findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
5.0
This was my final read for 2017, and what a way to end this year of epic reading! I loved this book so much. Beautifully written, emotionally intense, with characters that I cared deeply about and open wept for by the end. Sigh. Every novel should be this good.
kellyhook_readsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise and unique writing style. Ultimately I felt that the ending was rushed, and I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
Where do I even begin with this book? First of all, I had (still have…) a major work project due so I needed something to escape into during breaks and settled on this classic castaway story but then 2 pages in I didn’t stop reading. I could NOT put this book down. So here I am a day later, no further towards completing that aforementioned work project but in the last 24 hours I have laughed, cried, stopped breathing, started breathing again, nodded along, thrown this book, cradled this book, and googled lots of pictures of random Pacific islands.
There’s nothing surprising about this story – it’s a castaway story and set not *that* far from the castaway story we all know (Tom Hanks / Wilson the football etc - Fiji area vs. Tahiti area) but it was so much more than that. It was beautifully written and seamlessly combined all the trappings of French-American bohemianism with survivalist knowledge, research (you didn’t know about the equatorial counter current either?), and dry humor on a gorgeous island in the vast Pacific.
I’ve often said that if I end up a castaway on a deserted island and got to bring something it would be books… well this book shows that all you really need is the company of someone who appreciates western literary traditions, adventure, and Paul Gauguin as much as you do.
Plus, it was SO refreshing to read a book with a fun / great story that isn’t dumbed down (fact: most mainstream novels, even in the literary fiction category, are written at a 5-6th grade reading level. Fact: a writing craft book I recently read recommended keeping that in mind. Fact: Dane Huckelbridge did not keep that in mind, thank goodness, and did it all without sounding odiously pretentious which is a total feat considering the author graduated from Princeton, wears tweed, and lives in Paris). I found myself reaching for my dictionary app a few times, marveling in the sentence structure, narrative structure, and missing the classic literature I grew up on.
I need more books like this in my life pronto.
There’s nothing surprising about this story – it’s a castaway story and set not *that* far from the castaway story we all know (Tom Hanks / Wilson the football etc - Fiji area vs. Tahiti area) but it was so much more than that. It was beautifully written and seamlessly combined all the trappings of French-American bohemianism with survivalist knowledge, research (you didn’t know about the equatorial counter current either?), and dry humor on a gorgeous island in the vast Pacific.
I’ve often said that if I end up a castaway on a deserted island and got to bring something it would be books… well this book shows that all you really need is the company of someone who appreciates western literary traditions, adventure, and Paul Gauguin as much as you do.
Plus, it was SO refreshing to read a book with a fun / great story that isn’t dumbed down (fact: most mainstream novels, even in the literary fiction category, are written at a 5-6th grade reading level. Fact: a writing craft book I recently read recommended keeping that in mind. Fact: Dane Huckelbridge did not keep that in mind, thank goodness, and did it all without sounding odiously pretentious which is a total feat considering the author graduated from Princeton, wears tweed, and lives in Paris). I found myself reaching for my dictionary app a few times, marveling in the sentence structure, narrative structure, and missing the classic literature I grew up on.
I need more books like this in my life pronto.
katieneedsabiggerbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Sophie and Barry have practically nothing in common. Well, except that they both boarded the small plane to an island, and when it crashed, they both survived. Sophie’s new husband, and the pilot did not make it, but both Sophie and Barry end up stranded on a small island nobody knows about in the South Pacific. Their dislike for each other is palpable at first, but the two know they need to learn tog et along in order to survive.
So first of all you should know that I WILL resort to bribery to get my friends to read The Guncle. When Kirsten from @beyondthebookends still hadn’t read it, we made a deal that if I read Castle of Water she would read The Guncle (spoiler alert: she loved it, just like I knew she would! I don’t know why y’all don’t listen to me about this book!) Anyway, this book was weirdly sold out everywhere and my library didn’t have it, and since I refuse to pay 15 bucks for a kindle book, I had to wait for her to lend me her copy. Once she did I devoured this baby in a single day. I had no idea what to expect going in, but this book as so beautifully written and the story was just heart wrenching. I finished this one with tears in my eyes slightly cursing Kirsten for making me cry!
life_full_ofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
OMG- If you only read one other book this year, I think it needs to be Castle of Water. This book is both gripping and calming, happy and sad, and will keel you on the edge of your seat.
After their plane goes down in the South Pacific Barry, an American businessman, and Sophie, a French architect, find themselves the lone survivors of their crash. They both end up on the same small, unknown island some 300 miles away from their intended flight path. Despite their fears, sadness, anger, and annoyance they need to figure out a way to work together to survive on the island long enough to find a way back to civilization.
This book had me gripped from the beginning. Told from multiple third person view points Dean Hucklebridge brilliantly captures the fear and anguish both the castaways and their loved ones back home feel, and at the same time he captures the beauty of the island and the beauty that is found when 2 strangers learn to live with just each other.
Mr. Hucklebridge’s writing is so beautiful and the way he brings to life Barry, Sophie, the island, and more is absolutely amazing. I’m hoping the rest of his books are written just as beautifully.
After their plane goes down in the South Pacific Barry, an American businessman, and Sophie, a French architect, find themselves the lone survivors of their crash. They both end up on the same small, unknown island some 300 miles away from their intended flight path. Despite their fears, sadness, anger, and annoyance they need to figure out a way to work together to survive on the island long enough to find a way back to civilization.
This book had me gripped from the beginning. Told from multiple third person view points Dean Hucklebridge brilliantly captures the fear and anguish both the castaways and their loved ones back home feel, and at the same time he captures the beauty of the island and the beauty that is found when 2 strangers learn to live with just each other.
Mr. Hucklebridge’s writing is so beautiful and the way he brings to life Barry, Sophie, the island, and more is absolutely amazing. I’m hoping the rest of his books are written just as beautifully.
mary_elizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
wonderenglish's review against another edition
2.0
I do not understand the hype for this book. It was so hard for me to get through. The only time I felt actual concern for the characters was at the very end. Main character was constantly sexualizing Sophie, even commenting about her weight loss, BECAUSE THEY ARE STRANDED ON AN ISLAND, causing her "assests" to shrink. I felt no connection to either character. Perhaps this was due to the 3rd person narrative or maybe it was just the lack of depth particularly in Sophie. Barry was given so much background in comparison to her, it really felt to me like a self-insert with a hot girl situation.
Overall this book is pretentious and thinks it's way deeper than it is. Also the fact that Barry's "quirk" is that he's obsessed with his contact lenses is actually laughable. Good lord.
Overall this book is pretentious and thinks it's way deeper than it is. Also the fact that Barry's "quirk" is that he's obsessed with his contact lenses is actually laughable. Good lord.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
danabaran06's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a decent romance. It had Blue Lagoon (but older) vibes.
Barry and Sophie are the lone survivors of a small plane crash. Sophie was on her honeymoon with Etienne. Now alone together on a deserted island, they have to make a go at it. Of course, trying to stay alive during harsh conditions bonds them.
I struggled a bit with the voice of this novel. The narration didn't have me "in" the action as much as I would have liked. Being very nearsighted myself, I empathized with Barry's contact lens situation, but it did feel discussed quite a bit. :)
Barry and Sophie are the lone survivors of a small plane crash. Sophie was on her honeymoon with Etienne. Now alone together on a deserted island, they have to make a go at it. Of course, trying to stay alive during harsh conditions bonds them.
I struggled a bit with the voice of this novel. The narration didn't have me "in" the action as much as I would have liked. Being very nearsighted myself, I empathized with Barry's contact lens situation, but it did feel discussed quite a bit. :)