Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
1.5
This started off well (brutal and violent but interesting) and then it went downhill and just kept going.
After the 8 year time jump it was awful - pushed through all the rape scenes for nothing. Just watch I AM LEGEND or any other zombie movie.
This started off well (brutal and violent but interesting) and then it went downhill and just kept going.
After the 8 year time jump it was awful - pushed through all the rape scenes for nothing. Just watch I AM LEGEND or any other zombie movie.
I loved the world this was set in. However, the romance was not for me. The insta love doesn't cut it and the fact that "six" wasn't really mute and had a complete shift in personality was really revolting. I had no connection to the characters, however the setting and the plot twists kept me going.
This book went from 3 stars to 5 stars within one chapter! The first half of the book is told in two perspectives, about three main characters. Both with VERY different tales about life in this new dystopian world. One is a female masking as a male so she isn’t killed while she works in a lab in a place with the most powerful and smartest working on people’s genetics to look for cures and create super humans to battle against the new world and the “ragers” (zombies). The other character is hidden away with her father up in a cabin, just living day by day. She finds a mute boy and after a while, they fall for each other.
I spent the entire first half of the novel trying to piece together these two characters, and two lives. Seeing how the connect. The synopsis gives nothing away. I was getting frustrated at the randomness of it all. Hints start to be dropped later on but nothing concrete. Reviews were saying how they love the alpha romance stuff and I was thinking that I had a different book entirely because this is very YA dystopia. And THEN the book makes sense! A giant light bulb goes off while reading.
I had immense respect for the author and her writing here. The fact that I was lost, but intrigued by both girls and their lives at the same time…sad for both of them... Is a great point in the author’s favor. THAT what I just explained is good writing. She kept me hooked on the story but then threw a twist at me. I had to step back from my reader here and really think about the OMG part that I just read. Not only is it good writing; it’s unique. Not many authors would pull something like this and I appreciate her for doing it.
This leads into the second half of the book. You have a new respect for Wren and all she’s been through, but more so, you get more of Six here. WOW…do you ever get more of Six here… Now I see why people commented on the alpha hot sex. It does indeed exist in this book and it’s written in a way that just makes you want more and more. The two characters together just warms my heart. I really enjoyed Six. While I was reading I kept going back to him. In the first half, he’s a protective sweetheart. And in the second half he’s alpha protective but equally as sweet, in his own way. I couldn’t wait to see where this book took their lives.
The overall plot is very dystopia. I enjoyed it through. Little bit of zombies, little bit of science fiction lab stuff, mixed with family, romance, and death. There’s something for everyone in this book. Even age; it goes from YA to NA in a page. I feel like I could say so much about this book, but it just won’t do it justice.
I want to thank the author and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this. I took a chance on it and am not sorry. I will definitely read this book again and will be checking out the author’s other books.
I spent the entire first half of the novel trying to piece together these two characters, and two lives. Seeing how the connect. The synopsis gives nothing away. I was getting frustrated at the randomness of it all. Hints start to be dropped later on but nothing concrete. Reviews were saying how they love the alpha romance stuff and I was thinking that I had a different book entirely because this is very YA dystopia. And THEN the book makes sense! A giant light bulb goes off while reading.
I had immense respect for the author and her writing here. The fact that I was lost, but intrigued by both girls and their lives at the same time…sad for both of them... Is a great point in the author’s favor. THAT what I just explained is good writing. She kept me hooked on the story but then threw a twist at me. I had to step back from my reader here and really think about the OMG part that I just read. Not only is it good writing; it’s unique. Not many authors would pull something like this and I appreciate her for doing it.
This leads into the second half of the book. You have a new respect for Wren and all she’s been through, but more so, you get more of Six here. WOW…do you ever get more of Six here… Now I see why people commented on the alpha hot sex. It does indeed exist in this book and it’s written in a way that just makes you want more and more. The two characters together just warms my heart. I really enjoyed Six. While I was reading I kept going back to him. In the first half, he’s a protective sweetheart. And in the second half he’s alpha protective but equally as sweet, in his own way. I couldn’t wait to see where this book took their lives.
The overall plot is very dystopia. I enjoyed it through. Little bit of zombies, little bit of science fiction lab stuff, mixed with family, romance, and death. There’s something for everyone in this book. Even age; it goes from YA to NA in a page. I feel like I could say so much about this book, but it just won’t do it justice.
I want to thank the author and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this. I took a chance on it and am not sorry. I will definitely read this book again and will be checking out the author’s other books.
Hmm, how to describe this book. 4.5 stars. It was well written and dark. I almost stopped since I wasn't in a good place emotionally to handle this. But I am so glad I kept going!
It brought back to my memory some really dark apocalypse stories like "Fallocaust" by Quil Carter. Now THERE is some dark shit. I couldn't finish that. Also it brought to mind the "Monstrous" series by Lily Mayne. Dark but glimpses of love.
This was dark and horrifying since " there is no monster more terrifying than the human being who lacks compassion."
Good twist in the story there, between characters, who is Dani? Papa? Wren? Six and Rhys? I knew who Rhys was right away but sat up reading late until Wren figured it out! I wished Six had been more obvious to Wren as to who he was, but I guess he figured it was better to believe that the sweet boy she had loved was gone. What he didn't realize was that the sweet girl he loved was not who she seemed to be. Nor Papa.
