What do you think?
Rate this book
What's Wrong With Valerie?
VALERIE IS ONLY AS SICK AS HER SECRETS…
After the death of her hated grandmother, Valerie is, for the first time in her life, really free. The house belongs to her. She should be happy. But Valerie isn’t quite normal…
She’s taking in roommates to make ends meet, but, one by one, they keep ending up dead. Her young niece is crying out for a special kind of discipline that only she can provide. And there’s the voices she hears...voices that want her to do terrible things.
Valerie is only trying to survive. If she stops doing what the voices tell her, something grotesquely evil will devour her soul...
WHAT’S WRONG WITH VALERIE?
After the death of her hated grandmother, Valerie is, for the first time in her life, really free. The house belongs to her. She should be happy. But Valerie isn’t quite normal…
She’s taking in roommates to make ends meet, but, one by one, they keep ending up dead. Her young niece is crying out for a special kind of discipline that only she can provide. And there’s the voices she hears...voices that want her to do terrible things.
Valerie is only trying to survive. If she stops doing what the voices tell her, something grotesquely evil will devour her soul...
WHAT’S WRONG WITH VALERIE?
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1991
51 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 31, 2019
Highly entertaining read this one.
I have a theme song, something you can listen to before you read the story or after. Pay attention, you probably don’t know the song.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
The electric guitar opens. Then the drums join in.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
The guitar patiently continues, never altering, while the drummer does his thing.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
The drums are tapering down, coming to the end of the set.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
For a fraction of a second there is silence.
And then the MACHINE-GUN DRUMMING starts!
The song is PSYCHO by Breaking Benjamin (there will be an *afterthought at the end of the review) – you can find it on YouTube – and it hasn’t been a commercial hit so far (to the best of my knowledge), so there’s no official video...hence, you won’t know it unless you are a fan of the band.
For the rest of the review, the words in italics will be lyrics of the song.
So, apparently, something is wrong with Valerie, according to the title. But what can it be?
The book starts about a month after her grandmother has died. She’s been looking after her for three years – a difficult job at the best of times - and inherited the house and money.
Into the bottom I will go
I feel the daylight choking
Into the vile I become
I am forever changing
People can be so judgmental sometimes, you know? You kill one person to keep the monsters at bay and suddenly you are a bad person. Really?
In the cold eternal light
I am the ember fading
Every scar you try to hide
I am the fake you make me
And then, of course, you have to keep killing, not only to cover your tracks, but to feed the monsters. They want flesh, you know. And it is not their fault. If only the people you kill will leave you alone, damn it!
Into the hollow I let go
I see the darkness close in
Into the silence I’ve become
I am the fake you made me
Well, all will work out in the end, right? After all, she’s just a girl, standing in front of a mirror, asking her to love her…
Psycho, let go
I am the warm embracing
Psycho, frightful
I am the rupture raging
And that’s basically all I can say about that, without giving anything away – I hope!
If you spend some time on Goodreads, you get to know some reviewers and their personal preferences. Some of them are rock stars when it comes to reviewing, and sometimes they can tell you more in two sentences than others can in 2000 words.
When it comes to vintage horror, I have the greatest respect for Jack Tripper. Read his review on this book – it’s much better than mine. And it is because of his review that I sought out this book and read it, so I want to thank him for that.
* Here comes the afterthought. You don’t have to read this part, there won’t be a test at the end. Not this time, anyway. It has nothing to do with the book, just me flapping my gums about my favorite band. Have a nice day!
Still here?
Okay, BREAKING BENJAMIN is my favorite band in the world. I discovered them during a difficult time in my life, and when I listened to the PHOBIA album for the first time, there was this instant connection. It was like we not only thought the same way, but the music tapped into my feelings. It was like this album was written for me spesifically.
Don’t worry, I’m not that far gone.
However, I drove with that CD in my car radio for 2 years (not exaggerating here) without ever changing it.
After that, the Dear Agony album was also great.
And then there was this gap for years, due to legal action that I’m not going to get into.
Suddenly, I discovered a new album by BB – Dark Before Dawn.
It was so much slower and softer than I was used to. When I did a little checking on the net, I discovered that Benjamin Burnley became a father 12 days before me! Damn – I could certainly understand the change.
And then, earlier this year, my beautiful and loving wife informed me of the new album. She ordered it for me and DAMN!!! They are back!
Ember was released in 2018. It is loud, it is fast and it is AWESOME! (He obviously had a few sleepless nights himself...)
So, check out Psycho, check out the other songs, buy the album – keep him motivated to make music for a long time to come. If not for me, then at least for Valerie...
I have a theme song, something you can listen to before you read the story or after. Pay attention, you probably don’t know the song.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
The electric guitar opens. Then the drums join in.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
The guitar patiently continues, never altering, while the drummer does his thing.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
The drums are tapering down, coming to the end of the set.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
Ta Deh Dah. Ta Deh Dah.
For a fraction of a second there is silence.
And then the MACHINE-GUN DRUMMING starts!
The song is PSYCHO by Breaking Benjamin (there will be an *afterthought at the end of the review) – you can find it on YouTube – and it hasn’t been a commercial hit so far (to the best of my knowledge), so there’s no official video...hence, you won’t know it unless you are a fan of the band.
For the rest of the review, the words in italics will be lyrics of the song.
So, apparently, something is wrong with Valerie, according to the title. But what can it be?
The book starts about a month after her grandmother has died. She’s been looking after her for three years – a difficult job at the best of times - and inherited the house and money.
Into the bottom I will go
I feel the daylight choking
Into the vile I become
I am forever changing
People can be so judgmental sometimes, you know? You kill one person to keep the monsters at bay and suddenly you are a bad person. Really?
In the cold eternal light
I am the ember fading
Every scar you try to hide
I am the fake you make me
And then, of course, you have to keep killing, not only to cover your tracks, but to feed the monsters. They want flesh, you know. And it is not their fault. If only the people you kill will leave you alone, damn it!
Into the hollow I let go
I see the darkness close in
Into the silence I’ve become
I am the fake you made me
Well, all will work out in the end, right? After all, she’s just a girl, standing in front of a mirror, asking her to love her…
Psycho, let go
I am the warm embracing
Psycho, frightful
I am the rupture raging
And that’s basically all I can say about that, without giving anything away – I hope!
If you spend some time on Goodreads, you get to know some reviewers and their personal preferences. Some of them are rock stars when it comes to reviewing, and sometimes they can tell you more in two sentences than others can in 2000 words.
When it comes to vintage horror, I have the greatest respect for Jack Tripper. Read his review on this book – it’s much better than mine. And it is because of his review that I sought out this book and read it, so I want to thank him for that.
* Here comes the afterthought. You don’t have to read this part, there won’t be a test at the end. Not this time, anyway. It has nothing to do with the book, just me flapping my gums about my favorite band. Have a nice day!
Still here?
Okay, BREAKING BENJAMIN is my favorite band in the world. I discovered them during a difficult time in my life, and when I listened to the PHOBIA album for the first time, there was this instant connection. It was like we not only thought the same way, but the music tapped into my feelings. It was like this album was written for me spesifically.
Don’t worry, I’m not that far gone.
However, I drove with that CD in my car radio for 2 years (not exaggerating here) without ever changing it.
After that, the Dear Agony album was also great.
And then there was this gap for years, due to legal action that I’m not going to get into.
Suddenly, I discovered a new album by BB – Dark Before Dawn.
It was so much slower and softer than I was used to. When I did a little checking on the net, I discovered that Benjamin Burnley became a father 12 days before me! Damn – I could certainly understand the change.
And then, earlier this year, my beautiful and loving wife informed me of the new album. She ordered it for me and DAMN!!! They are back!
Ember was released in 2018. It is loud, it is fast and it is AWESOME! (He obviously had a few sleepless nights himself...)
So, check out Psycho, check out the other songs, buy the album – keep him motivated to make music for a long time to come. If not for me, then at least for Valerie...
April 7, 2019
What a surprise this was. I was expecting a good read, thanks to the Paperback Maniac's* effusive semi-recent review on Youtube, but I wasn't expecting it to be among my top horror reads of the year. It's a remarkable blend of black humor and campy horror. I swear I was smiling throughout most of it, even when the most horrific things were happening on page.
Here's the setup: Valerie has issues. She's a thirty-something wannabe writer who's being tormented incessantly by these yellow-eyed little monsters that come out at night, oozing underneath the bottom of doors in her house. And they want to be fed, constantly. Only human flesh will do. Considering Valerie doesn't want to be eaten, her only solution is to continually put up a room for rent in her spacious house, which she recently inherited from her grandmother (who Valerie may have killed), so that there's a sustained food supply for the creatures. The balancing act of her doing all this and covering it up while still keeping up appearances with family and friends (and the occasional police visit) is ludicrous, and amusing to no end.
Valerie is such a great character: charismatic, but totally loony tunes, always arguing with the various ghosts inhabiting both her head (mostly past people she's killed) and her house. I felt a little guilty rooting for her, but I love that little psycho. She's so damn demented it's charming, in a way. I guess I have a thing for crazy girls. But is she really crazy? Are the monsters real, or only in her mind? The answer seems obvious for most of the novel, but author Debra Fowler expertly weaves in little passages here and there that will make you doubt yourself momentarily.
I don't want to imply that this is nothing but a dark comedy, as it's definitely a horror novel as well. The tone is similar to something like the films Heathers and Fargo, in that you're never sure if you should be delighted or disgusted. I suppose Little Shop of Horrors is an obvious reference point as well. But the closest comparison I can think of would be Ken Greenhall's middle-late '70s novels Elizabeth and Hell Hound, so if you're into those, check out What's Wrong with Valerie? ASAP. I'll certainly be snatching up everything of Fowler's I can.
As a side note, I wanted to mention how mortified I was to open up my like new signed copy I'd ordered only to find dozens of paragraphs X'ed-out in pen throughout:
Then I saw this note from Ms. Fowler (presumably written when this book first came out):
Which suddenly made it okay.
5 Stars.
*Fans of vintage horror paperbacks would do well to check out that channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPF...
June 6, 2023
A delightfully dark and twisted tale by Fowler! Hard to believe What's Wrong with Valerie was Fowler's first novel as it is very polished. This is a difficult book to review without giving too much away, but here goes. Valerie, our main protagonist, is a thirty something single women who just inherited her grandmother's house in West Virginia with aspirations to become a writer. While her grandmother also left her some money, she decides she must let out a room in the house in order to write full time and not have to be a waitress or something to pay the bills. We slowly learn about the sick and twisted relationship between Valerie and her grandmum; its a doosy and underpins the plot.
Valerie's grandmother was horrible to Valerie when she was little, and I mean horrible; the dialogue flashbacks are used effectively here and give us the grim tale. Years later, grandmother is going senile and Valerie agrees to move in and take care of her (leaving an abusive relationship as well). Revenge is best served cold, and Valerie, despite outward appearances, give back to granny some cold justice. Really, Fowler is hard core here!
So much for backstory (which Fowler gives us in dribs and drabs). Valerie gets her first lodger Gaven but we can clearly see that either Valerie is going off the deep end or there is something supernatural going on; she starts hearing and seeing strange monsters in the house while also thinking lewd thoughts regarding her lodger. Worse, she finds out one of her cousin's children is also seeing the monsters (with their glowing yellow eyes) and decides to help her out...
What's Wrong with Valerie is not just a tale of Valerie's mental breakdown; as a reader we feel some sympathy with her and her relationship with her sadistic granny despite the horrible actions Valerie ultimately does. Further, Fowler laces this tale with some of the darkest humor I have encountered as a reader. A blurb by R. Patrick Gates on the cover of my 1991 edition reads: "Bizarrely original, darkly humorous and downright spooky! Fowler expertly creates a genuinely nightmarish atmosphere and leavens it with a weird, dry wit." I agree. 4.5 dark stars, rounding up as I have read this three times! Recommended for any horror fan.
Valerie's grandmother was horrible to Valerie when she was little, and I mean horrible; the dialogue flashbacks are used effectively here and give us the grim tale. Years later, grandmother is going senile and Valerie agrees to move in and take care of her (leaving an abusive relationship as well). Revenge is best served cold, and Valerie, despite outward appearances, give back to granny some cold justice. Really, Fowler is hard core here!
So much for backstory (which Fowler gives us in dribs and drabs). Valerie gets her first lodger Gaven but we can clearly see that either Valerie is going off the deep end or there is something supernatural going on; she starts hearing and seeing strange monsters in the house while also thinking lewd thoughts regarding her lodger. Worse, she finds out one of her cousin's children is also seeing the monsters (with their glowing yellow eyes) and decides to help her out...
What's Wrong with Valerie is not just a tale of Valerie's mental breakdown; as a reader we feel some sympathy with her and her relationship with her sadistic granny despite the horrible actions Valerie ultimately does. Further, Fowler laces this tale with some of the darkest humor I have encountered as a reader. A blurb by R. Patrick Gates on the cover of my 1991 edition reads: "Bizarrely original, darkly humorous and downright spooky! Fowler expertly creates a genuinely nightmarish atmosphere and leavens it with a weird, dry wit." I agree. 4.5 dark stars, rounding up as I have read this three times! Recommended for any horror fan.
May 12, 2016
Valerie is really crazy but believe it or not, she had me wondering if she wasn't. Very convincing, this Valerie, even to me. I kept thinking how this would play out as the body count kept rising. They don't stay dead do they...hahaha. No, really, they don't:) The ending was a bit of a shocker. A lot of humor. Wait a minute...should I be laughing in a horror book? Well, it worked for this one. And poor, poor Tamara. She obviously survived as there is a sequel, but not without repercussions of course. I'm a little scared to think of what Tamara might do, but here goes nothing! From one psycho to another, I do hope part 2 can hold up. Highly recommend this book if you can find it!
January 25, 2021
Thank you, Capricorn Literary, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The 1991 pulp favorite What's Wrong with Valerie is more than just a mindless pulp horror novel. This tightly woven psychological terror kept me frantically turning the pages with its immersive writing, deliciously dark humor, and insane twists that never stopped coming. It is a wonder to me why a book this good has been out of print for so long. Thankfully, Valerie is back in print once again thanks to the fine folks at Capricorn Literary!
Check out my full video review HERE, and get your copy today! You do not want to miss out on this bonkers vintage title.
The 1991 pulp favorite What's Wrong with Valerie is more than just a mindless pulp horror novel. This tightly woven psychological terror kept me frantically turning the pages with its immersive writing, deliciously dark humor, and insane twists that never stopped coming. It is a wonder to me why a book this good has been out of print for so long. Thankfully, Valerie is back in print once again thanks to the fine folks at Capricorn Literary!
Check out my full video review HERE, and get your copy today! You do not want to miss out on this bonkers vintage title.
April 26, 2022
Valerie has spent the past three years being a live-in caretaker for her grandmother, who has just passed away and left her home to Valerie. Very shortly after her grandmother's passing, Valerie begins seeing and hearing strange things and she can't tell if it's real or if she's losing her mind - but what scares her the most is the monster with the big, glowing yellow eyes.
She also begins to hear voices, telling her to kill her roommate, Gavin, before he kills her. These voices are hampering her ability to write, which is all she's trying to do with her newfound solitude. Ghosts of her dead relatives begin to appear around her grandmother's house, and her Uncle Herb shows up and tells Valerie that killing Gavin will make the voices go away. On top of that, there are also several monsters in the house which come out at night, in search of human flesh - monsters that Gavin brought with him.
Another dead relative appears, telling her that her Uncle Herb is all wrong. These relatives are constantly showing up and giving her conflicting advice, and soon she has no clue what to do.
One day when she visits her cousin, Elizabeth, her daughter, Tamara tells Valerie she saw a monster with glowing yellow eyes in her closet. Valerie's solution is to kidnap Tamara, fearing this monster wants to eat her. When Tamara wakes up at Valerie's, she's very confused and wants to go home.
When she becomes insubordinate and angry with Valerie, she is convinced Tamara has been possessed by her sadistic grandmother and that's who's truly making her disobedient. Valerie doesn't hesitate to punish Tamara harshly when she acts up, knowing she's just trying to keep her safe.
Valerie has a hell of a lot on her plate, from the dead relatives, the monsters, roommates, her kidnapped cousin, the voices in her head and the typewritten communication, telling her to kill people.
Is Valerie truly insane and evil, or is she just a victim whose mind snapped after dealing with terrible abuse at the hands of her grandmother for all those years?
--------------------
This book is a LOT to unpack, and there's a ton of stuff going on that I can't even begin to get into because I'd end up writing a novel myself, but it truly was a very good book. It was very entertaining and unique, too. I definitely can't wait to read her other work.
She also begins to hear voices, telling her to kill her roommate, Gavin, before he kills her. These voices are hampering her ability to write, which is all she's trying to do with her newfound solitude. Ghosts of her dead relatives begin to appear around her grandmother's house, and her Uncle Herb shows up and tells Valerie that killing Gavin will make the voices go away. On top of that, there are also several monsters in the house which come out at night, in search of human flesh - monsters that Gavin brought with him.
Another dead relative appears, telling her that her Uncle Herb is all wrong. These relatives are constantly showing up and giving her conflicting advice, and soon she has no clue what to do.
One day when she visits her cousin, Elizabeth, her daughter, Tamara tells Valerie she saw a monster with glowing yellow eyes in her closet. Valerie's solution is to kidnap Tamara, fearing this monster wants to eat her. When Tamara wakes up at Valerie's, she's very confused and wants to go home.
When she becomes insubordinate and angry with Valerie, she is convinced Tamara has been possessed by her sadistic grandmother and that's who's truly making her disobedient. Valerie doesn't hesitate to punish Tamara harshly when she acts up, knowing she's just trying to keep her safe.
Valerie has a hell of a lot on her plate, from the dead relatives, the monsters, roommates, her kidnapped cousin, the voices in her head and the typewritten communication, telling her to kill people.
Is Valerie truly insane and evil, or is she just a victim whose mind snapped after dealing with terrible abuse at the hands of her grandmother for all those years?
--------------------
This book is a LOT to unpack, and there's a ton of stuff going on that I can't even begin to get into because I'd end up writing a novel myself, but it truly was a very good book. It was very entertaining and unique, too. I definitely can't wait to read her other work.
August 19, 2024
This is definitely one that shouldn't be missed by horror fans! A quirky thriller told mostly from the perspective of a very disturbed and lonely woman, Debra Fowler's magnum opus keeps you guessing and smiling while on the edge of your seat. Her narrative voice is unique-- simultaneously disturbing and yet bathed in pathos, all with a twisted sense of humor.
Little is known about the author, who had a string of successes during the closing years of the Paperbacks from Hell boom. I had previously read her Halloween-themed novel "The Devil's End," which did not impress me. But this novel feels like it was written by another person! Perhaps it is so different because it was deeply personal for Fowler, who seems like she put her heart and soul into her portrait of the sympathetic but chilling main character. In fact, this was her first novel, and likely a story she had been thinking about for a while and really wanted to tell; whereas, "The Devil's End" felt like she was trying to please her publisher.
"Write more of this kind of stuff! You'll be big like King! Incidentally, you've got until the end of the week to have something on my desk."
Her debut was so popular that it spawned a sequel that focuses on another of the main characters in this novel, which I look forward to trying someday. But I can't imagine that it would top this. What makes this a masterpiece is how Fowler is able to draw us a crude sketch of a character in the first chapters, then we watch as she slowly adds on more dimensions and color so that the portrait never manages to turn out looking like we expected. Her palate is a sophisticated set of psychological themes that she layers on so we get more and more of the full picture of Valerie in the present and how she came to be this way, without ever having to resort to long expositions or flashbacks. One of the main themes is about how child abuse propagates, creating adults that go on to perpetuate the cycle. Therefore, the subject matter may seem a bit too triggering or grim, but the author manages to get her serious points across while being incredibly entertaining. There is no way to stress adequately enough how ingenious her technique can be for manipulating the reader's sympathy, but also for generating Hitchcock-style suspense and laugh-out-loud comedy.
I really don't want to say too much more about it, as it's best to go in blind as possible. Just do yourself a favor--give this book a try, and you'll quickly discover everything that is RIGHT about Valerie!
SCORE: Five delicious bowls of tapioca pudding!
WORD OF THE DAY: Contumacious
SUGGESTED MUSICAL PAIRING: "Maniac" by Michael Sembello, "The Bitch is Back" by Elton John
Little is known about the author, who had a string of successes during the closing years of the Paperbacks from Hell boom. I had previously read her Halloween-themed novel "The Devil's End," which did not impress me. But this novel feels like it was written by another person! Perhaps it is so different because it was deeply personal for Fowler, who seems like she put her heart and soul into her portrait of the sympathetic but chilling main character. In fact, this was her first novel, and likely a story she had been thinking about for a while and really wanted to tell; whereas, "The Devil's End" felt like she was trying to please her publisher.
"Write more of this kind of stuff! You'll be big like King! Incidentally, you've got until the end of the week to have something on my desk."
Her debut was so popular that it spawned a sequel that focuses on another of the main characters in this novel, which I look forward to trying someday. But I can't imagine that it would top this. What makes this a masterpiece is how Fowler is able to draw us a crude sketch of a character in the first chapters, then we watch as she slowly adds on more dimensions and color so that the portrait never manages to turn out looking like we expected. Her palate is a sophisticated set of psychological themes that she layers on so we get more and more of the full picture of Valerie in the present and how she came to be this way, without ever having to resort to long expositions or flashbacks. One of the main themes is about how child abuse propagates, creating adults that go on to perpetuate the cycle. Therefore, the subject matter may seem a bit too triggering or grim, but the author manages to get her serious points across while being incredibly entertaining. There is no way to stress adequately enough how ingenious her technique can be for manipulating the reader's sympathy, but also for generating Hitchcock-style suspense and laugh-out-loud comedy.
I really don't want to say too much more about it, as it's best to go in blind as possible. Just do yourself a favor--give this book a try, and you'll quickly discover everything that is RIGHT about Valerie!
SCORE: Five delicious bowls of tapioca pudding!
WORD OF THE DAY: Contumacious
SUGGESTED MUSICAL PAIRING: "Maniac" by Michael Sembello, "The Bitch is Back" by Elton John
April 3, 2019
This was such a fun ride! Valerie has been taking care of her ailing grandmother for the past few years and after her death she has inherited her house and money. As Valerie tries to pursue her dream of becoming a writer she starts to dream about monsters and see the ghosts of her dead relatives. Is this all really happening or is it all in her head?
Fowler's writing is really unique and I absolutely loved her style. It grabbed me from page one and had me hooked. I feel like the story did plateau at some point later on in the book but it was still really enjoyable and what a great ending. It's very darkly witty and the unhinged Valerie is a treat to read about. Just when you think she's gone too far she goes even further. I'd definitely be interested in reading the sequel if I can get my hands on a copy!
Fowler's writing is really unique and I absolutely loved her style. It grabbed me from page one and had me hooked. I feel like the story did plateau at some point later on in the book but it was still really enjoyable and what a great ending. It's very darkly witty and the unhinged Valerie is a treat to read about. Just when you think she's gone too far she goes even further. I'd definitely be interested in reading the sequel if I can get my hands on a copy!
July 13, 2021
Read again to prep for the sequels. Still love how wicked this one is.
August 28, 2021
This 1991 horror shocker.....did exactly that; shocked the shit out of me!! Valerie makes Norman Bates look like Mother Theresa! Get ready to find out 'What's Wrong With Valerie' by Debra Fowler.
So, with this book being the first in a 3 book series, this could easily be a stand alone book. But if you read this disturbing as hell story about a mentally ill and SICK as fuck young woman and not look at your cat the same way again.....I would ask you 'Why not'?
Valerie loses her grandmother and soon inherits her house with all it's belongings in it. Soon Valerie starts talking to and even seeing, yes! 'seeing and smelling' her Grandmother. When Valerie starts seeing creatures in her back yard, and in the house with 'glowing yellow HUGE eyes' she starts to feed them....she feeds them to keep them from eating and feeding on her. But WHAT is Valerie feeding them? So she realizes that she cannot make ends meet as she is trying to become a horror author, and it is just taking up her time, and her sanity; so what does she decide to do? She puts an ad in the newspaper 'Room For Rent' and all HELL breaks loose. This is when her typewriter starts to 'talk to her' and tells her what to do, and how to keep these 'little monsters satisfied......' and this is when you start to realize; is she crazy, or is this really happening? Are her dead relatives really there with her in the house or is she imagining it all?.
She soon starts reliving all the child torture and abuse that her grandmother and her sister did to her when she was a young girl in this house, now to cope with it easier....Valerie starts thinking: I need to find me a little girl to abuse like Grandma did to me......so, Valerie kidnaps her 7 year old Cousin Tamara, and what follows is this poor little girl being put through the most horrific and sadistic scenes of cannibalism, murder and so much more, you think; where did this author go to and why was this not a HORROR classic!!?
