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.

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!

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.

It seems that Elin Hilderbrand definitely has a charming muse. And that muse is none other than the island of Nantucket. Neither Nantucket nor Ms. Hilderbrand let us down in her latest novel, The Castaways. Told from six different perspectives, the story had me entranced from the start.

After a tumultuous year, with Greg fighting off accusations of an inappropriate liaison with a student, he and Tess set off on an anniversary sail, hoping to get back the trust and love that seems to have left their marriage battered and broken. The kids are dropped off to close friends Delilah and Jeffrey's house to play with their boys, and Tess' cousin and confidante Andrea has packed a sumptuous picnic lunch for them to enjoy while sailing. Fast forward a few hours and Andrea's husband, police chief Ed hears from the Coast Guard that they drowned and is asked to identify the bodies. Now he has to break the news to Andrea, who saved Tess years ago from drowning and promised that if she was spared, Andrea would become a nun. Andrea makes this connection immediately and blames herself, quickly losing herself in an overwhelming grief and despair. Ed now has to break the news to Chloe and Finn, Tess and Greg's seven year old twins. Delilah asks Andrea to let her keep the twins for the summer so they can be with their friends, but Andrea staunchly refuses to allow anyone but herself to have the children. Phoebe has already hit the bottom of her grief, and has been locked in a glass room inside her mind, heavily medicated, watching the world go by since the moment she felt her twin brother Reed jump to his death September 11th from the 101st floor of WTC1, minutes after she talked to him and he promised he'd be okay. That day she lost her brother, herself, and so much more. Told from the perspectives of close friends Addison, his wife Phoebe, Delilah, her husband Jeffrey, and Andrea and her husband,

The Castaways reels you in from the beginning and keeps you involved from start to finish. Surprising relationships and feelings are disclosed throughout each person's story of dealing with their loss. Elin Hilderbrand definitely stands out to me. I first read her novel The Love Season, and eagerly anticipated her following two: Barefoot and A Summer Affair. After reading The Castaways, I'd have to put this at the top of my list of her must reads. Don't miss this book when it's released in July!

The Castaways are a group of four couples who stick together through everything. They started out as friends and ended up family. Greg and Tess are out on the water celebrating their 12 year anniversary and the other couples are proud that these two have decided to stick it out even though they've had a troublesome time with the affair that Greg is rumored to have had.

When news hits that Greg and Tess are dead, it hits The Castaways like a ton of bricks. They feel that they have lost a part of themselves, but Greg and Tess left two small children behind. As they try to go on living their life, they think back to the fun times that they had and how their life will never be the same.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever cared deeply for another person.

If you have ever read any of Erin Hildebrand's other novels, you will probably agree with me that this is her best-to-date. It is amazing how she can develop depth in so many characters and still keep the story easy to understand. I have been to Nantucket, so the setting is very familiar and, in my opinion, accurately depicted. The intertwining of these complex people makes for a satisfying read - get ready to put your life on hold while you enjoy this wonderful story!

Jeffrey and Delilah, Phoebe and Addison, Eddie and Andrea, Tess and Gregg--all best friends. Their lives were intertwined, they were happy when they were all together, even calling their group The Castaways, until there is a terrible accident at sea. Tess and Gregg are dead.

With the unexpected death of Tess and Gregg, facades are destroyed, wiped out; only truth remains in the heart of each friend. The secret life of each member of The Castaways comes alive with the telling of their personal history, their private thoughts and hidden actions.

I didn't want to miss a word of this fascinating novel. The author's writing is as smooth as good wine-- creating, layer upon layer, a tale of friendship, love, lust, and guilt.

My favorite line from the book is, "The stories that made up the world, were infinite, like the stars." Some of those stories make up this book. By the time I finished reading, I felt like I had been an intimate friend of The Castaways.

This book is a wonderful read. Hilderbrand is so descriptive in her details of characters. I loved this book and loved following the lives of the eight main characters. Great book- highly recommended!

This might just be my opinion, but i LOVE books like these. Where you cannot put it down because you just have to know WHAT happened. Honestly its a great book, the cover makes it look lovey dovey but it is a real page turner that is now one of my favorite books!

May be the perfect beach novel! Great narrative, characters you care about and evocative setting. Couldn't put it down!