Review: Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi

Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This would be a great fall/winter read as it is set in the cold winter of Pennsylvania farmlands.  There is nothing for miles surrounding the orphanage of St. Vincent's.  When evil comes knocking on the front door of the orphanage one snowy night, the poor boys of the orphanage and their souls are in danger.  You could really feel the buildup of suspense not only as the snowstorm was building but as the madness within the orphanage was taking over and reaching its peak.

This is my first book by Fracassi, but I grabbed it immediately when I saw it was available.  I will have to check out more of his books.  This wasn't overly gory, but it was the kind of suspenseful horror that I love.  The worldbuilding made me feel like I was in the orphanage and I really felt Peter's conflict between his faith and his worldly desires.   He really gave the story the atmospheric vibe it needed to go along with the terrifying acts that were playing out.  I think it was made even more horrific by the fact that it was children carrying out the acts and you weren't sure if it was just madness or if something more sinister and paranormal was at play.  

I really liked how the author played with the different perspectives in telling the story.  We get to see the story from a few different views as things unfold and each of the characters is tested as the chaos around them unfolds.  They struggle with faith, humanity, madness, and protecting those in their care as the storm around them rages.  

I really enjoyed this!  I highly recommend it!

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