The introspection was spot on:
"I’ve also come to realize that pain doesn’t strike at once, as one might think. It’s organic. From the moment you fall in love with someone, your pain begins."
Wren and Six are separated for 8 years and both are changed, hardened from their experiences. But the love that was their foundation stayed strong:
“What’s to keep you from punching your fist into my chest and ripping out my heart?”
He shakes his head and rubs his thumb across his palm.
“Because it isn’t your heart, anymore, Wren. It’s mine. You’re my life. If you die, I die.”
Sigh.
The ending didn't really make strong sense, trying to trade a cure for freedom. Wren should have know better, there IS no negotiating with evil. It just needs to die.
Looking forward to the next book!
It brought back to my memory some really dark apocalypse stories like "Fallocaust" by Quil Carter. Now THERE is some dark shit. I couldn't finish that. Also it brought to mind the "Monstrous" series by Lily Mayne. Dark but glimpses of love.
This was dark and horrifying since " there is no monster more terrifying than the human being who lacks compassion."
Good twist in the story there, between characters, who is Dani? Papa? Wren? Six and Rhys? I knew who Rhys was right away but sat up reading late until Wren figured it out! I wished Six had been more obvious to Wren as to who he was, but I guess he figured it was better to believe that the sweet boy she had loved was gone. What he didn't realize was that the sweet girl he loved was not who she seemed to be. Nor Papa.
The introspection was spot on:
"I’ve also come to realize that pain doesn’t strike at once, as one might think. It’s organic. From the moment you fall in love with someone, your pain begins."
Wren and Six are separated for 8 years and both are changed, hardened from their experiences. But the love that was their foundation stayed strong:
“What’s to keep you from punching your fist into my chest and ripping out my heart?”
He shakes his head and rubs his thumb across his palm.
“Because it isn’t your heart, anymore, Wren. It’s mine. You’re my life. If you die, I die.”
Sigh.
The ending didn't really make strong sense, trying to trade a cure for freedom. Wren should have know better, there IS no negotiating with evil. It just needs to die.
Looking forward to the next book!
What an epic love story - wow! Very dark themes. I saw all twists coming at the beginning but I didn’t mind at all - didn’t want this book to end. The writing and world building was immaculate.
DNF. This was my second Keri Lake read, and I'm just going to throw it out there - her books definitely come with Trigger Warnings. Do your research before you read. I read Master of Salt & Bones previously and enjoyed that book, and so I came to Juniper Unraveling. I like the concept of this book and it started out even with a warning from the author herself. I may return to this book at some point, which is why I gave it 3 stars. I just found myself in an odd place where I could only read at night, and the themes and imagery in this book made that difficult to do and sleep comfortably after.
Wow was this story DARK. I will admit I’m not a fan of apocalyptic stories, but I’ve been in a dark romance kick and wanted to give this one a shot after reading Master of Salt and Bones.
This book has two POVs, following two girls, Dani and Wren. Dani is taken by soldiers disguised as a boy in order to survive and is taken to this basically like a science camp where they do experiments on boys trying to find the cure of the disease that was unleashed on the world, at least that’s what they want us to think that’s going on. Dani becomes the assistant of a scientist there, and let’s just say she learns a lot there and all she wants to do is save her brother little Abel. The other POV follows Wren who lives with her father in a safe community away from the Ragers who meets a boy from outside the wall who is mute and she calls Six. As she gets to know him, she slowly begins to learn about him, what he has gone through, and more about her father.
The way this story came together was very well done. I had my suspicions from the beginning and I did figure it out, but it was so well done. The story about these two girls and Six is utterly heart wrenching and just awful. I mean the positions they’re in learning how to survive no matter what, especially if it means saving those you love and care about. It was just sad, dark, and emotional.
The romance was very cute, and I loved the family aspect in this book too. It was a very dark book, and so I had to take a break for a bit and read something else after, but I will say if you love dark romances and apocalyptic stories, then you’ll love this one!
This book has two POVs, following two girls, Dani and Wren. Dani is taken by soldiers disguised as a boy in order to survive and is taken to this basically like a science camp where they do experiments on boys trying to find the cure of the disease that was unleashed on the world, at least that’s what they want us to think that’s going on. Dani becomes the assistant of a scientist there, and let’s just say she learns a lot there and all she wants to do is save her brother little Abel. The other POV follows Wren who lives with her father in a safe community away from the Ragers who meets a boy from outside the wall who is mute and she calls Six. As she gets to know him, she slowly begins to learn about him, what he has gone through, and more about her father.
The way this story came together was very well done. I had my suspicions from the beginning and I did figure it out, but it was so well done. The story about these two girls and Six is utterly heart wrenching and just awful. I mean the positions they’re in learning how to survive no matter what, especially if it means saving those you love and care about. It was just sad, dark, and emotional.
The romance was very cute, and I loved the family aspect in this book too. It was a very dark book, and so I had to take a break for a bit and read something else after, but I will say if you love dark romances and apocalyptic stories, then you’ll love this one!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced