Book Review: Castaways by Brian Keene
I don’t usually include trigger warnings in reviews, mainly because the stuff I read doesn’t typically require them. Not on purpose, and it’s possible I am missing something in the books I read that others might identify, but for Castaways I do think there are certain scenes one might need to prepare themselves for before diving in.
So, trigger warning – this book contains graphic depictions of sexual assault and rape.
Keene is a talented writer, and this is my first ‘exposure’ as such to his work. Those scenes don’t feel like they’re there for shock value, or just to have them there, but to a point – like most similar scenes, probably – they might not be required. At least not in the detail they’re described in, anyway.
The book starts with a focus on a group of young men and women, competing for the prize pot in a reality TV show. The last one on the island wins. When the book starts, the contestants are fixated on winning, forming alliances and discussing ways to get others off the island. But as a storm approaches, the crew leave the island, and rather than forfeit the prize and leave, the contestants decide to stay.
The contestants are a mix of people. Because I was listening to this as an audiobook, I soon lost track of who was who, to be honest, but a few of them did stand out. There’s Becca, determined, who won’t let anyone stand in the way of her survival. Troy, who spends most of the book desperate for a cigarette, because he picked his hat as his luxury item rather than his smokes. Stefan, Welsh (hence why he stood out), who gets called ‘Limey’ by Troy, and who keeps trying to remind Troy he’s not English.
As the storm hits, the contestants realise they’re not, as they believed, the only ones on the island, and they soon find themselves in a fight to the death with a group of inbred cannibals.
It’s here where the story really takes off, and the action begins. Things move fairly fast from this point, as the characters either try to get off the island or look for those who are missing. In some places it was a little hard to follow, but for the most part the characters and their actions are intriguing enough to keep the flow of the story.
Castaways isn’t one of the best horror books I’ve read recently, but it’s decent, and I feel like I’d probably enjoy his other works a bit more. The characters are entertaining if forgettable, but the horror is there. The narration to this, too, was really good, with the narrator giving each character their own distinctive voice. And while resisting the urge to give Stefan a stereotypical Welsh Valleys accent. This is worth checking out if you like brutality.
Grade: B
Review by Elle Turpitt
I purchased this book using an Audible Credit.