Review of Boys In The Valley by Philip Fracassi
A.E. Jackson Review Score: 4 / 5 Ravens
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Boys In The Valley is a macabre Lord of the Flies story, blended with a healthy dose of Children of the Corn and The Exorcist. Philip Fracassi nails it again!
Readers are dropped into the early twentieth century, at St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.
Watchful priests oversee thirty boys as they work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow has made a new life in the valley following his parents’ gruesome murder.
Late one stormy night, men arrive at the orphanage. A badly wounded member of their party is covered in occult symbols - carved into his skin. Ancient evil is released and spreads, with his death, and soon infects St. Vincent's children.
Now Peter, and a small cadre of loyal friends, choose sides knowing their lives and eternal souls are at risk.
I might be late for Fracassi Frenzy, but I’m quickly becoming a Fracassi Fanatic! The atmosphere and pacing of the novel will set it apart from other horror novels released this year. There is something about a claustrophobic valley cut off from the world by a raging snow storm that unsettles readers every time.
Peter is the good hearted main character, while his mentor Pastor Andrew brings a more mature adult point-of-view to the story. What lacks early on is Peter’s clear motivation. As he wrestles with leaving the valley to see what life has in store, and staying in the familiar and routine religious order - Peter matures quickly under the threat of eternal evil.
Fracassi does a fine job establishing a power dynamic between Father Poole and all the boys in the orphanage. Throughout the novel, small actions by the players reveal deep and large character developments. The subtext is exquisite. Readers with even a little church background, or understanding of religious matters, will find greater meaning behind the activity of the novel. The religious tropes are well done - symbolic and informative - for those familiar with the iconography used, and the religious lore and foundational beliefs associated with their use.
The strong narrator voice tells reader what is happening, why, and what it means - often spelling out the deeper implications. However, the author balances this telling with insight from that scene’s point-of-view character - often Peter, David, or Father Andrew. But this novel is not told through deep POV. Rather, it is an enjoyable blend of narrator voice and character voices. At times, the narrative slips into “deep thinking” by Peter who ponders actions taken and his haunting memories.
The novel is filled with suspenseful terror without the oft-included too-graphic horror of contemporary works. There is skin-crawling-creepy behavior on the part of some supporting characters who find great joy at being overtaken by the spreading darkness.
The ultimate question asked of Peter by Basil is “What side will you choose?” The inquiry continues to confront the main character, and readers, throughout the book. The story takes its time to unwind and spool out. All the while, readers become wrapped up with concern for the boys as they become entwined in the mysterious activity afoot at the orphanage.
Author of the award-winning story collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, Philip Fracassi has multiple novels and a plethora of short stories for fans to enjoy. The New York Times has called his work “terrifically scary.” He’s even had feature films distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television. Believe it or not, Fracassi is also the author of a children’s book, The Boy with the Blue Rose Heart.
Get the latest updates about his work at his website https://pfracassi.com and find him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@philipfracassi).