Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi 🎧 Narrated by David Aaron Baker [+ an arc giveaway]

Synopsis (via Goodreads):  St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys.Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.

Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future... a family.

Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within. Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides.

Others turn up dead.

Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives — and perhaps their eternal souls — are at risk.

The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, in Boys in the Valley, a brilliant coming-of-age tale from award-winning author Philip Fracassi.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

“Some, I can tell, even find it exciting. As if it were a game, all this murder.”

The beginning of this book gave me chills. I had actual gooseflesh along my forearms as I was listening to Boys in the Valley, and thought my anxiety might send me over the edge. I don't like scary stories or movies, so I tend to avoid them, but I was curious about the religious undertones and its comparison to Lord of the Flies. Unfortunately, I think that comparison was a bit of an exaggeration. I haven't seen The Exorcist or heard of Midnight Mass, so I'm not sure if those are more accurate. 

I decided to listen to the audiobook since I was in the middle of a puzzle, but ended up disliking the narrator quite a bit. The adult men sounded okay, and I thought he did Johnson's voice really well, but the kids sounded too high pitched and there wasn't much variation between them. Their voices felt unrealistic, so their parts were a little off putting. It was hard to take the content seriously when the kids sounded - and I'm agreeing with another reviewer on this one - like Mickey Mouse. I think the spookiness of the book would have been better had I decided to read it instead. 

Speaking of Johnson, his character was my favorite. It's not because he was a good guy, or because he grew the most as a person, but because I felt his story was the most believable. He's not perfect or even nice, and he isn't at St. Vincent's because of religious reasons or a desire to seek forgiveness. He's basically there to do the head priest's dirty work, a person I absolutely hated for the entirety of the book. I can't remember what the kids called him, but he was an awful man that had no business being in charge of children at an orphanage. He's "redeeming" moment just made me hate him more.

I think Father Andrew was supposed to be his opposite. A kind man that cared about the children and their needs, but he was a spineless coward when it came to standing up for them against the head priest. He does have some commendable moments throughout the book, but I wish his character had been more bold. The religious themes only added to the direness of their situation, although I think those aspects could have been expanded on a little more.

The kids are all there because they have nowhere else to go. Most of them have witnessed or done things no child should have to, and we can see how those experiences shape some of their personalities and relationships within the orphanage. A few of them really stood out, while others tended to blend together in the background, especially once things took a turn for the worse. 

Overall, Boys in the Valley was a deeply chilling story that made my heart race. The initial scenes that set the tone of the book left me feeling anxious and hovering on the edge of my seat. There are some very descriptive scenes with blood, gore, and other gruesome details that some might find it hard to stomach. It added to the creepiness of the book, but sometimes it was difficult to listen to. (★★★⋆☆)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway officially starts on January 20th and ends on February 3rd at 12 AM. The winner will be announced on February 4th on this post within the Rafflecopter form, and also notified via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will have Rafflecopter select another winner (read my full giveaway policy here).

International friends -- your giveaway will be a little different! Instead the book mentioned above, you can choose one book (up to $15) from Amazon! Just make sure they ship to you. I know it's not the same thing, but I don't want to leave anyone out! If this happens, another winner will be selected for the ARC of Boys in the Valley. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway