IF statement xy axis negative value not doing what i want

Hi all this is my first project and im struggling to get my leds to light when the value of the x and y axis are greater than -2 and less than or equal to -8 in a negative way.
There a 9 leds connected to my mega which all work ok and a MMA7455 accelerometer which works ok also.
Green led lights when board is level. There are 2 red leds on each axis positive and negative which light depending on the x y value. I'm strug;ing with this one on each of the negative axis.
Any help would be great.

  if (( yVal > -2 ) && (yVal < -8))
  if (( xVal > -2 ) && (xVal < -8))
#include <Wire.h>               //Include the Wire library
#include <MMA_7455.h>           //Include the MMA_7455 library

int redPinx1 = 51;                  // Red LED connected to digital pin 51 x axis
int redPinx2 = 49;                // Red LED connected to digital pin 49 x axis 2
int greenPin = 47;                  // Green connected to digital pin 47
int redPinx3 = 45;                // Red LED connected to digital pin 45 neg x axis
int redPinx4 = 43;                  // Red LED connected to digital pin 43 neg x axis
int redPiny1 = 41;                // Green LED connected to digital pin 41 y axis
int redPiny2 = 39;                  // Red LED connected to digital pin 39 y axis
int redPiny3 = 37;                // Red LED connected to digital pin 37 neg y axis
int redPiny4 = 35;                  // Red LED connected to digital pin 35 neg y axis

MMA_7455 accel = MMA_7455();    // Make MMA7455 object

char xVal, yVal, zVal;          // Return value variables

void setup() {
  pinMode(redPinx1, OUTPUT);        // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPinx2, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPinx3, OUTPUT);        // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPinx4, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(greenPin, OUTPUT);        // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPiny1, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPiny2, OUTPUT);        // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPiny3, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(redPiny4, OUTPUT);        // sets the digital pin as output

  Serial.begin(9600);           // Use the Serial Monitor window at 9600 baud

  // Set the g force sensitivity: 2=2g, 4=4g, 8-8g
  accel.initSensitivity(8);

  // Provide oiffset values so that sensor displays 0, 0, 63
  //  (or close to it) when positioned on a flat surface, all pins
  //  facing down

  // Update the numbers with your own values from the MMA7455_CalibrateOffset sketch.
  accel.calibrateOffset(-1, 10, -70);
}

void loop() {

  // Get the X, Y, anx Z axis values from the device
  xVal = accel.readAxis('x');   // Read X Axis
  yVal = accel.readAxis('y');   // Read Y Axis
  zVal = accel.readAxis('z');   // Read Z Axis

  // Display them in the Serial Monitor window.
  Serial.print("X: = ");
  Serial.print(xVal, DEC);
  Serial.print("   Y: = ");
  Serial.print(yVal, DEC);
  Serial.print("   Z: = ");
  Serial.println(zVal, DEC);
  delay(2000);
  digitalWrite(redPinx1, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPinx2, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPinx3, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPinx4, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPiny1, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPiny2, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPiny3, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off
  digitalWrite(redPiny4, LOW);      // sets the Red LED off

  if (( xVal < 2 ) && ( xVal > -2 ) && ( yVal < 2) && ( yVal > -2 ))
  {
    digitalWrite(greenPin, HIGH);   // set green led if x is less than 2 and greater than -1 and y is less than 2 and greater than -1

  }
  else
  {
    digitalWrite(greenPin, LOW);    // sets the Green LED off
  }
  if (( xVal > 2 ) && ( xVal <= 8))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPinx1, HIGH);     // sets the x axis Red LED on posative value
  }
  else if (( xVal > 8))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPinx2, HIGH);     // sets the Red LED on posative value
    digitalWrite(redPinx1, HIGH);     // sets the x axis Red LED on posative value
  }
  if (( xVal > -2 ) && (xVal < -8))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPinx3, HIGH);     // sets the Red LED on negative value
  }
  else if (( xVal < -15))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPinx4, HIGH);      // sets the Red LED on negative value
    digitalWrite(redPinx3, HIGH);     // sets the Red LED on negative value
  }

  if (( yVal > 2 ) && ( yVal <= 8))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPiny1, HIGH);     // sets the x axis Red LED on posative value
  }
  else if (( yVal > 8))              // sets y axis
  {
    digitalWrite(redPiny2, HIGH);     // sets the Red LED on posative value
    digitalWrite(redPiny1, HIGH);     // sets the x axis Red LED on posative value
  }
   if (( yVal > -2 ) && (yVal < -8))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPiny3, HIGH);     // sets the Red LED on negative value
  }
  else if (( yVal < -15))
  {
    digitalWrite(redPiny4, HIGH);      // sets the Red LED on negative value
    digitalWrite(redPiny3, HIGH);     // sets the Red LED on negative value
  }
}

  if (( yVal > -2 ) && (yVal < -8))What value of yVal that would make this condition true ?

You have got the test the wrong way round.
Suppose that yVal is -5, for instance. It is less than -2 and greater than -8

And why all those parentheses? relational operators bind tighter than && and ||

I think from your description you need:

  if (-8 <= yVal && vVal < -2)

Your "in a negative way" isn't helpful, -2 is always greater than -8, however you try to think it,
that's how numbers must work to be consistent.

Thanks for the help I just changed it and its working OK now.