Scan barcode
ohlisaline's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies.
A solid book if you're into religious themes and horror. I have to admit that Peter was a slightly annoying main character.
The writing style is engaging, though, and I finished it rather quickly. The religious themes were a bit cheesy and cringy at times, but I guess that's to be expected.
A solid book if you're into religious themes and horror. I have to admit that Peter was a slightly annoying main character.
The writing style is engaging, though, and I finished it rather quickly. The religious themes were a bit cheesy and cringy at times, but I guess that's to be expected.
amybrooklyn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
coulthardy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
themookintosh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
romethegreenwood's review against another edition
review to come post bfa awards ceremony
dacron's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
becky_97's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's a cold winter night in Pennsylvania. An orphanage, St Vincent's, stands alone in the snow for miles on end. Thirty young boys are all learning the teachings of the priesthood. Everything is normal until a stranger appears at their doors. A stranger who's sick, covered in occult tattoos and carrying an infection like no other. An evil infestation that will soon take root in the school with dire consequences.
This book has everything that horror fans could ask for. With an unsettling isolated location, a cast of characters that are well-fleshed out and have enough humanity left in them to evoke powerful feelings from the reader, a terrifying adversary with seemingly no weakness, and a prose that constantly drip feeds tension and horror throughout every page, Boys in the Valley is nothing short of perfection.
The excellence of Boys in the Valley comes from the novel's pacing, which is brilliant from the first page to the last. The terror is chilling, with unrelenting sequences of horror one after the other, so much so that it almost feels suffocating. The dread and cloying fear is unmatched in Philip Fracassi's work, and feeling unsettled when reading this book doesn't even cover it. It's a twisted coming-of-age story like no other, with violence, horror, and unease taking over and holding the tension until the very last page. I wish I could read this again for the first time. It is that good.
This book has everything that horror fans could ask for. With an unsettling isolated location, a cast of characters that are well-fleshed out and have enough humanity left in them to evoke powerful feelings from the reader, a terrifying adversary with seemingly no weakness, and a prose that constantly drip feeds tension and horror throughout every page, Boys in the Valley is nothing short of perfection.
The excellence of Boys in the Valley comes from the novel's pacing, which is brilliant from the first page to the last. The terror is chilling, with unrelenting sequences of horror one after the other, so much so that it almost feels suffocating. The dread and cloying fear is unmatched in Philip Fracassi's work, and feeling unsettled when reading this book doesn't even cover it. It's a twisted coming-of-age story like no other, with violence, horror, and unease taking over and holding the tension until the very last page. I wish I could read this again for the first time. It is that good.
itscams's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
flaccidunicorn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5