*A major TV series starring Sheridan Smith with Paramount+* A SECRET BEACH. A HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME. WISH YOU WERE HERE? THINK AGAIN... _______________________________________________ 'We're tipping it as one of 2021's best reads' Marie Claire 'Totally addictive, clever and atmospheric' Erin Kelly 'Tense, unnerving and emotional' C. L. Taylor ...
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*A major TV series starring Sheridan Smith with Paramount+* A SECRET BEACH. A HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME. WISH YOU WERE HERE? THINK AGAIN... _______________________________________________ 'We're tipping it as one of 2021's best reads' Marie Claire 'Totally addictive, clever and atmospheric' Erin Kelly 'Tense, unnerving and emotional' C. L. Taylor 'Packed full of intrigue' Heidi Perks You wake on a beautiful, remote island. Sparkling blue seas, golden sunsets, barely a footprint in the sand. Yet this is no ordinary escape. Next to the wreck of a plane, a stranger paces. Another sharpens a knife, scoring a list of the dead onto a palm tree. Others watch from the shadows of a campfire - all with untold stories, and closely-guarded secrets... This is no ordinary holiday. This is no ordinary island. This is no ordinary beach read. Gripping, twisty and full of sun-soaked atmosphere, THE CASTAWAYS will whisk you far away to the island - and never let you go. Everyone's talking about the hottest thriller for 2021: 'Wow... Beautifully paced, tense and twisty' B A Paris 'A twisty, wonderful heartfelt story about sibling love, this is the author's best yet' Prima 'A beautifully written, emotional and intelligent thriller. Full of atmosphere and tension as well as brilliantly drawn characters that I cared about. I loved it!' Claire Douglas 'Wow wow wow! I've enjoyed The Castaways more than any book for years!' Netgalley reviewer 'The Castaways is a genuine page-turner - a taut, utterly compelling tale that will make you wonder just how far you'd be willing to go to find out the truth' T M Logan 'Fantastic thriller, full of twists and turns!' Netgalley reviewer 'This deft thriller is as emotionally intelligent on the complex dynamic between sisters as it is compulsive. I stayed up way too late to finish it' Kate Riordan 'I was hooked from the very first page' Netgalley reviewer 'I found this the perfect piece of escapism' Netgalley reviewer
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Add this copy of The Castaways to cart. $4.79, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by HARPER COLLINS.
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Add this copy of The Castaways: the Sunday Times Bestseller and the Most to cart. $15.05, very good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by HarperCollins.
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Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
An intriguing and enjoyable mystery about one sister's quest for survival and the other's hunt for answers.
Lori and Erin are close having lost their parents at an early age. Things are not going too well for either of them but Lori in particular, so she books a holiday of a lifetime for them both to a Fijian island. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan and Lori finds herself on the plane without her sister. Disaster then ensues when the plan goes missing. Two years later, the pilot turns up - he has been working under an alias in Fiji.
What the heck happened? Why wasn't Erin on the plane? Where are the rest of the passengers? Did anyone else survive and why did the pilot go into hiding? So many questions!
Written in two distinct voices and time lines - Lori in the then and Erin in the now - the story follows Erin's search for the truth about what happened to her sister and the rest of the passengers and Lori's experience from the moment she realised something was going terribly wrong with the plane.
Lucy Clarke's writing is captivating and puts you right at the heart of the story; the two main characters are really well developed and you absolutely get a sense of the strong bond between the two sisters. The pacing is pretty good - the beginning is riveting, it dips a bit in the middle but then ramps up again towards the end. The plot is expertly weaved throughout with twists jumping from nowhere, just when you think you've worked it out, and with an ending that is quite satisfactory.
Overall, I enjoyed this book from an author I've never read anything from before and I would recommend to those who enjoy a bit of escapism albeit one with a few twists and hair-raising moments.
Thank you to HarperCollinsUK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
KindigBlog
Mar 19, 2021
A good thriller
Lucy Clarke certainly knows how to write a thriller and The Castaways shows her skill and talent within the genre. There's secrets, a twisted sister dynamic, a plane crash and a remote island - what is not to love?
The story alternates between Past and Present and is told through two narrative perspectives of sisters Lori and Erin. I have seen this technique become confusing in other novels, but the past chapters are only told from the perspective of Lori and the present chapters by Erin (although there's a few flashbacks in her writing) which helps to keep things straight forward. Lori's chapters are a slow burn, only giving snippets of information and a lot of cliff hangers to keep you reading. Erin's chapters are interspersed by some veiled secrets and a sense that we don't always know the full extent of the story. I actually enjoyed both points of view and didn't find myself racing through one to get to another which is a nice change.
At over 400 pages I did feel like the book could have been edited a little better - at least 50 pages could easily have been condensed or cut. It's actually quite a simple plot when you think back over it in hindsight - particularly Erin's chapters. I really didn't enjoy the reveal in the ending (no spoilers!) - I thought it felt a bit too convenient and unrealistic. I did however like the resolution of Erin's character and that was a nice twist that I did not see coming.
Overall, The Castaways is a fun thriller with lots of secrets to reveal. Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
