, became unimpressive for the rest of the book. *There are only so many ways you can tell someone how cold and snowy it is.
*The plot had so many holes and loose threads that were never resolved
*The ending was inconclusive and left so many questions unanswered
POV:
1."Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. During a hasty escape from a secluded boarding school, her coach careened over a hillside road during one of the year's heaviest snowstorms, trapping her inside with a handful of survivors, a brewing virus, and no way to call for help"
2. "A former detective, Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She is in a cable car suspended far above a snowstorm and surrounded by strangers in the same uniform as her, with no memory of how they got there."
3. "Carter is gazing out the window of the abandoned ski chalet that he and his ragtag compatriots call home. Together, they manage a precarious survival, manufacturing vaccines against a deadly virus in exchange for life's essentials. But as their generator begins to waver, the threat of something lurking in the chalet's depths looms larger, and their fragile bonds will be tested when the power finally fails--for good."
Questions:
What exactly is The Academy, what was taught there, why were certain students selected to go to The Retreat? Why did they choose to participate?
The professor, a supposed brilliant virologist, who set up The Retreat" , was nowhere to be found in the story until the end. We don't know what his plans are for the future?? Or he has a God-like complex and really only cares about himself?
What is the author trying to tell us? Is this an anti-vax book? When you read it you will know why this is a question. Is this book trying to tell us that scientists should never play "God" and there is a limit as to what they can accomplish? Or is anything fair game when fighting a deadly virus?
I'll stop because I could go on and on.
I think if you read this for pure entertainment, it might be an o.k. read. Tudor's intricate plotting and well described characters in her earlier books are not to be found here.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
FYI my reading buddies Marialyce and Jan really liked this book and saw it from a completely different angle. No book is the same for any two people!
If you like high body counts, hopelessness, despair and the Walking Dead, this one may be for you. I'm sorry I wasted my time!
There were so many things I did not like about this book but I'll just touch on some of them. You all have read the blurb and know that there are three groups of people, one hanging from a cable car on a mountainside, another in a bus that has crashed on the same mountain and a group at The Retreat itself that is running the whole operation and having problems with the generator and power outages.
*The characters are underdeveloped. Most of the ancillary characters were so similar they could have been switched from one group to another.
*The atmosphere, while gripping for the first 50%, became unimpressive for the rest of the book. *There are only so many ways you can tell someone how cold and snowy it is.
*The plot had so many holes and loose threads that were never resolved
*The ending was inconclusive and left so many questions unanswered
POV:
1."Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. During a hasty escape from a secluded boarding school, her coach careened over a hillside road during one of the year's heaviest snowstorms, trapping her inside with a handful of survivors, a brewing virus, and no way to call for help"
2. "A former detective, Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She is in a cable car suspended far above a snowstorm and surrounded by strangers in the same uniform as her, with no memory of how they got there."
3. "Carter is gazing out the window of the abandoned ski chalet that he and his ragtag compatriots call home. Together, they manage a precarious survival, manufacturing vaccines against a deadly virus in exchange for life's essentials. But as their generator begins to waver, the threat of something lurking in the chalet's depths looms larger, and their fragile bonds will be tested when the power finally fails--for good."
Questions:
What exactly is The Academy, what was taught there, why were certain students selected to go to The Retreat? Why did they choose to participate?
The professor, a supposed brilliant virologist, who set up The Retreat" , was nowhere to be found in the story until the end. We don't know what his plans are for the future?? Or he has a God-like complex and really only cares about himself?
What is the author trying to tell us? Is this an anti-vax book? When you read it you will know why this is a question. Is this book trying to tell us that scientists should never play "God" and there is a limit as to what they can accomplish? Or is anything fair game when fighting a deadly virus?
I'll stop because I could go on and on.
I think if you read this for pure entertainment, it might be an o.k. read. Tudor's intricate plotting and well described characters in her earlier books are not to be found here.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
FYI my reading buddies Marialyce and Jan really liked this book and saw it from a completely different angle. No book is the same for any two people!
January 31, 2023
It’s US Release Day, and The Drift is Not to be Missed!
Never a dull moment. The Drift was complex, intricate, nightmarish, fast-paced, and action-packed, and the snowball twists just kept on being thrown at me.
Hannah survived the impact of the accident. Others weren’t so lucky. The coach she was travelling in is half-buried in a snowdrift, sealing off the exits. Hannah, and six others are trapped inside – and the drop in temperature is the least of their worries…
Meg awakens from a drug-induced sleep. She’s lying on the floor of a stopped cable car with five other people. They are locked inside, in the mist of a snowstorm. None of them have any idea how they got there, or who’s responsible. And, one of their group isn’t moving, isn’t waking up…
Carter and six other people live at ‘The Retreat’. For three years it has been their safe haven from the outside world. And, there are many threats – the weather, the deadly virus, wild animals, the Mafia-like-boss who resides in the closest village and controls supplies and the airport, scientists and military, doomsday cultists and science skeptics, and worst of all, ‘The Whistlers’ who inhabit the dark, dark woods. Then, one of their group goes missing…
To be honest, I was close to giving up on C.J. Tudor. She started on a high, delivering two phenomenal 5 star reads – both The Chalk Man, and especially, The Taking of Annie Thorne (a.k.a The Hiding Place) were deliciously dark and disturbing, and I was highly anticipating what the author had in store for me next. But, then came The Other People and The Burning Girls, which were decidedly tame and non-scary by comparison. What had happened to the C.J. Tudor that I knew and loved – whose previous novels had chilled me to the bone? But, the premise of The Drift contained so many elements that I love – apocalypse/dystopian/pandemic/horror, not to mention, not one, not two, but three locked-room mysteries – so it was with some trepidation that I decided to give her one last try. And I’m so relieved and grateful that I did, because without a doubt, The Drift is her best book to date. That’s right readers – C.J. Tudor is well and truly back in my favour – a return to form.
The three mysteries, and the bigger overall mystery – I can’t even – I’m rendered speechless over how incredible, complex, and ingenious it all was. I was equally invested in Hannah’s, Meg’s, and Carter’s story arcs, and every chapter ended on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, not to mention all the shocking reveals contained within chapters. The coach accident and the cable car both gave off escape room vibes – characters working, banding together, solely relying on their intelligence, wits, physical and emotion strength – vying, competing, and arguing amongst themselves, desperate to find a way out. Of course these escape rooms were life or death situation, and neither fun nor exciting – well for me they were. And, I don’t need to tell you, because it goes without saying that The Retreat storyline screamed Agatha Christie’s – And Then There Were None. Love, love, love.
If you hate dystopian resulting from an apocalyptic event then I’d steer clear of this one. Same goes for a deadly virus that has decimated the world’s population – it may be too soon for some, which is completely understandable. Warning for violence, sexual violence, mutilation, blood, guts, and gore. This was true horror – and it was bleak, depressing, and hopeless. Having said that, I laughed out loud a few times, particularly when certain characters received their comeuppance (payback’s a bitch!) however that may just be my sick sense of humour. The Drift shared some commonalities with Justin Cronin’s, The Passage, and Richard Laymon’s, One Rainy Night (avoid like the plague if you don’t like very disturbing horror). I highly recommend both.
I pre-ordered the audiobook via audible, and all three narrators blew me away. If I had to choose though, Richard Armitage was the stand-out. One of the best audio readings I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. So glad I own it. The various accents and voices definitely helped me remember the characters as they were introduced, as there were quite a lot of them.
The Drift is the second book this month I’ve rated 5 stars (The first being, I Have Some Questions For You - Rebecca Makkai). I’m certain The Drift will make my 2023 top reads, and I’ve already added it to my all-time favourites list in my profile. Books this amazing are why I read.
Never a dull moment. The Drift was complex, intricate, nightmarish, fast-paced, and action-packed, and the snowball twists just kept on being thrown at me.
Hannah survived the impact of the accident. Others weren’t so lucky. The coach she was travelling in is half-buried in a snowdrift, sealing off the exits. Hannah, and six others are trapped inside – and the drop in temperature is the least of their worries…
Meg awakens from a drug-induced sleep. She’s lying on the floor of a stopped cable car with five other people. They are locked inside, in the mist of a snowstorm. None of them have any idea how they got there, or who’s responsible. And, one of their group isn’t moving, isn’t waking up…
Carter and six other people live at ‘The Retreat’. For three years it has been their safe haven from the outside world. And, there are many threats – the weather, the deadly virus, wild animals, the Mafia-like-boss who resides in the closest village and controls supplies and the airport, scientists and military, doomsday cultists and science skeptics, and worst of all, ‘The Whistlers’ who inhabit the dark, dark woods. Then, one of their group goes missing…
To be honest, I was close to giving up on C.J. Tudor. She started on a high, delivering two phenomenal 5 star reads – both The Chalk Man, and especially, The Taking of Annie Thorne (a.k.a The Hiding Place) were deliciously dark and disturbing, and I was highly anticipating what the author had in store for me next. But, then came The Other People and The Burning Girls, which were decidedly tame and non-scary by comparison. What had happened to the C.J. Tudor that I knew and loved – whose previous novels had chilled me to the bone? But, the premise of The Drift contained so many elements that I love – apocalypse/dystopian/pandemic/horror, not to mention, not one, not two, but three locked-room mysteries – so it was with some trepidation that I decided to give her one last try. And I’m so relieved and grateful that I did, because without a doubt, The Drift is her best book to date. That’s right readers – C.J. Tudor is well and truly back in my favour – a return to form.
The three mysteries, and the bigger overall mystery – I can’t even – I’m rendered speechless over how incredible, complex, and ingenious it all was. I was equally invested in Hannah’s, Meg’s, and Carter’s story arcs, and every chapter ended on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, not to mention all the shocking reveals contained within chapters. The coach accident and the cable car both gave off escape room vibes – characters working, banding together, solely relying on their intelligence, wits, physical and emotion strength – vying, competing, and arguing amongst themselves, desperate to find a way out. Of course these escape rooms were life or death situation, and neither fun nor exciting – well for me they were. And, I don’t need to tell you, because it goes without saying that The Retreat storyline screamed Agatha Christie’s – And Then There Were None. Love, love, love.
If you hate dystopian resulting from an apocalyptic event then I’d steer clear of this one. Same goes for a deadly virus that has decimated the world’s population – it may be too soon for some, which is completely understandable. Warning for violence, sexual violence, mutilation, blood, guts, and gore. This was true horror – and it was bleak, depressing, and hopeless. Having said that, I laughed out loud a few times, particularly when certain characters received their comeuppance (payback’s a bitch!) however that may just be my sick sense of humour. The Drift shared some commonalities with Justin Cronin’s, The Passage, and Richard Laymon’s, One Rainy Night (avoid like the plague if you don’t like very disturbing horror). I highly recommend both.
I pre-ordered the audiobook via audible, and all three narrators blew me away. If I had to choose though, Richard Armitage was the stand-out. One of the best audio readings I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. So glad I own it. The various accents and voices definitely helped me remember the characters as they were introduced, as there were quite a lot of them.
The Drift is the second book this month I’ve rated 5 stars (The first being, I Have Some Questions For You - Rebecca Makkai). I’m certain The Drift will make my 2023 top reads, and I’ve already added it to my all-time favourites list in my profile. Books this amazing are why I read.
December 8, 2022
What a clever well thought out book by C.J. Tudor! I will admit there were times when I thought "where is this all going?" and then Tudor took me there!!! Yet again, Tudor has blown me away with her well thought out plot, use of tension, level of danger, interesting characters and bleak environment.
Survival is the name of the game in The Drift! A virus has led to catastrophe and those who are not infected have learned to live in a dangerous world full of Whistlers. Survival is not an afterthought; it is in every thought.
This book is told through three storylines/characters:
Hannah was on a bus that crashed in the middle of snowstorm. She is one of the survivors who are trapped inside the bus with no heat, no way out and full of survivors with secrets. She also has a secret and is smart and clever. She and the other survivors must work together to escape the crashed bus and survive the harsh environment.
Meg is a police officer who has woken up with a bunch of strangers on a cable car suspended over snowy terrain. There is a storm brewing and she and those on the cable car were headed to "The Retreat". They were drugged, their possessions taken and are now wearing the same uniform. Soon Meg realizes that there is a dead man on board, she recognizes him, but keeps it a secret.
Carter is in an abandoned ski chalet with others. They call it home and manufacture a vaccine for the deadly virus in exchange for the items they need for survival. The generator at the Chalet begins to go in an out during a storm and as the power fades, danger mounts.
I love books set in cold environments. Not only are the characters up again the virus, but they are also up against the cold, and up against.... (read the book). There is a feeling of desperation running throughout the book. What does it take to survive? What does surviving mean?
C.J. Tudor does not disappoint, and I loved how she brought everything together. She kept me on my toes while thoroughly invested in the plot. Wowza, Wowza! I can't wait to read what she writes next!
Grab a blanket and curl up on the couch with this book. Stay warm, stay safe and if your dog has bad breath, give the pup a greenie!
Gripping, atmospheric, tense and dark, take a snow day and read The Drift.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Survival is the name of the game in The Drift! A virus has led to catastrophe and those who are not infected have learned to live in a dangerous world full of Whistlers. Survival is not an afterthought; it is in every thought.
This book is told through three storylines/characters:
Hannah was on a bus that crashed in the middle of snowstorm. She is one of the survivors who are trapped inside the bus with no heat, no way out and full of survivors with secrets. She also has a secret and is smart and clever. She and the other survivors must work together to escape the crashed bus and survive the harsh environment.
Meg is a police officer who has woken up with a bunch of strangers on a cable car suspended over snowy terrain. There is a storm brewing and she and those on the cable car were headed to "The Retreat". They were drugged, their possessions taken and are now wearing the same uniform. Soon Meg realizes that there is a dead man on board, she recognizes him, but keeps it a secret.
Carter is in an abandoned ski chalet with others. They call it home and manufacture a vaccine for the deadly virus in exchange for the items they need for survival. The generator at the Chalet begins to go in an out during a storm and as the power fades, danger mounts.
I love books set in cold environments. Not only are the characters up again the virus, but they are also up against the cold, and up against.... (read the book). There is a feeling of desperation running throughout the book. What does it take to survive? What does surviving mean?
C.J. Tudor does not disappoint, and I loved how she brought everything together. She kept me on my toes while thoroughly invested in the plot. Wowza, Wowza! I can't wait to read what she writes next!
Grab a blanket and curl up on the couch with this book. Stay warm, stay safe and if your dog has bad breath, give the pup a greenie!
Gripping, atmospheric, tense and dark, take a snow day and read The Drift.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
January 31, 2023
Wow, I had to sit and absorb this one in. I only read one CJ Tudor before The Drift and the style is very different. Where "The Burning Girls" was dark with haunted vibes, The Drift is a real-deal horror that's violent and full of despair. Some scenes will probably even gross you out. 🤢
A highly contagious virus with a 75% death rate has wiped out civilization leaving just a few survivors. Those who caught the virus are either dead or become something else...
Here, everyone who isn't at The Retreat is heading to The Retreat. The story is told from three group perspectives; Hannah, a med student from the bus crash site. Meg, a former detective in a dangling cable car a thousand feet up. And Carter from The Retreat.
Not one, but three locked "room" locations.
The Drift is a post-apocalyptic horror. Reading the book is like watching a dreadful season of The Walking Dead "snowy" edition without Rick Grimes. There are a bunch of characters that I don't know too well and don't really care. This is the season that someone dies in every episode. Then when someone you like dies, you need therapy so you tune in to Talking Dead afterward. Yes, you know what I'm talking about.
I LOVE survival stories and this one is that. Not only is the virus so deadly, but also the cold element comes into play. There are wild animals, the "infected beings" and other humans that are out there to get you! LOVE the reveal, how it came together was very clever and probably the best part. If I didn't sit on it, I would have given this two stars. I was kinda mad to tell you the truth. I guess I do care after all. 3.5⭐
Thank you Random House, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for this DRC.
OUT TODAY, Jan 31, 2023!!
A highly contagious virus with a 75% death rate has wiped out civilization leaving just a few survivors. Those who caught the virus are either dead or become something else...
Here, everyone who isn't at The Retreat is heading to The Retreat. The story is told from three group perspectives; Hannah, a med student from the bus crash site. Meg, a former detective in a dangling cable car a thousand feet up. And Carter from The Retreat.
Not one, but three locked "room" locations.
The Drift is a post-apocalyptic horror. Reading the book is like watching a dreadful season of The Walking Dead "snowy" edition without Rick Grimes. There are a bunch of characters that I don't know too well and don't really care. This is the season that someone dies in every episode. Then when someone you like dies, you need therapy so you tune in to Talking Dead afterward. Yes, you know what I'm talking about.
I LOVE survival stories and this one is that. Not only is the virus so deadly, but also the cold element comes into play. There are wild animals, the "infected beings" and other humans that are out there to get you! LOVE the reveal, how it came together was very clever and probably the best part. If I didn't sit on it, I would have given this two stars. I was kinda mad to tell you the truth. I guess I do care after all. 3.5⭐
Thank you Random House, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for this DRC.
OUT TODAY, Jan 31, 2023!!
September 4, 2023
Publication Date - January 31, 2923
The Drift Is An Excellence In Horror!
C.J. Tudor' s new book is just so good that I don't know how she will top this one but please keep writing Ms. Tudor because I and all of your other fans will keep reading and waiting for each new unique creation that your imagination brings to written words!
Hannah awakens to moaning and stiffness and wonders where she is. The last thing she remembers is daydreaming while looking out the coach window watching the snowstorm that keeps getting worse by the minute on the way to the retreat after leaving their academy along with a dozen other students. What has happened and why and where have they stopped? What are all those other awful, strange noises she keeps hearing and why is she so, so cold?
Meg awakens out of her dream or nightmare that she can't quite remember to a room filled with windows and all she can see is a blizzard of wind and snow but No, not a room though, she is on a cable ski car hundreds of feet up high in the mountains with several other people bundled in heavy snow suits fast asleep. But why? Meg has no recollection of getting on the ski lift or even leaving her room.
Clark gazes out the immense windows with the most beautiful scenic view from the resort known as "the retreat". A snowstorm is building and it's his turn to travel to the village for new supplies, one of the duties he despises the most. Clark knows another storm is brewing at the retreat but he is unsure of everything involved and knows he must be very, very careful of the next steps he takes or one of them may be his last.
I couldn't wait to finish this superb horror novel yet I still didn't want it to come to an end since the story and the characters were so mesmerizing that I felt as if I were in a reading trance. C.J. Tudor has written an awsome story with all the horror, tension, creepiness, blood, gore and surreal atmosphere that any reader could have asked for. I went into this book blind and what a fantastic treat it was, although even if readers think they have ideas about how this novel plays out they will be seriously mistaken! I just loved the parallels between each group of people thinking of how they would all intersect at some point but in my wildest imagination I never would have figured out where this author would make all the journeys evolve and intertwine. I was truly enraptured with everything in this book. Brilliant storyline, Brilliant writing, Brilliant characters and Brilliant Horror! Did I mention Brilliant? I plan to read this excellent book again someday! All horror readers, please don't miss out on this story especially if you love a claustrophobic and Snowbound atmospheric ride into terror!
I want to thank the author C.J. Tudor, the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and of course Netgalley for the opportunity to read this special novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this wonderful horror book a rating of 5 FRIDGID SNOWBOUND 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
The Drift Is An Excellence In Horror!
C.J. Tudor' s new book is just so good that I don't know how she will top this one but please keep writing Ms. Tudor because I and all of your other fans will keep reading and waiting for each new unique creation that your imagination brings to written words!
Hannah awakens to moaning and stiffness and wonders where she is. The last thing she remembers is daydreaming while looking out the coach window watching the snowstorm that keeps getting worse by the minute on the way to the retreat after leaving their academy along with a dozen other students. What has happened and why and where have they stopped? What are all those other awful, strange noises she keeps hearing and why is she so, so cold?
Meg awakens out of her dream or nightmare that she can't quite remember to a room filled with windows and all she can see is a blizzard of wind and snow but No, not a room though, she is on a cable ski car hundreds of feet up high in the mountains with several other people bundled in heavy snow suits fast asleep. But why? Meg has no recollection of getting on the ski lift or even leaving her room.
Clark gazes out the immense windows with the most beautiful scenic view from the resort known as "the retreat". A snowstorm is building and it's his turn to travel to the village for new supplies, one of the duties he despises the most. Clark knows another storm is brewing at the retreat but he is unsure of everything involved and knows he must be very, very careful of the next steps he takes or one of them may be his last.
I couldn't wait to finish this superb horror novel yet I still didn't want it to come to an end since the story and the characters were so mesmerizing that I felt as if I were in a reading trance. C.J. Tudor has written an awsome story with all the horror, tension, creepiness, blood, gore and surreal atmosphere that any reader could have asked for. I went into this book blind and what a fantastic treat it was, although even if readers think they have ideas about how this novel plays out they will be seriously mistaken! I just loved the parallels between each group of people thinking of how they would all intersect at some point but in my wildest imagination I never would have figured out where this author would make all the journeys evolve and intertwine. I was truly enraptured with everything in this book. Brilliant storyline, Brilliant writing, Brilliant characters and Brilliant Horror! Did I mention Brilliant? I plan to read this excellent book again someday! All horror readers, please don't miss out on this story especially if you love a claustrophobic and Snowbound atmospheric ride into terror!
I want to thank the author C.J. Tudor, the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and of course Netgalley for the opportunity to read this special novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this wonderful horror book a rating of 5 FRIDGID SNOWBOUND 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
January 31, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
TEN YEARS. That is how long it took for society to crumble. The virus was the start of the riots, the wars, the Anti-Science terrorism, and the HATRED.
A raging snowstorm…
A Coach has careened off a slippery hillside. Trapped inside is HANNAH, the daughter of one of the World’s leading virologists. But, if it wasn’t an accident, and the bus was targeted-would that even matter?
A Cable car has stopped, on its way to a place called “The Retreat”. Inside is MEG, a former detective, and a mother who lost her daughter to the virus. When she discovers a dead man amongst the occupants, she suspects that the car was halted on purpose.
CARTER and his compatriots work at “The Retreat”, where trials are underway on live recruits in an attempt to find a way to beat the VIRUS. But, the generator is failing….
“ THE EARTH IS FULL OF DEAD GOOD GUYS”
So, who is good? Who is bad? And, who will SURVIVE?
There are A LOT of characters to keep straight and I struggled with that. In addition, I found the two main women, HANNAH and MEG, to be interchangeable with little to distinguish one from the other.
BUT-the three narratives will converge in a VERY CLEVER way, and the thread that ties them all together was quite surprising. This story makes the lockdown that we experienced look like a vacation, and what is scarier than that? (Extra .5 ⭐️ for how it all comes together)
So this was a difficult book to rate-
In the author’s last book, “A Sliver of Darkness”, she shares that she lost her father during Covid, to explain why many of the short stories in the collection have “end of the world” and “isolation” themes. Perhaps she is/was still processing that devastating loss, as she penned this-since this story continues in that vein.
But, I find myself MISSING her past work-the subtle horror and Supernatural…
I enjoy reading about creative Dystopian Worlds, but not depressing Apocalyptic ones-even when written by talented, favorite authors like Tudor.
A buddy read with DeAnn-be sure to check out her amazing review to how she fared with this one!
If it’s a trope that you enjoy-this is NOW AVAILABLE!
Thank You to Ballantine books for the invitation to read an early copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
TEN YEARS. That is how long it took for society to crumble. The virus was the start of the riots, the wars, the Anti-Science terrorism, and the HATRED.
A raging snowstorm…
A Coach has careened off a slippery hillside. Trapped inside is HANNAH, the daughter of one of the World’s leading virologists. But, if it wasn’t an accident, and the bus was targeted-would that even matter?
A Cable car has stopped, on its way to a place called “The Retreat”. Inside is MEG, a former detective, and a mother who lost her daughter to the virus. When she discovers a dead man amongst the occupants, she suspects that the car was halted on purpose.
CARTER and his compatriots work at “The Retreat”, where trials are underway on live recruits in an attempt to find a way to beat the VIRUS. But, the generator is failing….
“ THE EARTH IS FULL OF DEAD GOOD GUYS”
So, who is good? Who is bad? And, who will SURVIVE?
There are A LOT of characters to keep straight and I struggled with that. In addition, I found the two main women, HANNAH and MEG, to be interchangeable with little to distinguish one from the other.
BUT-the three narratives will converge in a VERY CLEVER way, and the thread that ties them all together was quite surprising. This story makes the lockdown that we experienced look like a vacation, and what is scarier than that? (Extra .5 ⭐️ for how it all comes together)
So this was a difficult book to rate-
In the author’s last book, “A Sliver of Darkness”, she shares that she lost her father during Covid, to explain why many of the short stories in the collection have “end of the world” and “isolation” themes. Perhaps she is/was still processing that devastating loss, as she penned this-since this story continues in that vein.
