Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - You've Lost a Lot of Blood

I read Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke last year and didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Unfortunately, I felt more or less the same about You've Lost a Lot of Blood

There was nothing really terrifying about it (a part from the way that sex scene was written). The atmosphere and vibes were great though. I liked the story within a story more than that of Martyr and Ambrose, had that been the main plot I would've enjoyed this novella more.

I love LaRocca's strange concepts and their writing is amazing at its best, but the executions don't really do anything for me. The characters are rarely likeable which isn't the issue rather that I'm not invested in anything that happens to them. In this novella there doesn't seem to be a distinct plot though an an attempt at explaining the disjointed nature is provided at the end. I can't say that by the end I really understood the point ( there's a line about that somewhere in the book but I need there to be a purpose as an incentive to stay invested in a story).

Overall, I think that LaRocca might not be the author for me which is fine. I'm glad I gave their books a proper go but I'll most likely not read anything else they put out.

Content Warnings

jaedia's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

beesbookss's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

Content Warnings

howlinglibraries's review

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I didn't kill him because I wanted to. That would have been too easy.

When Eric posted a surprise announcement for this novella's release earlier this week, I was absolutely beside myself. There are some authors in this world whose work I enjoy so deeply and am held so captive by, that each and every new piece of fiction feels like something I need to get my hands on right away. I ordered a copy within mere seconds of seeing the announcement, but was lucky enough to be allowed to read the ebook while I waited for the shipment, and I'm so grateful for that, because I think I would have been counting down the hours and days until it arrived!

Now that I've experienced this bizarre little treat, I don't even know how to possibly describe You've Lost a Lot of Blood without spoiling it. There's a very good reason the synopsis for this story is so brief and vague: you need to go into it without knowing what to expect. In fact, even if I did tell you what to expect, spoilers and guts and all, I'm still not sure anyone could be fully prepared for the sheer unraveling chaos within these pages.

All I know is that, yet again, I've been reminded of why Eric's books hold such a special place in my heart. Dark and entrancing, their works always leave me reeling to process what I've just read in the best possible "what the hell just happened" way, and as always, I'll be counting down to their next release.

✨ Representation: multiple queer characters

Content Warnings

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