Scan barcode
A review by charlouise
Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Whilst set in a zombie apocalypse it really doesn’t feel like it. The zombies present very little threat for the majority of the book, and Peter goes from never having left the island to running about on his own without you ever feeling like he’s in any really danger. And whilst in the end the majority of characters die, it’s never shocking or moving as there’s little time spent on us getting to know them nor like them.
Another petty gripe I had was the inconsistency of the period the book is set in. Cooper and Peter were toddlers when this all started and often lament about how they don’t know what life was like before, yet there’s many similes and metaphors about things we consider everyday but they wouldn’t have the faintest idea about. It just leaves a lot of the book feeling like it itself is a confused contradiction.
I am also am not a fan of how rushed peters and coopers relationship is - they go from barely speaking to exchanging soppy lines about how they like the sound of each other’s name and fantasies of living together almost instantly. I feel often the book leans toward being profound to stop itself from answering the readers and Pete’s questions.
However one thing the book does do really well is making being gay normal. There are no coming out scenes. No I’ll love you anyway. No contemplating their sexuality. Peter and Cooper are treated exactly the same as everyone else, and it is never talked about in a way a straight couple or relationship wouldn’t be.
Overall I’m giving this 2.5/5 stars not because I didn’t enjoy it but because I had no strong enjoyment feels for it. It was very mid for me.
Favourite quotes:
- “Nature was cold and it was harsh and it didn’t give a damn about your being there”
- “The Way the stars aren’t like a flat ceiling overhead at all, but a universe that wraps all the way around us deep beneath the planet.”
Another petty gripe I had was the inconsistency of the period the book is set in. Cooper and Peter were toddlers when this all started and often lament about how they don’t know what life was like before, yet there’s many similes and metaphors about things we consider everyday but they wouldn’t have the faintest idea about. It just leaves a lot of the book feeling like it itself is a confused contradiction.
I am also am not a fan of how rushed peters and coopers relationship is - they go from barely speaking to exchanging soppy lines about how they like the sound of each other’s name and fantasies of living together almost instantly. I feel often the book leans toward being profound to stop itself from answering the readers and Pete’s questions.
However one thing the book does do really well is making being gay normal. There are no coming out scenes. No I’ll love you anyway. No contemplating their sexuality. Peter and Cooper are treated exactly the same as everyone else, and it is never talked about in a way a straight couple or relationship wouldn’t be.
Overall I’m giving this 2.5/5 stars not because I didn’t enjoy it but because I had no strong enjoyment feels for it. It was very mid for me.
Favourite quotes:
- “Nature was cold and it was harsh and it didn’t give a damn about your being there”
- “The Way the stars aren’t like a flat ceiling overhead at all, but a universe that wraps all the way around us deep beneath the planet.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Death of parent