But, I find myself MISSING her past work-the subtle horror and Supernatural…
I enjoy reading about creative Dystopian Worlds, but not depressing Apocalyptic ones-even when written by talented, favorite authors like Tudor.
A buddy read with DeAnn-be sure to check out her amazing review to how she fared with this one!
If it’s a trope that you enjoy-this is NOW AVAILABLE!
Thank You to Ballantine books for the invitation to read an early copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
February 5, 2023
3.5 stars
I haven’t read many post-apocalyptic horror thrillers. It’s not a genre I’m naturally drawn to. But when I received an early copy of C. J. Tudor’s newest novel, The Drift, I didn’t hesitate to accept it. I’ve read and enjoyed her last three releases, and I figured that if anyone could make me love a novel set in a world where a deadly virus runs rampant, either killing most everyone who contracts it or turning those who endure it into creatures called Whistlers, it would be Ms. Tudor.
But I was wrong. And it’s not because the novel isn’t page-turning, brilliantly plotted, or exciting. It is. The Drift is clever and thrilling in all the right ways. It’s an entertaining tale of survival, skillfully depicting what we, as humans, are willing to do to others in order to live.
So no, it’s not the book. It’s more a me thing in that certain aspects of the story left me a little sickened. Tudor tries hard to make the novel gritty, and while she succeeds in this, she takes it too far. There is one scene at the very end that I simply could not stomach. I didn’t need to read THAT.
But even though The Drift is not my favorite Tudor read, I know that more greatness is coming. More stories are heading my way – stories that I will love.
And I can hardly wait to read them.
My sincerest appreciation to C. J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
I haven’t read many post-apocalyptic horror thrillers. It’s not a genre I’m naturally drawn to. But when I received an early copy of C. J. Tudor’s newest novel, The Drift, I didn’t hesitate to accept it. I’ve read and enjoyed her last three releases, and I figured that if anyone could make me love a novel set in a world where a deadly virus runs rampant, either killing most everyone who contracts it or turning those who endure it into creatures called Whistlers, it would be Ms. Tudor.
But I was wrong. And it’s not because the novel isn’t page-turning, brilliantly plotted, or exciting. It is. The Drift is clever and thrilling in all the right ways. It’s an entertaining tale of survival, skillfully depicting what we, as humans, are willing to do to others in order to live.
So no, it’s not the book. It’s more a me thing in that certain aspects of the story left me a little sickened. Tudor tries hard to make the novel gritty, and while she succeeds in this, she takes it too far. There is one scene at the very end that I simply could not stomach. I didn’t need to read THAT.
But even though The Drift is not my favorite Tudor read, I know that more greatness is coming. More stories are heading my way – stories that I will love.
And I can hardly wait to read them.
My sincerest appreciation to C. J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
November 15, 2022
Once upon a time in the future, there be the Whistlers.....
They leave deep footprints in the snow and create fear with every step.
And C.J. Tudor creates buckets of fear around every corner in The Drift. We'll visit a period in which humans live on borrowed time. Survival will become a personal, lonely business when you hope to surface still breathing ahead of any threat possibly criss-crossing your environment.
Tudor sets the stage with a three-tier storyline. We'll follow the actions and situations of Hannah, Meg, and Carter. Each find themselves painted into a corner with the odds not being in their favor. It's a journey into the future in which a deadly virus has taken hold of the world. And at the core of this is the thrusting fist of power and control. Just who is at these controls and callin' the shots?
Hannah is a medical student on board a bus leaving an academy with fellow students. They've taken to the icy highway in a snowstorm. After some time, the bus hits an ice patch and it's hurled over a cliff and into a dense snow bank. The doors and windows are jammed. Escape doesn't seem likely. Hannah takes charge only to meet unspeakable challenges. Students begin to show symptoms.....
Meg is a former police officer on board a cable car with her fellow passengers headed to a place called The Retreat in the mountains. That snowstorm has settled upon them as well. And then suddenly, the cable car shuts down suspended not even halfway to their destination. They notice a man in the corner. Dead from a stab wound. Questions a poppin': Why? Who? Next victim?
Carter is a member of a team creating vaccines against the current virus. They are hunkered down in an almost impenetrable compound. Each member has a questionable backstory and their methods are questionable as well. But the virus knows nothing of good intentions or bad.
C.J. Tudor laces this one with desperation. You can feel the hyperventilating going on in your ear as you turn pages. Perhaps it's your own breath pumping hard. Tudor knows that precarious situations are real now. The world's imagination doesn't have to extend very far to know panic. And just when you think you have analytical skills at your fingertips, you just may not. The game changes in a nano second and the players are no longer recognizable. Are they?
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Ballantine Books (Random House) and to the talented C.J. Tudor for the opportunity.
They leave deep footprints in the snow and create fear with every step.
And C.J. Tudor creates buckets of fear around every corner in The Drift. We'll visit a period in which humans live on borrowed time. Survival will become a personal, lonely business when you hope to surface still breathing ahead of any threat possibly criss-crossing your environment.
Tudor sets the stage with a three-tier storyline. We'll follow the actions and situations of Hannah, Meg, and Carter. Each find themselves painted into a corner with the odds not being in their favor. It's a journey into the future in which a deadly virus has taken hold of the world. And at the core of this is the thrusting fist of power and control. Just who is at these controls and callin' the shots?
Hannah is a medical student on board a bus leaving an academy with fellow students. They've taken to the icy highway in a snowstorm. After some time, the bus hits an ice patch and it's hurled over a cliff and into a dense snow bank. The doors and windows are jammed. Escape doesn't seem likely. Hannah takes charge only to meet unspeakable challenges. Students begin to show symptoms.....
Meg is a former police officer on board a cable car with her fellow passengers headed to a place called The Retreat in the mountains. That snowstorm has settled upon them as well. And then suddenly, the cable car shuts down suspended not even halfway to their destination. They notice a man in the corner. Dead from a stab wound. Questions a poppin': Why? Who? Next victim?
Carter is a member of a team creating vaccines against the current virus. They are hunkered down in an almost impenetrable compound. Each member has a questionable backstory and their methods are questionable as well. But the virus knows nothing of good intentions or bad.
C.J. Tudor laces this one with desperation. You can feel the hyperventilating going on in your ear as you turn pages. Perhaps it's your own breath pumping hard. Tudor knows that precarious situations are real now. The world's imagination doesn't have to extend very far to know panic. And just when you think you have analytical skills at your fingertips, you just may not. The game changes in a nano second and the players are no longer recognizable. Are they?
