X-Book

Boys in the Valley

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

'THE MOST FRIGHTENING NOVEL OF THE YEAR' Esquire

'OLD-SCHOOL HORROR' Stephen King

The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, Boys in the Valley is a chilling folk horror set in a remote orphanage in turn of the century Pennsylvania.

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.

Praise for Boys in the Valley:

'The terror's exquisite. Fracassi's got his hand on the chisel going into your chest' Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians

'Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully' Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling

'An unrelenting and highly entertaining show of horrors' Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author of Hex

'A smart and deftly-written tale instilled with the kind of creeping, claustrophobic horror I enjoy' Nick Cutter, author of The Troop

'As poignant as it is chilling, with a fast-paced, unflinching ending' Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger

'The most unsettling novel I have read all year. Cold dread clings to every page' Ronald Malfi, author of Black Mouth

'Harrowing and claustrophobic' Christopher Golden, author of Road of Bones

'Fracassi. . . builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully...he's especially skilful at creating, and sustaining, suspense' The New York Times

'Gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and terrifying' Andy Davidson, author of The Boatman's Daughter

'Horror readers will be hooked' Publishers Weekly

'A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop.' Victor LaValle

'Fracassi. . . brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise' Guardian

'Fracassi's storytelling is. . . horror with a big, broken heart' Esquire

'His range, prolific output, and fast-paced prose are all set to put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris' Signal Horizon

Critics Review

Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully
Fracassi. . . builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully...he's especially skilful at creating, and sustaining, suspense
Gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and terrifying
Horror readers will be hooked
Fracassi. . . brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise
Fracassi's storytelling is. . . horror with a big, broken heart
His range, prolific output, and fast-paced prose are all set to put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris
A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop
The terror's exquisite. Fracassi's got his hand on the chisel going into your chest
A smart and deftly-written tale instilled with the kind of creeping, claustrophobic horror I enjoy
An unrelenting and highly entertaining show of horrors
As poignant as it is chilling, with a fast-paced, unflinching ending
Harrowing and claustrophobic, Boys in the Valley is an outstanding horror novel
The most unsettling novel I have read all year. Cold dread clings to every page
Old-school horror
Stephen King
Author Philip Fracassi
Narrator David Aaron Baker
Duration 10 hours and 56 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781405560252
Format x-book®
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Genre Contemporary horror and ghost stories, Fairy and Folk tales, Folklore, myths and legends, Horror and supernatural fiction, Religious and spiritual fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE

About xigxag and the x-book®

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by “x-book” to find them.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.