Love a fast paced thriller and The Castaways did not disappoint. Looking forward to reading more from Lucy Clarke

The Castaways by Lucy Clarke is an exhilarating and heartwarming tale of adventure, friendship, and the power of resilience. Set against the backdrop of the breathtakingly beautiful Seychelles islands, the novel follows sisters Lori and Erin as they embark on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.

As a reader, you are swept away on a thrilling adventure that is equal parts exhilarating and heartwarming. Clarke's descriptive prose brings the Seychelles to life, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and sensations of this idyllic paradise.

What truly sets the book apart is its exploration of the bonds of sisterhood and the strength that can be found in friendship.

The sisters and their fellow castaways are so vividly drawn that they feel like old friends, and readers will find themselves cheering them on every step of the way.

This is a mystery thriller with a tight plot
This is fast paced and the story is told over a dual timeline
The suspense building is fantastic

Erin and Lori plan to go on a holiday to a small island near Fiji but after an argument Erin doesn’t make it to the plane taking them from Fiji to the island. Then the plane disappears and no one knows what has happened. When two years later the pilot of the plane is found Erin is determined to find out what happened to her sister.
The action is split between Erin’s search and what happened two years earlier. I spent the whole book thinking will she / won’t she find out what happened and will she / won’t she find her sister alive.
An enthralling read

The Castaways is a clever psychological mystery that features two sisters. Their lives are changed by a plane crash. Lori, first sister, and Erin, second sister, make plans to fly to a remote island to get away from their respective difficult lives. After an argument, only Lori gets on the plane, and the plane crashes, leaving her stranded with a few others. Everybody assumes she has died in the crash. After the plane's pilot reappears, the possibly arises that she hasn't died, and Erin starts searching for her sister.

I went into this book with very high expectations unfortunately it didn't quite meet them.

The premise of this book was really interesting and for the first quarter I was very engaged in what was happening.

I enjoyed the dual perspective which went back and forth in time.

My main issue with this book was that it felt too long and the ending in particular was very drawn out. The middle really did drag.

I've definitely read thrillers with more twists and turns. That's not too say this book didn't have its moments of being a tense read, it just struggled to keep me hooked in the later half.

I stil liked the book and would read more from this author in the future, as I've really enjoyed other books by her, this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

What a captivating and truly twisty story. I was compelled to keep reading this one right from the beginning. A page turner from the start to the very last page.

I didn’t love the ending but I think the story was incredibly clever and well-paced that I didn’t mind too much.

4/5 for this one, would recommend!

Ooh this one was good! I do love a Lucy Clarke thriller!

The tension was brilliant in this. Something sinister was just constantly lurking and it really kept me engaged.

Thumbs up from me!

This is a fast-paced novel from the dual perspective of two sisters who travel to Fiji for a much-needed break in the sun. Unfortunately the holiday does not go to plan, as the title suggests, and the sisters become separated, though linked by their close connection and the alternating split narration, which creates suspense and carries the momentum of their individual stories. An absorbing plot, if not terribly original (in places), and perfect for a summer holiday read... unless you're off to Fiji!

Wow, this is such an exciting and thrilling read. I won't say much so as to not give anything away but I was completely gripped by this. There is danger, suspicion and lies throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

A fantastic read, gripping and tense. I read it in two hours and couldn't put it down. Some great twists to keep you guessing.

A great thriller, which kept me hooked until the end. Wish I'd read it earlier as I sat on this one.
My first book by Lucy and not my last. Thank you and I now want more

A thoroughly enjoyable thriller which kept me guessing til the end. I did feel slightly disappointed with the ending, but it was a very fast paced read with short chapters and I absolutely flew through it.

This is the first book I've read from this author and I would read more.
The story is based around 2 sisters who are inseparable after their parents pass away.
They book a trip of a lifetime to Fiji but after an argument the night before only 1 of the sister's boards the internal flight the next morning.
There were plenty of twists and turns but I wouldn't say this is the most memorable / favourite book from this genre that I've read. I can't say much more without giving away spoilers!
However, I would read more from this author because overall, I enjoyed it and it was a quick, easy to read book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Uk for a copy of “ The Castaways “ for an honest review.

I kept this book for my holiday read , and it was the perfect choice as I sat in the sun with the sound of the waves crashing in the distance . This is probably why I found myself so immersed in the book .
Told by 2 sisters over 2 timelines , I couldn’t wait to see how things would work out , even though I was sad when I got to the end.
Everything you want from a gripping thriller , with well written characters and the beautiful location of Fiji.
Highly recommended

A pacy read detailing Erin's determination to find out what happened to the plane her sister, Lori, was travelling on that fateful day two years ago.
The narrative is told using tense shifts then and now to build the sequence of events. A great read overall.

I loved this book. The story goes between two different times, the current time and two years prior, as the book goes on the stories slowly close together to fill in the time we've missed in flashbacks. Would definitely recommend, a very easy to get lost in type of read

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This is the second book of Lucy’s I have read and this one wasn’t a disappointment.

It’s very well written, quite well paced, likeable characters, a few twists and turns. I certainly didn’t see the end coming!

The plane wreck stories around the camp fire are so vividly written that you can almost smell the unpleasant scents.

4 stars here.

What a brilliantly short synopsis for a very addictive book. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I do adore it when a synopsis is short and to the point, You’ll never want to leave. Until you can’t…

Sisters Erin and Lori have always been close, more so since their parents have died. When one of them decides to book an exotic holiday the other will also go, after this is what they do.

The author has created such an addictive story and I am going to be very vague and not give much away about the story itself. It is about the sisters and is told in a duel timeline way, flitting back and forth between the sisters and what is happening to each of them.

The author very cleverly lets nothing slip, no real hints or teasers that helped me maybe have a guess at how things would end. Sometimes I can figure things out, oftentimes not though. It isn't about being right or wrong its always about the reader's journey to the truth of the novel. This author seriously gave nothing away!

What the author did give was a very interesting and gripping story. One seeded with doubt and mystery with a constant sense of something going on behind the scenes somewhere. The two timelines running in this story keep you focused on both the sisters and because they alternate often you don't forget what one is doing while reading about the other.

This is a clever story, it has its twists, it has its emotions and it definitely has its surprises. If you like mystery thrillers then you should have a look at this one. It was fabulous reading and one I would recommend.