BOOK REVIEW | BOYS IN THE VALLEY | PHILIP FRACASSI

 

BOOK REVIEW | BOYS IN THE VALLEY | PHILIP FRACASSI

SETUP

After witnessing his parents’ murder-suicide, Peter is shipped off to a remote Catholic boys’ home.

When a chained stranger arrives, something follows—and a corruption spreads through the children. Cut off from the outside world, Peter must save the few still untouched before the orphanage tears itself apart.

REVIEW

Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi is one of those bleak, heavy horror reads that just kind of sits on your chest the whole time—in a good way. The setting alone does a lot of the work: a remote Catholic orphanage, cut off from everything, with this constant sense that something is wrong from the start. The atmosphere is easily the strongest part of the book. It’s tense, oppressive, and filled with religious imagery that makes everything feel even more unsettling.

Fracassi really nails the fear and confusion of the boys. Their reactions feel believable, and that emotional core kept me invested. That said, not everyone gets the same depth—some characters feel a little thin, and a few moments that should’ve hit harder didn’t quite land for me.

The pacing is a bit uneven too. The slow buildup works really well at first and creates great dread, but the middle drags in places, and then the ending feels like it rushes to wrap everything up. I almost wish the story had balanced that out more.

The themes—corruption, lost innocence, institutional failure—are interesting and fit the story, though sometimes they feel a little on-the-nose. Still, the imagery is vivid and there are some genuinely disturbing scenes that stuck with me, especially if you’re into possession-style or psychological horror.

Overall, it’s a dark, moody, atmosphere-heavy horror novel with some really strong ideas, even if it doesn’t fully stick the landing. Definitely worth checking out if you like grim, character-driven horror, but it might not work for everyone.

Verdict

Oppressive, unsettling, and rich in mood, but dragged down by pacing issues and underdeveloped characters.