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Ballantine Books (Random House) and to the talented C.J. Tudor for the opportunity.
December 6, 2022
The Drift is a weird amalgamation of horror, dystopian science fiction and thriller. It involves three main characters, each who find themselves in a different catastrophic situation in the middle of a violent snowstorm. Meg is a medical student who survives a bus crash. Hannah is an ex-police officer who awakes to find herself on a stopped gondola halfway up a mountain. And Carter is an employee at The Retreat, at the top of the mountain, where the power keeps cutting off. And all this is happening during some sort of viral outbreak that makes Covid look tame.
The story shuttles back and forth between each of the three characters as we learn that each has secrets. The writing includes little bits of sick humor.
Unfortunately, the tale quickly spun off into unbelievable action scenes with gaping holes in the plot.
Another warning - this is an incredibly violent, gruesome book.
I’ve enjoyed other books by Tudor, but this one didn’t do it for me. I recommend it more for fans of horror stories.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.
The story shuttles back and forth between each of the three characters as we learn that each has secrets. The writing includes little bits of sick humor.
Unfortunately, the tale quickly spun off into unbelievable action scenes with gaping holes in the plot.
Another warning - this is an incredibly violent, gruesome book.
I’ve enjoyed other books by Tudor, but this one didn’t do it for me. I recommend it more for fans of horror stories.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.
January 31, 2023
AVAILABLE NOW!
“Either you’re a good guy, or you’re a survivor.”
C.J. Tudor has done it again with not one, not two, but three locked room connected mysteries in The Drift!
Carter is trapped at The Retreat
Hannah is trapped in The Coach
Meg is trapped in The Cable Car
Likely inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Drift explores a fictional deadly virus’s impact on humanity ten years after its discovery.
At the end of the world, what are people willing to do to survive? Everyone holds a secret, no one is who they appear to be, and all are seeking redemption.
Who will survive?
“The devil was an angel once.”
Tudor realistically captures the horrors of a deadly pandemic through depicting a fictional society that cleverly mimics our own.
But oh my! Poopity poop poop poop! There are so many disgusting scenes involving poop!
This book definitely explores the grotesque, so be prepared for some very gruesome scenes. If you enjoy zombie thrillers, there’s something for you too!
Overall, I enjoyed all three settings equally and liked how they eventually tied together. Another great book from C.J. Tudor!
4/5 stars
Expected publication date: 1/31/23
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Either you’re a good guy, or you’re a survivor.”
C.J. Tudor has done it again with not one, not two, but three locked room connected mysteries in The Drift!
Carter is trapped at The Retreat
Hannah is trapped in The Coach
Meg is trapped in The Cable Car
Likely inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Drift explores a fictional deadly virus’s impact on humanity ten years after its discovery.
At the end of the world, what are people willing to do to survive? Everyone holds a secret, no one is who they appear to be, and all are seeking redemption.
Who will survive?
“The devil was an angel once.”
Tudor realistically captures the horrors of a deadly pandemic through depicting a fictional society that cleverly mimics our own.
But oh my! Poopity poop poop poop! There are so many disgusting scenes involving poop!
This book definitely explores the grotesque, so be prepared for some very gruesome scenes. If you enjoy zombie thrillers, there’s something for you too!
Overall, I enjoyed all three settings equally and liked how they eventually tied together. Another great book from C.J. Tudor!
4/5 stars
Expected publication date: 1/31/23
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2025
Life in The Drift is violent, depressing, and very, very cold. It’s set in a world where a pandemic-like virus, that turns it’s victims into zombies known as whistlers, has fractured society. It’s like post apocalyptic-lite.
The story follows three separate groups of survivors as they struggle to survive their situations, and eventually we see how their stories connect.
Yeah, this was bleak 😂 a perfect atmospheric read for this time of year as we head into winter, but yeah there’s rarely a moment of levity throughout the whole book.
However, I always seem to have a handful of issues with Tudor’s books for some reason, and this was no exception. Meg and Hannah’s POVs were far superior imo, and so for the other one (can’t even remember his name 😂) I was honestly pretty bored and didn’t care. I liked how everything came together in the end and understand why his story is important, but yeah, didn’t care.
Also, she always features some throwaway lines that just annoy the hell out of me. Lots of fatphobia, misogyny, and vague-racism (comparing of situations to concentration camps, stuff like that). You can also tell this was written during COVID so lots of stuff was very heavy handed, and phrases were repeated over and over.
With all that being said, it’s definitely more of a 3.5⭐️ read, maybe 3.75, but I rounded up for GR purposes. Overall not bad at all, I really loved Meg and Hannah’s POVS, really liked the ending, and loved the heavy atmosphere and sense of building dread throughout, but yeah, just a few issues
The story follows three separate groups of survivors as they struggle to survive their situations, and eventually we see how their stories connect.
Yeah, this was bleak 😂 a perfect atmospheric read for this time of year as we head into winter, but yeah there’s rarely a moment of levity throughout the whole book.
However, I always seem to have a handful of issues with Tudor’s books for some reason, and this was no exception. Meg and Hannah’s POVs were far superior imo, and so for the other one (can’t even remember his name 😂) I was honestly pretty bored and didn’t care. I liked how everything came together in the end and understand why his story is important, but yeah, didn’t care.
Also, she always features some throwaway lines that just annoy the hell out of me. Lots of fatphobia, misogyny, and vague-racism (comparing of situations to concentration camps, stuff like that). You can also tell this was written during COVID so lots of stuff was very heavy handed, and phrases were repeated over and over.
With all that being said, it’s definitely more of a 3.5⭐️ read, maybe 3.75, but I rounded up for GR purposes. Overall not bad at all, I really loved Meg and Hannah’s POVS, really liked the ending, and loved the heavy atmosphere and sense of building dread throughout, but yeah, just a few issues
January 24, 2023
Finally!!! This is the C.J. Tudor story I've been waiting for.
It has been a decade since a pandemic swept the world and this story follows three people trying to survive in the most inhospitable circumstances.
Meg awakens in a cable car dangling over the mountainous terrain while a snow storm rages outside. She isn't alone. Who drugged them and brought them here? Who can she trust, if anyone?
Hannah awakens after her bus crashes in the snow storm. She and other students were trying to make it to safety at The Retreat. Some of the students perished in the crash and the others, turns out, may be infected.
Carter works with a few others at The Retreat which seems safe enough until other residents start turning up dead. The generator is about to die and any security they once felt they had has blown away like the snow swept wind.
This book had it all. Action, suspense, and all the horror you can imagine. As if a pandemic of epic proportions wasn't bad enough then add in a snow storm, Whistlers, and an untrustworthy bunch of people - some armed and some most definitely dangerous. I was between biting my nails and peaking through my fingers the entire time I spent with this book. Not only that but this book is CLEVER in the best way possible. A victory for Tudor to be sure. This is my third book by her but it's the first one to WOW me and, trust me, I was WOWED!!! ALL. THE. STARS!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
It has been a decade since a pandemic swept the world and this story follows three people trying to survive in the most inhospitable circumstances.
Meg awakens in a cable car dangling over the mountainous terrain while a snow storm rages outside. She isn't alone. Who drugged them and brought them here? Who can she trust, if anyone?
Hannah awakens after her bus crashes in the snow storm. She and other students were trying to make it to safety at The Retreat. Some of the students perished in the crash and the others, turns out, may be infected.
Carter works with a few others at The Retreat which seems safe enough until other residents start turning up dead. The generator is about to die and any security they once felt they had has blown away like the snow swept wind.
This book had it all. Action, suspense, and all the horror you can imagine. As if a pandemic of epic proportions wasn't bad enough then add in a snow storm, Whistlers, and an untrustworthy bunch of people - some armed and some most definitely dangerous. I was between biting my nails and peaking through my fingers the entire time I spent with this book. Not only that but this book is CLEVER in the best way possible. A victory for Tudor to be sure. This is my third book by her but it's the first one to WOW me and, trust me, I was WOWED!!! ALL. THE. STARS!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
January 1, 2023
This lady can sure write scare. In fact, it might be her middle name!
This book provided more than a scary story, it also provided so many ways in which to discuss the events and the outcome of the story. Definitely a wonderful story of survival and the ways in which we challenge Mother Nature who will "always find a way."
What better topic to write about if you are in the scare business than a deadly pandemic? However, it should be noted that the virus is not the "star" of this tale. C.J. Tudor took the background of a deadly virus, and wrote a story that started out with a bus crash that had Hannah, and others escaping from a boarding school. While some died, the ones remaining had their assorted secrets and needed a way out of the overturned bus. Of course, with a huge snowstorm raging outside and a deadly virus raging inside the bus, death seemed to be their certain fate.
The book switches to other characters teetering in a broken cable car including Meg, a former police person. Hanging high up in the air while the storm ragged, (for this reader, that would have been the end of me!), they didn't a clue as to how or the why they arrived there. They know they are headed to a place called "The Retreat" but the "why" is everything. It's murky and then a dead body is found which is a precursor to many more bodies piling up.
In a ski chalet others survive and are perhaps the hope for humanity. They too, are headed for a rude awakening as the vaccine they make is running short and the doctor in charge has supposedly hidden himself in one of the containment pods. Dr Carter has been the head of the virus fighting team and as in current times, we eventually find him to be full of himself, conceited, and only concerned about his hero self, and of course conquering the virus. (as if)
While this story mimics some of what we have all gone through, it is the author's way of showing us that no one is infallible, that we often are a kill or be killed species, and that perhaps we have lost our way in fear and grab onto hope even if it is a false one.
This was a hard hitting, gritty story that held fine elements of frightening tactics that this author delivers in each of her books. As you read, you will feel many similarities between the now and the maybe the future. I so enjoyed the references, shaded of course, that C.J. gave to the current "savior" (or at least in his mind) doctor in charge of it all.
Suffice to say, I continue to greatly enjoy C.J.'s books. They definitely put the fright in all who read her stories.
Thanks, once again, to C.J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this harrowing story. Keep 'em coming, C.J.
Thanks go out to Jan (great discussion my friend), and Dorie for reading along with me.
This book provided more than a scary story, it also provided so many ways in which to discuss the events and the outcome of the story. Definitely a wonderful story of survival and the ways in which we challenge Mother Nature who will "always find a way."
What better topic to write about if you are in the scare business than a deadly pandemic? However, it should be noted that the virus is not the "star" of this tale. C.J. Tudor took the background of a deadly virus, and wrote a story that started out with a bus crash that had Hannah, and others escaping from a boarding school. While some died, the ones remaining had their assorted secrets and needed a way out of the overturned bus. Of course, with a huge snowstorm raging outside and a deadly virus raging inside the bus, death seemed to be their certain fate.
The book switches to other characters teetering in a broken cable car including Meg, a former police person. Hanging high up in the air while the storm ragged, (for this reader, that would have been the end of me!), they didn't a clue as to how or the why they arrived there. They know they are headed to a place called "The Retreat" but the "why" is everything. It's murky and then a dead body is found which is a precursor to many more bodies piling up.
In a ski chalet others survive and are perhaps the hope for humanity. They too, are headed for a rude awakening as the vaccine they make is running short and the doctor in charge has supposedly hidden himself in one of the containment pods. Dr Carter has been the head of the virus fighting team and as in current times, we eventually find him to be full of himself, conceited, and only concerned about his hero self, and of course conquering the virus. (as if)
While this story mimics some of what we have all gone through, it is the author's way of showing us that no one is infallible, that we often are a kill or be killed species, and that perhaps we have lost our way in fear and grab onto hope even if it is a false one.
This was a hard hitting, gritty story that held fine elements of frightening tactics that this author delivers in each of her books. As you read, you will feel many similarities between the now and the maybe the future. I so enjoyed the references, shaded of course, that C.J. gave to the current "savior" (or at least in his mind) doctor in charge of it all.
Suffice to say, I continue to greatly enjoy C.J.'s books. They definitely put the fright in all who read her stories.
Thanks, once again, to C.J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this harrowing story. Keep 'em coming, C.J.
Thanks go out to Jan (great discussion my friend), and Dorie for reading along with me.
December 12, 2022
4.5 Stars raised to 5. Wow! What a gripping, intense, claustrophobic thriller. Be prepared for a grim, propulsive, high-octane, action-packed storyline with some grim and stomach-churning passages. I was riveted by the fast-paced, chilling story and loved it. We enter a dystopian world. After ten years, a virus has wiped out civilization as we know it, and desperate people who remain will do almost anything to survive. It is best to go into this book knowing little about what happens.
