Title: This Wretched Valley
Author: Jenny Kiefer
Page Count: 304 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Survival Horror
Themes: Creepy woods, “something in the woods”, death, mountain climbing.
Synopsis: "This is going to be Dylan's big break. Her friend Clay, a geology student, has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan's boyfriend Luke, she is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing.
Seven months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of decay: one body a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed.
But Dylan is still missing. Followers of her Instagram account report seeing disturbing livestreams, and some even claim to have caught glimpses of her vanishing into the thick woods, but no trace of her—dead or alive—has been discovered.
Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force? Is Dylan still alive, and does she hold the answers?" Via Goodreads
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Review
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. From the outset, it grabbed my attention with its jarring start, and it kept up the engaging pace throughout the entirety three hundred pages.
The best part was how the book kept switching time periods and POVs. It was very easy to follow the time shifts and it didn't make me feel like I was being pulled from the original story. I was impressed by the level of visceral detail in the horror scenes. The author's skillful depiction of these terrifying moments left a lasting impact on me, with several scenes lingering in my thoughts long after I finished reading.
There were a couple of aspects that didn't quite meet my expectations. Firstly, despite the climber featured on the cover, I felt there was a lack of actual climbing scenes within the story. It left me wishing for more adrenaline-fueled climbing sequences.
Final Recommendation: Lovers of survival horror and nature horror
Trigger Warnings: Animal Death, Cannibalism
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