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freezing_moon's review against another edition
5.0
It Is A Dry Heat
What a story! From the jump I felt that JUNIPER was going to be a different kind of read. It lived up to that expectation and much more. Beautifully written. Gripping characters. A fully realized place that feels familiar and foreign. At least one scene that will be forever etched into my brain. Not for the faint of heart. Highly recommended.
What a story! From the jump I felt that JUNIPER was going to be a different kind of read. It lived up to that expectation and much more. Beautifully written. Gripping characters. A fully realized place that feels familiar and foreign. At least one scene that will be forever etched into my brain. Not for the faint of heart. Highly recommended.
sam_reads_1990's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Instantly need the next two books in this series, really got sucked into the world of juniper and can’t wait to see what happens next
erikbergstrom's review against another edition
4.0
Jeffery shows off every bit of his Pahalniuk/King influences in 'Juniper' with relatable characters and gory scenes that don't let up, even when you're crying mercy. Of course, it's also his own tale, something wholly original that I've not seen done before. Makes me think of some of the exciting, odd, and unsettling work coming out of the UK from writers like Naomi Booth ('Sealed') and Aliya Whitely ('The Loosening Skin'), as well as the the US with Gwendolyn Kiste ('The Rust Maidens').
The setting of the town is richly-detailed (even in the throes of winter I could feel the heat), and the desperation of each character is very palpable (yes, I include even the disgusting Klein). It's a slow burn at first, though it leads to some well-done, very tense scenes in the end. I think Jeffery's still got a lot to say about the little town of Juniper and its odd inhabitants. There's a few pieces missing from a full-blown story arc in this shorter novel so I'm leaving room to be floored by the next installment. Also, the cat violence made me question ever letting Jeffery near my own feline family.
All in all, a short, impactful read. I'm excited to no end to be here for the beginning of a promising writing career from Ross Jeffery and the odd tales he has yet to tell.
The setting of the town is richly-detailed (even in the throes of winter I could feel the heat), and the desperation of each character is very palpable (yes, I include even the disgusting Klein). It's a slow burn at first, though it leads to some well-done, very tense scenes in the end. I think Jeffery's still got a lot to say about the little town of Juniper and its odd inhabitants. There's a few pieces missing from a full-blown story arc in this shorter novel so I'm leaving room to be floored by the next installment. Also, the cat violence made me question ever letting Jeffery near my own feline family.
All in all, a short, impactful read. I'm excited to no end to be here for the beginning of a promising writing career from Ross Jeffery and the odd tales he has yet to tell.
mazza's review against another edition
4.0
Completely bizarre yet utterly gripping, Juniper is a book that you won't forget in a hurry.
I read it in just two, intense sittings; the pages flowed into one another as the eerie town of Juniper was bought to life, and the strange happenings were unearthed with electrifying prose.
This is a novel which aims to shock - whether that be through the exquisite details in the gruesome scenes ("there were carcasses piled high in every wagon, blood sloshing around, dripping out around the tailgates, leaving a bloody trail from the forest to the square.") or the dark and sinister insights into our oddball characters ("she'd get to bash them, break their bones, submerge them thrashing within the water, hurt them good and proper."), Juniper draws on all the senses to completely emerge the reader in the fascinatingly horrific narrative.
The pace is slow and steady, building on the heat and the frustration of the setting and characters, before erupting into a highly charged, impactful ending - with an interesting and unique twist.
The character voices are distinctive and well-considered, perfect for their hopeless environment, and I liked the fact that we weren't overwhelmed with an abundance of personalities; instead, the novel focuses on just a handful, allowing us to explore their nuanced and layered personalities and really invest in their stories.
This isn't a novel for the fainted-hearted - Juniper is peppered with shocking scenes and descriptions that may make for uncomfortable reading for some. However, luckily for me, this is exactly the kind of writing that I cherish - the more gut-wrenching, the better I say!
Excited to see what more comes of the little town of Juniper.
I read it in just two, intense sittings; the pages flowed into one another as the eerie town of Juniper was bought to life, and the strange happenings were unearthed with electrifying prose.
This is a novel which aims to shock - whether that be through the exquisite details in the gruesome scenes ("there were carcasses piled high in every wagon, blood sloshing around, dripping out around the tailgates, leaving a bloody trail from the forest to the square.") or the dark and sinister insights into our oddball characters ("she'd get to bash them, break their bones, submerge them thrashing within the water, hurt them good and proper."), Juniper draws on all the senses to completely emerge the reader in the fascinatingly horrific narrative.
The pace is slow and steady, building on the heat and the frustration of the setting and characters, before erupting into a highly charged, impactful ending - with an interesting and unique twist.
The character voices are distinctive and well-considered, perfect for their hopeless environment, and I liked the fact that we weren't overwhelmed with an abundance of personalities; instead, the novel focuses on just a handful, allowing us to explore their nuanced and layered personalities and really invest in their stories.
This isn't a novel for the fainted-hearted - Juniper is peppered with shocking scenes and descriptions that may make for uncomfortable reading for some. However, luckily for me, this is exactly the kind of writing that I cherish - the more gut-wrenching, the better I say!
Excited to see what more comes of the little town of Juniper.
turtlesreads's review against another edition
4.0
This one centers around Janet- an abused woman, Betty- a lonely widow, and some cats.
This was a different kind of horror read for me and one that I enjoyed reading. It was a quick read and one where justice is served at the end in an unusual horrorific way.
This was a different kind of horror read for me and one that I enjoyed reading. It was a quick read and one where justice is served at the end in an unusual horrorific way.
tiffanyruberto's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
1.0
This book was definitely not for me.
I found the writing atrocious, the genre misleading, and the language inconsistent.
The only part of the story I enjoyed was the last ten percent.
One star. Do not recommend.
I found the writing atrocious, the genre misleading, and the language inconsistent.
The only part of the story I enjoyed was the last ten percent.
One star. Do not recommend.
lisa_592's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death
pbanditp's review against another edition
4.0
Juniper is a small desolate town. A town that leaves a crunchy grit in your teeth and a film of dirty sweat on your neck. Almost apocalyptic in nature, this smudge on your map is one you drive by no matter how low your gas tank is.
This is a grim, morose dust bowl that love had forgotten about. Dilapidated, where the only thing new is where “she remembered hearing about him growing depressed, ended up painting his shed brain grey with a shotgun.”
Here we meet Betty, an old cripple woman who stays alive by scrapping up road kill to get fresh meat. Betty lives on the edge of town with no electricity, and is thought of as the town witch.
We also meet Janet and her abusive husband Klein. Janet has started raising a new type of livestock after the floods and fires have destroyed all the towns food sources. As the old joke goes;
“Do you like cats? -Yes, but I can’t eat a whole one by myself.”
While this town is alive, it is already dead. It just keeps pushing on and pretending. Waiting for the inevitable.
This book is an intriguing chemical spill train crash. You can’t help but stare in horror at the wreckage, taking it all in, knowing there is no way you are going over to help.
This is a grim, morose dust bowl that love had forgotten about. Dilapidated, where the only thing new is where “she remembered hearing about him growing depressed, ended up painting his shed brain grey with a shotgun.”
Here we meet Betty, an old cripple woman who stays alive by scrapping up road kill to get fresh meat. Betty lives on the edge of town with no electricity, and is thought of as the town witch.
We also meet Janet and her abusive husband Klein. Janet has started raising a new type of livestock after the floods and fires have destroyed all the towns food sources. As the old joke goes;
“Do you like cats? -Yes, but I can’t eat a whole one by myself.”
While this town is alive, it is already dead. It just keeps pushing on and pretending. Waiting for the inevitable.
This book is an intriguing chemical spill train crash. You can’t help but stare in horror at the wreckage, taking it all in, knowing there is no way you are going over to help.