Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - The Drift

Hannah, a medical student at a prestigious institute, finds herself trapped on a bus with several students. They were on their way to a safe place called The Retreat when their bus crashed during a snowstorm. They will have to work together to survive the low temperatures.

Meg, a former detective, wakes up in a stranded cable car with no idea how she got there, along with five strangers. They head to a mysterious place known as The Retreat. The weather is adverse and as the hours pass; they realize their lives are in danger.

Finally, we find Carter and his group in a secluded chalet they call The Retreat. They prepare for a snowstorm that will be cutting them off from the outside. As the power generator falters, secrets hidden deep within the Retreat threaten to surface.

The book balances among these three storylines. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, which makes the novel a non-stop read.

Tudor achieves an intense, mysterious, claustrophobic, and captivating atmosphere. The three stories slowly intertwine in a clever and well-thought-out way. We only see the full picture once Tudor gives us the last piece of the puzzle.

I love how brilliant this author is. His book has layers that you can peel back and analyze from different perspectives. I always reflect and find deep meanings in her stories.

The ending was not what I expected, and that disappointed me a bit. But, after some reflection, I understand why the author went for it.

Content Warnings

paronomaniac's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

bookwitch_92's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

soobooksalot's review against another edition

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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!

Content Warnings

aileron's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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