Boys in the Valley

Fracassi's growth as a writer over his last few novels is amazing to witness. BOYS IN THE VALLEY is brilliant. Think CHILDREN OF THE CORN meets THE EXORCIST. I loved every second of it!

The year is 1905. Along with the cold of winter, evil enters a religious orphanage for boys. “Boys in the Valley” by Philip Fracassi reminded me of 80s cult horror. It does not shy away from violence, the ugliness of cruelty and depravity. It’s been a while since I read a horror novel, and I had to put it away several times because of dread. Despite darkness, courage and faith prevailed, at least for a while. I picked this up for Spooktober and rate it 4 of 5 stars.

Wow. Philip Fracassi was relentless with his pacing, his ability to develop his characters, even while they're embroiled in the ultimate fight for survival against the demonic darkness that has infested St. Vincent's.

Once again, one of my Patrons has picked a 5 star read for me! (Thank you so much, Tara!)

BOYS IN THE VALLEY is my first book by Philip Fracassi and friends, believe me when I say later tonight or tomorrow at latest, I'll be starting my next book of his, A CHILD ALONE WITH STRANGERS. Thanks to viewer Shaun Rosel, I have this one here to read because I think I've just found my next favorite author!

Winter has arrived at St. Vincent's Orphange for Boys, located in a remote valley of Pennsylvania. (Winter is my favorite season for a horror novel to occur in!) The orphanage is at full capacity - 32 boys - as well as a handful of priests that serve as teachers and guides.

Late one night, a group of men arrive hoping to secure Father Poole's assistance in saving a gravely wounded man...a man that needs saving in more than one sense of the word. His flesh is marked with savage cuts forming occult symbols, he speaks with voices not his own and at times in a language no one understands.

Ultimately, this man loses his life and in doing so, unleashes an evil upon St. Vincent's. In the days following, some of the boys begin to act differently. Others disappear, only to be found dead due to mysterious circumstances.

What follows is an epic battle between Light and Dark where some find that in the face of such evil, their faith fails them. The two sides struggle: against each other and the harsh winter storm raging outside, cutting off any possible escape. It's not enough to just survive, the only hope is to win.

Fracassi was amazing with his story structure. He was able to introduce and develop characters for the reader to root for (and later some to root against), he changed up point of view perspective between chapters and sections in order to give the entire scope of what occurred at this orphanage. The author's atmospheric writing style often gave me goosebumps with its ominous foreshadowing, the demonic possession of the boys terrified me and at times, I swear I felt the warmth and light coming off the page in places. I was addicted.

While I did successfully mark several bits of foreshadowing leading up to the climax, I was still astonished at the outcome. I'm not going to lie, I had tears in my eyes for the last chapter. This book, while I'm not a religious person, made me feel. I can't get any more detailed than that without giving away crucial spoilers, but if you've read it, then you know. If you haven't read it, you'll know it when you read it.

This book, its story, has a power all its own.

You can find this review along with other reviews spanning multiple genres at The Nerdy Narrative or if you prefer video format, I do have a BookTube Channel

A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!

Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Sharon, Andrew, Stacy, Amanda L., Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Lourdes, Tara, John, Sharon A-B, Ann, Chad K. & Ashley E.