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woodsybookworm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book felt like I was reading an episode of Tales From The Crypt!
I'm not usually a fan of a book that's opening chapter gives away the ending. How are we supposed to get invested in a story when we already know the dates of the main characters? But I stuck with it and wow did this book deliver!
It's too bad this book is probably a standalone because I was left with a lot of unanswered questions but I still found it to be an enjoyable read overall.
I'm not usually a fan of a book that's opening chapter gives away the ending. How are we supposed to get invested in a story when we already know the dates of the main characters? But I stuck with it and wow did this book deliver!
It's too bad this book is probably a standalone because I was left with a lot of unanswered questions but I still found it to be an enjoyable read overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Body horror
thiscryptidreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I went into this story expecting a totally different scenario based on the synopsis. This was a surprise mix of haunting and hallucinations that slowly fill you with dread until the very end. Several other reviews said the ending was a surprise or didn't make sense but if you pay attention to the small details I think the story wraps up very nicely and makes complete sense for the narrative they're trying to tell.
Cws: gore, body horror, violence, self harm, injury, blood, panic attacks, suicide, murder, death of a child, animal death, vomit, hallucinations, fire/ injury and death by fire, cannibalism.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Cws: gore, body horror, violence, self harm, injury, blood, panic attacks, suicide, murder, death of a child, animal death, vomit, hallucinations, fire/ injury and death by fire, cannibalism.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Vomit, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Animal death, and Child death
Spoilers: Does the dog (Slade) die? No. He runs off and is missing through the book and hallucinations cause Luke (his owner) to think he is dead. He is later found at the end of the book. The dog depicted in the book he mistakes Slade for was long dead and it's death is not described on page, simply apart of their hallucinations or inches of the ghosts in the woods.sunn_bleach's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I picked this up because it was recommended to me as horror literature that involves climbing. Four acquaintances uncover a mysterious, brand-new climbing crag in the southeast Kentucky wilderness, and they go to climb the new routes while also study its geology. The area turns out to be an eldritch, evil land that shifts and contorts itself to keep people trapped there while luring them with visions of past victims and deep desires. The concept is a little similar to "Uzumaki" in that sense, albeit without a singular obsession.
Kiefer owns a horror bookstore in Kentucky, and the book *definitely* reflects her understanding/experience within climbing culture at the Red River Gorge, where I've spent a lot of time. Unfortunately, I felt that the book was a good example of something written by an enthusiast but not so much a writer. The beginning is strong in uncovering the mysterious crag, but the characters just kind of... ruminate within the crag. There are flashbacks to other deaths and persons lured there, but there's little to be shown except "land evil!" with inconsistent descriptions of *how* that evil occurs. People who die there also become evil ghosts (not a spoiler; it happens pretty early on), and it just doesn't really make sense how or why.
Not that I need everything explained for me, it just felt like "hey what if this land wanted to literally eat people" and only developed about sixty percent of the way. I ended up just being kind of bored, as if each new horror were just "ooo spooky ghost!" rather than something that sank into me. And there are a *lot* of descriptions of vomit and its various consistencies.
That being said, it'd make a great stylized indie horror B-movie.
Kiefer owns a horror bookstore in Kentucky, and the book *definitely* reflects her understanding/experience within climbing culture at the Red River Gorge, where I've spent a lot of time. Unfortunately, I felt that the book was a good example of something written by an enthusiast but not so much a writer. The beginning is strong in uncovering the mysterious crag, but the characters just kind of... ruminate within the crag. There are flashbacks to other deaths and persons lured there, but there's little to be shown except "land evil!" with inconsistent descriptions of *how* that evil occurs. People who die there also become evil ghosts (not a spoiler; it happens pretty early on), and it just doesn't really make sense how or why.
Not that I need everything explained for me, it just felt like "hey what if this land wanted to literally eat people" and only developed about sixty percent of the way. I ended up just being kind of bored, as if each new horror were just "ooo spooky ghost!" rather than something that sank into me. And there are a *lot* of descriptions of vomit and its various consistencies.
That being said, it'd make a great stylized indie horror B-movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Vomit, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Animal death and Child death
catspajamas15's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall, this was a fun read. Kind of a combination of The Ruins, The Descent and The Hunger.
Not super gory, not super scary but I had a good time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Body horror, Animal death, and Blood
chainsawheartbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m never going hiking in the wilderness again! ⛰️
That was something else. Truly. I don’t think any words I can come up with would be able to describe the horror I felt reading some of that, and the utter fear I felt for the characters.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I didn’t like Dylan at the start; I thought she was so well-written and felt so real that I genuinely didn’t care for her, especially when she was so dismissive to Luke (and yes I’m aware that the valley probably had a big part to do with that), but she made me angry.
Yet, by the end, I was routing for her.
There were moments when I forgot I wasn’t in the Kentucky wilderness, and I honestly gripped this book as hard as Dylan gripped that rock face.
I can’t wait to read the next thing Jenny Kiefer releases cause damn!
That was something else. Truly. I don’t think any words I can come up with would be able to describe the horror I felt reading some of that, and the utter fear I felt for the characters.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I didn’t like Dylan at the start; I thought she was so well-written and felt so real that I genuinely didn’t care for her, especially when she was so dismissive to Luke (and yes I’m aware that the valley probably had a big part to do with that), but she made me angry.
Yet, by the end, I was routing for her.
There were moments when I forgot I wasn’t in the Kentucky wilderness, and I honestly gripped this book as hard as Dylan gripped that rock face.
I can’t wait to read the next thing Jenny Kiefer releases cause damn!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Alcohol, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Gore, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Violence
poisoned_icecream's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Four hikers go to an isolated location, not expecting the horrors awaiting them. Clay wants to explore the valley for a dissertation, Dylan is a climber and she wants to be the first to climb the wall, Luke is her boyfriend, and Sylvia is a botanist. Luke also has the not-so-bright idea to bring his dog Slade, and ignores the signs of distress Slade expresses when they all arrive at the valley. There are also brief chapters of past events that occured in the valley that emphasize how hostile it is. Even if this is fictional, it can still serve as yet another example of how nature isn't meant to be conquered or controlled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Vomit, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
birdieex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'm not a rock climber by any means, so this wasn't a book I could relate to in that way, but I still enjoyed it, even when the lingo flew over my head.
The spook factor deserves 2 stars at least. I'm a sucker for spooky places where people go and don't return or return absolutely traumatized. A trope I can never get enough of, even when we never figure out the mystery to why the environment is hostile. It's just that sense of danger and mystery!
The detail was absolutely engrossing. The description of the environment was gorgeous. The horror was written in a way that made me physically recoil and look away from the book in some cases. (Bugs! Bugs get me!) Every line about the forest was chilling.
I liked the opening telling us immediately that our characters die because it gave the whole journey a sense of dread. As I read, I was constantly attempting to pick up pieces of the puzzle and put it together. I'm also fond of sweary narration, especially if it showcases character personality, so the beginning was amusing to me.
(Examples:
The spook factor deserves 2 stars at least. I'm a sucker for spooky places where people go and don't return or return absolutely traumatized. A trope I can never get enough of, even when we never figure out the mystery to why the environment is hostile. It's just that sense of danger and mystery!
The detail was absolutely engrossing. The description of the environment was gorgeous. The horror was written in a way that made me physically recoil and look away from the book in some cases. (Bugs! Bugs get me!) Every line about the forest was chilling.
I liked the opening telling us immediately that our characters die because it gave the whole journey a sense of dread. As I read, I was constantly attempting to pick up pieces of the puzzle and put it together. I'm also fond of sweary narration, especially if it showcases character personality, so the beginning was amusing to me.
(Examples:
- The very first line of this book is "Fucking finally". It adds spice to the character thoughts if they swear and you're adding that to your normal narration.
- "He'd only managed to become a slightly above-average climber, never having the skills or luck to climb the hard shit-"
- "So he'd spend the fall inside this cramped, cold-as-fuck, single-engine plane,"
I think you get the idea. It isn't overdone, but it's nicely peppered in there.)
However, as much as I enjoyed all of those elements, there are cons.
One petty thing that nagged me was when Sylvia, who had a basic medical background, when assessing an ankle and wrist injury said it was "likely fractured, if not broken." Those are synonymous. Though, I'm putting that down to the fact her medical experience was limited to "an emergency first aid course" as she said.
Also why was Dylan's the only phone to get signal? Maybe I missed it, but it was like she was chosen. Is this simply because she was
Not a con, but a spoiler alert for the dog living or dying for those who need to know before going in:
Overall, thoroughly enjoyed the fear factor in this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Gore, Death, Self harm, Suicide, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Vomit, Alcohol, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent, Cannibalism, Colonisation, and Child death
Infant death for child death.wyntrrose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I so felt The Ruins and The Descent movies in this book. Others have mentioned The Blair Witch as well but for me I didn't see it as much. This is book follows 4 friends. The main person Clay Foster who is doing this for his graduate, his fellow classmate Sylvia Burnett who is a graduate of native plants and geology, his good friend and rock climbing friend Dylan Prescott who just signed her first climbing deal with a company. Her boyfriend and climbing partner Luke Woodhaven and his dog Slade. The first chapter does go into descriptive details on everybody's body that was found. Missing though is Dylan and the dog Slade. Great gorey and supernatural story that'll keep you on your toes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Child death, Cannibalism, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Violence, Murder, Blood, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Torture
randiofborg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I picked up this novel based on a random recommendation. I wasn't surprised to learn it was the author's debut—the hook is interesting if flimsy, and the writing was occasionally clumsy. Every human in the novel, and a couple of objects, all "pitch forward" at some point.
The premise: four young adults (Clay, Sylvia, Luke, and Dylan) go to a newly discovered rock wall in the wilderness of Kentucky. Clay had discovered the wall using LiDAR technology. He is writing his dissertation on geology and LiDAR, and believes he can create a method to discover new locations for climbing and hiking tourism. He enlists the help of Sylvia, another PhD student, as well as Dylan, a up-and-coming climbing influencer, and Luke, Dylan's boyfriend and belayer. Joining the gang is Luke's dog, Slade. Spoiler: Slade is the smartest of them.
The group hikes to the newly discovered rockface so Dylan can climb it and they can determine whether it would make a good tourist spot. Everything quickly goes south. Sylvia, the group's botanist, notices that the foliage in the area is largely poisonous, and some of the plants are non-native to Kentucky (she also mis-describes a fungus as a plant, but whatever). Luke notices Slade is panicked during their hike to the rock face, and Clay seems immediately out of it. Dylan also finds herself drawn to taking risks while climbing, which she initially attributes to her desire to impress her new corporate sponsor.
The plot meanders from there. Tragedy befalls the group quickly, with Slade disappearing and Luke ending up grievously injured. Clay begins to lose his mind, while Sylvia and Dylan care of Luke. I found myself struggling to get through much of the "scary" material. The author, Jenny Keifer, is comfortable describing gore, which I know many readers enjoy, but I found it was underwhelming without a threat I was personally frightened of. There is a supernatural presence in the novel that I found underdeveloped, but some readers may enjoy. The first chapter makes it clear who will survive and who won't, and while it was an interesting narrative choice, I think it undercut Keifer's use of gore. The idea of a character being stalked isn't scary when the reader knows that character is dead already.
What I like about this novel: there are consistent themes about what we owe nature v. what nature owes us. A driving point of the novel seems to be we can care about the outdoors, but Mother Nature isn't kind. Keifer also makes clever use of the common hiking/camping wisdom "take only pictures and leave only footprints." Dylan, who emerges as the protagonist, has moments of success where she achieves something great while knowing she'll never be acknowledged for it—a pain many women know.
I also appreciated this about Dylan:Dylan is the only person whose body isn't discovered in the first chapter, which takes place a few months after the events of the rest of the novel. A few times, it's suggested she may be the Final Girl. Her full name is Dylan Prescott, reminiscent of famous Final Girl from the Scream franchise, Sydney Prescott. But Dylan doesn't make it. Her only success is she dies on her terms instead of on the terms of the monsters who are stalking her and her friends. It was a nice inversion of expectations.
I would recommend this novel to some of my friends who climb, and I'll definitely keep an eye on the author's future work.
Oh, and about the dog: the dog lives, because he's the only one who is smart enough to run away when he's scared.
The premise: four young adults (Clay, Sylvia, Luke, and Dylan) go to a newly discovered rock wall in the wilderness of Kentucky. Clay had discovered the wall using LiDAR technology. He is writing his dissertation on geology and LiDAR, and believes he can create a method to discover new locations for climbing and hiking tourism. He enlists the help of Sylvia, another PhD student, as well as Dylan, a up-and-coming climbing influencer, and Luke, Dylan's boyfriend and belayer. Joining the gang is Luke's dog, Slade. Spoiler: Slade is the smartest of them.
The group hikes to the newly discovered rockface so Dylan can climb it and they can determine whether it would make a good tourist spot. Everything quickly goes south. Sylvia, the group's botanist, notices that the foliage in the area is largely poisonous, and some of the plants are non-native to Kentucky (she also mis-describes a fungus as a plant, but whatever). Luke notices Slade is panicked during their hike to the rock face, and Clay seems immediately out of it. Dylan also finds herself drawn to taking risks while climbing, which she initially attributes to her desire to impress her new corporate sponsor.
The plot meanders from there. Tragedy befalls the group quickly, with Slade disappearing and Luke ending up grievously injured. Clay begins to lose his mind, while Sylvia and Dylan care of Luke. I found myself struggling to get through much of the "scary" material. The author, Jenny Keifer, is comfortable describing gore, which I know many readers enjoy, but I found it was underwhelming without a threat I was personally frightened of. There is a supernatural presence in the novel that I found underdeveloped, but some readers may enjoy. The first chapter makes it clear who will survive and who won't, and while it was an interesting narrative choice, I think it undercut Keifer's use of gore. The idea of a character being stalked isn't scary when the reader knows that character is dead already.
What I like about this novel: there are consistent themes about what we owe nature v. what nature owes us. A driving point of the novel seems to be we can care about the outdoors, but Mother Nature isn't kind. Keifer also makes clever use of the common hiking/camping wisdom "take only pictures and leave only footprints." Dylan, who emerges as the protagonist, has moments of success where she achieves something great while knowing she'll never be acknowledged for it—a pain many women know.
I also appreciated this about Dylan:
I would recommend this novel to some of my friends who climb, and I'll definitely keep an eye on the author's future work.
Oh, and about the dog:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, and Gore
rbz39's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Bit of Blair witch project, rock climbing, and spooky woods! Dragged a bit for me in the middle - I think a shorter length would have been helpful. Still, once the scares start, it doesn’t stop. Very creative setup and I like the “how did they end up like this” reverse setup. Suitably scary!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Child death, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Animal death