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samburkhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, and Abandonment
Minor: Eating disorder, Excrement, and Vomit
zosiablue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This started out with a bang - three parallel stories taking place during an unnamed, zombie-like pandemic. One of the stories involved a group trapped on one of those high-ass ski mountain cable cars (NIGHTMARE). And then about 75% through, there's a thrilling twist I didn't see coming. But the rest was kind of boring! Instead of focusing on the good bones of the story, there was a lot of interpersonal drama and pages and pages of people trying to escape from things. Loved the world building, but the rest fell fla
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Medical trauma
Minor: Pregnancy
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The story begins with a chilling tease, something to whet the reader's appetite before starting on a journey that includes multiple narrators in multiple locations, all facing dire circumstances. Social dynamics are a driving force, making it critical for the characters in each storyline to work with those whom they're sharing space. Everyone is unsure of the dangers, desperate to survive, and there's a common thread running through all the storylines.
This is isolated thriller at its finest, in a treacherous environment... times three! The book jumps around from narrator to narrator so at times it takes a little work to keep the people and events straight. The author, C.J. Tudor is a really good storyteller, and I was wrapped up in all three stories as their told simultaneously. I didn't mind jumping from story to story and felt that provided a forward-moving dynamic and kept me guessing about what was really going on to cause all the calamity being experienced by these people.
This book is deceptively complex, and I thought it was fantastic. There are characters to love and hate, or at least to root for and against. Human nature is on full display and how we ultimately value relationships can end up meaning life or death in the brutal apocalyptic environment imposed on the people that populate the three interrelated stories that make up this book. The book's finale is a jaw dropper that I didn't see coming, and the perfect conclusion.
I recommend avoiding reviews for fear of one spoiler in particular that can steal away from you what I thought was a clever payoff in the final chapters.
I listened to the audiobook and really appreciated that there were two distinct sounding narrators, Nathalie Buscombe and Rachel Handshaw. Because of the three stories presented in the book, having different narrators helped to differentiate which character and story I was listening to.
This is isolated thriller at its finest, in a treacherous environment... times three! The book jumps around from narrator to narrator so at times it takes a little work to keep the people and events straight. The author, C.J. Tudor is a really good storyteller, and I was wrapped up in all three stories as their told simultaneously. I didn't mind jumping from story to story and felt that provided a forward-moving dynamic and kept me guessing about what was really going on to cause all the calamity being experienced by these people.
This book is deceptively complex, and I thought it was fantastic. There are characters to love and hate, or at least to root for and against. Human nature is on full display and how we ultimately value relationships can end up meaning life or death in the brutal apocalyptic environment imposed on the people that populate the three interrelated stories that make up this book. The book's finale is a jaw dropper that I didn't see coming, and the perfect conclusion.
I recommend avoiding reviews for fear of one spoiler in particular that can steal away from you what I thought was a clever payoff in the final chapters.
I listened to the audiobook and really appreciated that there were two distinct sounding narrators, Nathalie Buscombe and Rachel Handshaw. Because of the three stories presented in the book, having different narrators helped to differentiate which character and story I was listening to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
soobooksalot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Hype is often for good reason!
I had serious FOMO once I started seeing all the fantastic reviews of CJ Tudor's The Drift all around these parts.
Take a bit of The Walking Dead, Alive, and even if current-day goings-on had swerved in another direction, and you've got this novel. (Though it's none of these plot points specifically.)
Chapters alternate between Hannah in a full overturned charter bus in the snow, Meg stranded with strangers in a cable car, and Carter in a mountain chalet known as the Retreat.
Ominous enough for you?
Things get a little nasty at times, as apocalypses (apocalii?) are wont to do. There's action! Twists!
I loved this read. Perfect for cold snap weather reading. Recommended!
I had serious FOMO once I started seeing all the fantastic reviews of CJ Tudor's The Drift all around these parts.
Take a bit of The Walking Dead, Alive, and even if current-day goings-on had swerved in another direction, and you've got this novel. (Though it's none of these plot points specifically.)
Chapters alternate between Hannah in a full overturned charter bus in the snow, Meg stranded with strangers in a cable car, and Carter in a mountain chalet known as the Retreat.
Ominous enough for you?
Things get a little nasty at times, as apocalypses (apocalii?) are wont to do. There's action! Twists!
I loved this read. Perfect for cold snap weather reading. Recommended!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
syellico's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
melitta's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Animal death
shelfofunread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Spend enough time in crime/thriller forums and blogger groups and it probably won’t be long until the name C. J. Tudor crops up. Tudor has been a fan favourite ever since the publication of her debut novel, The Chalk Man, with a reputation for edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster plotting and ‘you-won’t-see-it-coming’ twists. Her work has been on my ‘To Read’ list for a while so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read her latest novel, The Drift, in advance of publication.
Like Tudor’s previous books, The Drift provides plenty of twists and turns. Unlike previous books, however, Tudor has amped up the chills – both literally and metaphorically – for this tale of three groups of snowbound survivors, set in a near-future dystopia. Alternating between boarding school student Hannah, trapped onboard a crashed coach; former police officer Meg, stuck onboard a precariously-perched cable car with a group of strangers and a dead body; and Carter, who calls an isolated chalet known only as The Retreat home, The Drift cleverly weaves together three separate locked-room mysteries, before adding in a dash of apocalyptic terror in the form of deadly virus and the terrifying entities known only as ‘The Whistlers’.
Fans of Tudor’s previous works might be slightly taken aback by the novel’s drift into horror, although those who have encountered her short story collection, A Sliver of Darkness, may be more prepared for the tonal shift. Having not read her previous novels, I can’t comment on how much tonal difference there is between The Drift and Tudor’s usual fare. Personally, however, I think the novel has a foot in both the ‘thriller’ and ‘horror’ camps, with the horror gaining the edge as the novel progresses.
That isn’t to say that there aren’t thrills here. Indeed, unravelling the connections between Hannah, Meg, and Carter is a brilliantly twisty adventure (and when the penny drops as to what does link the three, I promise that your jaw will hit the floor!). But as the backdrop to the novel becomes more apparent – and it becomes clear what these three survivors are really up against – there’s a definite shift into apocalyptic dystopian territory and the horror that you would expect to be associated with that.
In terms of how that reads on the page, I don’t think there’s anything that will trouble anyone but the most squeamish of readers. There’s a bit of gore but no more than you get in the average serial killer thriller. Indeed, most of the ‘horror’ comes from the increasing knowledge of the situation the characters find themselves in and from Tudor’s careful management of atmosphere and tension. Combining several nail-biting moments with deliciously slow-burn reveals and some explosive set-pieces, The Drift definitely delivers the ‘edge-of-your-seat’ factor, whilst providing more than a few ‘don’t-read-with-the-lights-off’ moments too!
Given that the novel features three separate storylines, there are a lot of characters to wrap your head around in The Drift and this was, for me, the novel’s weakest point. Whilst each of the central characters – Hannah, Meg, and Carter – are well-drawn and interesting, the supporting cast felt indistinct. In many cases this wasn’t an issue as those characters weren’t especially vital to the plot and (mild spoiler alert) a lot of them end up adding to the book’s fairly hefty body count. However, in one particular instance, I think we’re very much supposed to care – and to understand why a particular character cares – about someone that, personally, I felt I barely got to know.
That minor niggle aside, however, I thoroughly enjoyed The Drift. It’s an unusual blend of horror and thriller but, to my surprise, it works very well and I’m in awe of how Tudor managed to weave together the seemingly disparate strands of the narrative (as I said above, jaw-dropping pretty much covers the moment of revelation about the connection between the three protagonists) without falling down a plot hole or giving the game away before the end! Fans of Tudor’s previous novels might be slightly surprised at the direction The Drift takes but, with its spine-chilling thrills and rollercoaster plotting, it’s sure to delight as much as previous novels. I’ll definitely be going back to read some of her previous work on the basis of this book – and will be eagerly awaiting whatever comes next!
NB: My thanks go to the publisher and to @JenLovesReading for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Like Tudor’s previous books, The Drift provides plenty of twists and turns. Unlike previous books, however, Tudor has amped up the chills – both literally and metaphorically – for this tale of three groups of snowbound survivors, set in a near-future dystopia. Alternating between boarding school student Hannah, trapped onboard a crashed coach; former police officer Meg, stuck onboard a precariously-perched cable car with a group of strangers and a dead body; and Carter, who calls an isolated chalet known only as The Retreat home, The Drift cleverly weaves together three separate locked-room mysteries, before adding in a dash of apocalyptic terror in the form of deadly virus and the terrifying entities known only as ‘The Whistlers’.
Fans of Tudor’s previous works might be slightly taken aback by the novel’s drift into horror, although those who have encountered her short story collection, A Sliver of Darkness, may be more prepared for the tonal shift. Having not read her previous novels, I can’t comment on how much tonal difference there is between The Drift and Tudor’s usual fare. Personally, however, I think the novel has a foot in both the ‘thriller’ and ‘horror’ camps, with the horror gaining the edge as the novel progresses.
That isn’t to say that there aren’t thrills here. Indeed, unravelling the connections between Hannah, Meg, and Carter is a brilliantly twisty adventure (and when the penny drops as to what does link the three, I promise that your jaw will hit the floor!). But as the backdrop to the novel becomes more apparent – and it becomes clear what these three survivors are really up against – there’s a definite shift into apocalyptic dystopian territory and the horror that you would expect to be associated with that.
In terms of how that reads on the page, I don’t think there’s anything that will trouble anyone but the most squeamish of readers. There’s a bit of gore but no more than you get in the average serial killer thriller. Indeed, most of the ‘horror’ comes from the increasing knowledge of the situation the characters find themselves in and from Tudor’s careful management of atmosphere and tension. Combining several nail-biting moments with deliciously slow-burn reveals and some explosive set-pieces, The Drift definitely delivers the ‘edge-of-your-seat’ factor, whilst providing more than a few ‘don’t-read-with-the-lights-off’ moments too!
Given that the novel features three separate storylines, there are a lot of characters to wrap your head around in The Drift and this was, for me, the novel’s weakest point. Whilst each of the central characters – Hannah, Meg, and Carter – are well-drawn and interesting, the supporting cast felt indistinct. In many cases this wasn’t an issue as those characters weren’t especially vital to the plot and (mild spoiler alert) a lot of them end up adding to the book’s fairly hefty body count. However, in one particular instance, I think we’re very much supposed to care – and to understand why a particular character cares – about someone that, personally, I felt I barely got to know.
That minor niggle aside, however, I thoroughly enjoyed The Drift. It’s an unusual blend of horror and thriller but, to my surprise, it works very well and I’m in awe of how Tudor managed to weave together the seemingly disparate strands of the narrative (as I said above, jaw-dropping pretty much covers the moment of revelation about the connection between the three protagonists) without falling down a plot hole or giving the game away before the end! Fans of Tudor’s previous novels might be slightly surprised at the direction The Drift takes but, with its spine-chilling thrills and rollercoaster plotting, it’s sure to delight as much as previous novels. I’ll definitely be going back to read some of her previous work on the basis of this book – and will be eagerly awaiting whatever comes next!
NB: My thanks go to the publisher and to @JenLovesReading for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, and War
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