eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you NetGalley and Little Tiger Group (Stripes Publishing) Release Date according to today: February 2020.

This book was such a surprise! It had everything I love in a story. A creepy, Gothic feel, intense atmosphere and a wonderful set of characters. The twists and turns blew me away each time. Just when I thought I knew where things were headed, the author reshaped everything I thought I knew about a Zombie novel and I loved every minute of reading it.

The romance well so heartfelt and well paced, it was so sweet and beautiful! The action was well thought out and the twists and turns kept me glued to the very last page. I loved Peter, he was the most real character to me and my heart went out to him from the very beginning.

This is a story about love, secrets, trust and of course, the Restless Ones. 

Peter lives in Wranglestone, a national park surrounded by water that keeps the dead at bay until winter sets in, then nothing stops the dead. When Peter puts the camp in danger, he is made to help Cooper herd the dead away from their shores. As love grows and blossoms, a dark secret about their community makes them question everything they know. 

If you love LGBT, horror, action and young adult books (even if you are curious about this amazing combination) make sure you read this novel!

The Dead are walking. In post-apocalyptic America a small community manages to survive in a national park surrounded by water. They are safe and protected. That is, until winter comes and the lake freezes over and then there is nothing stopping the Dead from crossing. One day a stranger approaches kind and niave Peter, which puts the community in danger. Peter is then forced to prove his worth to the community. Prove he isn’t the weak link they all believe him to be. Soon, Peter makes a dark discovery about their secret sanctuary and makes him question everything he’s ever known.

Wranglestone is the perfect book to read on a cold winters night in a dimly lit room. It’s creepy, it’s atmospheric, it’s cold, and it’s suspenful. It is a horror/post-apocalyptic and it had, frankly, a very refreshing take on zombies – something the genre is a little oversaturated with at the moment. It wasn’t an in-your-face scary, though some scenes were, it was a very subtle horror. It makes you question who are truly the monsters? Is it the Dead? or is it those who would do anything to survive? I loved watching Peter slowly untangle the clues and uncover the secrets – that intense feeling of knowing that something just isn’t quite right.

Wranglestone also featured a lovely m/m romance which was totally heart-warming. The romance wasn’t the focus of the story, but a really lovely addition nevertheless.

Overall, a strong debut that was thrilling, tense, and romantic. Highly recommend for zombie and horror lovers.

Wranglestone is a zombie fiction book but it's more character focused than about zombies. In fact, the walking dead aren't even featured that much. It's definitely a very gentle introduction to this sub genre and unusually for this genre there is very little guts and gore. We see a bunch of survivors who live on small remote islands in the middle of a reservation. Winter hits and it's an incredibly difficult time as the lake, which is normally a natural barrier, ices over and the zombies can then just walk on over to the islands. Our survivors then have to deal with this along with members of their dwindling community being bitten.
I did really enjoy the story once I got in to it and it would be interesting to see how the characters and their situation evolves over time.
I just had one problem with the book and it kind of overshadowed the whole story for me. The portrayal of one of the main characters, Peter, seemed so very basic and stereotypical. It came across as almost offensive. If I'd have asked a gang of straight young males in the 90's to describe the personality and interests of a gay man they would have described Peter. This is a story about post-apocalyptic America where zombies are roaming and Peter is 'distracted by a well stitched floral oven mitt'!
As the story progresses we get to see the reason why Peter was portrayed in that way. The author was trying to show that Peter wasn't suited to this new world and wasn't a natural survivor. But it still felt very uncomfortable. 
I also didn't like the way that the other main character Cooper was portrayed. He was basically a dumb bit of eye candy.
I grew to like both characters and was rooting for their love story to have a happy ending but my overall sense of uneasiness persisted until the end. 
I did love that there was queer rep in such an unexpected genre, I just wish it had been done a little better. Well done to the author for giving it a shot though.

I love Post Apocalyptic books, however, I find them to be rather repetitive. The same could not be said for this book. The storyline was so unique, the characters seemed to jump off the pages, and I couldn’t stop reading. 

I loved Peter and Cooper’s relationship. It’s great to see a LGBT relationship portrayed in Post Apocalyptic fiction. Often when the genre is focused so much on the plot, relationships between characters get forgetten or seem less important because of the dramatic and often overbearing plot. Wranglestone had a brilliant plot; interesting, tense and edge of your seat exciting, but it also gave the characters the attention they deserved and it made it better for that. Their relationship was heartbreaking, beautiful and intense. 

This was such an interesting and new take on the Post Apocalyptic genre. I found myself so invested in the story and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I absolutely loved it!. 
The plot ... 
The writing ...
The characters ...
The spooky atmosphere ...
All 100% amazing. This book was very strong from the get go, and the beginning of the book set a good spooky pace and this continued throughout the book, it was something different something I’ve not read before I think that’s what made this book even better for me because for me it was fresh and new. I didn’t have a clue of this book but the blurb intrigued me and I’m so glad I requested it. As well as being spooky, this book has all the feels and the friendship aspect was amazing and made me wish I had a friend like that!. All I can say is you need to read it. 
5stars.

I don't normally reach for zombie thrillers, but you might know by now that I'll read any genre, especially if it's gay. Which is also why I was sent a physical review copy of this book. I'm very grateful for that, as international readers don't get sent physical copies a lot. The book came with a lovely author letter, in which the author said he wanted to give LGBTQ+ teens their own adventure, because that was exactly what he needed growing up. I can only say I think he nailed it.

This book was off to a good start right away. After only reading a few pages, I was already completely drawn in and I found it so suspenseful.

And honestly, this didn't stop for the remainder of the book. I was immediately hooked and found it pretty much unputdownable. It was very difficult to get through my work day while just wanting to get back to my book.

I truly loved the voice of this novel, which made the main character so endearing. Normally in a book like this, I'll have trouble connecting to the main character because they'll be so much more... capable than me. And that's precisely what I loved about this book: the main character is young and naïve, and he's kind of clueless, at least at the start of the book. Because of that, as a reader, you really take the journey with him. And it's much easier imagining yourself in a similar position.

The voice of the book also made the romance work really well. It's a sort of rough voice at first, because this is a rough world to live in, but there's a lot of softness beyond the surface, which made the romance really stand out for me, and there were multiple fragments that really spoke to me.

An example:

"Peter felt a surge in his heart like it had suddenly been granted more strength or heat somehow. He'd never known that feeling before, but he recognized what it was at once. It was the presence of someone else being there."

And another example:

"There's only one a you in the whole wide world, Peter. And there'll only ever be one a you. So what are the chances that you lived in this time? Not before, but right now and at exactly the same time as me. What are the chances of that? I'm grateful as all hell and you'll get no more worries from my pa or anyone else for that matter. Not now, not now you's with me. I'm glad you wasn't born before. I need you here. So I reckon this time suits you just fine, Peter. OK?"

While this book was very suspenseful, I didn't think it was scary. In that sense it was just the right amount of suspenseful and gory for me: enough to keep me hooked, but not enough to make me afraid in the dark. One thing that really aided the eerie atmosphere of the book was the world building, which I can only describe as narrow. The story is set in a very small community, in a relatively small area, and we don't get to know a lot about the rest of the world and the surroundings. This makes sense, because there's no such thing as the internet anymore, and there's also no safe way to travel large distances.

I only have one small criticism. Something I do have a hard time understanding is when a fictional world doesn't have homophobia, but it does have misogyny and toxic masculinity. This just seems unconvincing to me, because homophobia is ultimately rooted in misogyny and toxic masculinity. And if you are erasing bigotry from your fictional world anyway, why stop at homophobia? Luckily, this aspect was only prevalent in the first part of the book, so it didn't feel too present.

Rep: m/m romance

CWs: murder, gore, blood, ableist language

The concept of Wranglestone had me from the get go! A LGBTQ+ romance set within a zombie apocalypse? Erm yes please! As soon as I got an early copy of this book I was super excited to get stuck in.

Set in a post-apocalyptic USA, a small community is surviving within a national park, surrounded by water, keeping the dead away. However, when winter arrives nothing is stopping the dead from crossing the ice and going into the community. When teenager Peter puts the community at danger, he is sent to help rancher Cooper herd the dead before the ice freezes over. As love blossoms between the two boys, they discover a secret that makes them question everything they have ever known about the world they live in.

This was a really well written, thrilling read that had me for the most part, gripped. However, it did start off a bit slow for me and I found that I didn’t get fully engaged into the story until I was about halfway through. Mind you, once I was immersed I was in for the long run.

The concept, was unique in the way that the world was set up and how the characters all interacted. I never thought in a million years I would be reading a M/M love story set within a zombie apocalypse but I was wrong. The tight knit community and the way the ‘zombies’ are portrayed brought a new lease of life to a genre that has been done several times before.

The love story between Peter and Cooper was just the sweetest, despite the premise of the plot. Seeing them finally get together after admiring each other from afar brought me so much joy. The love they had for each other, you could tell was so genuine and true and was just a delight to read. They are probably one of my favourite M/M couples in YA right now, if I’m being totally honest.

Wranglestone was an exciting, distinctive read that had me absorbed and captivated. It’s truly one to look out for this year, mark my word!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel!

Rating: 4 stars 
Rep: gay MC, M/M romance. 
Trigger warnings: violence, gore. 

As soon as I read the synopsis for this, I was so intrigued. A YA post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, Brokeback Mountain meets The Walking Dead with LGBTQ+ main characters...what a premise! 

Normally, I take lots of notes when reviewing so I can go back and reference, but I was so hooked into this story I really didn't want to put the book down at any time! There were so many twists and turns, the plot twists just kept coming and I didn't anticipate them at all! 

I loved the absolute lack of homophobia, I loved that the book wasn't focused on Cooper and Peter's relationship, it just seemed to progress so naturally and fit into the story so well, (even though Cooper was a little creepy at times). I really liked the character and romance development.

For me, this was a very refreshingly unique book, it's unlike anything I've ever read before!


A couple of things that didn't work for me:

1) Sometimes Peter, the main character, was a little too naive, gullible and rash for me. I love that he came into his own as the book went on though and I'm excited to see what's next for him and Cooper! 
2) The pacing was a little off at times and I did find myself lost and confused a few times in the story. 


Overall, a solid debut with an amazing concept, a hooking and incredibly gripping plot, I can't wait to read more by this author!

A brilliant new take on zombies with a chilling setting and a truth long buried, Wranglestone had me gripped from the very first page and swept me up in its romance-filled snowstorm of zombies and secrets. I'd highly recommend this to zombie lovers and non-zombie lovers alike!

Wranglestone is one of those books that blasts you from the get-go. I knew nothing about the book in advance, so every plot move was a surprise to me.

The opening is frightening and tense, painting the setting for the story to follow. In an isolated community, an underachieving youngster who makes a stupid mistake that could risk everyone in an apocalyptic island setting. But a friendship starting to blossom, shined a ray of hope over the bleak lives of Peter and Cooper. But the Restless Ones threaten to ruin the lives of everyone in Wranglestone.

Wranglestone is surprisingly sweet and gives the reader pangs of loss for a once normal life. I felt every emotion reading this book - shock, fear, love, sadness. It's a new age, dystopian, cowboy horror with a heartwarming love story at the core. This book is a cracker and the story and setting are perfect for reading by the Christmas tree.🎄

Will Wraklestone survive this Winter? You'll just have to read it and see!

Unique spin on the apocalypse/zombie theme type stories, the book just got better and I was hooked from the first page till the last, to the point where I was fully invested in the community and the people and wanting to know more.

This was an absolutely amazing LGBT+ romance set within a zombie apocalypse that I flew through. 

Winter was the only season every Lake-Lander feared...

In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he's forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.

But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary's secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they've ever known.

I was instantly hooked by Peter's distinctive voice and the ominous presence of the 'Dead'. The discussion Charlton provokes around 'otherness' and alienation of certain groups is so thought-provoking and timely, leading me to ponder these issues long after the final page. 

The romance between Peter and Cooper felt so organic, totally shippable and completely loveable. I really appreciated how naturalised it was, their queerness wasn't their defining trait and their romance was just accepted and celebrated by those around them. It was a quiet, brilliant romance that you can't help but root for. 

One of my favourite parts of the book was the superbly crafted atmosphere of impending danger. It created this sense of paranoia and claustrophobia, with the tension like a thick fog encircling Wranglestone. 

Full review will be up on my blog around publication date.

A curious concept. Post-apocalyptic world and we don’t know what happened, but people are scared of those who are different. 
Our focus is on a small community who live on a lake. They look out for those they call The Restless Ones, and the only time they truly fear is winter. Winter is when the ice comes, the lake freezes and the zombies can come.
Peter, our main character, has never felt as if he fits in. Interested in sewing and other activities unsuited to this outdoorsy life, Peter harbours a secret crush on his neighbour, Cooper, who is the original outdoor hero.
When Peter fails to check ID of someone trying to come ashore, he sets in motion a quite unusual sequence of events. He comes to question everything he has been told since he was little. Nothing is quite as it seems, and the question is to what extent this can change people’s lives.
At its heart this is a romance, but there’s suggestions of a bigger story coming into play. I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to, but I did feel the latter part of the story was a little frenetic.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my review.

This wasn't a book I'd heard of but one that I knew I had to check out as soon as I saw it. Zombies with queer romance? Hell yes!

And then I started the book. The world building was fascinating but... There was just something I couldn't get along with. The characters just annoyed me and I found the book easy to put down. I so wanted to love this book but I didn't.

Still if you're looking for zombies with strong world building check this book out. It just wasn't for me.

Absolutely loved this thrilling, scary zombie apocalypse novel, and the m/m romance was fantastically written. The premise of this book was very unique and and truly spine chilling at points. 5 stars .

3.5 stars!!

I couldn't put it down. It was really interesting and had a lot of themes I like to read in books. Nevertheless, it had parts in which the inner monologues of the main character Peter dragged the story, and parts where more info and insight were needed, felt a lot rushed. Things happened real fast when a little explanation would've been great.

The premises was promising. A dystopian world full of zombies and a community trained to survive the walking dead. As I said, it was pretty interesting. Sadly it felt short in a few parts with the rushing of things and some other stuff just there pretty out of the blue. Again, an explanation would've been useful.

Peter and Cooper were really adorable when they weren't whiny which luckily didn't happen often. I loved how Peter was all for good grammar, sewing, making pillows, and just having a tidy and clean house. Everyone needs a Peter in their lives. And if you're a Peter, you're amazing!!

There were things I didn't see coming and revelations that I didn't guess, which made me like the book a lot. I like coming up with theories when reading. Makes me feel like a very amateur Sherlock. Alas, I fail at my deductions most times.

Fast read, finished in a few hours, easy to read, fluent storyline even with its flaws. I sure will recommend it to fans of zombies when it's release day!

There were a lot of things I liked about this book - namely the national park setting, the fascinating premise and the zombie apocalypse world. I loved the atmosphere present throughout the story and I think the overall world-building was executed very well. There were also some amazing scenes that delivered exactly what I wanted from a book set during a zombie apocalypse. 
But, unfortunately there were a few things that meant this book fell short for me. Specifically, there was a number of occasions when the writing really threw me off balance. There were times when I had no idea what was going on, and I felt that there wasn't enough clarity or explanation (mostly during the action scenes). These scenes always seemed to feel quite jumpy and confusing, to the point where I couldn't really follow what was happening. The main romance also felt a bit too 'insta-lovey' and unbelievable for my liking, but the LGBT representation is SO important that I appreciated the romance nonetheless. 
Overall, a fine read that I'm sure many will love. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger Group for sending me a copy for review!

Thank you NetGalley and Little Tiger Group for providing me with a copy for review. 

Wranglestone is about a post-apocalyptic community hiding out and protecting themselves from the rest of the world that has been overtaken with the living dead. The main character, Peter, is a misfit in this community and is called into question when his actions endanger the safety they have cut out for themselves in this small and selective sanctuary surrounded by a lake.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book when I first read the description. I still love post-apocalyptic stories and dystopians, even if it is a well used plot point, and I thought this one sounded really interesting. I don't think I've read a book that features zombies before, besides maybe some iZombie comic books, so I was excited to read a book that featured them for the first time. I was also particularly excited to read it because it features an LGBT+ romance at the centre of the story which I always love.

It was quite a quick read and the world building was very good. I could really see this community and the panicked atmosphere that the world would force upon the sanctuary. However, I felt that it was a little slow at points and I found I didn't really care about the characters as much as I had hoped I would. I will be honest, I did consider DNFing the book at points, but I made it through and I'm glad that I did in the end.

While I don't think this book was for me, I think it will be perfect for those looking for an intense zombie apocalypse story. I requested this because I've been consuming a lot of similar media in the form of TV shows, but I don't think it's something I'm interested in reading. 

That said, the premise of this is absolutely fascinating. A community that live on a lake fear winter each year because that is when the lake freezes over and the zombies can cross over. And the dead were very creepy, the way it was described that they just appeared on the shore and stared sent shivers down my spine. I think really good attention was paid to the way the younger characters who were raised on the islands speak; they don't have proper schooling so they talk less maturely and nuanced than the adults who remember the time before the apocalypse. However, this was a bit challenging for me personally to get used to at first as we are following Peter, who speaks this way. 

This novel also stars a male/male romance which is wonderful to see in this genre and I think this will really draw people into the book. This definitely has potential to be someone's new favourite book, just not mine.

Great addition to YA fiction , but absolutely suitable for all readers. A very good take on the Zombie genre, but with great twists and turns. My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough.