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It's not often I can pinpoint the 'vibes' of a book as sharply as I can with this one. It felt like The Exorcist, meets Midsommar with orphanage in the snow type of feelings instead of commune in the spring and it work really, really well. The tension and build in this was masterful and the constant question of 'who is going to survive' really kept me reading.
This follows the story of a small orphanage set away from nearly all of civilization, and how everything goes to hell after a wounded man is brought in and the evil he brings with him spreads to the boys within. Another great comparison could also be Lord of the Flies in that we end up with groups of boys pitted against others but the tension and darkness of this novel really lend more to a modern horror. Our points of view change, hopping from boy to boy to priest, and in narrative style as we explore the horror that is unfolding and how it's spreading.
Do not go in expecting a happy ending, the death toll is high in this and it's gruesome as well. Philip Fracassi does not shy away from the bloody side of horror. There is though an interesting and well thought out discussion of choice within these pages though. Something I would reread the book to really look at and analyze. What choices define us and what type of choices should we let define us, and allow ourselves to believe in.
Overall this is a strong and classic feeling horror novel. This will be one that I'll refer to as using great classic tropes to explore interesting themes. I really recommend it, but not for the light of heart.

[TWs:
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Grief
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders]

<b>Disclosure notice: I was provided a copy of <i>Boys in the Valley</i> by Nighfire and Netgalley for review. Any opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way by either the publisher or its publicity team.</b>

Stories of possession really have not done much to innovate after the success of William Peter Blatty's <i>The Exorcist</i> in 1971. It seems like every new possession story is working from the same set of presumptions, the same rules and visuals, as if breaking from the success of that now 50-year-old tradition would mean some kind of financial or intellectual disaster.

But the possession trope in horror fiction is in desperate need of a tune-up, and that is exactly what <i>Boys in the Valley</i> has to offer. This is not a pea soup and profanity sort of possession tale; what Fracassi does is put sincere limits on concepts of divine power and exposes Catholicism for its many cruelties even in the same breath it explores ideas of demoniac violence and the multi-faceted existence of evil. Yes, there are demons in this story, but there are people just as capable of real cruelty who don't need a demon to excuse their bad behavior.

Central to the story is Peter, an orphan who would be priest, and we're given the story through his perspective as well as a third-person narrative that explores the actions of the rest of the book's cast. The split narrative is only occasionally disorienting, but works quite well to open up the book's central metaphors regarding division, the use and abuse of power, and issues pertaining to faith and secularity, which feature prominently in most stories about possession. I was genuinely surprised by some of the ways Fracassi undercuts common presumptions in possession fiction regarding the omnipotence of divinity or evil. In a sense, the "spiritual" fight in this book is every bit as visceral and destructive as physical conflict, with neither side showing clear advantage or weakness. It plays to the strengths of the human drama at the book's core: what is cruelty, and in its opposition, what is grace?

The book deals well with metaphorical concepts of division, too. What is a demon, after all, but a divisive idea, a radical notion so transgressive that it cannot help but divide people into separate camps with radically different methodology? Comparing Fracassi's book to <i>Lord of the Flies</i> isn't just marketing blather, it's a central component to the book's overarching question.

<i>Boys in the Valley</i> is without a doubt the best possession story I've read since <i>A Good and Happy Child</i> by Justin Evans in 2007. It deals in similar tropes, but pulls those tropes into the 21st century, offering up a book that feels genuine, fresh, and emotionally mature. It does not hide its horror under a bushel, but allows it to breathe, to take root and do literal and symbolic work. This book is a stroke of genuine excellence, as heartbreaking as it is compelling.

OMG. This book was incredible. This author has become a must buy for me at I've liked everything he's written so far. The ending killed me and the character of Peter was so well drawn out. I highly recommend!

Boys In The Valley has plenty to offer its readers, and I wish Philip Fracassi much success with it. Unfortunately, I am not the right reader for this one.

The first handful of chapters did an excellent job of setting the scene and ensuring your investment in the characters, all for things to explode into action at chapter 7. Part One truly had my reader self excited. Part Two, full of plenty of delightfully creepy vibes, expertly ratcheted up the tension until the story once again exploded, into the chaos of Part Three. Believe it or not, Part Three is actually where I began losing interest. Which is where we get to the reason behind my rating.

Boys In The Valley didn’t survive my mood reading. It’s often that I’ll put a book down because it’s suddenly not what I want to be reading. I’ll do this even with books I'd been, up to that point, completely engrossed in. Very few books are safe from my mercurial reading habits. So, the test isn’t in whether or not I momentarily lose interest in the book, it’s in how easily I pick said book back up and feel excited about it again. It was noticeably difficult for me to get back into this one. My heart most definitely was not in it anymore.

A big part of what attracted me to this in the first place was the assertion that it was like a hybrid of Lord of the Flies, The Exorcist, and Midnight Mass. Therein lies the problem. Using shows, movies, or other books to sell something is a double-edged sword. Obviously, it works wonders at getting readers to pick the book up and give it a chance. At the same time, it can set up unrealistic reader expectations. I think I may have been banking too much on that Lord of the Flies comparison, and not paying enough attention to the other comparisons it had garnered. Truth be told, this isn’t my favourite kind of horror.

So, the most important thing to take away from my review is that I feel the story is well written, the characters are engrossing, and there’s lots of action. Boys In The Valley has a lot to offer horror lovers, especially fans of the possession trope and survival horror. I’m just not the right audience.

I absolutely love this book! It’s easily earned a spot in my top 5 of all time. The writing is near perfect. It flows so well and keeps you engaged in the story.

I really love the setting. What’s creepier than an old orphanage, and one ran by the church at that! The ambience is spooky and terror seeps through the pages. It’s hard to write a story focused on possession that doesn’t come off a bit cheesy and cliche but Boys in the Valley can easily be the next Exorcist.

Characters are fleshed out and each has their own interesting story. I love how the author made each priest different. One being the tough, no nonsense type and another being kind hearted and forgiving, empathetic even.

Dynamics and relationships between characters comes off so realistic you forget you’re reading a story. As the reader, you can almost feel the anguish, the struggle, the fear that these boys go through trying to survive already hostile conditions.

Amongst the well-developed characters, interesting plot line and spooky setting, there is lots of gore and blood for those who like their books more messy.

A well written, well-rounded story full of despair. I almost wish I could forget the whole thing just to experience it again.

This book will stay with me forever.

This is miscategorized. It's horror, it's religious fiction, and it's written very simply- it seems like a YA book, but there's too much gore, so they've stuck it in adult.

Unfortunately, this book has nothing in common with Lord of the Flies. The plot doesn't hang together, and the narrator, who is supposed to be 16, speaks like a much older man, particularly when referring to other people. Throughout the book there is a severe issue with "telling" in situations where it would be much more powerful to allow the reader to make up their own mind. Characterization is limited, generally two dimensional, and the plot has significant holes.

But there are some characters who are engaging. Unfortunately, that is not the main character, who is a Mary Sue type caricature.

As a rough draft, I would call this promising, but as a final draft missing only the final pass for corrections, it's simply not ready for publication.

Another fantastic effort from Fracassi, who's quickly become one of my favorite authors. This story finds us at an orphanage for boys that is interrupted one night by the local sheriff and his deputies, carrying a mysterious man who's in bad shape after having been arrested for having sacrificed a young child in what may have been a satanic ritual. The man seems possessed, and what happens that night changes the orphanage and the people within forever. Fracassi builds the tension slowly, and you can feel dread creep into the proceedings as the boys begin to splinter into the sides of good and evil. The writing is top-notch as usual, the characters full of life and the ending does not disappoint. An all-around impressive outing. 4.5 stars bumped to 5 for the quality of writing and solid finish. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been waiting for a while to get my hands on this book and it did not disappoint. It's an excellent, disturbing horror novel. Lord Of The Flies with demonic possessions, what could go wrong?

“The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies” - great way to describe this book. A bit too religious for me. Some of the characters were a bit to hard to follow who they were in the beginning, but once you get it straight, they are like-able! There were a few slow parts. I did like the eerie feel to it and the old school horror vibes. Fracassi knows how to set a creepy scene without going into over detailed and gory descriptions. 3.5 🌟

Something insidious is taking over St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys and the children within. One night, the police bring a sick man to the orphanage for care from the priests, but his body and soul are too far gone to be saved. The man's death unleashes an evil entity that infects the orphaned boys, causing the group to split in a battle of good vs. evil.

Religious horror is a hard sell for me. There's something about it that I find deeply unsettling. So, I'm going to come right out and say this book scared the s*** out of me. The tension spans the entire novel with few moments of release, leaving very little room for readers to breathe easy or feel safe. The plot is tight and the pace is quick. Fracassi does a nice job of moving readers through some really horrific moments straight through into the next one.

I do wish the ending had a bit more of a punch. It was almost passive. Overall, Boys in the Valley is a solid choice for horror fans.

Boys in the Valley absolutely hit the nail on the head with amazing classic horror vibes. It was everything I wanted in a horror novel and my long wait to read this since seeing it on Twitter did not disappoint.

I appreciate that the author did not take their foot off the gas and each chapter got darker and creepier. It was so well written and smart, it let me be a smart enough reader to enjoy and it without over explaining. It did not veer away from the horror and left me with a sad, but satisfying ending.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Holy. Hell. I was raised Catholic and everything that entails, and Philip Fracassi's Boys in the Valley is wonderful, specific Catholic horror. Set at a Catholic boy's orphanage in the early 1900s, evil overtakes half the boys and trouble ensues. This book is unrelenting, horrific scene after horrific scene once you're ~80 pages in. I devoured it. I hope horror fans rally around this one, because it has the makings of the next horror blockbuster. Fracassi is for real!

I have been waiting to read this book since Sadie Hartmann’s pivotal tweet a couple of years ago that sent this book from a limited printing that was no longer available to a firestorm of people excited to get their hands on a copy but couldn’t!
Now coming out July 11th published by TorNightfire, Philip Fracassi’s Boys in the Valley will take the horror scene by storm!

A secluded orphanage run by 3 priests is home to 30 boys of various ages. Peter, one of the two oldest boys at age 16, has been there most of his life. A young priest in training, Peter is much loved by the younger boys as a friend and mentor.

One night a wounded and delusional man is brought to the orphanage for medical help but dies that night unleashing something terrifying into the halls of the orphanage that divides and changes the boys. Peter fears he knows what they are facing and begins to ready himself and his allies for a battle not just for their lives but for their souls.

I loved this book! I loved the camaraderie between the boys and especially Peter’s relationship with his mentor, Father Andrew. I’ve seen the book compared to The Lord of the Flies and I’d agree- though orphanage style. If you’re looking for a good coming of age novel that has creepy children, good versus evil, and a bit of the heartwarming relationships between friends, then this is you’re book!

Thank you Netgalley and TorNightfire for the ARC of this book!

Like everything else he touches, this book was gold. The story was so engrossing, I finished it in one sitting, having to see where the boys ended up, how they would deal with evil in this place. After a group of strangers late night visit to the orphanage, things begin to change rapidly. Boys act strangely, violence and rebellion becomes almost common. Things quickly go from normal to murder and mayhem. The priests, ranging from loving and caring, to demanding and cold, handle these acts very differently, confusing the boys unaffected, and making the situation doubly worse. The real question is, in the end, can these boys and their caregivers save themselves from the evil that's been unleashed? Absolutely a 10/10, worth every minute!

Wow. This book was great. I've read Philip Fracassi before, one time, and enjoy the book (Gothic). But this book I loved. Might be the best book I've read so far this year. The characters were great, and well developed. The story and pacing were also great, and every time I put it down, I didn't want to. Will have to read some of his older books, and definitely looking forward to future ones.

* Thank you for this ARC, Tor Publishing and NetGalley! *

This book... Ah, wow. First, I had been wanting to read it for over a year, ever since my Book Review Guru (mother.horror, hello!) mentioned it in February 2022, with such praise... It even got the attention of Stephen King (who, by the way, LOVED it too).

So when I was approved to read this ARC, I was estatic.
It DID NOT disappoint!

I was already a fan of Philip Fracassi, and this book just cemented my love for him. It was scary, a little gory, inventive, beautifully crafted and written. The prose is awesome. The characters are awesome. The story... 5 stars. I want to give it 6 stars, ok?

BOYS IN THE VALLEY! Stephen King tells no lies. Non-stop terror. A book you want to step into so you can save your favorites from the horror awaiting them. Philip Fracassi introduces a world of good vs evil where all outcomes are in doubt, even your own!

The multi-pov works well here, including the different tenses (first/third). Good pace, never boring. Peter and Andrew's relationship is refreshing. A priest depicted as wanting to care for children. Thr dread through the entire book is incredible. Huge, huge Fracassi fan.

Tales of demonic possession are right up my alley, as are pre-cell-phone stories about isolated communities struggling against an evil force, so Philip Fracassi's BOYS IN THE VALLEY really hit my sweet spot. Your mileage may vary, but if you're in the mood for an atmospheric piece of literary Horror, you've picked up the right book.

A group of late-night visitors unwittingly deposit an ancient Horror at the doorstep of a remote Catholic orphanage in Pennsylvania, which soon tears apart the lives of the Priests and orphans who live and work there.

The supernatural aspect almost takes a back seat to the characters and the harsh lives they are forced to lead in the impoverished orphanage. Fracassi does an amazing job of letting the reader get to know the large cast of characters, and the boys meet live and breathe in a way that really makes you worried for them when the supernatural aspect of the story really kicks in. In the right hands, this would make an amazing movie or mini-series.

Fracassi seems like an overnight sensation, but he's been at this for a while, which is good news for people like me, who have just discovered him. He's got a lot more books out there, and his "overnight" success is well-deserved if they're even half as good as this one. Highly recommended.

Hands down, Boys In The Valley is probably one of my favorite books I have read so far this year. This is everything I look for in a horror novel.

It takes a lot to scare me, I've seen a lot and read a lot in my lifetime and there are too many repetitive scares out there trying to package themselves in a shiny new package, this is not one of those re-packaged scares.

Now, I am not a religious person at all but I was raised Catholic(ish) and there is still something about demons and possession that really puts me right on edge. This book did not disappoint in really taking me right to that point of heavy anxiety and not letting up one bit.

Right from jump we get in your face creepy kids, horrid adults, and the feeling of being isolated and trapped with no where to escape to. Towards the end even I had to stop reading in the wee hours of the night and pick it back up in the daylight. A+ horror!!

This book was everything and more. Frankly I had to take breaks - intense, slightly graphic and very well written.
I loved the hierarchy of all - the orphans, priests, how they interacted. Reminiscent of Exorcism plus Lord of the Flies.
Priests at a remote all boys orphanage are awoken in the night - the local sheriff desperate for help, his brother on the brink of death. Upon his death, an evil spirit is sent upon the orphanage - creating an us vs them.
The suspense, descriptions - very well done. I will definitely be looking for more by this author.