4 stars

A really promising horror debut! I will be watching Kiefer’s writing career with interest.

This Kentucky backwoods survival-horror novel has a gripping beginning but, for me, flagged a little after the 70% mark. The build-up, anticipation, and mystery are just divine, but the payoff left me wanting.

That said: I absolutely love the dread and confusion that Kiefer is able to play with in the first half of the book. The sense of things being not-quite-right, but when you focus on them they seem just fine; tiny inconsistencies that aren’t big enough to take notice of but still leave you feeling slightly off. There’s also a nice balance to the inevitability and the mystery, in that from the very first pages we know three of the campers won’t make it out alive, but we are left in suspense as to the fate of the fourth.

I really liked the character work in this book; each of our small main cast was a distinct, individual, and interesting character, which makes it all the more fun to watch them work toward their goals, grapple with the encroaching horror, and try to work with—or escape from—each other.

A few things get clunky, especially toward the end. I didn’t particularly care for the somewhat ‘digital’ imagery of the forest horror; I want primal, triggers-my-instincts natural horror from a paranormal woods story, not glitches and GIFs. I also felt somewhat unsatisfied by the treatment of ghosts; the story couldn’t seem to decide whether the ghosts are conscious actors or not, or whether they’re a secondary threat or just a symptom of the woods’ own malevolence. Knowing, either way, would have made them spookier.

While the ending didn’t quite get me, I read horror for the hair-raising buildup, so this book was a win for me. I hope Kiefer’s next offering is even better.

This book was wild!! Talk about a camping/rock climbing expedition gone very bad! Fans of The Ruins will absolutely love this one too.

I think this was a good survival thriller that is reminiscent of the Dyatlov Pass incident although with a supernatural element added to it. I think the author did a good job of setting the atmosphere and developing the characters and their relationships to each other and their surroundings. The only thing was that it would have been interesting to get a sense of what was happening in the world while they were in the woods. One particular character was a media personality so I just feel like adding the social media aspect from the other side would have given us a sense of what the world and their families were thinking while they were missing. The eerie videos and livestreams were a good addition and added a Blair Witch Project element to the story but it would have given the story a bit more depth to have utilized that aspect a bit more.

This Wretched Valley takes readers on a spine-chilling journey into the heart of Kentucky's untamed wilderness, where the promise of adventure transforms into a nightmarish tale of horror. Dylan, aspiring rock climber, embarks on what was meant to be her breakthrough expedition, only for the expedition to devolve into a macabre mystery that haunts the reader long after the final page.

Keifer weaves a sinister narrative that unfolds against the backdrop of the mysterious Dyatlov Pass in Kentucky, where an untouched cliff face beckons the intrepid climbers. The story kicks off with a sense of excitement and anticipation, as Dylan, accompanied by geologist Clay, research assistant Sylvia, and boyfriend Luke, seeks to document her triumphant ascent to fame on social media.

The dread-inducing atmosphere created by Kiefer is tense, intensifying along the way. The story explores the psychological toll on the remaining characters as they confront the unknown and struggle with the dark, sinister forces at play. The suspense builds steadily, reaching a great twist and climax.

The strength of This Wretched Valley lies not only in its ability to evoke fear but also in the storytelling that kept me guessing. Kiefer skillfully combines elements of supernatural horror with the psychological unraveling of the characters, creating an immersive read.

In conclusion, Kiefer's debut is a tour de force in the horror genre, offering a fascinating exploration of the unknown wilderness, coupled with a relentless sense of dread. This Wretched Valley is a must-read for those who relish tales that linger in the shadows, leaving an indelible mark on the psyche.

One of the big selling points for me was the Kentucky setting. As I’m migrating to the state, it was wild reading a horror book by such a talent being set there. It reminded me a lot of Blair Witch and Scott Smith’s The Ruins in that cool ‘90s horror style, but of course, had its own voice. Great stuff.

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

It started off good, but ultimately fell flat. It was repetitive. The characters felt one dimensional. The plot didn't seem to be well fleshed out either.

I received a free copy of this for review from NetGalley.

This supernatural thriller kept me on my toes. I couldn't put it down! Even though you know the ending by the beginning, it didn't give anything away.

The opening chapter is one of the most intriguing I've read in a long term but, after that, it all sort of falls flat.

It feels like the author had too many plot points which could have (should have) been split into other stories.

None of the characters come off well but less in a 'they are morally not good people and therefore I cannot empathise' way but in a 'these characters fall flat and I do not care about them' kind of way.

This was the biggest kind of disappointment. The opening chapter was everything I could hopeful and more! I was hooked, I had to know more! However, it quickly fell apart for me there. I found myself bored, and unsympathetic to any of the characters. I didn't like the way the supernatural elements of this book were executed.


**SPOILERS AHEAD***

There were just too many ideas going on for me with this one. I was on board for the whole cursed plot of land thing..but the time skips were jarring and off putting. Then one of the characters keeps getting sucked into a different "time" Another, is constantly seeing the ghosts for some inexplicable reason- maybe his proximity to death? Then, we find out the ghosts are cannibalistic? I just don't get it. Yeah yeah, they were "feeding" the land, but this route was just bizarre to me. This one was just very much not for me.

I keep seeing this one compared to The Ruins, and for the life of me I cannot see why? Other than a group of young adults being "stuck" somewhere? I really don't get this comparison.

I freaking loved this book! Spooky and with a great cast of characters! Full review to come. Definitely five stars!

This Wretched Valley follows Dylan, an up and coming rock climber, her boyfriend Luke, Clay, a college student researching for his degree, and Sylvia, Clay's research companion. We see our group enter the Kentucky wilderness to research and climb a new rock wall that Clay discovered when flying overhead using a new technology. Although we already know this trip will end in tragedy, the group goes into the valley with their own hopes and dreams that will quickly be shattered.

Overall I liked This Wretched Valley. I do think it was a little repetitive and I would have loved more lore on why the valley is the way it is. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. But overall the atmosphere the author created was eerie and tense, making be terrified for the next scene.


Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for the ARC!

This felt so repetitive which I understand is part of the point but I was going crazier than the characters who were very one-dimensional. Also, since when do ghosts need weapons that are real? All of this could've been solved if they weren't white folks in a horror book.

I am always looking for more survival horror, especially ones set in a forest or some woods, and as soon as I read the synopsis for this one I knew it was the one for me.

I wasn't wrong. It had the suspense and the tense atmosphere I love, along with the survival aspect. I loved to hate most of the characters straight away (except Slade obv) and couldn't wait to see what happened to them next.

The book starts off based around rock climbing, which was a nice new spin on this kind of book (for me anyway) and then descended into madness, with similarities to The Ruins (one of my absolute faves) and The Blair Witch (also one of my absolute faves).

I highly recommend picking this one up.

✩✩✩✩✩

What a book! Highly recommend, easy 5stars from me. This is survival horror inspired by The Dyatlov Pass Incident. I also had The Ruins vibes.

4 people enter the kentucky wilderness to climb an undiscovered rockface. Months later 3 bodies are discovered..what happened?

With supernatural elements, this is a fast-paced read that you won't want to put down until you've finished! Loved it!

Dylan Prescott is a climbing and wilderness influencer on the verge of her big break. She's signed with an outdoor company and her friend Clay has found a rock hidden in the Kentucky wildnerness. It hasn't been mapped yet, and Dylan has the chance to map the climb and the routes. She heads to the site with her boyfriend, Luke, Clay and Sylvia, both PhD candidates whose research at the site could give them the dissertation materials they need. But the area has long-kept secrets, and seven months later, when their bodies are discovered, there will be questions and no answers. Moving back and forth between present day and the history of the area, Kiefer creates a tense story of creeping evil.

The book started out strong with an interesting premise and likable characters. However it got pretty repetitive towards the end with both boys getting possessed and wanting to murder their female friends (why didn't the females get blood lust) and every character involved in a different chase scene that ends with them tripping on a root. I loved the lore of the valley and the historical flashbacks and wish there could have been more. I did love the narration from the valley's point of view. It made for a unique villain.

Thanks to Quirk Books for the digital galley of this book.

When four climbers went out into the Kentucky wilderness, and seven months later, no one expected to find their bodies seven months later. Furthermore, their bodies are discovered in various states of decay. After only seven months, this seems odd. Ome’s left aeached skeleton, another is missing all of its organs, and a third has its eyes, tongues, ears, and fingers removed. The fourth climber, Dylan, is missing. Her Instagram feed shows disturbing livestreams, and some followers report seeing her vanishing in the woods. What happened? Is Dylan alove, and does she have the answers?

I’m lowkey obsessed with the Dyatlov Pass incident, so when I read this book was inspired by it, I had to read it. I didn’t like it as much as I’d hoped, but it’s possible I went in with too high expectations. For a horror thriller with a mystery at its heart, it’s pretty good. I was entertained and wanted to know what really happened. I just didn’t love it quite like I expected.

Harrowing; a trip filled with excitement, hopes, and inevitably, gore and death. I enjoyed watching the group approach and dance around all the weird things happening, and felt like the gore level was spot on. My biggest issue was how wordy and repetitive it seemed to get in the middle. I also wish it had more background on why that valley was evil.

All in all, three stars.

This Wretched Valley is an eerie and unsettling survival horror that is laced with elements of folk horror. I loved the genre combination and how Kiefer personified the land as a catalyst to many of the character’s misfortunes. In true horror fashion, don’t look for a happy ending but rather a stressful reliving of what our victims endured in the days leading up to their mysterious deaths. What starts as an exciting and hopeful endeavor amongst friends ends in blood, betrayal and regret. It was dark, scary, gruesome and addictive. I liked the flashbacks from different moments in the history of the land and thought that added an interesting flair to the narrative. I was excited to get my hands on this one and can say it did not disappoint. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

I kept hearing about this book from so many other people that read horror. And let me just say, I need to start reading the synopsis lol Because this was good, but the beginning had me a bit worried. But for the most part it was ok.

Ok so the main reason I said it was just ok was because it took too long to get to the good stuff. Or the explanations about what happened anyway. It just took too long and I was annoyed by that. Especially since I didn’t know about what the story was actually about lol I think Even still we aren’t really told what’s happening until like 50% in to the book. And by then I already had an idea. But finally, when things began happening, it picked up considerably.

Once it picked up the book just basically never stopped. The different timelines that were revealed in this was crazy. And the things that happened during those times?! CRAZY. I was glad that Kiefer gave us the actual scenarios of what happened in the book. If it had just been a little information here and there, I don’t think it would have hit the same. It still would have been scary, because these things were just crazy overall. But I don’t think it would have been as crazy if we didn’t have all the details.

The plot itself was a little boring because this was a very character driven story. All of them were there for different reasons, but they also had all these weird ass things going on too. And man, it changed them all. But who wouldn’t change when things like ghosts from the past are coming for you in the woods that you can’t seem to make your way out of…..

Then there was the ending. I liked it, but it seemed so abrupt. I think I would have liked it better if there was some chapters, or even just a chapter from the end that was from the land’s POV. There is some time that was there, but it’s not much. Basically just what that last character was from. But Idk, I wanted more. It really should have been it’s own, living, breathing character throughout the story.

This book didn’t exactly live up to the hype for me, but it was still an enjoyable read. I can certainly see what made the hold list for this so long. I hope that if you pick it up, you enjoy it more than me.

This is a really great horror book! It has a unique story and moves at a perfect pace. This has genuinely creepy moments that were so much fun to read. This is one of my favorite books I have read this year! I highly recommend this! Special Thank you to Jenny Kiefer, Quirk Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.