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A review by yazthebookish
Juniper Unraveling by Keri Lake, Julie Belfield
5.0
5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
He wears his words across his skin like braille. A story of pain that I wish I could rewrite for him, and take away the chapters that mark his suffering.
My head is still reeling because there wasn't a moment's rest... like wow... I could not put this book down.
It was utterly gripping and insane.
Juniper Unraveling is a dark romance set in a brutal post-apocalyptic world that sheds off humanity's morality and brings out its most depraved and heinous instincts.
Because I am sick. And so is he. We're the perfect, twisted match, destined for pain like a sad tragedy.
The moth who fell in love with the flame.
He's the reaper, and I'm his disciple.
Keri Lake crafts such a solid story and her writing pulled me right in and although I am not a fan of dystopian books however Lake's take on this genre gave me what I expected and more: a dark, gritty and intense story that kept me restless. She brings out the worst of humanity or let's say the surviving humans whom rose from the ashes of their fallen civilization.
In a reborn world infested with a vicious virus that absorbs the brain and halt its normal functions eventually disconnecting its carrier from their human selves and becoming frenzied individuals with an appetite for human flesh.
In other words, the virus or as the book calls it, the dredge, turns humans into monsters known as Ragers. They are led by three instincts: to survive, to feed and to breed.
As a reader, I always keep my distance from books that include zombies (a cool concept of zombies) and a simple reason for that is:
it's not my cup of tea.
However, I enjoyed Keri Lake's storytelling and writing in Master of Salt and Bones, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed.
There were quite a few scenes that made my stomach churn. This book was quite the experience and despite its grittiness, I enjoyed it mainly because the author did not hold back from creating such an intensely dark atmosphere throughout the book because that brings out the horrific reality of how far humanity had fallen.
When you no longer have greed on a leash, it leads you astray, committing the most heinous actions for the sake of power and survival.
What strikes me is the non-existent spectrum of good and evil and I absolutely love that. Every character comes in different shades of grey. While the villains are easy to spot it does not put a damper on the questionable actions the main characters do because even those we are rooting for keep their monsters within.
The little girl who would curl into herself, cursing and shaming her body, is no longer here. In her place is a woman. One who's seen the darker side of man. Who's felt the raw brutality of the world. One who can bathe in the aftermath of her sins.
The story follows two alternating POVS following Dani and Wren. The author ties the threads of their storylines effortlessly in such a clever and effortless way that I was left impressed.
The book shifts halfway through and that helped in igniting my anticipation of what's to come because trust me I gave up on predicting on what happens after it had hit me with plot-twist after plot-twist.
The world-building was nothing short of epic. The author showcases the ugliness of this dystopian world in a way that makes you truly reflect on would humanity ever go that far if they lived in such a horrific reality? And with the world currently living through a pandemic, we most probably do question the fate of humanity.
• There is an empire that seeks to establish a totalitarian rule.
• Small communities of survivors known as The Hives.
• A research facility inhabiting mad scientists subjecting their victims to the most heinous and horrifying experiments.
• An established system of armed forces dividing to: Mediators (men that guard the wall and solar panels) and the Legion (they hunt down Ragers and keep rebels out).
I hope I'm doing a good job at writing this review because I honestly have so much to talk about but I won't bore you with the details because this is a book that should be experienced!
Note that this book is not a book for the faint-hearted, It is intense and disturbing and I will add the trigger warnings at the end of the review but let me tell you that this book will push you out of your comfort zone yet will keep you absorbed and invested in every word and page.
We have covered the dystopian aspect of the book, let's move on to its main theme: Romance
In such a world, the romance sprouted like a single flower in the middle of a wasteland. It was done beautifully and my heart melted for Wren and Six.
Wren is the 17-year-old daughter of a physician and Six is a mysterious 19-year-old mute boy, a prisoner and a victim of mad scientists.
What brings the two together? How do their hearts find the love in one another? My dear reader that is for you to experience, there is so much more to their story.
Let me just say that it is a beautiful and heart-wrenching romance.
This is our fragile dance of understanding and confusion. Pain and lust. Roughness and reverence. This is who we are—two damaged souls trying to figure out each other.
In all honesty, I definitely can say that I haven't read such an amazing dystopian book that combines a heart pounding romance. I'm very glad that I have found this book and I look forward to continue the series even though I think each book is considered a standalone but within the same universe.
Trigger Warnings: explicit language, explicit sexual scenes, rape, sexual assault, death, highly disturbing scenes.
He wears his words across his skin like braille. A story of pain that I wish I could rewrite for him, and take away the chapters that mark his suffering.
My head is still reeling because there wasn't a moment's rest... like wow... I could not put this book down.
It was utterly gripping and insane.
Juniper Unraveling is a dark romance set in a brutal post-apocalyptic world that sheds off humanity's morality and brings out its most depraved and heinous instincts.
Because I am sick. And so is he. We're the perfect, twisted match, destined for pain like a sad tragedy.
The moth who fell in love with the flame.
He's the reaper, and I'm his disciple.
Keri Lake crafts such a solid story and her writing pulled me right in and although I am not a fan of dystopian books however Lake's take on this genre gave me what I expected and more: a dark, gritty and intense story that kept me restless. She brings out the worst of humanity or let's say the surviving humans whom rose from the ashes of their fallen civilization.
In a reborn world infested with a vicious virus that absorbs the brain and halt its normal functions eventually disconnecting its carrier from their human selves and becoming frenzied individuals with an appetite for human flesh.
In other words, the virus or as the book calls it, the dredge, turns humans into monsters known as Ragers. They are led by three instincts: to survive, to feed and to breed.
As a reader, I always keep my distance from books that include zombies (a cool concept of zombies) and a simple reason for that is:
it's not my cup of tea.
However, I enjoyed Keri Lake's storytelling and writing in Master of Salt and Bones, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed.
There were quite a few scenes that made my stomach churn. This book was quite the experience and despite its grittiness, I enjoyed it mainly because the author did not hold back from creating such an intensely dark atmosphere throughout the book because that brings out the horrific reality of how far humanity had fallen.
When you no longer have greed on a leash, it leads you astray, committing the most heinous actions for the sake of power and survival.
What strikes me is the non-existent spectrum of good and evil and I absolutely love that. Every character comes in different shades of grey. While the villains are easy to spot it does not put a damper on the questionable actions the main characters do because even those we are rooting for keep their monsters within.
The little girl who would curl into herself, cursing and shaming her body, is no longer here. In her place is a woman. One who's seen the darker side of man. Who's felt the raw brutality of the world. One who can bathe in the aftermath of her sins.
The story follows two alternating POVS following Dani and Wren. The author ties the threads of their storylines effortlessly in such a clever and effortless way that I was left impressed.
The book shifts halfway through and that helped in igniting my anticipation of what's to come because trust me I gave up on predicting on what happens after it had hit me with plot-twist after plot-twist.
The world-building was nothing short of epic. The author showcases the ugliness of this dystopian world in a way that makes you truly reflect on would humanity ever go that far if they lived in such a horrific reality? And with the world currently living through a pandemic, we most probably do question the fate of humanity.
• There is an empire that seeks to establish a totalitarian rule.
• Small communities of survivors known as The Hives.
• A research facility inhabiting mad scientists subjecting their victims to the most heinous and horrifying experiments.
• An established system of armed forces dividing to: Mediators (men that guard the wall and solar panels) and the Legion (they hunt down Ragers and keep rebels out).
I hope I'm doing a good job at writing this review because I honestly have so much to talk about but I won't bore you with the details because this is a book that should be experienced!
Note that this book is not a book for the faint-hearted, It is intense and disturbing and I will add the trigger warnings at the end of the review but let me tell you that this book will push you out of your comfort zone yet will keep you absorbed and invested in every word and page.
We have covered the dystopian aspect of the book, let's move on to its main theme: Romance
In such a world, the romance sprouted like a single flower in the middle of a wasteland. It was done beautifully and my heart melted for Wren and Six.
Wren is the 17-year-old daughter of a physician and Six is a mysterious 19-year-old mute boy, a prisoner and a victim of mad scientists.
What brings the two together? How do their hearts find the love in one another? My dear reader that is for you to experience, there is so much more to their story.
Let me just say that it is a beautiful and heart-wrenching romance.
This is our fragile dance of understanding and confusion. Pain and lust. Roughness and reverence. This is who we are—two damaged souls trying to figure out each other.
In all honesty, I definitely can say that I haven't read such an amazing dystopian book that combines a heart pounding romance. I'm very glad that I have found this book and I look forward to continue the series even though I think each book is considered a standalone but within the same universe.
Trigger Warnings: explicit language, explicit sexual scenes, rape, sexual assault, death, highly disturbing scenes.