Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

32 reviews

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. 

---

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.

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

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

2.25

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Death

Moderate: Child death and Animal death

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! 

---

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

cooknick's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

This Wretched Valley is fun and creepy in the way of all good B-horror movies. It did get repetitive at times, and I could have done without the forced metaphors, but the paranormal aspects and general spookiness were enough to keep me interested to the end.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Death, Murder, Vomit, and Animal death

Minor: Cannibalism

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: 

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.

ivorymusic82's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Vomit

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