Boys in the Valley

I was lucky to get to read this book early because Nightfire sent me an ARC! Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi (Gothic, Beneath a Pale Sky, etc.) is a thrilling novel of coming-of-age amidst demonic possession. This Lord of the Flies meets The Exorcist story is set in St. Vincent's Orphanage, nestled in a 19th century Pennsylvania valley. Filled with daily human horrors, which truthfully may very well surpass the diabolical, as well as the infernal, Fracassi takes the reader on a rapidly-paced journey through the choices that shape the human soul. Through the powerful motif of fathers and sons, protagonist Peter must struggle against the chaos to find the light. It is worth noting this book contains very few women, both of whom are fairly minor characters, which might leave some readers disappointed. Yet, Boys in the Valley features a captivating plot, truly disturbing imagery, and generally strong character development on its mostly male cast of priests and orphans. Toward the end there were a couple details that didn't totally add up to me, but overall I found this to be a really compelling book. I have read Fracassi's short story collections and found his novel length work to be just as good, if not even better. An excellent book for fans of King, Cutter, and the like. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