Book Review: Merging the Drift

Mystery/thriller fiction novel by Tom Bray, published 2020

429 pages

A Gritty & Unique Take on the Afterlife

What happens to those who tragically die as children? How would their lives have played out if they had continued living, continued making choices within the real world? Welcome to "The Drift," an afterlife specifically dedicated to these children that picks up on their 18th birthdays. The Drift also hosts a "Viewing" that allows the residents to see their lives as they could have been in a sort of parallel universe.

Centered around four main characters, Ali, Danny, Kitty and Kerri, Merging the Drift flips between reality and the Drift, as well as between each main character's points of view. Normally changing perspectives doesn't bother me at all, but in this case there were times when the writing became muddled and difficult to follow. There were places where I had to reread to fully follow what was going on, especially when it came to actual dialogue vs. narrated thoughts.

I felt that the final third of the book really tied everything and everyone together though, and the twist at the end was very unexpected! I appreciated how Bray was able to bring each character arc together in a way that made sense and really authenticated each one of their motivations throughout.

Thanks to Bray for providing me with a copy of this book to review!

3 out of 5 Stars

Bray offers a very unique take on the always-interesting question of what happens when we die? Merging the Drift was certainly worth the read, especially for the beautifully done denouement. As an American, I also found some of the idioms and overall narration a fun change from my normal reads.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fresh and creative perspective on trauma and death.

*As a note, there is quite a bit of swearing, real-life trauma, and male sexualization of the female body. While these things often accurately portrayed the gritty nature of life, they may not be suitable for some readers.