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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, Terminal illness, Trafficking
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review can also be found on *Milky Way of Books*
This was a very, very nice surprise. Not to mention that this book is underrated and it should be known more. This read was one of the cases where I found a nice cover on Netgalley, got hooked up with the cover and read it.
The zombie theme is a touch or leave for me. I've read some zombie related books which were pretty good and others that left me in the 'meh' case. But Juniper Unraveling was a pleasant surprise.
The book is told from a double POV and later only through one. There is quite a mystery concerning the POVs which I won't spoil for you! There is brutality, a world which has already ended and on the horizon a faint hope of rebuilding. I did enjoy the romance very much. It was sweet and heart-breaking and it progressed into something more intense as the plot unravelled and the characters changed.
There is action, torture and there also should be trigger warning because some themes are not for younger readers.
But in the end was book was well developed with realistic characters and a really good ending!
This was a very, very nice surprise. Not to mention that this book is underrated and it should be known more. This read was one of the cases where I found a nice cover on Netgalley, got hooked up with the cover and read it.
The zombie theme is a touch or leave for me. I've read some zombie related books which were pretty good and others that left me in the 'meh' case. But Juniper Unraveling was a pleasant surprise.
The book is told from a double POV and later only through one. There is quite a mystery concerning the POVs which I won't spoil for you! There is brutality, a world which has already ended and on the horizon a faint hope of rebuilding. I did enjoy the romance very much. It was sweet and heart-breaking and it progressed into something more intense as the plot unravelled and the characters changed.
There is action, torture and there also should be trigger warning because some themes are not for younger readers.
But in the end was book was well developed with realistic characters and a really good ending!
"When the world is at its darkest, somehow love still carries the light. Love is strength and weakness. A crutch and a sword. It can leave a person hollow and heal their wounds. It's a friend to the stars, with pain as its shadow. A dichotomy whose time is uncertain. But above all things, love is necessary."
Admittedly before this, I have never picked up a dystopian book, anything with zombies, and have only recently started my journey down the rabbit hole that is dark romance. My love of reading has only recently been rekindled in the past couple of years, and these themes had never been my cup of tea. Honestly, I never thought it would be. Then I discovered Keri Lake. After falling irrevocably in love with Keri's writing style and thought-provoking stories in some of her other books, I knew I had to give this series a chance.
It was genuinely remarkable and utterly gripping.
Juniper Unraveling is a dark romance, set within a ruthless post-apocalyptic world. It is heart-wrenching and shows the sadistic side of nature, yet is so addictive you don't want to put it down. Although there were plenty of times I physically had to take a breather, a moment to collect myself. It does cover some very difficult themes as you may expect for such a harsh world, so you may want to check trigger warnings beforehand.
The writing style was as captivating as I've come to expect of Keri. It has a great pace to it, and despite my best efforts of trying to figure things out, I had moments when I was caught off guard by the twists and turns this story took. There was a good amount of world-building, which may make you feel like the first half is a bit slower going, but it is all to help the bigger picture. Keri never shies from showing the true ugly sides of her worlds and making you really look at the monsters, both the perceived and the true ones.
And then there is the psychological side. Keri seems to have a deep understanding of how the human mind works, especially in times of highly emotional life experiences, and how she writes this out is exemplary. This goes for all her books I've read so far, I've been very impressed with how mental health has been handled, and Juniper Unraveling is no different.
I loved the main characters. They were all so complex, with many layers to them. As expected in their world they have a strong will to live and I loved how they were so willing to fight for what they believe in and for those they loved. Within this story of suffering and loss is a beautiful romance.
I don't want to ruin anything by saying much more, other than I am very, very glad I gave this book a chance, and I can't wait to demolish the rest of the series! (I'm actually nearly 75% through number 2!) I'd suggest giving this a try, even if you don't think it's what you're into, just try. Be prepared to have your heart broken & beaten, but trust me, it's worth it.
Admittedly before this, I have never picked up a dystopian book, anything with zombies, and have only recently started my journey down the rabbit hole that is dark romance. My love of reading has only recently been rekindled in the past couple of years, and these themes had never been my cup of tea. Honestly, I never thought it would be. Then I discovered Keri Lake. After falling irrevocably in love with Keri's writing style and thought-provoking stories in some of her other books, I knew I had to give this series a chance.
It was genuinely remarkable and utterly gripping.
Juniper Unraveling is a dark romance, set within a ruthless post-apocalyptic world. It is heart-wrenching and shows the sadistic side of nature, yet is so addictive you don't want to put it down. Although there were plenty of times I physically had to take a breather, a moment to collect myself. It does cover some very difficult themes as you may expect for such a harsh world, so you may want to check trigger warnings beforehand.
The writing style was as captivating as I've come to expect of Keri. It has a great pace to it, and despite my best efforts of trying to figure things out, I had moments when I was caught off guard by the twists and turns this story took. There was a good amount of world-building, which may make you feel like the first half is a bit slower going, but it is all to help the bigger picture. Keri never shies from showing the true ugly sides of her worlds and making you really look at the monsters, both the perceived and the true ones.
And then there is the psychological side. Keri seems to have a deep understanding of how the human mind works, especially in times of highly emotional life experiences, and how she writes this out is exemplary. This goes for all her books I've read so far, I've been very impressed with how mental health has been handled, and Juniper Unraveling is no different.
I loved the main characters. They were all so complex, with many layers to them. As expected in their world they have a strong will to live and I loved how they were so willing to fight for what they believe in and for those they loved. Within this story of suffering and loss is a beautiful romance.
I don't want to ruin anything by saying much more, other than I am very, very glad I gave this book a chance, and I can't wait to demolish the rest of the series! (I'm actually nearly 75% through number 2!) I'd suggest giving this a try, even if you don't think it's what you're into, just try. Be prepared to have your heart broken & beaten, but trust me, it's worth it.
“I’m sick. And so is he. We’re the perfect, twisted match, destined for pain like a sad tragedy. The moth who fell in love with the flame. He’s the reaper, and I’m his disciple.”
Okay first, let’s talked about what I loved… Six ❤️ Can we just talk about that one scene… you know… the one in the mine, following that other hallway down to that one door with the doctor and the heart.
Okay first, let’s talked about what I loved… Six ❤️ Can we just talk about that one scene… you know… the one in the mine, following that other hallway down to that one door with the doctor and the heart.
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
This was such a good book. The characters were fantastic in their realness and the world created here was completely believable. It showcases so much of the horrible things that humans are capable of, but at the same time the whole point of the story is to have hope and just live out your life in a way that makes you happy. It was dark, dirty, and appalling. There's so much death and torture. But it's also refreshing in the way that good doesn't always win. That's simply not how the world works. Especially one as horrible as what it has become here. What I loved the most though was the monster we meet who is also the roughest sort of sweet that had me swooning.
The book takes place in two parts. In the first one, the story revolves around three characters: Dani, Wren and Six. I spent so much of the time reading about them trying to figure out how they were all linked together, because I just knew they were. And when we find out exactly how, I was totally wrong...on all my theories. We follow Dani as she pretends to be a boy after her family is killed and she is taken to a compound outside the walls of a safe and protected city that lives in ignorant bliss. Outside of those walls the world has been ravaged by a virus that turns people into vicious creatures that feed on humans. Where Dani finds herself is worse than any hell she had imagined and she suffers thru and sees unspeakable horrors. The only thing that saved her was the fact she could read and write which earns her a spot at one of the more decent scientist's side. As decent as one could be in a place rife with human suffering. Wren is the daughter of doctor inside the walls. She has a rebellious streak and is nothing like the other kids her age there. There's just always been something different about her. One day when she goes into a forbidden area she finds a hole in the wall thru which she meets Six. After seeing his suffering, she is determined to save him and even pulls it off. Six is mute, but the following months (at least I think it's months) they spend together has them getting closer and closer and of course falling in love. Six is extremely damaged and occasionally loses control of himself but Wren never fears him. Their happiness is shattered though when Six is captured and they are ripped apart. Soon after, Wren's past comes back to her and she finally understands why she's always been so different.
