A review by yvo_about_books
Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

5.0

Finished reading: April 16th 2017

“With his box-cutter knife in one hand and waterproof flashlight in the other, Barry felt, for the first time in his life, like a man. A terrified man on the verge of  wetting his loincloth, but a man nevertheless.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

Sometimes (cover)love at first sight can lead to something extraordinary. When I first saw Dane Huckelbridge's debut novel Castle Of Water mentioned, I couldn't stop staring at the cover. The color combination, the abstract sunset over the sea... Just gorgeous. Of course I had no other choice but to request a copy, especially since the story itself sounded really intriguing as well. And Castle Of Water is without doubt a little masterpiece. It's a story about how two unlikely characters end up as castaways on a deserted island together and how they manage to survive... A modern 'Robinson Crusoe' twist that captured my attention from the very first page. The characters are spot on and their development is brilliantly done. It's really interesting to see how both Barry and Sophie react to the things that happen to them on the island and I love LOVE their bantering! I like that they represent different nationalities as well as personalities and it without doubt adds an original touch to an already excellent story and plot. The writing style really stands out as well; well written, enjoyable to read and even funny at points. I also loved the incorporation of many French elements/words, which were easy to understand and didn't slow down the pace even though my French is pretty basic. I honestly couldn't find something I didn't like about this novel... So as you might have already guessed, I can more than recommend Castle Of Water if you enjoy the genre. You won't be disappointed!

While it was the beautiful cover that made me first want to pick up this novel, it was the story and writing style itself that managed to blow me away in the end. Castle Of Water is basically a modern castaway story with a twist, and I loved every single moment of it. The prose is just wonderful and combined with the well developed and loveable characters you are definitely in for a treat. An emotional rollercoaster, in the best possible way!