Castaways

By: Brian Keene

Narrated by: Chet Williamson

Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

They came to the deserted island to compete on a popular reality television show. Each one hoped to be the last to leave. Now they're just hoping to stay alive, because the island isn't deserted after all. Contestants are disappearing, but they aren't being eliminated by the game. They're being taken by the monstrous, half-human creatures that live deep in the jungle.

The men will be slaughtered. The women will be kept alive as captives. Night is falling, the creatures are coming, and rescue is so far away....

Deadite Press is proud to present Brian Keene's tribute to the late, great Richard Laymon!

"Bloody, vile, violent and nasty. Castaways is a can't put down page turner." (House of Horrors)

"Much like Laymon, Keene provides all kinds of thrills here... But Brian Keene has his own voice, too, one just as good a the late great master, Richard Laymon." (SFRevu)

©2011 Brian Keene (P)2019 David N. Wilson

Great but graphic

Well told story but be warned it can be very graphic in nature. Chet Williamson was great.

The narrator makes the book

Full disclosure: 1. I'm a rabid Keene fan. 2. I have never watched an episode of Survivor.

Keene does not disappoint with Castaways: he creates a group of completely believable characters and puts them through hell. When the action gets going, it's like rolling uncontrollably down a hill picking up speed at every turn. He threw in a couple of fun twists and red herrings as well.

Williamson's narration is a very good fit for the book. He differentiates the characters well and pulls the listener along with the action so well it engulfs the listener.

Recommended.

One spoiler that is also a caveat: The book has graphic rape descriptions. I skipped them and thus little bit of the story before and after them.

Predictable but pretty good

Would make a great movie, kinda stupid, but the premise I wish he went more into. How did they evolve, and from what, how did they survive for so long, what is the tribe machinations/rituals etc.

stick with it

I have to say at first I struggled with the beginning. It was definitely a slow burn but it definitely picks up in the second half. I'm glad I stuck with it.

Awesome story!

Admittedly, this wasn't what I was expecting going in, but this turned out to be a fantastic tale. Be warned that there are parts that are a bit gruesome.

A Brian Keene classic.

I never get tired of Mr. Keene's books and stories. Castaways is a great read.

Recommended Island Reading

If you ever thought the reality TV show Survivor would be improved with some actual life-or-death stakes, copious amounts of bloodshed, and a gang of inbred monkey-men, well whoooo dang!, is Castaways the book for you.

Clocking in at 7 hours on audiobook, Castaways is a decidedly simple and rather effective visceral horror outing, with an emphasis on guts and gore. The characters are relateable, with Keene focusing more on the blue-collar contestants rather than the dazzling Hollywood leading man of a host. The premise gives us a natural bit of antagonism between the cast, since they're all on this supposedly-desolate tropical island to compete for a million dollar cash prize, but Keene ups the ante a bit further. Not only is there a super competitive a-hole to root against, there's also a crazed militia man who's passed his way into competing and is planning on using the spectacle of the show to commit an unforgettable act of terrorism, and a massive tropical storm bearing down on all of them. Not to mention the cave-dwelling cannibals that are drooling at the prospects of sinking their teeth into all these athletic, bikini-clad contestants.

This one's some straight-forward, over the top fun. It's lean, has a good bit of muscle on it, and has been almost completely pared down of any storytelling fat. I was a bit disappointed with terrorist wannabe Matt's storyline, and while it presented a nice bit of initial shock, it doesn't go in the places I had hoped and kinda peters out as the island's resident cryptids become a more central threat. However, the roving band of murderous primates delivered everything I wanted, plus a little bit more. We get spilled entrails galore, some brutal kill scenes, and enough development for our female cast members, particularly Becca, that when they suffer they don't feel like props or non-characters whose torment are meant to motivate the men into action. While Castaways is Keene's ode to his dearly departed friend and fellow author, Richard Laymon, it shares some common ground, too, with Jack Ketchum's Off Season, even if it isn't nearly as pessimistic as that powerful cannibal run.

Castaways

This was good!It was a typical 'people get stuck on an island,turn on each other ,etc'but it was staged for a tv show...until it was real.The island was supposed to be deserted.No one knew about the monsters.I enjoyed it.Chet Williamson was a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Raven Mad Story!!!

My husband and I have loved this story! We have begun a new fetish of listening to horror books and this one was a delight!
The narrator is just awesome and wished that he narrated every book we listen to. Both he and Brian Keene have such glorious talent; thank you both for using it to distract us both from "normal" life!

Solid Audio Performance

The story is exactly as advertised, so if it sounds like what you are looking for, you will likely enjoy it. I feel some conflict on how to review this story because I enjoyed the story, but also found myself considering whether I was actually more interested in how the reality show would have played out, minus the horror elements. I'm not particularly into reality shows, but I really liked the tensions between the characters before the island's other inhabitants showed up, One the one hand, the story might have been better as something else, On the other, it is a testament to the strong character creation in what is otherwise (intentionally, I'm pretty sure, so not knocking the author here) a B-movie horror plot.