Fowlers writing was so excellent, and I was surprised in the fact that i dont even remember this book ever being really that popular until recently. It now has become the cult hit. The extremely gruesome (yet sometimes kind of dark humorish) scenes of dismemberment and cannibalism can be very upsetting sometimes, but I LOVED it!!
It has 2 sequels that follow; 'What's Wrong With Tamara' and 'Bad Blood' and you can bet that I have already ordered them from Amazon.
So, with this book being the first in a 3 book series, this could easily be a stand alone book. But if you read this disturbing as hell story about a mentally ill and SICK as fuck young woman and not look at your cat the same way again.....I would ask you 'Why not'?
Valerie loses her grandmother and soon inherits her house with all it's belongings in it. Soon Valerie starts talking to and even seeing, yes! 'seeing and smelling' her Grandmother. When Valerie starts seeing creatures in her back yard, and in the house with 'glowing yellow HUGE eyes' she starts to feed them....she feeds them to keep them from eating and feeding on her. But WHAT is Valerie feeding them? So she realizes that she cannot make ends meet as she is trying to become a horror author, and it is just taking up her time, and her sanity; so what does she decide to do? She puts an ad in the newspaper 'Room For Rent' and all HELL breaks loose. This is when her typewriter starts to 'talk to her' and tells her what to do, and how to keep these 'little monsters satisfied......' and this is when you start to realize; is she crazy, or is this really happening? Are her dead relatives really there with her in the house or is she imagining it all?.
She soon starts reliving all the child torture and abuse that her grandmother and her sister did to her when she was a young girl in this house, now to cope with it easier....Valerie starts thinking: I need to find me a little girl to abuse like Grandma did to me......so, Valerie kidnaps her 7 year old Cousin Tamara, and what follows is this poor little girl being put through the most horrific and sadistic scenes of cannibalism, murder and so much more, you think; where did this author go to and why was this not a HORROR classic!!?
Fowlers writing was so excellent, and I was surprised in the fact that i dont even remember this book ever being really that popular until recently. It now has become the cult hit. The extremely gruesome (yet sometimes kind of dark humorish) scenes of dismemberment and cannibalism can be very upsetting sometimes, but I LOVED it!!
It has 2 sequels that follow; 'What's Wrong With Tamara' and 'Bad Blood' and you can bet that I have already ordered them from Amazon.
June 7, 2019
I've been wanting to read this title for such a long time, and thanks to Capricorn Literary who gave me an ARC in exchange for this honest review, I finally went ahead and did it and I freakin' had a ball doing so. Not only is this story of a strange girl and her famished little monsters a riot it is also gruesome as it is narratively impressive. D. A. Fowler has a way of telling her tale that only makes you want to devour (pun intended) the book in one sitting (which I almost did) and ultimately get to her backlist. I truly hope we get to see other available titles in the near future, for, if the rest of her novels are as fun as this one is, I'll die a very happy happy fan. Get this one, people, you hear?!
POSTSCRIPT: featured on my blog: https://sleaze-factor.blogspot.com/20...
POSTSCRIPT: featured on my blog: https://sleaze-factor.blogspot.com/20...
September 20, 2019
I received this from Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
DNF@23%
I know I'm in the minority here, but this just didn't work for me. The writing felt... I'm not sure what the right word is, but like the author was taking normal dialogue and descriptions and replacing the words with what she maybe considered "better" or "smart". The audiobook was driving me crazy, because people don't have conversations like that, without contractions and without slang or colloquialisms.
I may not have noticed it as much if I were reading instead of listening, but I'm giving up. The premise sounded good, but the execution was off.
DNF@23%
I know I'm in the minority here, but this just didn't work for me. The writing felt... I'm not sure what the right word is, but like the author was taking normal dialogue and descriptions and replacing the words with what she maybe considered "better" or "smart". The audiobook was driving me crazy, because people don't have conversations like that, without contractions and without slang or colloquialisms.
I may not have noticed it as much if I were reading instead of listening, but I'm giving up. The premise sounded good, but the execution was off.
September 12, 2019
This is a very intense, disturbing listen. The atmosphere created is claustrophobic. It oozes horror as the plot twists and we become entwined in its grasp. Not for the faint of heart or squeamish. The writing has a light touch which emphasises the darkness. A narrator sympathetic with the characters adds to the immersive experience. This is a great novel and a wonderful listen.
January 25, 2025
Valerie is depraved. How far will she go to feed her monsters and keep peace in her house??
March 6, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up!
A nearly perfect psychological horror novel marred slightly by its (expository-heavy) ending, What’s Wrong with Valerie? has gained a cult following amongst vintage horror lovers and rightfully so.
What the mysterious D.A. Fowler does best is combine campy horror elements with real razor-sharp fear, with dashes of wicked humor thrown in for good measure. What we have is a story of a young woman coming apart at the seams, hearing voices and being pushed to kill unsuspecting people, and . . . it’s a lot of fun!
