Reviews tagging 'Torture'

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

6 reviews

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Body horror

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.

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

Slade does go missing within the 1st 24 hrs and they make you feel for the animal in several moments.. at the end the poor thing is scrawny and carrying a large bone but alive at the end. As an animal person I was worried and upset about what happened to him throughout and was kept throughout but not forgotten like I think others would have done since he's such a small side character and some just get forgotten.

briarivet's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

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

beersbooksandbooos'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I have to say that I picked up the book because of the cover before even reading the synopsis. Once I read the synopsis I knew this was a book for me.  Dyatlov Pass has always fascinated me and all the lore that surrounds it.  I read some of the reviews as I read the book and I do agree with them saying they were getting The Ruins and As Above So Below vides.  I enjoyed most of the book, then it took a turn in the last quarter. That was when it lost me and I got a little bored that it didn't feel like picking it back up.  I felt a little cheated out of a better ending and it also felt a little rushed. This is Jenny Kiefer's debut novel and I can see her writing going up from here.  I will pick up her other books if/when she writes them. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Murder, Body horror, Animal death, Cannibalism, Suicide, Cursing, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Vomit

queersubtext's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

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