*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Inpress Books for copy in exchange for an honest review *

When I first saw it on Netgalley, I was drawn in by the cover and title. As a reader, the cover alone will fascinate you and make you wonder, 'What will happen?'. It was one of the things that attracted me to the story: I wanted to know if Llyod would find his grandfather. Gone To Drift was different from the stories I normally read. I loved that it was told from both the boy's and grandfather's perspectives. felt sorry for Llyod; nobody seemed to take seriously the fact that his grandfather hadn't returned from his fishing trip yet. Like Llyod, I believed his grandfather was in danger and hoped he could persuade someone to look for him.

I loved reading both perspectives. However, I found it easier to follow Conrad's perspective than Llyod's. At times, it was difficult to follow Llyod's point of view, and some of the phrasing was unusual, but it was fascinating to read. Overall, it was a beautifully written narrative, and I enjoyed the idea that it took place in Jamaica. Although I felt the finale was unresolved, I found myself flipping the pages, eager to see how all would end.

Gone to Drift was a new reading experience for me. I haven’t read anything with this setting and conflict and I found it interesting. I liked the main characters and the way that Lloyd went about trying to find his grandfather. I personally struggled to understand and get into the rhythm of the dialect. Overall, I enjoyed the story and being able to see life from the point of view of a young boy.

I requested Gone to Drift because the cover gave me Island of the Blue Dolphins vibes.  While this was nothing like Island of the Blue Dolphins, this was a very interesting YA novel about a boy’s quest to find out what happened to his beloved Grandfather who never returns from a fishing trip.  It sounds simple, but this book was much more than I was anticipating…

In Gone to Drift we are getting two stories: the present day story of Llyod searching for answers in his grandfather’s disappearance, and the life story of Lloyd’s Grandfather, Maas Conrad.  The format of this book was very interesting.  Normally, I don’t really like when an author switches narratives within a book, but it worked well here.  Gone to Drift is told in 3rd person for Lloyd’s perspective, and 1st person for Conrad’s perspective.  Furthermore, Conrad’s perspective jumps back and forth from past to present.  I know it sounds like a lot going on, but somehow McCaulay pulls it off.

One of my favorite aspects about this book is the setting.  I really enjoyed that this book was set in a fishing village in Jamaica, where fishing is the backbone of the town.  Growing up in Southwest Ohio, I do not know much about the fishing industry, nor what it is like to live in a place that relies so heavily on the fishing trade.  I love getting glimpses into communities & cultures that differ so much from my own.  For this reason, I especially enjoyed Conrad’s perspective because we got a glimpse at how fishing in Jamaica has drastically changed over the course of his life.  I also was pleasantly surprised at some of the environmental themes Gone to Drift goes into.  We really get to see the moral dilemmas that these fisherman go through: Do we fish close to harbor where we know the fish are exposed to pollution?  or do we risk our lives going to dangerous locations where we know the fishing is better?  Do we use questionable methods that may do harm to other marine life and the ocean itself if this means our family will have food to eat?  I know a normal person would think these answers would be cut & dry, but McCaulay really shows us both sides of the story here.  This book also goes into dolphin trade/black market, where locals will capture & sell dolphins to be used in the tourist industry (i.e. swimming with the dolphins).  This book really gave me a lot to think about on issues I’d never given much thought to.

Based off the cover, I was anticipating a middle grade read, but it is definitely NOT a middle grade novel and is actually classified as YA.  Actually, I almost think this book would appeal more to adult readers vs. YA readers based on some of the content & themes.  This isn’t to say a YA reader would not enjoy this book, just that it might do better in the adult genre.  I am actually wondering if this is one of the reasons why this book has ZERO hype, that it was marketed as YA.  I am just not sure this one will appeal to the majority of YA readers, which is unfortunate.

My only criticism of Gone to Drift would be that I wish the author wouldn’t have left a few things unresolved at the end.  A simple epilogue at the end that jumped ahead a few years would have helped me feel a little more closure.

If you are looking for a “different” type of YA book, I would recommend this one to you.  I’d also recommend for those who enjoy learning about different countries & lifestyles, books exploring moral dilemmas, mystery, and adventure.  I think this book has a lot of good things going for it.  Everything feels very authentic in this novel, which is no surprise since the author is an environmental activist and lifelong resident of Jamaica.