Review: Adrift by Will Dean

                                                               

Print Length: 352 pages

Publisher: Atria Books (February 17, 2026)

From Goodreads.com:  Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.

With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.

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My Rating: 1 star out of 5

I don’t think I’ve ever said this about any book I’ve read, much less one I was lucky enough to receive as an advanced copy, but I genuinely hated this book. And what makes it such a shame is the fact that the author is a good writer. I was drawn into the premise of the story. I just hated the way it was handled. 

You see, my issue with this book is twofold. 

Based on the synopsis, I went in expecting a slow-burn domestic thriller: two married authors, simmering resentment, and a husband whose actions are triggered when his wife finds success before he does. What I got instead was Andrew. A manipulative, emotionally abusive piece of garbage from the very beginning. There was no slow burn here. The gaslighting that the author hints will come later is present right out of the gate. 

Peggy writes in secret so there isn't even competition between them, yet Andrew moves their “home” whenever he feels like it, seemingly as punishment for their perceived crimes; knowing it forces his wife and son to walk farther from their work and school respectively. He is controlling, cruel, and utterly irredeemable from page one. It made it incredibly difficult to connect with the story when I spent most of it wishing someone would wait until he was moving the boat, knock him out, and toss him into the canal.

That said, I might have been able to tolerate the characters better if there had been a plot that actually moved. Instead, most of the book plays out in the same repetitive loop: Peggy and Samson at home, tension thick in the air while Andrew is verbally and emotionally abusive; Peggy at the library working on her book (and yes, I have thoughts about this too); while Samson is at school being bullied. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over again.

Eventually, Peggy reveals that her book has been picked up by a publisher, and of course Andrew cannot allow that to happen. Things occur that I can’t discuss without spoiling major plot points, but when the dust settles, it becomes clear that Andrew has sabotaged her chance at success more than once. And then… more repetition. So much so that I found myself skimming chapters, knowing there was nothing new or meaningful coming.

There is a twist later on that I imagine some readers will find shocking. Personally, I felt it was a long time coming. As for the epilogues, while I understand why they were included, they felt unnecessary. One didn’t make sense to me at all, and the other was such a foregone conclusion that it added nothing.

All that being said, I do have to give the author credit where it’s due. The writing itself is strong, and despite how much I disliked this story, it did keep me reading, if only to see whether anyone got the comeuppance they so richly deserved. Because of that, I wouldn’t rule out giving this author another chance down the road. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.