While I was visiting family for the holidays, I stopped in at Butcher Cabin Books. I couldn’t be that close to an independent horror bookstore and pass it by. While paying for my finds, I noticed a book propped up on the counter. A small placard in front let me know it was written by “our own Jenny Kiefer.” It looked great, so I asked (unbeknownst to me) Jenny Kiefer about herself. She was extremely gracious about my not knowing who she was and gave me the pitch. Inspired by the Dyatlov Pass Incident? Set in modern day Kentucky with rock climbing? This Wretched Valley follows four young adults into the Kentucky woods. It followed me out of that store and into my heart.

Kiefer’s debut answers the question that has been asked so many times: What happened out there? Clay and Dylan enter the woods with big dreams. For Clay, this is a thesis. He used technology to find an unexplored rock formation in undeveloped woods. For Dylan, it’s a shot at a big break. She’s just gotten her first sponsorship for rock climbing. Now she can be the first to climb a newly discovered wall. But the two don’t go off together. Clay brings a fellow researcher, Sylvia, along for the trip. Dylan brings her boyfriend, Luke, to act as her belayer. Luke, I’m sorry to say, brings his dog. None of them will leave.

This is not a spoiler, the book opens this way. You know which bodies are found. You know the impossible states of those bodies. The magic of this book comes from knowing the end but needing to know the middle. And the middle is where all the best parts are. This book performed at a level that is a joy to find in a debut. I enjoy body horror, and I read a decent amount of it. This book had the most viscerally awful scene I have read this year. My skin started crawling and did not stop for some time. I loved it.

A comparison I’ve seen drawn a lot is to The Ruins by Scott Smith. The book is arguably a cult classic, and I definitely see the similarities. But, if you didn’t like The Ruins, I still think you should read this one. For a start, the characters are smarter and less insufferable. This may be due to the inherent difference between “academic expedition” and “spring break trip”, but I think it also helps that Kiefer’s characters—particularly the women—are more distinct and nuanced. I also did not find myself as frustrated with their choices. Poor decision making in This Wretched Valley was clearly coming from the valley itself. In The Ruins, it was coming from hormones and booze. To note, I didn’t dislike The Ruins. I just think This Wretched Valley improved on many outdated aspects of the survival horror classic.

When you’re explaining the unexplainable, it can destroy a sense of mystery. That is not the case here. I still cannot tell you why these things are happening—keep happening that is. These hikers are not the first to go missing in these woods. But even with the things we see, I think it is very much open to interpretation. I certainly have my theories. I don’t feel like the story is incomplete without clear answers. I think it’s more honest to the inspiration this way. After all, was it probably an avalanche and hypothermia that caused those deaths in the Dyatlov Pass all those years ago? Sure. But what makes a better story?

This Wretched Valley hits shelves on January 16th, 2023. You can pre-order it here.
Thank you to NetGalley and QuirkBooks for the copy, and to Jenny Kiefer for everything she does.

I am still fairly new to survival horror, so I was really excited when I was approved for this one on NetGalley as it was described as similar to The Ruins which I had a lot of fun with when I read it as well as inspired by the Dyatlov Pass incident which is just one of my favorite rabbit holes to fall into. This book did end up reminding me of The Ruins a lot, particularly in how unlikeable the characters were and how that made me very apathetic to their fate.

Following a group of young people who are going to charter a new rock climbing wall in the Kentucky wilderness, weird occurrences of course start immediately happening and the group takes no heed of the warnings as they selfishly continue on their quest for fame and acclaim. This will prove detrimental and fatal to the group as the very opening chapter shows as the bodies are found - I really liked this device of showing us the outcome and then going back to show what led there. And what a wild story it was. The story is very jarring and discomfiting as the reader follows the perspective of the group and tries to figure out what is going on in this isolated forest and why it seems like they can’t escape.

I don’t want to spoil the mystery of what is happening, but it was wildly fun (although I did wish for a little further explanation). Seeing the way the different characters react to the situation and finding ways to cope and overcome is the most interesting part of this as we see them snap at each other rather than working together to find a way out of the hellhole they have found themselves in. I think this is my favorite part of these types of horror stories as they offer a very biting look at how humans react in a crisis (one that unfortunately seems to come to pass in reality).

If you are a fan of things like The Ruins, The Descent, or Yellowjackets, I think this one is a lot of fun and would maybe be a great summer vacation read. I am very interested to see what this author does next as this was her debut novel!

First things first, this cover is gorgeous! Moving on… This Wretched Valley was quite a ride. Unreliable narrators, gore, ghosts, haunted woods, it kept me reading well into the night. I enjoyed each person’s POV and following the descent of their mind. If you liked The Ruins, or have fallen into the Dyatlov Pass rabbit hole, this one’s for you. Thanks to Quirk Books for my eARC. This Wretched Valley will be published January 16th.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

In this horror novel, loosely inspired by the Dyatlov Pass incident, four friends venture into the Kentucky wilderness in search of a new climbing spot.

I think this had a really strong start. I was immediately pulled into the story and found the setting and little creepy moments very unsettling and eerie. I love horror books set in the great outdoors!

I did not care for the back half of the book nearly as much. The author did a good job of instilling a sense of disorientation in the reader that mirrors what the characters of the book are experiencing. However, I ultimately wish some things about the forest and its history were explained further.

I also wish we got to know the characters more. I wasn’t attached to any of them to really care what their fates were (besides the dog, but we all know what happens to most animal companions in horror media).

This is one of the gorier horror books I’ve read (but I am still relatively new to the genre), and some of the body horror was grossing me out. This, of course, was the intent. So, in that way it was effective. If you don’t like reading body horror, I’d skip this.

Overall, the underdeveloped characters and vague ending and balanced by the vivid setting and ambiance of the story. I’m pretty sure that this is the author’s debut, and it’s a very impressive one! I want to read more from the author!

P.S. I’m obsessed with this cover

P.P.S Can horror authors stop killing dogs. It never adds much to the story imo

I loved the idea of this one but had a hard time connecting with the characters and the climb. The dog going missing also affected me and I had to put it down for a little bit. The descriptions got good and can appreciate the gore in the horror.

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer paints a visceral survival horror that is loosely inspired by the unsolved Dyatlov Pass incident (albeit set in the Kentucky wilderness and in the modern social media age).

The story gets off to a strong start and the author does a fantastic job at setting up creepy scenes and creating a vivid setting that truly feels alive.

However, as the story goes on, I think what frustrated me the most was how many stupid, careless decisions the characters made. For instance, bringing your dog to uncharted rock formations, bringing old gear without backups, and administering questionable first aid. These all seem like novice mistakes experienced, professional rock climbers wouldn't make, and this ruined my immersion at times.

Qualms aside, if you enjoy supernatural survival horror (like The Ritual) where the landscape itself plays tricks on you, you’re in for a grisly treat.

As a Kentucky native and horror lover, I just had to read this book. It was one crazy read. Even though you discovered early on the outcome of the hikers, I still found myself hopeful for their survival. This was such a spooky, good read!

This book drags you into the woods, gets its claws under your skin, and doesn’t look back for a second. There’s no lag here. Just pages of horror entertainment right to the finish. The opening even tells you — mostly — the gruesome outcome up front, but leaves the “how” unanswered so you press on through the thickets of Kentucky backwoods to find out for yourself. Fans of “The Ruins” and “The Ritual” — two top tier survival/nature horror novels — will inhale this like a granola bar after a long and grueling hike. There is gore, lots of vomit, unlikable characters unraveling, panic, tension, resentment, and a wooded region with layers of history.

What the heck did I just read? This book really freaked me out. I typically read before bed, but I couldn’t with this book. Every time I I’d turn the light off and close my eyes, all I could see was Dylan being chased by a man with a hatchet. This terrifying story is going to stick with me for a while.

This book is what nightmares are made of! I just can’t imagine what I would do if I found myself in a situation like that. I found it interesting that the story starts with the ending. Even though I knew what would happen, I was still left with so many questions. The pacing was good, though it felt a little repetitive in parts.

Overall, a deeply disturbing book that will keep you engaged and leave you scared to go into the woods!

This book had me in its claws from the first line. I was riveted in the worst way, turning pages with frantic abandon. When it really got going, it was genuinely difficult to put down. Legitimately horrifying, but also so enjoyable. Reminded me of The Ruins, with everything I wished the film Yellow Brick Road had been. I adored this book. Even with the crushing inevitability of the ending coming toward me like a freight train, it swept me up and carried me away.

As someone who ponders the Dyatlov Pass incident probably at least weekly, this book scratched an itch I didn't know I had. Kiefer places her explorers in the Kentucky wilderness, intending to scale, map, and claim an undiscovered stone face to become famous in the rock-climbing world. This book forces you to wildly speculate the entire time, and none of my ideas were quite right. Kiefer tells you the 'ending' up front, making the reader start theorizing from the very first chapter. In the end, I wish that the explanation had been slightly different, but I can't say This Wretched Valley wasn't a page turner. She is so descriptive and I found my eyes flicking back over sentences that were just so gorgeously crafted I had to double take. She is also descriptive when it comes to violence, so fair warning on that.
5 stars for an engrossing, well written, and captivating read.

This Wretched Valley did some things really well, and also some things that I wish were done differently. It is definitely creepy and had some horrifying moments as the trip goes wrong. I didn’t mind that the characters ignore so many bad signs or even that the characters are a bit flat. The horror makes up for a lot of that. What I ended up having some issue with was that while we get glimpses of the past and this area, we don’t get to know much of why or how. I don’t need it all spelled out, but I bit more would have really solidified things for me.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

This book made me feel like I was in parts of it! It was so eerie and I just couldn’t get enough of it! I loved the authors writing style

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Deja vu for those who read my reviews, but by now, you’ve probably deduced that I like reading books set in the wilderness and involving craziness. It could simply be they are lost and they need to survive or the forest itself can be possessed or an ancient entity wanting to remain untouched – either way, I’m game.

Add in the third spine-tingle maker for me – Dyatlov Pass – and I’m practically vibrating in anticipation. If you’ve not heard of Dyatlov Pass by now – I’ll pause while you go Google it and then we’ll wait here until you dig yourself out of the rabbit hole…………………………………… (eight hours later) AH! You’re back. See, not much going on in that crazy world with Dyatlov eh?

So, it should’ve been a no brainer heading into ‘This Wretched Valley’ that this book would’ve been tailor made for me, but alas, not all books hit home runs and for me, this one was an easy ground out to first base.

What I liked: The novel is centered around two main individuals – Clay and Dylan. Clay is doing a research project using LIDAR and attempting to find an unmapped rock face in order to graduate. Dylan is a recently signed professional climber, and as she’s been friends with Clay for some time, when Clay finds his potential A-grade rock face, he invites her along so that she can make the first climb and film some online content. They head there with two others (Dylan’s significant other Luke (and their dog, Slade) and Clay’s research assistant, Sylvia.

The only problem? The place Clay’s found is in an area the locals know to avoid.

As they hike in, we get the growing tension of GPS issues, each of the people thinking they’ve been walking in circles and Slade, the dog, going bananas time and time again. The dog doesn’t want to be there, but the group pushes its outbursts away, suggesting the dog has just seen a squirrel or a deer.

Once they do finally arrive at the cliff face, nothing goes right. Kiefer does a solid job of making the area feel uneasy and a suggestion that not all is right with the place, nor with the group. Arguments break out, time seems to move differently and each of the people find that they seem like things are repeating themselves, even when there’s video evidence to suggest otherwise.

It all comes to a head when an injury happens and they need to get the injured person to a hospital. This kicks of a series of events that ultimately culminates with the forest reclaiming those who’ve trespassed and the circular nature of well… um, nature kicks off again.

What I didn’t like: I reaaalllly wanted to like this one. Going in, I was hoping to get something along the lines of Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ meets Lyons ‘The Night Will Find Us.’ Instead, I found everything to be telegraphed and falling into the world of ‘predictable,’ unfortunately. I personally didn’t care enough about any of the characters to want to root for any of them and when I didn’t have any emotional attachment, when anything happened, it had no effect on me.

Things got off on the wrong foot near the beginning, at least for me, when they stop for food and the waitress wasted no time in telling them that people go there and don’t come back and soon after, they end up driving in circles. Couple that with the way the dog was behaving – finding what appears to be a human femur – and the group brushing it all aside, it made it hard for me to ground myself in reality in order to then detach myself from reality, if that makes sense? I needed something to say, ‘Hey, these individuals are pragmatic and rational, so the irrational stuff happening is that much worse because of it.’ But we didn’t get that at all.

Why you should buy this: As with all books, if it sounds like something you’d dig, give it a shot! I LOVE 99% of all books I read and I go into every book expecting to have my socks knocked off, so when one is a misfire, it’s more of a rarity for me. This one just didn’t connect any dots with my reading brain and instead of DNFing, I stuck it out to the end, hoping that the ship would be righted and I’d really fall into it. Unfortunately, that never took place.

So, for you, if you are looking for a book set in a creepy place and things just don’t go right, this might very well be right up your alley.

For me, it just didn’t do what I had hoped it was going to.

95/100 or 4.75 stars

I did not expect to love this, but here we are! This was a great YA horror story. This Wretched Valley held me and didn't let go until the last sentence. This was an awesome time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I love the premise of this book; a small group of friends goes to explore new rock climbing territory in Kentucky. Seven months later three of the fours' bodies are discovered mangled and the fourth person is missing. What happened out there? This book hooked me in from the beginning, but to me it seemed to fizzle in the middle. I'm not sure why but I got a bit bored, but that's just me. As this ramped back up towards the ending I couldn't put it down again. I really enjoyed the ending and how this was written; and it has just the right amount of horror. I believe this is the author's debut book, and after reading this one I will definitely be watching out for what she does next.

This book was such a mind fuck! As someone who’s had a keen interest it the Dyatlov Pass incident, when I heard there was a book coming out inspire by it I immediately requested the ARC.

This Wretched Valley has a little bit of everything. From a haunted forest, to apparent dimension travel, to body horror to characters descending into madness. Kiefer’s story telling here is incredible. I didn’t know if I was rooting the characters on, or low key hoping for their demise.

Unsettling, terrifying, mind-bending and wild. This is a release you’re going to want to pre-order. Gripping from front to back. Is there anything more unnerving then getting lost in the woods, only to realize there is no way out?

I really struggled with a review for This Wretched Valley. Overall, there was so much I enjoyed about Jenny Kiefer’s novel however, I found the ending to be a letdown. I appreciated the disorienting elements which allowed me, as the reader, to feel the confusion the characters were experiencing. There were times I, like the characters, couldn’t tell which way was up or if the story was a shared delusion as a result of something unworldly in this valley. I loved the not knowing and being kept guessing, but I was disappointed in how I felt the story was unfinished. My questions weren’t answered but there also wasn’t a cliffhanger to make me think there will be another installment. I enjoyed the concept and the uncertainty the characters felt but I was overall unsatisfied with how the story ended.

The beloved horror trope of "friends go into mysterious woods" starts This Wretched Valley off with an incredible environment, promising storyline, and a stark promise of coming violence. As the observer the questions being immediately: when would you turn back? At what point are the warnings not worth the reward? Of course, this group of friends charges forward, ignoring stomach turning concerns as they rush towards their goals. This Wretched Valley does not hold back on the violence, gore, or body horror and also sprinkles in accompanying paranormal fears to have avid horror readers on the edge of their seat.

I read this based on Cynthia Pelayo's comments about it. She was Jenny's mentor. It did not disappoint.

It's been a long time since a book truly freaked me out. Last Days by Adam Nevill is the last one I can remember wanting to stop because I was freaked out. This was like that.

I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll backtrack.

The opening of this book reminds me of At The Mountains of Madness. They stumbled upon something amazing, a rockface that appeared out of the blue and where it shouldn't be. Much the way it happened in Madness.

I'd been around climbing as a kid. My biological father did technical climbing. He climbed Mt. Rainer and a few others. I never learned this, though I would like to.

This book starts with how many of the lost in the woods books do, but when it takes a turn, it's a hard turn. There are elements of Jack Ketchum in the darker parts of this book, as well as The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon.

I nearly stopped this book at 65%. I was completely freaked out by what was happening. My brain needed a break. I chalk this up to the prose and how well Jenny writes. Luckily, my Kindle, which I use to read books from NetGalley, needed to be charged. It gave me a few hours of respite. I dove in as soon as it was ready.

There are so many things to say about this book. It does not come out until January, but I would order it now. It's going to be one of my favorite books going forward. Jenny's description, her knowledge of climbing, and her sense of knowing what to put that will scare you all coalesce into a story about survival. About wanting something bad enough to risk your life to attain it.

This underlying theme in the story, whether one character or another, stayed with me when I closed the book. I'll be thinking about this one for a while. This will be my last review for a while unless something piques my interest. I do have other books to review through NetGalley, but I'll be watching cartoons or reading comics for a while after this book. I need to wash my brain out for a bit.