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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
This one came highly recommended to me. While I did like it, it definitely wasn't a favorite for me. This book tells the story of 2 people who end up stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. This novel was very plot-driven and it definitely kept me engaged and invested as I read about their fight for survival. However, I never really connected with the characters. I found a lack of depth in them and really wanted to read more character development. Also, the constant use of the French language was frustrating (although I could mostly figure out the context) and the art discussion was something that I did not engage with, mainly because I am an art novice. Finally, the ending left me disappointed (I won't say more so I don't spoil it).
However, if you are a fan of survival-type novels and prefer more plot-driven stories, than you may enjoy it! It has good ratings and it is definitely a captivating story. It just wasn't a favorite for me.
However, if you are a fan of survival-type novels and prefer more plot-driven stories, than you may enjoy it! It has good ratings and it is definitely a captivating story. It just wasn't a favorite for me.
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Pregnancy
I finished Castle of Water as an audio book and I enjoyed it a lot! It is along the same lines as other desert island stories, like the movies Castaway or Six Days, Seven Nights, but it is deeper and sweeter. I laughed out loud a few times and cried once.
•
A man and woman who don’t know each other at all end up on an island together, fighting for survival. I liked how the author would tell the island story in one chapter and then pull back, in alternating chapters, and allow the reader to see the couple in light of other things, like the other islands in the area, other people who had survived on an island, or even events that happen later in the story.
•
The author, Dane Huckelbridge, commented on his own book (I thought that was pretty funny.) In the comment he posed a question that interests me: “Why does literary fiction have to be boring?” I want to know the answer to that too! He says his book is in answer to that question and I agree that it is a hybrid between deep literary fiction and a fast-paced, entertainment-only read. He calls it “fun-brow.”😊
•
Along with my idea of giving you some idea of adult content, adult language is throughout this book but not overbearing, and adult sexual terms and situations consist of a couple paragraphs.
•
A man and woman who don’t know each other at all end up on an island together, fighting for survival. I liked how the author would tell the island story in one chapter and then pull back, in alternating chapters, and allow the reader to see the couple in light of other things, like the other islands in the area, other people who had survived on an island, or even events that happen later in the story.
•
The author, Dane Huckelbridge, commented on his own book (I thought that was pretty funny.) In the comment he posed a question that interests me: “Why does literary fiction have to be boring?” I want to know the answer to that too! He says his book is in answer to that question and I agree that it is a hybrid between deep literary fiction and a fast-paced, entertainment-only read. He calls it “fun-brow.”😊
•
Along with my idea of giving you some idea of adult content, adult language is throughout this book but not overbearing, and adult sexual terms and situations consist of a couple paragraphs.
I cried.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death
Castle of Water is the literary fiction version of On This Island, a romance I read and loved several years back. Both tell stories of two people stranded on isolated islands after small plane crashes, and in both the people end up falling in love. This book, written by a man, is very different in both its style and the direction it goes with the story. I especially liked the characters' conversations about their imagined shared past and hypothetical shared future. I didn't like the suddenness of the ending.
Most of the things I want to say about Castle of Water give away too much of the plot, so I'll hold back.... and just say that I enjoyed the book enough to give it 3.5 stars.
Most of the things I want to say about Castle of Water give away too much of the plot, so I'll hold back.... and just say that I enjoyed the book enough to give it 3.5 stars.
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated