This Wretched Valley by Jennifer Kiefer

 

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This Wretched Valley by Jennifer Kiefer - 304 pages

Four ambitious climbers hike into the Kentucky wilderness. Seven months later, three mangled bodies are discovered. Were their deaths simple accidents or the result of something more sinister?

This nail-biting, bone-chilling survival horror novel is inspired by the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, and is perfect for fans of Alma Katsu and Showtime's Yellowjackets.

This is going to be Dylan's big break. Her friend Clay, a geology student, has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan's boyfriend Luke, she is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing. 

Seven months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of one body a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed.

But Dylan is still missing. Followers of her Instagram account report seeing disturbing livestreams, and some even claim to have caught glimpses of her vanishing into the thick woods, but no trace of her—dead or alive—has been discovered. 

Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force? Is Dylan still alive, and does she hold the answers? 

This page-turning debut will have you racing towards the inevitable conclusion.

This book started strong but seemed to stall in the middle before picking back up for the ending.  I enjoyed the premise that (small spoiler) no matter how much they walked they kept coming back to the campsite.  Overall it didn't knock my socks off but it was a good debut for this author.  I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, 207 pages

Into the Wild is the true story of Christopher Johnson McCandless who lost his life to the Alaska Wilderness. I found his story to be amazing and truly one that had the saddest of endings.  After graduating from college in 1990, Christopher abandoned the life he knew for one of a vagabond.  He gave up all his possessions and money.  His ultimate goal was to make it to the Alaska wilderness and live off the land.  Christopher left some journals of his experiences and clues to what led to his untimely death.  His life ended in tragedy much too soon.

MSCHMITT-- Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown 40

MSCHMITT-- Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown 40

Mr Tiger no longer wants to be proper- he wants to be wild! This is the story of a tiger who steps out of line for all animals making way for them to be wild every day and wild in every way.

Dandelion Hunter: Foraging the Urban Wilderness, by Rebecca Lerner

Dandelion Hunter: Foraging the Urban Wilderness, by Rebecca Lerner, 224 pages

This non-fiction book began as a blog (http://firstways.com/) and an experiment in urban foraging- the practice of eating wild fruits, nuts, berries and weeds, or harvesting them for medicine. Becky Lerner thinks she could survive an epic disaster by eating wild plants and berries, but when she challenges herself to eat only that for a week, she finds out that it is tougher to do than she realized.  But with some research and some knowledgeable friends, she finds that it can be done and can be more satisfying than she expected.  I thought this was fascinating- the writing style wasn't my favorite, and I guess I really wanted some photos, but that is why being able to refer to the blog was a nice bonus.  It's the subject matter that is so interesting.

The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede

The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede - 378 pages

Eff has been given the opportunity to join the expedition heading into the wilderness to explore and map the areas past civilization to the Rocky Mountains.  It's exactly what she wants to do.  However, the expedition notices that there is something wrong with the magic the further they get towards the mountains.  It's building to a point that could be catastrophic.
This is the third book in the Frontier Magic series.  I believe it is probably the final book, but I really there would be more.  I've really enjoyed reading about the characters and how they've changed over the twenty years of the series.  I've also enjoyed the setting of an alternate world where we are the United States of Columbia and magic exists.  A great series for teens and adults.

At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: misadventures in search of the simple life, by Wade Rouse

At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: misadventures in search of the simple life, by Wade Rouse, 272 pages

Wade Rouse decided to move to the woods with his partner and live deliberately, much in the manner of Thoreau's Walden.  But as Wade is the first to admit, he is the world's most unlikely Thoreau.  Through this hilarious memoir, readers watch Wade battle a raccoon with lip gloss, spend $500 on a garden that produces 3 beans, go through tanning withdrawal, and come to a gradual compromise with the wilderness.  A good read for anyone who's ever wanted to move to the country but suspected they couldn't live without wi-fi.