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.

All the stars for Boys in the Valley!! I devoured 80 % of the book in 2 days and that is amazing for me. This book was everything I look for. Possession, friendship, difficult decisions! This book packs so much.

The Exorcist meets the Lord of the Flies with a touch of Midnight Mass in this story about an orphanage that is overtaken by evil, and the fight to save the souls of the boys within. St. Vincent’s Orphanage for Boys is an orphanage run by priests to oversee thirty boys who work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow is an orphan who’s partners died by murder. Peter is one of the older boys who is working towards becoming a priest. One stormy night the sheriff and deputies arrive at the orphanage with a badly wounded man who has occult symbols carved into him. The man was the only survivor of a horrifying and terrible crime scene and the police have him... except he dies and his death has now unleashed an ancient evil that begins infecting the children of the orphanage. Now the boys have begun acting strange, forming groups... and dead children begin appearing... and now Peter must find a way to save those he holds dear as everything around him goes up in flames and evil is let loose. This was such an interesting read, I love the atmosphere that it built and the horror was so good. This was a fantastic horror book and you can feel the tension build every chapter and I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would end. Truly, it was a fantastic horror read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I just finished this book moments ago. After I read the last line, I blinked and sighed, then came to write a review. No waiting on this one.
This is old school horror at its finest, demon vs religion, ready to disturb and creep you out. One of the things I respect about authors is when they can write really disturbing scenes without going into graphic detail, yet still be as unsettling as the in your face violence. Fracassi excelled at doing this. Multiple scenes aren't overly detailed in the book, yet are very vivid in my mind due to the skilled way in which Fracassi let it play out.
The ending thankfully did not feel rushed like can sometimes happen when the climax finally hits. It was fleshed out, tense, and the ending... Oh, that last bit was good. I don't know why I didn't expect it, but there I was caught off guard, and not mad about it.
I can not wait until this is released so I can start getting it in the store I work at.