Adrift

Author: Will Dean
Genre: General Fiction
352 pages
Publisher: Atria Books, 2026

Synopsis
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.

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.

My review
Adrift by Will Dean is an emotional experience I won’t soon forget. Dean’s writing is sharp, but his real strength lies in creating deeply human characters whose pain and confusion felt completely real. Their struggles resonate on every page. This isn’t a novel I’d call entertaining. Rather, it’s a dark, unsettling exploration of domestic control, manipulation, and gaslighting that ultimately leads to violence. The characters’ choices, and their moments of paralysis, rang painfully true.

The depth of emotion and subject matter took me by surprise. I’m rating Adrift five stars not for its entertainment value, but for how powerfully it captures the reality of domestic abuse and the quiet, complicated bravery of those who endure it. This book left me with a renewed respect for true heroism, and I’ll absolutely be seeking out more of Dean’s work in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Will Dean for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

My recommendation: worth the read if you’re looking for a dark, emotional story that’s feels more like a true account of a small family who escaped domestic abuse.