Survival, loss, love and hope. This story has it all. “Castaway” has nothing on this story.

3 stars for a thoughtful, read that somehow still failed to engage the reader. Points given for writing.

A really enjoyable and gripping read.
Loved the premise and the execution and can see myself rereading this in the future. Wonderful.

Two words to describe this book: THE FEELS.

One more: sublime.

Dane Hucklebridge takes two people - the newly married Sophie, an up-and-coming French architect, and Barry, a former banker-turned-artist - puts them through a horrific plane crash, and strands them on a Polynesian island for two years.

Sophie starts off as a rather predictably high-strung Parisienne, whereas Barry is more of a laid-back, bumbling goof. They don't click at first, yet each realizes that he or she needs the other in order to survive. Hucklebridge's prose is strongest when he describes the relationship between his hero and heroine. It isn't so much that he develops a predictable romance - which he does - but it's more that he does so with a gentle humor, including a running gag about Barry's contact lenses.

Hucklebridge also takes some detours, informing you about everything from a drunken pilot nicknamed Ding Dong to the history of the Polynesian use of the island. Sometimes these asides jar Hucklebridge's tempo a little too roughly, but I enjoyed them. Hucklebridge shows you that the world around you is not limited to the here and now, but rather extends to the past and even the future. While Sophie and Barry may be trapped on a plot of land no bigger than a city block, they also must have an awareness not only of what is in front of them but also what extends beyond the waves.

In the opening pages, Hucklebridge drops a huge clue as to the ending of the book. I knew then that I'd need a tissue or ten, and I'm glad I had them handy. As heartbreaking as some of this book is, you wouldn't have it any other way. Hucklebridge delivers a story that perfectly encapsulates the adage that good writers give you the story you need, if not the story you want.

As beautiful as this book is, it is not without its flaws, namely a lack of information toward the end of the book. Something "big" happens, and Hucklebridge abandons the rich details he previously incorporated, making you feel unsettled. It's almost as if the act of writing this particular scene overwhelmed him. There is a second "big thing" that is also underserved. When you treat your readers to a strong understanding of how Barry catches a fish and then neglect that same attention to a couple of major plot points, you leave them shortchanged.

I enjoyed so much about this book, and I am looking forward to more from Dane Hucklebridge. I plan to become well acquainted with his prose.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Castle of water was a fun read, part adventure, part romance. You have to have an imagination to enjoy the book. Because, some of the things they are able to do on the island a little far fetched.

For me there were a few slow parts and I didn’t “love” the ending. To avoid spoilers I won’t be specific, but there were some parts of the story towards the end I would have enjoyed getting more detail. Some important information was skipped in my opinion.

Overall it is a fun summer read.

Best book I have read so far this year. Wonderful novel about two strangers who survive a small plane crash and have to try to survive as castaways on a tiny island in the South Pacific. So beautifully written and so unique. This one will stay with me for a long time.

Ahoy there me mateys! For those of ye who are new to me log, a word: though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. Occasionally, I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were. So today I bring ye:

castle of water (Dane Huckelbridge)

Title: castle of water

Author: Dane Huckelbridge

Publisher: St. Martin's Press / Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: April 4, 2017 (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1250098221

Source: NetGalley

This novel captured me fancy when I read a post from yvonne @ it's all about books stating that it is a modern Robinson Crusoe type tale wherein two people end up on a deserted island and struggle to survive. Now bein' a pirate Captain and all, I find books about shipwrecks and deserted islands to be extremely fascinatin'. I was thrilled to give this one a look-see.

In this tale, a French architect named Sophie and an American ex-banker named Barry find themselves stranded on a small island after a plane crash. The only problem is that the uninhabited island is "some 2,359 miles from Hawaii, 4,622 miles from Chile, and 533 miles from the nearest living soul."

This was an engaging tale from the beginning, and I read this in one sitting. Sophie and Barry are seemingly opposites at first glance but their need for each other to survive slowly allows their commonalities to shine through. The growth and dreams they exhibit are lovely. I particularly loved how these two communicated in both their highs and lows. And of course how and what they did to survive was fascinating in its own right.

The writing style of this novel was lovely. Interspersed with the story of survival are brief but beautiful glimpses into other places and times. Ye get the history of the island and the Polynesians who visited it. Ye get an idea of other castaways from the past. There is backstory of the doomed pilot and his mistakes that led to the present. These forays enriched the understanding and depth of the central story of Sophie and Barry. The eventual explanation and unfolding of the meaning of the novel's title was mesmerizing and heart-wrenching.

I am so very glad to have this novel imprinted on me heart. Truly me words are inadequate.

So lastly . . .

Thank you St. Martin's Press / Thomas Dunne Books!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

Two very different people, one very small island.

For Sophie Ducel, her honeymoon in French Polynesia was intended as a celebration of life. The proud owner of a thriving Parisian architecture firm, co-founded with her brilliant new husband, Sophie had much to look forward to—including a visit to the island home of her favorite singer, Jacques Brel.

For Barry Bleecker, the same trip was meant to mark a new beginning. Turning away from his dreary existence in Manhattan finance, Barry had set his sights on fine art, seeking creative inspiration on the other side of the world—just like his idol, Paul Gauguin.

But when their small plane is downed in the middle of the South Pacific, the sole survivors of the wreck are left with one common goal: to survive. Stranded hundreds of miles from civilization, on an island the size of a large city block, the two castaways must reconcile their differences and learn to draw on one another's strengths if they are to have any hope of making it home.

Told in mesmerizing prose, with charm and rhythm entirely its own, Castle of Water is more than just a reimagining of the classic castaway story. It is a stirring reflection on love’s restorative potential, as well as a poignant reminder that home—be it a flat in Paris, a New York apartment, or a desolate atoll a world away—is where the heart is.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Dane Huckelbridge - Author

To buy the novel please visit:

castle of water - Book

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Yer Ports for Plunder List

Castle of Water is a great read – part island adventure and part romance, it had me hooked.

The main characters are Barry, an American banker and Sophie, the owner of an architectural firm who is on her honeymoon. When the plane they are travelling on crashes, Sophie and Barry find themselves stranded on an island in the Pacific together that's the only two survivors of the accident.


In this tropical and exotic space the size of a large city block, they must put their survival techniques to the test. The characters are very well formed and the plot is lively with lots of twists and turns. I did occasionally start to question how they were able to build a shelter or furniture or find the provisions they needed all the time with apparent ease . There were some scenes where there was talk about art and artists which I wasn't sure really fit into the story.

That said, the book was full of vivid imagery that really helped me as a reader to imagine the island and the situations they were in. the writing was incredibly emotional and well thought out and I went through a whole series of emotions while listening to the eARC . I felt happiness sadness fear and concern for the characters and by the end of the book I was sorry that the story had ended.

To me, the book screams "summer read" or "beach read," and I know I'll be rereading it. It's just the perfect book for a literary escape at all times of the year really. Definitely not just a retelling of Castaway or Robinson Crusoe. Dane Huckelbridge has a unique writing style. There's some French conversation in the book so it's perfect for Francophiles or those who like a taste of another language and a multicultural feel in books.

Thanks to the author and to St Martin's Press via NetGalley for the chance to review this eARC for an honest review. I'll rate this between 4 and 4 and a half stars.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Sophie and Barry are sole survivors of a plane wreck that left them one common goal: to survive. Stranded hundreds of miles from civilization, on an island the size of a large city block, the two castaways must reconcile their differences and learn to draw on one another's strengths if they are to have any hope of making it home.

I really liked this story, it is well written and interesting to read. I appreciated how Barry and Sophie were forced to learn and grow together by pooling their knowledge and skills.

4☆

This is an unassuming little book, the sum of which somehow manages to exceed its parts and become something unexpectedly extraordinary. There's nothing terribly original about this book's premise - a plane crashes, two strangers need to learn how to survive together - but reading Castle of Water is like taking a breath of fresh air. I was surprised by how much I loved it.

Barry Bleecker one day decides to leave his corporate Manhattan job and travel to the grave of his favorite painter, Paul Gauguin, which lies somewhere in the Marquesas. French architect and newlywed Sophie Ducel and her husband Étienne are on a honeymoon in French Polynesia, and they decide to take a detour to visit the grave of singer Jacques Brel, incidentally buried a few yards away from Gauguin. When their plane crashes somewhere between Tahiti and the Marquesas, Étienne and the pilot die on impact, leaving only Barry and Sophie to survive on a small island together - which is complicated not only by Sophie's grief, but also by a limited patience and understanding for each other's language and culture.

Dane Huckelbridge's prose is hard to describe. Castle of Water is told in third-person omniscient narration which is almost insensitively concise; full of facts and devoid of any sentimentality. This story is also told with a weird, offbeat humor that resists any temptation of melodrama. It's not at all what you'd expect and should theoretically clash with the premise of the story, which invites an onslaught of emotion and introspection. But, somehow, Huckelbridge's approach works. Better than it should, and yet, better than its maudlin alternative. This story isn't heartless, it isn't cold and unfeeling. And it isn't a comedy, either. At its core this is a bitterly, achingly sad story, which both managed to both make me laugh out loud and break my heart.

Sure, this book is full of unrealistic conveniences: the survival kit they salvaged from the plane has literally everything they could possibly want; they each have unique survival knowledge that transcends the very basics you'd learn in the boy scouts; there is no universe in which three pairs of contact lenses being worn every single day is going to last a person several years; Sophie is magically able to continue to have her period despite her drastic weight loss and without any mention as to how on earth she dealt with it without an unlimited supply of tampons (this one really bugged me), but getting hung up on these details is to miss the point, because this is so much more than a simple Survival Story. If you want to read 300 pages about people surviving in the elements with nothing but the clothes on their backs, there's plenty of fiction and nonfiction about that already. In giving these characters certain basic necessities, Huckelbridge is bending this story in a different direction, making it less about Survival and more about the characters themselves, how they interact, and how their relationship progresses. Castle of Water is first and foremost a story about humanity; about two imperfect strangers drawing on each other's strengths in order to endure - not only to physically survive, but to sustain themselves on a deeper level.

It's hard to communicate what exactly was so special about this book which seems so unremarkable. I can only say that Castle of Water is a book with many hidden depths, and it was a joy to read. Though there weren't a lot of surprises, plot-wise, the big surprise was really the emotional reaction these character elicited from me. Barry and Sophie were incredibly sympathetic and complex in their own right - Sophie in particular I grew rather attached to - and I'm sad to be leaving them behind.

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!

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started Dane Hucklebridge’s Castle of Water. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a wistful, beautiful, quirky, sad love story. I read this book in one long sitting because I couldn’t tear myself away. Castle of Water completely knocked my socks off.

In the opening chapter of Castle of Water, we learn that Barry Bleecker is famous for some reason. He’s famous enough for people to follow him through Paris to see what he’ll do. We also learn that he’s a solitary man of habits and very concerned about his contacts. The reason for all this, we soon find out, is that he was in a plane crash and was stranded on an unnamed island near the Marquesas for three years. He wasn’t alone; he was marooned with Sophie, a young French widow.

Castle of Water moves back and forth in time from twelve years after Barry got off the island to the three years he and Sophie spent together. Huckelbridge includes short chapter-long asides to explain the strange circumstances of their odyssey that lend to the gentle humor of the book. (I suspect some readers might find it a bit twee, but I had a good time.) The joy of the book comes from watching Barry and Sophie squabble over supplies and ideas. They truly drive each other insane, this American and this Française, before they fall in love.

Huckelbridge includes plenty of hints that Barry and Sophie won’t have a happily ever after, but the end of the book still hit me like a ton of literary bricks. The complex emotions I felt at the conclusion reminded me a lot of what I felt when I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin, one of my favorite books of recent years. This short novel had everything I didn’t know I was looking for since I read A.J. Fikry. I plan on recommending this book a lot.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

This is a quirky, charming novel about two survivors of a small plane crash, and their unlikely romance that develops over years on a tiny, uninhabited island. I found Sophie and Barry to be caricatures at first, but they grew on me as their characters developed. The banter between the two was clever and entertaining, and the conclusion was emotional and felt inevitable. Despite my initial reservations, I did enjoy this sweet survival/love story.

Two people are stranded alone on an island in the South Pacific after their plane goes down. Barry was escaping life at New York finance company to see the place his idol, Paul Gauguin lived, while Sophie was on her honeymoon with her fiancee. AS the only two survivors of the flight, Sophie and Barry must find a way to get along with each other (not as easy as you might think) and find a way to survive. I loved reading how the castaways survived on lots of bananas, rain water and clams, how they built their shelter and survived natural disasters. This book was only slightly marred (in my opinion), by the author’s tendency to ramble about somewhat unrelated events. Still, a fantastic read

A small plane, off course due to pilot error, encounters a fierce storm and plunges into the ocean. Two survivors make their way to a remote island, separately, and each has different reasons to wish or fear survival. The author does a wonderful job of describing the island and its value over time to others who have come upon it. It will be three years before the survivors leave the island and during that time they will choose once not to leave. How is that possible? You'll have to read the book to find out and it's well worth it. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.