Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Boys In the Valley by Philip Fracassi

6 reviews

takecoverbooksptbo's review

dark emotional 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

4.25

Despite some misgivings about how Fracassi resolves the conflict between the real-world harms Catholic institutions have inflicted and the spiritual salvation that the religion offers, this book rules. As possession narratives go, you’d be hard pressed to find a book that is paced this well and also finds time to develop characters, mood, and dread. There are some very scary, unsettling moments in this story. I’d highly recommend it if you want an action-packed horror story that will tug at your heart-strings a little bit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Suicide, Confinement, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Self harm, and Grief

killmoore_'s review

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I could not have loved this more. Truly terrifying, and at times completely gut wrenching. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Vomit

purstiltski's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Very violent, with a lil philosophy on humanity and good and evil. I really enjoyed the writing and sometimes just stopped to appreciate a good sentence (whether actually pleasant... or visceral and gross). 

"His smile wavers, and for a moment he thinks the boy's face flickers, becomes indistinct, as if covered in gray mold. But then the face returns, and he's just a boy again. Or what was one."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Bullying

voicenextdoor's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, Violence, Confinement, Death of parent, Child abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, Murder, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

Drenched in blood, occultism and claustrophobic levels of suspense and paranoia, Philip Fracassi’s Boys In The Valley was soo spine-chillingly creepy I’ve literally been forced to sleep with the lights on! 

I’m not usually a huge horror reader (I’m actually a huge scaredy cat when it comes to anything remotely creepy) but when I saw this described as The Exorcist meets Lord of The Flies I couldn’t resist checking this out—and I’m soo glad I did.

It’s set in 1905 in a remote boys orphanage (St Vincent’s) in Pennsylvania, and follows 16 year old Peter, the ever watchful priests and fellow orphans who learn, work and worship until old enough to leave—or like Peter, train to become priests themselves. 

Only, one stormy night, a badly wounded man with occultist sigils carved into him is brought onto the grounds (in hopes of saving him.) Unfortunately he dies— releasing an evil that begins to infect the residents of St. Vincent’s Orphanage, causing groups to form… leading to people turning up dead. Now Peter must choose a side, for his very life (and the lives of the children around him) are at risk…

The writing was phenomenally suspenseful and soo viscerally descriptive that I felt truly immersed (and terrified!) Not only by the demon possession/ slasher aspects of the plot, but by the sheer hopelessness we see these boys forced to endure, beaten and starved into submission.

Honestly, I was kind of an emotional mess before anything even remotely Exorcist-y  even took place. Philip Fracassi does give us just enough time to start getting attached to these characters—before promptly throwing us into the emotional deep end to watch as the chaos inevitably unfolds. 

And unfold it does, with one of the most brutal and viscerally gory scenes I’ve ever read. The creeping sense of dread also doesn’t really let up either and, with a Lord of The Flies-style mentality taking shape, absolutely no one is guaranteed safety. 

I also really enjoyed the use of multiple POVs as it really helped to get into the minds of—as well as understand—the emotions and thought processes of our characters (specifically Peter, David, Johnson and Father Andrew.) 

As I said before, I’m not usually a Horror reader so my frame of reference is pretty small. But, if you love folksy, rural horror with as much character development as there is blood soaked action, then you don’t want to miss this heart-poundingly terrifying story. 

As always, given the themes and content of the book, readers should definitely check TWs before picking this up— and also invest in a night light, you’re probably gonna need it! 

Also, a huge thank you to Nazia at Orbit Books for the physical copy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Violence, Bullying, and Animal death

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Torture

sarrie's review

challenging dark sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 It's not often I can pinpoint the 'vibes' of a book as sharply as I can with this one. It felt like The Exorcist, meets Midsommar with orphanage in the snow type of feelings instead of commune in the spring and it work really, really well. The tension and build in this was masterful and the constant question of 'who is going to survive' really kept me reading.
This follows the story of a small orphanage set away from nearly all of civilization, and how everything goes to hell after a wounded man is brought in and the evil he brings with him spreads to the boys within. Another great comparison could also be Lord of the Flies in that we end up with groups of boys pitted against others but the tension and darkness of this novel really lend more to a modern horror. Our points of view change, hopping from boy to boy to priest, and in narrative style as we explore the horror that is unfolding and how it's spreading.
Do not go in expecting a happy ending, the death toll is high in this and it's gruesome as well. Philip Fracassi does not shy away from the bloody side of horror. There is though an interesting and well thought out discussion of choice within these pages though. Something I would reread the book to really look at and analyze. What choices define us and what type of choices should we let define us, and allow ourselves to believe in.
Overall this is a strong and classic feeling horror novel. This will be one that I'll refer to as using great classic tropes to explore interesting themes. I really recommend it, but not for the light of heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Grief

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders