Take Survivor, add some monkey-like creatures with teeth and claws, and a typhoon. Stir together on an island. And that's pretty much what you get with this book. Keene is a brutal and raw writer. He doesn't soften anything, and this book is no different. An interesting take on what happens when the crap hits the fan in a big way. Good fast read. ( )

This was a gory insanity romp through the mind of Brian Keene! Fun Stuff!

What would you do for a million dollars? Would you participate in a "survivor" type show on a deserted island with a bunch of strangers? Would you sacrifice life and limb for the big prize?

Well that is what happens with all the contestants on this show as they are participating for the mega bucks as they have to endure not only each other, but something else that is watching and lurking out in the wilds of the island.

When it makes itself known is when the crap hits the fan and the contestants have to go into survival mode to try to escape the "creatures" that have been watching and waiting for them since their arrival.

Who lives and who dies on this show? What kind of creatures are inhabiting the island? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!

This book took off right away for me and it became hard to put down! The action was non-stop from the half way point to the end of the book which kept me on my toes as the minute I would put the book down, my fingers grabbed my kindle and wanted to keep going! I stayed up most of the night last night finishing up the last few chapters as I just could not go to sleep till I found out how it all ended!

This book was a bloody mess though as the gore was flying left and right within these pages! There were a lot of "cringing moments" within the gore sections of the book, but I "survived the night" to get through them as I just had to see what was going to happen next!

Giving this book four "Bloody" stars!

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://crusader1515.blogspot.com/2021/09/castaways-by-brian-keene.html ( )

Great book. One of my best from Keene. It has a take on Laymon's style of creatures and others I wont mention but not too drastic and only ever appears in a short piece i the book. You will know what I am talking about if you have read Laymon's books. ( )

Lots of gore. Lots of death. Shallow characters, but an entertaining read. I chose the audio version of this book and rather enjoyed it. I didn't really care for any of the characters but that didn't stop me from wanting to listen. So, not amazing but, not bad. It was a quick read. ( )

A fun horror read that, though a bit dated with the premise now, is wickedly brutal, unnerving, and entertaining. ( )