The second part is eight years later. Eight years of Wren believing that six is dead. No longer a child, Wren passes thru the gates of the wall to hunt or just get away. Her life inside the wall is much the same as before though. Only when she loses her father do things change for and rather quickly. Outside the wall she gets caught by bandits in order to rescue a young girl. Then she is sold to the rebels where the guy that buys her intends to hand her over as a distraction to his leader. When Wren gets there, she is disgusted by what she thinks she sees going on. She sees their leader, Rhys, as the worst type of human out there...until she realizes who he really is and what's really happening. The last eight years have really hardened her heart, but at the prospect of Six being alive again, she feels hope once more. Rhys also believed that Wren had been killed, and in those years he did a lot of terrible terrible things. Without her there to calm him, the darkness takes over and he suffers from blackouts where he doesn't remember the horrible things he just did. Now that his little bird has come back to him though, Rhys is even more willing than ever to do whatever he has to in order to keep her safe and at his side. Even when Wren sees how easy it is for him torture someone, she isn't disgusted or scared. She still loves him, and that's what scares her more. The way Rhys loves her was so deep and so strong it was impossible not to fall for the guy. Damaged monster or not. And Wren refuses to lose him again. So when he gets captured again by the evil scientists, she follows and will not leave without him. The two of them refuse to live without the other and when a lot goes down quick in that compound of death, it's a race for them to make it to freedom in time. Rhys might have changed his mind over his goals for the future because of Wren, but he doesn't care because he still has her. And we end with him doing another sweet as hell thing for her that just keeps showing how much he loves her.
I really did enjoy this book and if the author comes out with more like this one, I'd definitely love to check them out.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
This was such a good book. The characters were fantastic in their realness and the world created here was completely believable. It showcases so much of the horrible things that humans are capable of, but at the same time the whole point of the story is to have hope and just live out your life in a way that makes you happy. It was dark, dirty, and appalling. There's so much death and torture. But it's also refreshing in the way that good doesn't always win. That's simply not how the world works. Especially one as horrible as what it has become here. What I loved the most though was the monster we meet who is also the roughest sort of sweet that had me swooning.
The book takes place in two parts. In the first one, the story revolves around three characters: Dani, Wren and Six. I spent so much of the time reading about them trying to figure out how they were all linked together, because I just knew they were. And when we find out exactly how, I was totally wrong...on all my theories. We follow Dani as she pretends to be a boy after her family is killed and she is taken to a compound outside the walls of a safe and protected city that lives in ignorant bliss. Outside of those walls the world has been ravaged by a virus that turns people into vicious creatures that feed on humans. Where Dani finds herself is worse than any hell she had imagined and she suffers thru and sees unspeakable horrors. The only thing that saved her was the fact she could read and write which earns her a spot at one of the more decent scientist's side. As decent as one could be in a place rife with human suffering. Wren is the daughter of doctor inside the walls. She has a rebellious streak and is nothing like the other kids her age there. There's just always been something different about her. One day when she goes into a forbidden area she finds a hole in the wall thru which she meets Six. After seeing his suffering, she is determined to save him and even pulls it off. Six is mute, but the following months (at least I think it's months) they spend together has them getting closer and closer and of course falling in love. Six is extremely damaged and occasionally loses control of himself but Wren never fears him. Their happiness is shattered though when Six is captured and they are ripped apart. Soon after, Wren's past comes back to her and she finally understands why she's always been so different.
The second part is eight years later. Eight years of Wren believing that six is dead. No longer a child, Wren passes thru the gates of the wall to hunt or just get away. Her life inside the wall is much the same as before though. Only when she loses her father do things change for and rather quickly. Outside the wall she gets caught by bandits in order to rescue a young girl. Then she is sold to the rebels where the guy that buys her intends to hand her over as a distraction to his leader. When Wren gets there, she is disgusted by what she thinks she sees going on. She sees their leader, Rhys, as the worst type of human out there...until she realizes who he really is and what's really happening. The last eight years have really hardened her heart, but at the prospect of Six being alive again, she feels hope once more. Rhys also believed that Wren had been killed, and in those years he did a lot of terrible terrible things. Without her there to calm him, the darkness takes over and he suffers from blackouts where he doesn't remember the horrible things he just did. Now that his little bird has come back to him though, Rhys is even more willing than ever to do whatever he has to in order to keep her safe and at his side. Even when Wren sees how easy it is for him torture someone, she isn't disgusted or scared. She still loves him, and that's what scares her more. The way Rhys loves her was so deep and so strong it was impossible not to fall for the guy. Damaged monster or not. And Wren refuses to lose him again. So when he gets captured again by the evil scientists, she follows and will not leave without him. The two of them refuse to live without the other and when a lot goes down quick in that compound of death, it's a race for them to make it to freedom in time. Rhys might have changed his mind over his goals for the future because of Wren, but he doesn't care because he still has her. And we end with him doing another sweet as hell thing for her that just keeps showing how much he loves her.
I really did enjoy this book and if the author comes out with more like this one, I'd definitely love to check them out.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
“Falling in love means you have to be brave enough to accept the pain when it comes to stake its claim.”
This is the first post apocalyptic romance I’ve read. Aside from divergent, hunger games etc. and I was really excited for a dark more adult version. This starts out from two female PoV Dani and Wren. We get to experience Dani being taken and brought to this facility that does experiments and Wren a girl on the other side of the wall who finds a lost boy and helps him. Her and the boy get close and soon they’re everything to each other. As the pieces start to click in place how these characters are all connected I was mind blown. Just when I thought I figured it out Keri Lake threw me through a loop. Then we’re thrown 8 years later when Wren and our boy Six are finally reunited.
“But I already lost you once, and come war, or the fires of hell, I’m not losing you twice.”
The first part isn’t big on romance but sets the stage for the plot. The plot was so interesting I had to keep reading so I could figure it all out. My heart bleeds for all that they’ve been through and how they’ve survive. They’re love was strong even knowing things could end the next second in such an unknown world. The second part seemed to fly by after their reunion and I almost wish we got to see them be together longer and to have a little bit more of them. But this is definitely a fast paced, dark read. But so interesting. The spice was more in the second part but just as good.
“To the rest of the world, you were just a girl. A lonely girl from the other side of that wall. But to me, you’ve always been more than that. The air when I couldn’t breathe. My voice when I couldn’t speak. When I couldn’t feel anything anymore, I felt you. Goddamn, Wren, you were my heart, pumping life into a body that was mostly dead. You were everything to me. You are everything.”
This is the first post apocalyptic romance I’ve read. Aside from divergent, hunger games etc. and I was really excited for a dark more adult version. This starts out from two female PoV Dani and Wren. We get to experience Dani being taken and brought to this facility that does experiments and Wren a girl on the other side of the wall who finds a lost boy and helps him. Her and the boy get close and soon they’re everything to each other. As the pieces start to click in place how these characters are all connected I was mind blown. Just when I thought I figured it out Keri Lake threw me through a loop. Then we’re thrown 8 years later when Wren and our boy Six are finally reunited.
“But I already lost you once, and come war, or the fires of hell, I’m not losing you twice.”
The first part isn’t big on romance but sets the stage for the plot. The plot was so interesting I had to keep reading so I could figure it all out. My heart bleeds for all that they’ve been through and how they’ve survive. They’re love was strong even knowing things could end the next second in such an unknown world. The second part seemed to fly by after their reunion and I almost wish we got to see them be together longer and to have a little bit more of them. But this is definitely a fast paced, dark read. But so interesting. The spice was more in the second part but just as good.
“To the rest of the world, you were just a girl. A lonely girl from the other side of that wall. But to me, you’ve always been more than that. The air when I couldn’t breathe. My voice when I couldn’t speak. When I couldn’t feel anything anymore, I felt you. Goddamn, Wren, you were my heart, pumping life into a body that was mostly dead. You were everything to me. You are everything.”