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1.35k reviews for:

Boys In the Valley

Philip Fracassi

4.1 AVERAGE


The first third of this book had me fully engrossed but then sort of fell away into very mediocre thriller/horror and the ending felt forced/full of tropes. I was so interested and had such high hopes over the first 150 pages or so but then it fell flat for me

4.5
Este libro es todo lo que quería que fuera. Quizás no llegó a impactarme y hacerme tener pesadillas, pero tiene un ritmo increíble, la ambientación está genial y los personajes son complejos y no llegan a caer en estereotipos. Peter es el bueno, pero se paraliza por miedo, Poole es cruel pero muy creyente, el sacerdote joven es amable pero no hace nada por mejorar las cosas...
Nunca aburre y el final me tenía en lágrimas pese a haberlo supuesto con tanta tragedia. Con lo que más me quedo es con el sentimiento tan grande de hermandad entre los huérfanos sobrevivientes.
challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow wow wow. Boys in the Valley is the most haunting version of a Lord of the Flies-esque story I could have ever imagined. I’d heard a lot of good reviews about this, and how terrifying it was, but naturally, I went in skeptical. Just after the turn of the 20th century, a group of boys reside in an orphanage run by priests, priests who have questionable morals on how to care for, and to punish, these boys. Four hours, by horse and carriage, away from the nearest farm house, the orphanage receives a late night visitor, of the most unsavoury kind. From then on, everything changes as some of the boys start to take a very weird turn, and you honestly can’t even imagine the horror than ensues. I’m not giving any more away: but read this book! I was spooked, I was horrified by some of the imagery and the claustrophobic feel really got to me at some parts. All the way throughout I was dead set on giving 4 stars, however what I didn’t expect was for the ending to have me CRYING(!) so for that reason it’s a clear 5/5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5*
challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

the writing was a little hard to get around but i enjoyed the story. it just kind of felt rushed—“this happens, and then this, oh and that.” i rly liked the horror gore aspect i just think it fell flat. 
dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark tense fast-paced