It is cleverly written in a three-tiered storyline. People are isolated into three different groups during a raging snowstorm, and power is failing. There may be a murderer and people carrying the infectious virus in each location. Be prepared for three separate closed-room mysteries with many twists and turns under extremely dangerous circumstances. Each group is composed of strangers who don't know who can be trusted.
Warning: A high body count. A very high body count!!
Warning: Don't get too invested in any of the main characters, as some may be doomed.
If you are missing the Walking Dead TV series, you have the Whisperers lurking in the wilderness to replace them, along with deadly bears and wolves.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Doubleday Canada for this dark and entertaining thriller!
It is cleverly written in a three-tiered storyline. People are isolated into three different groups during a raging snowstorm, and power is failing. There may be a murderer and people carrying the infectious virus in each location. Be prepared for three separate closed-room mysteries with many twists and turns under extremely dangerous circumstances. Each group is composed of strangers who don't know who can be trusted.
Warning: A high body count. A very high body count!!
Warning: Don't get too invested in any of the main characters, as some may be doomed.
If you are missing the Walking Dead TV series, you have the Whisperers lurking in the wilderness to replace them, along with deadly bears and wolves.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Doubleday Canada for this dark and entertaining thriller!
January 25, 2023
Unpopular opinion I was super bored reading this book.
Yes it was interesting at times but I found myself putting it down a lot and struggled to finish it. I was waiting to be scared and never quite there. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of which I’m not a fan of. Maybe this would have worked better as an audiobook for me?
The Drift is available January 31, 2023.
Thank you netgalley and random house publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Yes it was interesting at times but I found myself putting it down a lot and struggled to finish it. I was waiting to be scared and never quite there. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of which I’m not a fan of. Maybe this would have worked better as an audiobook for me?
The Drift is available January 31, 2023.
Thank you netgalley and random house publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
January 31, 2023
Update 1/31/23: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me an ARC of The Drift in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine a world in the grip of a pandemic. Okay, that’s too easy.
Imagine a world in the grip of a pandemic that feels suspiciously like a zombie apocalypse. Yeah, that’s better. And in this world ravaged by a zombie apocalypse, people still have other problems, like getting trapped in a snowstorm—which, it turns out, is even worse during a pandemic.
The Drift follows three groups of people trapped in a snowstorm. Hannah and six others are trapped in a bus that crashed while they were being evacuated to The Retreat from an elite boarding school. Meg and five others wake up to find themselves trapped above the mountains in a cable car that was also on its way to The Retreat. Finally, Carter and a handful of others are already at The Retreat, working to keep the power on despite the storm, desperate to keep whatever is in basement from escaping.
As with Ms. Tudor’s earlier books, The Drift is intricately plotted. There are the mysteries you know are being slowly revealed, and then there are the ones you did not even know were mysteries until the answers were presented. It is essentially three separate mystery/survival stories, although connections between the three stories are slowly revealed. The story is a bit of a slow burn, all about the small group dynamics and shifting alliances, but it definitely builds momentum. I liked how the three stories ultimately came together, even though I found the ending a bit unsatisfying.
At this point, Ms. Tudor is on my list of authors I’d read without even bothering with reading the book description. The Drift isn’t my favorite of her books, but it’s a solid, spooky, survival/horror thriller. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.
Hannah stood. ‘So, violence is the answer?’
Lucas stared at her coldly. ‘Sometimes, it is the only answer.’
…
No one ever thinks they’re the bad guy.
We all kid ourselves that we’re the hero of the story.
And we’re usually wrong.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me an ARC of The Drift in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine a world in the grip of a pandemic. Okay, that’s too easy.
Imagine a world in the grip of a pandemic that feels suspiciously like a zombie apocalypse. Yeah, that’s better. And in this world ravaged by a zombie apocalypse, people still have other problems, like getting trapped in a snowstorm—which, it turns out, is even worse during a pandemic.
The Drift follows three groups of people trapped in a snowstorm. Hannah and six others are trapped in a bus that crashed while they were being evacuated to The Retreat from an elite boarding school. Meg and five others wake up to find themselves trapped above the mountains in a cable car that was also on its way to The Retreat. Finally, Carter and a handful of others are already at The Retreat, working to keep the power on despite the storm, desperate to keep whatever is in basement from escaping.
As with Ms. Tudor’s earlier books, The Drift is intricately plotted. There are the mysteries you know are being slowly revealed, and then there are the ones you did not even know were mysteries until the answers were presented. It is essentially three separate mystery/survival stories, although connections between the three stories are slowly revealed. The story is a bit of a slow burn, all about the small group dynamics and shifting alliances, but it definitely builds momentum. I liked how the three stories ultimately came together, even though I found the ending a bit unsatisfying.
At this point, Ms. Tudor is on my list of authors I’d read without even bothering with reading the book description. The Drift isn’t my favorite of her books, but it’s a solid, spooky, survival/horror thriller. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.
November 5, 2022
Well Tudor does it again. It is super unique and original, as all of them have been! I must confess I did not read the blurb before requesting this. Any novel written by this author is just a no brainer to request. I'm glad I did not dig into it further before reading because this would not be my typical read but so glad I did read it.
It is broken out in three different POV"s: Hannah: the medical student stranded after an accident on a coach bus heading to the Retreat, Meg stranded in a cable car (proves my point on why you should never get on one) heading to the Retreat and Carter who lives at the Retreat. How these tie together is the crux of the story and one that was pulled together super well.
I don't want to get into too much more to avoid spoilers because this is best going into blind but I'll say two things: the relation to Covid scared me and I'll never let my cat kiss me on the face again. Ok I will, but just saying. I can't wait to see what else this author has up the sleeve! This one will have me terrified for a few more days!
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author in exchange for my honest review.
It is broken out in three different POV"s: Hannah: the medical student stranded after an accident on a coach bus heading to the Retreat, Meg stranded in a cable car (proves my point on why you should never get on one) heading to the Retreat and Carter who lives at the Retreat. How these tie together is the crux of the story and one that was pulled together super well.
I don't want to get into too much more to avoid spoilers because this is best going into blind but I'll say two things: the relation to Covid scared me and I'll never let my cat kiss me on the face again. Ok I will, but just saying. I can't wait to see what else this author has up the sleeve! This one will have me terrified for a few more days!
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author in exchange for my honest review.
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