The ending, though, is a letdown. I’m talking the last two pages. It explains too much, dropping the ball! Thanks to another review here on Goodreads, I found out the author herself wasn’t a fan of this ending, calling it “editorial intrusion”. Yes. It almost feels like an unneeded epilogue.
This book is hard to find, but it’s worth tracking down—especially for readers looking for a phenomenal scary story written by a female author.
A nearly perfect psychological horror novel marred slightly by its (expository-heavy) ending, What’s Wrong with Valerie? has gained a cult following amongst vintage horror lovers and rightfully so.
What the mysterious D.A. Fowler does best is combine campy horror elements with real razor-sharp fear, with dashes of wicked humor thrown in for good measure. What we have is a story of a young woman coming apart at the seams, hearing voices and being pushed to kill unsuspecting people, and . . . it’s a lot of fun!
The ending, though, is a letdown. I’m talking the last two pages. It explains too much, dropping the ball! Thanks to another review here on Goodreads, I found out the author herself wasn’t a fan of this ending, calling it “editorial intrusion”. Yes. It almost feels like an unneeded epilogue.
This book is hard to find, but it’s worth tracking down—especially for readers looking for a phenomenal scary story written by a female author.
August 2, 2019
That was fun!
February 24, 2020
Turns out Valerie has a lot wrong with her. Schizophrenia has her seeing and believing things that aren’t there. This audiobook is a trip inside her mind, an insight into the struggles of the demons that she faces both inside herself and out in the world that she must still traverse inside. For Valerie, the demons that she sees are all charming in their own way, and it’s that which makes it harder for her to get rid of them.
This story has plenty of twists and turns. With a narrator like Valerie, that’s not a surprise. It was interesting to see the contrast of things that were actually happening in comparison to what Valerie believed. It made me think that there are mental illnesses that really affect people in such a manner like this.
Overall, the story leaves an uneasy feeling from the disconnect. Very well done.
The narrator gave an interesting excitement to Valerie’s character to balance the downward spiral of her life. It was an interesting contrast, and I liked the little background noises the narrator added as well.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
This story has plenty of twists and turns. With a narrator like Valerie, that’s not a surprise. It was interesting to see the contrast of things that were actually happening in comparison to what Valerie believed. It made me think that there are mental illnesses that really affect people in such a manner like this.
Overall, the story leaves an uneasy feeling from the disconnect. Very well done.
The narrator gave an interesting excitement to Valerie’s character to balance the downward spiral of her life. It was an interesting contrast, and I liked the little background noises the narrator added as well.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
July 17, 2018
Valerie is the aunt you wish you'd never met. Great to read a story in which the main protagonist is a woman, and absolutely twisted. This story was a little hard to follow at times. Having read it after reading What's Wrong With Tamara it just felt a little empty.
December 14, 2018
Very gory, gross and totally messed up....a fun read. A bit unrealistic at times. I thought the end was a little weak but looks like there's more to the story in another book and I need to find it.
Read
September 7, 2021D. A. Fowler's grand guignol of domestic carnage is a trip. It's not more than a chapter or two in before we realize there is indeed something very, very wrong with Valerie-- that a gaggle of slurping zombie vampires are not, in fact, oozing their way nightly towards her bedroom door-- and it's then that we can begin to find a certain glee in her rationalized justifications for defensive violence, whether it be poisoning the pudding, chopping up corpses in the attic, or kidnapping her cousin's child. The escalation of Valerie's crimes, and the dark humor with which they're conveyed, leaves the reader feeling trapped, as Valerie is, in an endless game of whack-a-mole, thumping each new threat that pops up until there's no other choice than to grin and turn the mallet upon oneself. If only she could have found some peace and quiet so she could write her book!
I listened to the recent audiobook version (produced by Capricorn Literary and perfectly narrated by Heather Murdock) on a road trip to Salem, MA, and it was wicked company. I'm eager to check out the two sequels, WHAT'S WRONG WITH TAMARA? and BAD BLOOD, as soon as possible.
I listened to the recent audiobook version (produced by Capricorn Literary and perfectly narrated by Heather Murdock) on a road trip to Salem, MA, and it was wicked company. I'm eager to check out the two sequels, WHAT'S WRONG WITH TAMARA? and BAD BLOOD, as soon as possible.
Read
February 27, 2020Giving up on this one. Maybe I'll come back to it another time. For now, I found it boring, repetitive and disappointing.
January 28, 2020
Buy the book or borrow it from Amazon KU.
https://youtu.be/LNpgP58yk9s
I need a moment to think about this. I read this over the holidays and I had a ton of other things going on at the same time.
https://youtu.be/LNpgP58yk9s
I need a moment to think about this. I read this over the holidays and I had a ton of other things going on at the same time.
September 30, 2019
Valerie has had a tough time of it. She’s recently buried her grandmother after taking care of her during her final three years and now she is living alone on the modest inheritance, with no income and trying to become a writer. She also sees monsters. Little yellow-eyed monsters that come out at night, oozing underneath the bottom of doors in her house. Oh, and they feed on human flesh. So believes Valerie. To appease them, Valerie must provide them with fresh human meat. The easiest way seems to be renting out a room in her house, find unique ways to kill the renters, and stash the bodies for easy access. If a renter isn’t available, others who make the fatal mistake of visiting Valerie will do just as well.
Sounds like a rather simplistic horror novel that might be churned out by a hack writer in the 1940s for a half cent per word. But it’s not like that at all. This book was originally published in 1991 and is an odd combination of dark horror and comedic horror. It’s fair to say that I was never always sure when I should be chuckling at the latest horrific scene, or disgusted. Much of the activity that Valerie engages in is utterly horrible. Not just the murders to supply the monsters with fresh meat, but also scenes of Valerie heaping mental abuse on two vulnerable young girls.
But all that is balanced with Valerie’s own perspective which is one of dogged determination to keep feeding the monsters while trying to keep one step ahead of suspicion. She even communicates with those she has killed via her word processor to get advice on how to handle whatever crisis has just developed. She’s an engaging character and I found myself simultaneously rooting for her in her next “project” while also feeling sorry for her and hoping she gets caught and confined to an institution. In fact, throughout the novel we readers must wonder if she truly is bonkers or if, perhaps, this is all real.
This is an easy-to-read novel, a page-turner if you will. It’s not meant to be realistic per se, as is obvious in the way Valerie gets away with everything for so long. The one investigating cop isn’t all that competent for most of the novel, content to believe what is easiest. Friends, family and neighbors tend to ignore the obvious as well. But that all lends itself to the plot and Valerie’s outlook. The end could have gone so many different ways but turned out to be something other than what I was expecting.
Thank you to Capricorn Literary for a free copy in return for an honest review.
Sounds like a rather simplistic horror novel that might be churned out by a hack writer in the 1940s for a half cent per word. But it’s not like that at all. This book was originally published in 1991 and is an odd combination of dark horror and comedic horror. It’s fair to say that I was never always sure when I should be chuckling at the latest horrific scene, or disgusted. Much of the activity that Valerie engages in is utterly horrible. Not just the murders to supply the monsters with fresh meat, but also scenes of Valerie heaping mental abuse on two vulnerable young girls.
But all that is balanced with Valerie’s own perspective which is one of dogged determination to keep feeding the monsters while trying to keep one step ahead of suspicion. She even communicates with those she has killed via her word processor to get advice on how to handle whatever crisis has just developed. She’s an engaging character and I found myself simultaneously rooting for her in her next “project” while also feeling sorry for her and hoping she gets caught and confined to an institution. In fact, throughout the novel we readers must wonder if she truly is bonkers or if, perhaps, this is all real.
This is an easy-to-read novel, a page-turner if you will. It’s not meant to be realistic per se, as is obvious in the way Valerie gets away with everything for so long. The one investigating cop isn’t all that competent for most of the novel, content to believe what is easiest. Friends, family and neighbors tend to ignore the obvious as well. But that all lends itself to the plot and Valerie’s outlook. The end could have gone so many different ways but turned out to be something other than what I was expecting.
Thank you to Capricorn Literary for a free copy in return for an honest review.
November 15, 2019
A story about a young woman who's mind begins to unravel
This book was like a roller coaster ride of crazy crazy and more crazy. I couldn't believe the lengths the valerie character went to, to get what she wanted. Let's just say she is not someone you ever want to cross paths with and you certainly don't want to be on her bad side. This book is Perfect for Halloween or if you're just in the mood for a crazy horror read.
This book was like a roller coaster ride of crazy crazy and more crazy. I couldn't believe the lengths the valerie character went to, to get what she wanted. Let's just say she is not someone you ever want to cross paths with and you certainly don't want to be on her bad side. This book is Perfect for Halloween or if you're just in the mood for a crazy horror read.
April 17, 2019
So utterly awful.
September 17, 2019
I requested this audiobook for free and give my review voluntarily.
I reallllllyyyy struggled to finish this one. It’s just not good.
I reallllllyyyy struggled to finish this one. It’s just not good.
July 13, 2020
Quick but captivating.
A good quick read that entertained me through a camping weekend. Kept you guessing if it was paranormal or mental illness causing the conflicts in the book. I read the Kindle version and there were quite a few typos that were distracting (every "all" was typed "ail", for example). I did thoroughly enjoy the story and look forward to starting the 2nd this evening.
A good quick read that entertained me through a camping weekend. Kept you guessing if it was paranormal or mental illness causing the conflicts in the book. I read the Kindle version and there were quite a few typos that were distracting (every "all" was typed "ail", for example). I did thoroughly enjoy the story and look forward to starting the 2nd this evening.
February 16, 2021
Well that was a fun read! Almost a 5, but I would say a 4.5. Well written, very twisted. Lots of guessing going on as to what is real and what is not and the end was supprising, I was wondering how it would end and didnt think it would be the way it was. Makes you think about what people are really thinking vs what they say.
August 7, 2025
3.5
Completely unhinged
Completely unhinged
March 9, 2020
Story was ok, some nice insight into mental illness, but the editing was a mess, if there was any editing done at all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews