Wranglestone

Product Information

LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. 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. Thrilling zombie epic meets gorgeous gay love story. The world-building is deft, the writing poetic ... this is very special! Properly scary and properly heart-warming.' - William Hussey, author of HIDEOUS BEAUTY

Wrangler Texas Stretch - Jeanwise Wrangler Texas Stretch - Jeanwise

There’s some stunning, lyrical language in the story, especially when you describe the frost and snow, and there’s a wonderful line that’s stayed with me too –‘The cabin was as quiet as a box of secrets’. Do these striking images come to you naturally or do you have to spend a lot of time working on your sentence construction? Wranglestone is a tense YA coming-of-age queer romance zombie horror survival adventure thriller. The world building is excellent. It's isolated, post-apocalyptic National Park setting is beautifully atmospheric, creating an aura of both bucolic serenity and claustrophobic threat. The nature of their world is slowly revealed throughout the novel. The characters all felt real and - especially the main two protagonists - had believable and satisfying development arcs.A bucolic, intimate twist on the zombie/post-apocalyptic story… It’s impressive how Darren has combined the pace, thrills, and gore you expect from zombie fiction with a genuinely tender romance.’ – David Owen, author of GRIEF ANGELS I did like this book but I was expecting to love it. I think the pacing was a bit strange and I would have preferred a slower build to the romance. However, I did enjoy the storyline and will probably read the sequel when I can. Wranglestone is a post-apocalyptic zombie YA novel that takes place within a community based on a lake in a national park. The protagonist, Peter, must prove himself useful to the group, while uncovering some dark truths about the zombies. Gripping and graphically gory, this dynamic debut is dystopian horror with a difference, for it pulsates not only with terror and visceral violence, but also with love, affection and emotional atmosphere. 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.

Darren Charlton | Waterstones

The romance was sweet and I liked that the fact they were gay was just accepted. It reminded me of Wolfsong by T.J. Klune in that way and I hope this trend in YA fiction continues. It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom when it comes to gay relationships. I just wish we got to spend some more time with Peter and Cooper to show their romance blossoming. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Thrilling zombie epic meets gorgeous gay love story. The world-building is deft, the writing poetic… this is very special! Properly scary and properly heart-warming.’ A bucolic, intimate twist on the zombie/post-apocalyptic story... It's impressive how Darren has combined the pace, thrills, and gore you expect from zombie fiction with a genuinely tender romance.' - David Owen, author of GRIEF ANGELSWranglestone is the first ever book I have read that has made me shed a tear or two. Watching the blossoming relationships alongside the danger and twists is truly a work of art. It’s wonderful to see the relationship between Peter and Cooper develop throughout the story as they fall in love. I was saddened to read that there has been ‘a spate of attempts around the world to remove titles depicting gay or transgender characters from library shelves’ (The Guardian, January 2019). Why do you think YA books that explore the lives of gay and transgender characters and present a variety of relationships are still so important? The setting very much reminded me of my honeymoon to Canada and the beautiful, icy, mountainous scenery I saw. What was your inspiration for the setting? That came last minute, just before it went to print for proof copies. So, no, for someone who’s desperate to convey nature, I hate to say it but that stuff doesn’t always come easily at all. They’re the jewels I pray for. A bucolic, intimate twist on the zombie/post-apocalyptic story... It's impressive how Darren has combined the pace, thrills, and gore you expect from zombie fiction with a genuinely tender romance.' -- David Owen, author of Grief Angels

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Paperback) – Queer Lit Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Paperback) – Queer Lit

Well, first of all I must credit the book’s designer Pip Johnson for the cover concept. But yes, Jana’s done such a beautiful job. It was really important to me that the cover play against any expectations a ‘zombie novel’ may carry because really, they’re a gateway into another story which has a mystery and a romance and then has a bit of a sci-fi as social allegory thing going on. So, what Jana’s done cleverly serves both the book it starts out as being and the one it becomes. I just love covers you can keep returning to. The book also looks like my style feels, I think. And, to answer your question, yes, seeing the cover on the physical book in particular was wonderful. The way the painting is matte finish just looked so smart and special. It looks like it was made with love, and across all departments, it really was. I’m very fortunate. 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. The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have... Darren lives in London with his partner and works in the voluntary sector for a homeless organisation. His lifetime obsessions with the National Parks of America, horror, film music and 80s kids movies have all worked their way into his writing. 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.

Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments A bucolic, intimate twist on the zombie/post-apocalyptic story... It's impressive how Darren has combined the pace, thrills, and gore you expect from zombie fiction with a genuinely tender romance.’ – David Owen, author of GRIEF ANGELS Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his... Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri... Thrilling zombie epic meets gorgeous gay love story. The world-building is deft, the writing poetic … this is very special! Properly scary and properly heart-warming.’ – William Hussey, author of HIDEOUS BEAUTY

Wranglestone Series by Darren Charlton - Goodreads

Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... Well, following a zombie apocalypse fifteen years before events in the book, the Escape Program gave the surviving population of America refuge inside the National Parks. The island homes of Lake Wranglestone are safe, until winter when the Dead can cross the ice. That’s the hook. Our protagonist Peter, bit of a homebody, is sent out onto the mainland with wrangler, Cooper, to herd the Dead from the shores. And there’s romance, adventure and some horror. But just like life, when you first step into a more complicated adult world, I think it’s fair to say that the story spins on a dime. That’s all I’ll say.A bucolic, intimate twist on the zombie/post-apocalyptic story, I found the wild setting particularly evocative. It's impressive how Darren has combined the pace, thrills, and gore you expect from zombie fiction with a genuinely tender romance.’ There’s a lot in the story about fear of outsiders and the demonisation of other people who are different and I wondered if this was a reflection of, or commentary on, the state of our society today? In the middle of a lake in an isolated American National Park lives the community of Wranglestone. Peter is much happier wielding a darning needle than a weapon, but in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world, his skill set is not always appreciated. Especially when winter comes, when the lake freezes over, and there is nothing to stop the Restless Ones from moving in. So Peter is made to go out and help Cooper - a boy he's always had a secret crush on - to herd the zombies away from their shores before the it's too late. As Peter and Cooper's relationship develops, together they make a discovery that makes them question everything they though they knew about their world. Darren lives in London with his partner, Shaun, and works in the voluntary sector for a homeless organisation. His lifetime obsessions with the National Parks of America, horror, film music and 80s ki… SIMILAR BOOKS YOU MIGHT LIKE