A review by crofly
Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

4.0

Wow. I am grateful to have received this book from Bookbrowse. It manages to do the impossible: transcend its seemingly generic premise of two people stuck on an island. It's far deeper than that. The book deals with stereotypes that we all have of other cultures and countries and how we can break these notions and even learn to see our differences as attributes. There is also the theme of expectations, like that of employment, that one is expected to fulfill in society. It tackles the notion that in a society, the happiness of the individual comes second to duty and finding long term stability. Here you have an island, separated from civilization and modern comforts but free of these expectations. I think that is where the two protagonists find common ground. In this island, they can be whatever they want--devoid of both society's expectations of who they should be, what occupation they should pursue, and their own misconceptions of what people from these two parts of the world are like. I found myself laughing, giggling, and smiling at multiple points in the story. Dane Huckelbridge's prose is refreshing as he offers so many great lines and funny jokes, but also dramatic and contemplative moments. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.