Darren Charlton

Wranglestone is one of those books that I wish had existed when I was a kid! I didn't find books and characters that I could relate to until I was in my late teens! And, let me also so that I have read a lot of Zombie/apocalyptic books and this one is clever! Darren Charlton has written a tale that is clever! For once, people make choices to protect themselves that make sense to me! If you've ever found yourself watching The Walking Dead and found yourself yelling things at the TV like, "Why aren't you living in a treehouse!?" then you are going to really enjoy this book.

The book is from the perspective of Peter. He's almost sixteen and living in a type of colony of survivors. Peter lives on Skipping Mouse Island in a lake.. in a national park. He lives with his father who was taken into the colony because of his building/carpentry skills.

Early on in the novel, Peter makes a mistake. He is down at the water when a canoe arrives. There's an old man, chatty, who compliments Peter on his wood chopping skills - and sadly Peter doesn't see the man as a threat. The tables are turned quickly, and too late, Peter realizes that the man is not just a friendly person looking for refuge. Things escalate, there's a violent encounter with the old man... and his not-dead wife. Peter is stabbed and when he regains consciousness his father is missing. Fortunately, Bud and his son, Cooper arrive in time to help them.

There are some dissenting voices in the group after the attack. Bud accuses Peter of being a weak link because he didn't act to protect himself and save his father. There's some truth to it. Peter was frozen with fear, but I mean, who wouldn't be? Ultimately, Peter's punishment is to be sent.otu as bait. He's to draw the not-dead away.

When Cooper ends up assisting Peter with his task, the two young men talk about their attraction for one another. Peter's always thought that Cooper wouldn't be interested in him, and Cooper senses the same.

There's a mystery in this book - don't be deceived into thinking this is a simple story. Charlton has written a lovely story full of twists and turns. Things aren't what they seem at the beginning, and the novel winds its way through some truly interesting places.

One of the things that I really enjoyed is that Peter and Cooper's relationship isn't challenged by the adults in the community or in their minds. Their sexuality isn't an issue... and YES! I really think we need more books like this. I'm probably not wording that in the right way but they're such a great couple. I loved the way they spoke to one another, the way they quickly developed their little ways of being intimate in such a crazy world.

As action-packed as this story is, it's also full of tender moments. In particular, I enjoyed the moments between the male characters. There were some beautiful moments written with few words between fathers and sons, between friends and between lovers. The characters are authentic and well-written and this novel was a delight to read!… (mais)