A review by constantine2020
Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

emotional 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? No

3.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 

Genre: Literary Fiction

Castle of Water is a fresh take on the traditional castaway tale. Two characters will have to survive together after their plane crashes in the middle of the South Pacific. Barry Bleecker intended to inaugurate a fresh start. He had his sights set on fine art, turning away from his dull life in Manhattan. The second survivor is Sophie, a French woman. The purpose of her trip to French Polynesia was to celebrate her honeymoon. She and her smart new husband built a successful architecture firm in Paris, which she looked forward to making successful. Fate brings these two strangers together on one island and their journey of survival starts there.

The first thing I need to mention here is the writing. It is beautiful, poetic at times, and has a sort of heartache in it. It suits the theme of the story a lot. The pace of the story needs some fixing though. The start was great, and the ending was beautiful. The middle of the book which is the biggest chunk dragged a lot for me. The two main characters weren't always convincing to me as being out in the wilderness struggling to survive. They felt to me more relaxed than they should've been. 

As for its predictability, I think the bigger part of the story was predictable. However, the way it is written is what usually makes the difference. The ending was well thought out and was nicely done. I know many readers will get emotional with such an ending. I believe Castle of Water is one of those books which should be read to appreciate the writing more than the story itself.