Audiobook Review: The Drift by C.J. Tudor

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Random House Audio (January 19, 2023)

Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrators: Richard Armitage, Nathalie Buscombe, Rachel Handshaw

The Drift was a highly anticipated novel for me, and it was one that C.J. Tudor herself had written at length about in the author notes that were included in her last book, the short story collection A Sliver of Darkness. Not only did she seem very excited for her fans to read it, it also sounded like a pet project into which she had poured her blood, sweat, and tears. Now that I’ve read it, I can attest to The Drift being Tudor’s most ambitious work to date.

Three storylines unfold in tandem in this taut thriller set to the backdrop of a pandemic. The world’s population has been decimated, with most having died to the deadly plague while those who survive it are left a shell of themselves. People live sequestered in isolated areas, sending infected individuals to places like “the Retreat”, a mysterious research facility which serves as quarantine zone and where government scientists conduct experiments to try to find a cure.

As the story opens, a young medical student named Hannah awakens inside a mangled transport bus after it had swerved off the road in the middle of a snowstorm. Trapped alongside a handful of fellow survivors, she must try to find a way out of their predicament, though soon it is revealed that their coach may have been sabotaged and there is at least one among them hiding a secret about their infection status. Meanwhile, another character named Meg is also awakening to total chaos and murder. The former police detective finds herself suspended high above the ground in a cable car with strangers, and one of them is dead. No one remembers how they got there, all they know is they were supposed to be enroute to the Retreat. And finally, we also meet Carter, an employee of the Retreat who returns to the research center after running an errand to find the power out and a corpse at the bottom of the pool.

As I said, The Drift is ambitious, as evidenced by the many threads it attempts to establish, and as someone who has read all of Tudor’s books, I can safely say none of her previous ones have been quite so complex. But sometimes, that can backfire. With so much going on, the story does demand a lot of patience, and I’ll admit there were times I felt a bit too overwhelmed to give much of it, especially in the beginning. Who were all these people? How are they all connected? Will any of this ever make sense?

Fortunately, the answer is yes, but the plot does take a windy, twisted path to all the answers. In the process, I did get to know the characters quite well. Hannah, Meg, and Carter are equally in dire straits, facing their own harrowing challenges. Hannah turns out to have the most intriguing backstory, as events gradually reveal more about who she is and where she came from. Meg’s story, on the other hand, is a more tragic one involving the loss of her young daughter, whom she is still grieving. Then there’s Carter, who isn’t trapped like Hannah and Meg are, but is in a tight spot nonetheless. In a way, he fills the role of the classic survivalist in an apocalypse, kicking ass and taking names. Expect a lot of bloodshed as the bodies pile up.

Speaking of which, there is some excellent world-building. Zombie horror has received renewed interest with shows like The Last of Us, and it was hard not to make comparisons and see some parallels while reading. Those infected by the virus in The Drift are called Whistlers because of the sounds they make due to their ravaged lungs. Gaunt, savage and pale, they roam the wilderness in groups, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting traveler. The government is also not to be trusted, as they will go to any length to eliminate anyone suspected of being sick. Existence in this world is like living in a dystopian nightmare.

If you enjoy these types of stories, I think you will have a great time. As a caveat, the plot can get a little confusing and meandering, not to mention how certain parts can go completely off-the-rails. Interestingly, I find this to be very different than C.J. Tudor’s previous novels which I find to be way more subtle and atmospheric, and which is what I actually prefer. For that reason, I wouldn’t say The Drift is my favorite of her books, though it was still a very entertaining and exciting read and I would recommend it for anyone in the mood for something wild, punchy, and suspenseful.