Customer Reviews

The Castaways: A Novel

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Last summer, I was privileged to read and review Ms. Hilderbrand's previous novel entitled A Summer Affair (you can read my review here (and I'm excited to tell you that an excerpt of my review was included in the paperback version that was released on June 1, 2009!!). In The Castaways, Ms. Hilderbrand seems to be sticking with her theme of disillusioned marriage partners seeking diversion outside the marriage (again with the affairs! I guess books about successful marriages wouldn't sell very well?). Regardless, I absolutely loved this book. And you will too. Far from a simple "beach read," The Castaways has a pretty involved plot with several well developed characters. And those characters are so interwoven throughout their lives you really need to pay attention to keep up. Ms. Hilderbrand keeps you guessing throughout the entire book by writing the chapters from the point of view of all the characters at different points in their lives - so often you are reading the same story but from a different perspective. In my humble opinion, this is a great way to flesh out the story lines AND the characters. And her writing is so vivid, the characters and the beautiful shores of Nantucket are brought to life. So if you are looking for a good book to read this summer that is not at all cut from the usual "beach read" mold, The Castaways is a must read for you.

Who knew that dying would cause so much confusion? Consternation? Guilt? Pain--well, that's given. In any case, Greg & Tess MacAvoy's deaths while sailing to celebrate their 12th anniversary, definitely opens up a can of worms for their close-knit group of friends. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has regrets. Some more than others. Without giving the whole story away, The Castaways was a well-written and engrossing look into the lives of this close-knit group of friends, and how they deal with the loss of two of their own. Along the way, hidden secrets reluctantly come to light, and forgiveness lets the living carry on.

I have heard that this is a great beach read, but I'm not sure I agree. For me, this book is too deep, too sad to be a beach read (I like mine to be fluffy!) But this book is definitely a good one! It's gossipy and it kept me hooked! It told the life of four different couples through the eyes of six different people. There were lots of twists and turns and inter-mingling (is that a word?) between the couples. I thought I had the death of the MacAvoy's figured out but then something new would pop up. And it all wrapped up nicely in the end!

I couldn't wait to read Hilderbrand's newest book because I've so enjoyed most of her previous ones, but THE CASTAWAYS was a big letdown. In fact, I quit reading it about halfway through. Reason? I couldn't stand these self-centered, selfish, thoroughly unlikable characters. I'm sorry, but what is admirable about people who try to solve their problems by cheating on their spouses with the spouses of their supposedly-greatest-friends? Hilderbrand seems like an intelligent woman. Enough already! Surely she can come up with more worthwhile people to write about and more worthwhile themes to explore. I'm tired of reading about people who can't be happy even though they live in one of the most beautiful places on earth in a country where (despite our problems) we are free and can pretty much accomplish anything if we work hard enough. I kept wanting to shake these people and say, why don't you count your blessings instead of whining and crying about poor pitiful you? With so much real misery and hardship in the world, who cares about these kinds of people? Frankly, they weren't even entertaining, although I will say that I did enjoy reading about the relationship between Phoebe and her twin. Sadly, because I dislike having to say this about a book, I would not recommend THE CASTAWAYS to anyone.

Have you ever read a book where you're having trouble reading yet you keep trudging through hoping that the ending will make up for the rest of the story? This was such that book for me. This was the first book of Elin Hilderbrand's that I have read and unfortunately I just could not get into the book. I guess I had been expecting a beach read about a group of friends who were reminiscing about old times at the beach, sorta like The Big Chill.

Instead, it just felt like one huge soap opera from the get go. Everyone's having affairs with everyone. It was like you couldn't turn your head without someone passing off longing glances and secret looks at someone else's spouse. It's one thing to have drama in a book to create tension. It's another when the entire book is just one big drama between a bunch of grown ups who seemingly never grew up. Half the time I just wanted to take a character and shake them and tell them to snap out of their misery and self wallowing. Honestly, most of the drama that was created for the book could have been resolved almost instantly. It really bugs me when people marry and don't love each other from the get go.

There were only a few redeeming aspects of the book. The intrigue of the mystery of what happened to Greg and Tess was pretty much the only thing that kept me reading the book. Also the character of the Chief was the only person I actually liked and felt for in the story. He is the only one that seems to be rather sane and actually could be pitied. Everyone else in the book seemed to have a sob story that they kept milking.

I feel bad for not liking this book because it seems that everyone that's read it has enjoyed it. I suppose it is good escape reading and the setting of the book is appealing for a summer beach read. I just could not get into the story and never felt connected with the characters. Unfortunately I don't think I will be reading any more books by the author if they are all like this one.

There are 8 main characters in this book, as the jacket blurb and many other reviews will tell you. Other than "Chief" who is marginally likeable for being stoic and somewhat good at his job, those main characters are selfish, childish and repeatedly unkind to those that--as the book repeatedly tells you--are their closest friends in the world. You need a scorecard to keep track of who has had an affair with whom, who knows about that affair and who is in unrequited love with that character. Others might find this type of reading experience enjoyable, but I found it very much like spending time with people I would just as soon run away from in real life.

I really liked her previous books and so I got this one. It is a dark, dreary and depressing book. All the characters are set in their own grief, they re-live the same stories over and over and over again. It doesn't seem realistic how each character seems to have some sexual connection with the other and it doesn't work in this case. The book moves very slow with a lot of repetition. How sad, she appears to be a good author.

I usually like books where the central characters are old friends and I definitely like books with some type of mishap, murder or intrigue. But this one, although it contained all the above mentioned elements, just never got off the ground for me. As one of the other reviewers said, I kept reading in hopes that the ending made up for the rest of the book. But I just found the characters shallow, self-centered and boring. Additionally, the plot moved so slowly I thought it would never end.

This is my first Elin Hilderbrand novel. I have enjoyed the book thus far, however I feel that it drags along. I understand the need to explain the characters past and present lives. I am on page 215 and I'm anxiously awaiting for the story to get with it. I don't think the book is terrible by any stretch of the imagine, and also would not call it a beach read. I definitely would check out Ms. Hilderbrands other work, just wish this book would hurry up already.

Thanks for reading.

The Castaways: A Novel Meet the MacAvoys, The Kapenashes, The Wheelers, and The Drakes: Four couples who do most everything together. They all live on Nantucket Island. Sharing their daily lives and vacations, helping to raise each other's children, spending every Sunday together. Now, it's time for Tess and Greg to celebrate their anniversary, alone. Everyone is a little nervous because 1. Greg and Tess have been having marital problems, 2. Greg is not the best sailor, and 3. The weather is predicting a storm. When Greg and Tess don't come back - each person has to deal with the loss in their own way. No one person knows any other person fully as we see through the eyes of the friends the MacAvoys left behind.

"They just called to say there was an accident. And the MacAvoys are dead." (p5)

This is the perfect beach read: engaging, mysterious, romantic, and thought-provoking. The story is told with an alternating view-point. We hear part of the story from the Chief, Addison, Jeffrey, and Andrea. Andrea is Tess' cousin and married to the Chief. Jeffrey used to date Andrea. And Addison, well, there's a lot more going on with Addison than first appears. We then meet Delilah and Phoebe. Delilah, she's the fun one, who came up with the group name, who makes sure the conversation is lively. She's married to Jeffrey. Phoebe is married to Addison and she's decided that life is better self-medicated.

Elin Hilderbrand does a wonderful job of filling in the details of everyone's lives. We flashback from a variety of characters and slowly begin to piece the story together as we move to the present day. Along the way, we also get a glimpse of how Greg and Tess' lives affected all the other couples.

Hilderbrand was able to give each character a distinct voice and set of circumstances that helped you to keep track of who was speaking and what was going on. Throughout the book, the readers has opportunities to put the puzzle together right before things are revealed to the character.

The story moves forward quickly and there's just the right amount of tension. The ending left things on a light note that gave the readers a sense of satisfaction. Great book! Highly recommended.