Internationally celebrated author Javier Castillo spoke to a captivated audience at Club FARO, filling the Afundación Social Center’s auditorium to its capacity. The moment highlighted a surge of global interest in his work as fans gathered to hear him share reflections on recent success and future projects.
In a run of events across the country, Castillo highlighted the rapid arc of his career. The Snow Girl series, based on the novel of the same name, has become a global phenomenon, with Netflix already greenlighting a second installment and acquiring rights to El cuco de cristal, the current tour’s focal title. Amid the accolades, the author welcomed a new chapter in his personal life, becoming a father for the third time. He expressed gratitude for the audience’s enthusiasm, describing the moment as dreamlike and deeply meaningful.
During a lighthearted exchange about local rivalry between his hometown and Vigo and Malaga, Castillo teased a possible nod to Olive in a Netflix series due to the town’s significance. The journalist’s questions extended for about half an hour, followed by a signing session that drew Guada Guerra to the event.
The writer confirmed work on the third and final installment of the trilogy that began with The Snow Girl. He recalled the first book’s extraordinary reception, noting it released just days before lockdowns began. He admitted that the initial dream of bookstore pyramids was scuttled by store closures, yet the books found life in supermarkets and, eventually, in the resurgent bookstore scene. Reflecting on the writing process, he described crafting in his office, surrounded by a wall of ideas rather than clutter, and the joy of imagining readers who might share in the experience of his characters. Today, the idea of a television adaptation—especially a series that reaches distant places like New Caledonia—appears almost surreal to him.
Castillo discussed his latest novel, El cuco de cristal, published by Suma Editorial, which centers on Cora, a medical student in a New York hospital who becomes an oncologist in need of a heart transplant. The narrative follows her journey from a donor’s family in Missouri to the appearance of a missing boy and the unfolding of past and present stories. The plot intertwines the donor’s father and a troubled history that resurfaces in his home, drawing readers into a tense web of mystery and emotion.
In discussing themes, Castillo described how the novel uses a metaphor tied to a cunning creature that nests elsewhere to shed light on human instincts. The setting in Missouri serves to push Cora away from her familiar urban backdrop, placing science next to spirituality and exploring the duality within people. He explained that the puzzle elements—riddles and twists—are where his enjoyment lies, likening the experience to arranging a game night for friends. The writing process remains intimate for him; he feels every loss and every moment of hope the characters endure, often visualizing the plot as it forms on a digital board in place of the old post-it wall.
The cuckoo as a metaphor for instinct and the dialogue between science and belief
The cuckoo, a bird known for laying its eggs in other nests, serves as a potent metaphor in Castillo’s storytelling. The hatching chick, which outcompetes its foster siblings, mirrors the instinctual forces that drive human behavior and choice. This symbol, chosen for the novel’s title and core premise, emphasizes a heart placed in an unexpected home and the tension between empirical evidence and existential questions. Castillo noted that selecting a Missouri town allows the central character to confront the tension between city medicine and a broader, more soulful understanding of life. The setting becomes a stage for exploring how science and spirituality intersect in meaningful, sometimes unresolved ways.
The author also spoke about his love for crafting puzzles that invite readers to participate in the mystery, as if sharing a moment with friends. The writing room, once a wall of sticky notes, now hosts a digital canvas where plot threads are laid out before the characters’ personalities, ensuring the narrative remains tightly wound and engaging.