This was an absolutely fantastic read and definitely one of my favourite books this year so far. I loved the whole unique storyline which kept me gripped from start to finish. I genuinely did not know what to expect or how it would end. It was so atmospheric and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Would definitely recommend this book

I’m breathless! This book draws you in from the first page and keeps up the tense, claustrophobic suspense right till the end. Erin is trying to find out what happened to her sister who disappeared along with the plane she was on and is presumed dead. The story is told in Now and Then chapters which build the tension and make it unputdownable. Even though most of it is set on a desert island, it manages to feel cloying and close and uncomfortable. So well written. Highly recommend

What a brilliant read. This story is everything you want in a novel its thrilling and has lots of twists and I just couldn't put it down..First book by Lucy Clarke that I've read but it wont be the last it keeps you gripped right till the end. A great 5🌟read

The description of this one sounded good. An island holiday, and then you can't leave. Sounds like a great thriller concept. It turned out to be not supernatural as was my first impression, but still a good story.

The first chapter was info dump. Far too much information about the first character to assimilate. The chapter title indicated a flashback, then I got to chapter two titled to indicate the present and it went into present tense. Why do authors do this!!! I would have dnf'd right there if it hadn't been a Netgalley choice. I make more of an effort to slog on with the mindset that I've agreed to review.

The story quickly took shape after that and I found myself becoming interested. The chapters about Lori, set in the past, interested me most. They take us through the bizarre experience of her having an argument with her sister, who doesn't show up for the next short flight of their holiday, and what happened on the plane afterwards and on the island.

The alternating chapters worked well, watching Lori's experience of the past alternating with her sister Erin's reliving the memories of her sister's plane disappearing when something unexpected turns up to open up the case again. I didn't especially like Erin and the present tense in her chapters made it a slog, but the balance of past and present was done well.

The timing was also good. All through the story I was getting more and more invested in Lori's story and hoping she would survive, though there were many possibilities why she might not. It wasn't until pretty much the end when we finally learn her fate.

A few aspects of the resolution didn't quite ring true, but the story did keep me interested and made for a good read, apart from the tense changes.

Idyllic Holiday Turns Sour...
An idyllic holiday turns sour in this easy reading suspense. With a credible cast, some top notch descriptive passages and an intriguing plot line this is absolute escapism. An entertaining read.

A fantastic thriller not at all what I was expecting. Full of twists and turns and completely addictive I fully recommend this novel.

A cracking read. Two sisters fly off to Fiji on a whim to escape the winter and a broken relationship. On arrival they excitedly look forward to the following day when they are due travel on to a remote Island for total relaxation. However alcohol and jet leg produce a dangerous mix, unkind truths are exchanged and a row escalates with Erin storming off. Hoping Erin will make it to the airport in time, Lori desperately scans the passengers but her hopes are dashed and she then makes the fatal decision to continue the holiday alone. The plane is lost, a search reveals
no clue as to its plight. Erin then begins a two year quest to get answers. She becomes totally obsessed with the task, forfeiting her own life for the sake of discovering what happened to her sister. A tense, fear filled story that has you turning the pages well into the night as you live Erin’s journey and relive the one of Lori. A story of strength, character and unconditional love that will live on in your memory.

The Castaways was a tense, riveting read - and not a great advert for one of those smaller passenger planes!
Lori and Erin, sisters, go on holiday to Fiji - a treat paid for by Lori. The night before their flight to a small island, the sisters have a terrible argument and Erin disappears. She doesn’t turn up at the airport for their connecting flight either. So Lori boards the plane and it disappears en route to the island.
Two years later, Erin is still trying to find out where the plane crashed and what exactly happened. She’s a journalist, so has some experience of researching information. When the pilot of the plane suddenly appears and is taken to hospital in Fiji, Erin knows that she has to go and speak to him. He’s the only one that knows what happened to her sister. Her employers pay for her to go, under the proviso that she’ll write an article about it.
What I really liked about this, is that the chapters alternated between Erin going to Fiji to see the pilot, and the flashbacks to Lori, the crash and it’s aftermath. If I’d had the book in front of me instead of just a stave (an instalment) to read each day, I probably would have read it in one sitting. Except that I have to go to work!
And for the record, it’s a good job that I have no intention of flying anywhere anytime soon, because the crash scene is frankly terrifying!
Many thanks to the Pigeonhole for helping me with my NetGalley reading (again!), and to Lucy Clarke for reading along with us.

The perfect bit of escapism and a page-turner of a thriller, I loved this book and was hooked right from the beginning. Sisters Lori and Erin head for the holiday of a lifetime but following an argument only one of them boards the plane to the luxury island. When the plane disappears without a trace, Erin is left trying to find out what happened to her sister.

Cleverly and effectively told in dual timelines by the sisters - the present, as Erin continues to search for the truth two years after the crash, and the past, told by Lori as she is stranded on the island where the plane crashed. I loved Clarke's vivid descriptions - from the palpable tension prior to take off to life on the island, where all the survivors seem to have secrets they would prefer to keep. The characterisation is equally goo with several thoroughly unlikeable but interesting characters and a fascinating relationship between the sisters. Add to that some unexpected twists and a clever ending and it had me on the edge of my seat.

Sisters Lori and Erin have booked a holiday in Fiji & it starts off idyllically but just before they fly from the main island to a resort on one of the outlying islands, they have an argument. Erin storms off & doesn’t turn up at the airport so Lori boards the flight alone
The plane does not arrive at its destination, indeed it disappears without trace. Nothing will stop Erin finding out what happened to her sister. When the pilot of the plane turns up 2 years later, living under an assumed name in Fiji, Erin knows that this is her last chance to find out the truth so she returns to the place where she last saw her sister.
The descriptions of the places and incidents are excellent. I quite liked the characters of Erin & Lori but there are other characters that come in along the way that I really disliked.
The story is told in dual timelines “then” & “now” from both sisters perspectives and as the stories draw closer together, there are more secrets to be revealed. What exactly was the argument about? What happened on the plane? If the pilot survived, did anyone else?

Overall this is a story that unfurls slowly, but it does draw you in and you will not want to put it down until you know what actually happened … However it probably should come with a warning that this is NOT the book to read at the airport/on holiday as the parts describing what happened on board the plane are very well written & you will probably be gripping the arms of your chair & checking if your seatbelt is fastened!

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.

#BookReview #NetGalley @ThePigeonHoleHQ

‘The Castaways’ by Lucy Clarke is the story of two sisters; one lost after her plane to a small Fijian island disappears, the other on a quest to find her. Erin cannot let it go. When everyone else wants to move on, she becomes obsessed and makes it her goal in life to find out what happened. The chapters move between then and now, between each sister, giving us insight into their relationship as well as how they function as individuals.

You will not be able to put it down. There’s a sense of foreboding, tension and suspense that never lets up. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, and takes the reader inside the minds of the characters and to far off places. The twists in the tale were astounding and did not come out as I expected. I was gripped from start to finish.

I was given this ARC to review.

I was immediately attracted to the beautiful exotic cover and intriguing short blurb of this book. I had never read anything by this author before, so I couldn't wait to 'dip' myself into the story.

Two very close sisters, Lori and Erin, decide to go on a holiday to Fiji, on one of its many beautiful islands. But tragedy strikes before they even make it to their final destination and the sisters are separated. Two years pass and after a startling news on the media, Erin returns to Fiji desperate to try and dig deep again into what happened to the plane that disappeared with Lori on board. Where has the plane crashed? Where is Lori?

The story is divided into two main timelines on alternate chapters. We have Lori at the time of the crash, literally trying to survive one day at a time on a deserted islet along with some other enigmatic passengers, faced by a desperate situation, a million difficulties and hazards imposed by the inhospitable land. And then we have Erin in the present day, two years later, back in Fiji, asking questions, wondering, trying just one more time to find out something that may lead her to her sister's whereabouts. It's as if the plane and its human cargo have simply disappeared from the face of the earth. The plane wreck has never been located and no word has ever reached Erin about her sister. But will she find what she's looking for here this time? Will she finally be able to put the two-year-old puzzle together at last? Why do the Fijian authorities seem reluctant to reopen the investigation? Was it really an accident? Or something more sinister? Is Lori still alive? Or has she been dead for two years?

The short, cryptic blurb succeeded in spiking my curiosity more than usual to find out what happens in the book. It filled my mind with a lot of questions before I have even began to read. I was drawn into this story from the beginning thanks to the author's beautiful, crisp writing and by the setting of the story. I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the island and of Fiji. It was as if I could close my eyes and find myself there, in that desolate paradise, feeling the sand under my bare toes and the sun beating down on my back. Looking out at the horizon at the endless sea and sky. But I could also feel the desperation of the survivors. My heart went out to them, I was afraid for Lori and Sonny's well-being as I could feel something dark and sinister lurking on the island and I just knew that something terrible was about to happen. The other characters are all quite mysterious and it's as if they all have a hidden agenda. This story reminded me of 'The Lord of the Flies'. Away from society and its elements for an extended period of time, humans change into entirely different beings. How can they ever survive this harsh environment? Will help ever come before it's too late?

Apart from one aspect which I thought was a bit far-fetched, I think this book is brilliant and I highly recommend it. With huge thanks to HarperCollins for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book through Netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book I stayed up late and read it over 3 nights. The story follows 2 sister Lori and Erin. They lost their mum when they were young and Lori, as the older sister was a mother figure for Erin. They have always been close but one day on holiday they fall out and Erin doesn't turn up for the flight and sadly the plan crashes with Lori onboard.

Two years after the plane goes missing Erin a journalist is still looking for answers. She finds out that Mike the pilot has been found alive but we was dying in hospital and even when asked he tells her Lori died but she finds a map in his possessions and heads to the island.

The story alternates between the past Lori and the present Erin as we discover what happened the day the plane crashed.

This book was great the only thing I hated was the ending. **SPOILER Erin decided not to have much to do with Lori after discovering she was alive. This seemed heartless and out of character I really felt for Lori and she did what she did to keep Sonny and for Erin to just dismiss her and swan off with a bloke she just met to start a life elsewhere seemed far to fickle, after all Lori helped her so much over the years since their parents died. This being said I would still recommend this book.

What a book this was. If like me you mainly read in bed at night, then be prepared to kiss your sleep goodbye. This was an amazing read, the characters were well written, some very likable characters that you will care about and some very unpleasant ones. I really had no idea what was going to happen next. The story totally sucked me in and wrapped me up, and I was almost holding my breath in places, it was amazing. No spoilers all I can say is I really couldn't predict what was going to happen next, and I loved it .One of the best books I have read so far this year, and so good that I might well feel the same at the end of the the year. If you are looking for a book that you will really enjoy and that will keep you guessing this is the one. I loved it, wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Breathtaking. One of the best books I've read this year. I loved the locked room scenario and paradoxical setting with a group of disturbed and disturbing characters stranded on a paradise island in a hellish situation. Fabulous build up of tension and distrust. The dual timeline and dynamic between the two sisters was also expertly done, and the ending was exactly what I was hoping for.

Fantastic! A powerfully written novel that had me up during the night to finish reading it. It is exciting, full of tension and a fantastic storyline with a completely unexpected ending.

Absolutely fantastic.
Dual timeline, seriously gripping plot where I was thinking about it even when not reading it, and great characters.
I have LOVED reading this and thinking through all the theories and clues along the way, wonderful to experience life on an island.
The writing was wonderful, extremely descriptive writing that made me feel like I was there living through it too. So many times I gasped or held my breath in anticipation!
AMAZING.

I've noticed when writing this review that the blurb doesn't give a lot away and this just adds to the tension that you find within the novel. The Castaways is written in a dual time frame - "then" and "now." The "then" is narrated by Lori and the "now" by Erin and the alternation of the chapters allows Clarke to build in cliffhangers and leave readers wondering what we may be about to discover. There are lots of twists and turns along the way and I really wanted to know what would happen next at every stage.

Lori and Erin are sisters and it's clear throughout the novel that there are secrets between them and questions about them to which we need to find the answers. They are really well developed and I am pleased that Clarke took some time to give readers some insight into their history. I didn't find either of the sisters particularly likeable, but I could see how close they were and this is what made me want them to succeed. The other passengers on the island also have interesting back stories and I enjoyed learning how they came to be there too.

The description of the island is wonderful and whilst I definitely wouldn't want to be stranded there, it seems beautiful and I enjoyed being transported there by Clarke's writing.

The ending of The Castaways is not what I expected but in hindsight, I'm not sure that it could have been done differently and now I have finished the novel I am still thinking about the characters.

I enjoyed this suspenseful read which reminded me a bit of the tv series Lost but without the confusion.
Switching back and forth between the two main characters, Lori and Erin was a good touch, keeping me interested and intrigued to find out what happened.
The island setting whilst beautiful was tense and isolated, it would’ve been very unsettling for the survivors.
The characters were well written and I enjoyed learning about their back stories.
Erin was steadfast and by far the most interesting character, she never stopped looking for her sister, even against all the odds, she needed to discover what had happened.

A fabulously written book. I loved the characters and it was a gripping page turner. It also transported me to Fiji which has always been on my bucket list. I loved this book.