Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

5 reviews

clowngawd's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book has some nauseating descriptions . If you are sensitive to intense descriptions of rot, insects or infections you may want to sit this one out. While I appreciate this stories ambiguity, I wish certain ideas were explored further. Despite its flaws, this was a compelling story of poison earth. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, and Vomit

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Cursing, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Animal death, and Sexism

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: 

1. 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.
2. "He'd only managed to become a slightly above-average climber, never having the skills or luck to climb the hard shit-"
3. "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

final girl?

Possibly.

Not a con, but a spoiler alert for the dog living or dying for those who need to know before going in:

We are led to believe at first that the dog, Slade, is dead, but eventually is revealed to be alive.

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.

celina246's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

so this book was disgusting, very much gore and horror (not a bad thing if you're a lover of that!). It read to me like a teen scream, but there wasn’t any…satisfaction? the author was really great with description (as awful as the things she was describing were), but almost all of the characters were unlikeable and the general backstory was eh. the end was pretty disappointing to me. idk I feel like it had potential, but it lacked anything really special. 

I almost wish we didn’t know what happened to them in the beginning, because it made Dylan’s end kind of anticlimactic

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Blood, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Death, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Grief and Suicidal thoughts

thegayestghost's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Grief, and Toxic friendship

yoruhana's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Thanks to Quirk Books for the ARC!

It took a bit to get into this at first, but once I hit about 1/3 of the way through I had to read until the end. I would have liked a little more revealed about the origins and history of the valley, but overall a good solid read and a wild ride. 

Some intense and graphic imagery here, especially at the climax of the story. Please check content warnings!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Vomit, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide