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.

Wranglestone Series by Darren Charlton - Goodreads

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 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. 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 BEAUTYA 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

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? 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 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. 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? 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. Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2021 | Shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award 2020 | February 2020 Debut of the Month 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.