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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There are a couple ways to scare me. One is to write something so filled with suspense and a monster/antagonist so evil and otherworldly that I believe nowhere I can go is safe. When I read a haunted house book, this is the feeling I get. I can’t look over my shoulder in bed and every noise sets me on edge.
Then there’s a story like this where the horror isn’t waiting for me around corners. There’s nothing to fear about what may be coming for me because its there, on the page. I don’t wonder what’s happening, instead I have to ask myself “do I keep watching?” And then, the real horror feels more about how I’m reacting. How I can go back to a meal after that. Sleep without being afraid. Look at the horror and go “I’ve seen this before and now I know I can watch these things and remain unchanged.” And then you have the cruelest characters, simply because of the brash and open nature of their cruelty, saying things you understand. Getting me to see the potential for that cruelty in everyone.
Anyway, this story did horror well!
QUOTES
“From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss.”
QUOTES
“From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss.”
“I wanted to be the only one to hurt you.”
“[…] I realized they preferred to instead witness my suffering. All people are like that. Eager consumers of someone else’s pain.”
“Don’t you know there are monsters out there?
Of course I knew that. He was one of them.”
“What are you afraid of? Letting go, or being left with nothing to hold?”
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence
The things I want to say about this book have been touched upon already in the blurb, but it is indeed like an apocalyptic 21st century Grimm fairy tale. It’s also a tale of trauma, grief and loss.
There is a big Pans Labyrinth(and to an extent, I Kill Giants) vibe here too. It’s unsettling and more than a little bit gross, but I wouldn’t consider it gratuitous.
I really enjoyed LaRocca’s writing style and it did feel like an odd juxtaposition of modern(even mildly futuristic?) setting with what felt an old fable.
Thematics and writing style aside, it was a good novella, but not mind blowing. For a small page count there was a bit of a lull in there, but I felt it came together in the end.
An interesting read, that I think will be divisive in peoples opinions.
There is a big Pans Labyrinth(and to an extent, I Kill Giants) vibe here too. It’s unsettling and more than a little bit gross, but I wouldn’t consider it gratuitous.
I really enjoyed LaRocca’s writing style and it did feel like an odd juxtaposition of modern(even mildly futuristic?) setting with what felt an old fable.
Thematics and writing style aside, it was a good novella, but not mind blowing. For a small page count there was a bit of a lull in there, but I felt it came together in the end.
An interesting read, that I think will be divisive in peoples opinions.
This is now my favorite book from Erica LaRocca ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A smarter person would talk about how this book is a metaphor for grief and trauma, but I am NOT that person. I can say that I was through into a whirlwind of a talking spider, lizards, roaches, and snakes so effortlessly that I did not questing what was really happening. The author had small parts and dialogue that I simple looked over and did not realize that they were all connected.
Truly no words wasted in this short, fast paced book! Will 100% read again and I have already shared with my friends.
My aftermath on my tiktok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@christina.reads/video/7117738018634616107
A smarter person would talk about how this book is a metaphor for grief and trauma, but I am NOT that person. I can say that I was through into a whirlwind of a talking spider, lizards, roaches, and snakes so effortlessly that I did not questing what was really happening. The author had small parts and dialogue that I simple looked over and did not realize that they were all connected.
Truly no words wasted in this short, fast paced book! Will 100% read again and I have already shared with my friends.
My aftermath on my tiktok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@christina.reads/video/7117738018634616107
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
File this under: “Bruh, WTF Did I Just Read?”
Listen, I don’t pick up on like metaphor and symbolism very easily, so I’m not the best at attempting literary analysis, but what I CAN say I definitely absorbed from this, was a sense of the monstrous damage that grief and trauma can do to a family—how consuming it can be (pun absolutely intended).
I found the writing well-paced for the most part (I wasn’t forcing myself to push through; I was genuinely interested in finding out what happens next), although at times it felt a little repetitive.
I saw in other reviews that people said the twist was too predictable, but to be entirely honest, I’m still not even really sure what the twist WAS. Are we to believe the “vermin” weren’t real and the entire time it was just people? But then… I mean, Mara is still missing an arm at the end. What did they do with it? Were they actually cannibals? Why did her mother invite them in? I’m just so confused.
Overall it certainly made an impression, but I don’t think I’m smart enough for this high-brow sort of horror. Like it’s good! But I’m clearly not literate enough to dissect it the way it deserves to be, lol.
Listen, I don’t pick up on like metaphor and symbolism very easily, so I’m not the best at attempting literary analysis, but what I CAN say I definitely absorbed from this, was a sense of the monstrous damage that grief and trauma can do to a family—how consuming it can be (pun absolutely intended).
I found the writing well-paced for the most part (I wasn’t forcing myself to push through; I was genuinely interested in finding out what happens next), although at times it felt a little repetitive.
Overall it certainly made an impression, but I don’t think I’m smart enough for this high-brow sort of horror. Like it’s good! But I’m clearly not literate enough to dissect it the way it deserves to be, lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death
Minor: Vomit, Abortion
We Can Never Leave This Place, I think probably I can’t. I’m trapped in a state of purgatory. How do you sum up a story that depicts such vivid imagery of neglect and trauma? I’m not going to lie; this book seems to be impossible to review with enough fervour to do it justice. It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring into space afterward. The musings playing around your consciousness like a never-ending loop.
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Eric LaRocca is the king of trauma horror. Reading a story penned by this glorious author is always an experience. He leads you down a path that humanity doesn’t willingly tread. It’s the dark side of the human condition, the wants, and desires that we only allow ourselves to know and most importantly he gives a voice to the voiceless. LaRocca is truly one of the most unique and influential authors in horror. He has an incredible talent for writing characters that are not impacted by the stereotypes of gender. The experiences can be associated with male, and female and it is delightful to find an author that writes for everyone.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a society gutted by destruction. The streets are patrolled with something akin to soldiers. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions can be heard all around. Mara, a sixteen-year-old girl answers the door two of these men returning her father’s body. He has been murdered and this is where life takes on a darker descent into oblivion. She was close to her father and grief threatens to forever change her. It also means that life with her mother and her abusive ways has no ending in sight. It’s oppressive – she is at the mercy of her venomous tongue and the constant ramblings that she is to blame for her father’s death.
Reality is a human-made construct, and her father’s death is the catalyst for monsters knocking at their door and interjecting into her mother’s life. She becomes enamoured with them and basically can’t see the wood from the trees.
LaRocca has perfectly examined how trauma can leave a permanent scar on bodies or places. The physical wound may have healed but they leave a bump in the road or the jagged healing of skin that only is skin deep. The actual wound is still there underneath the thinnest layer of skin, it wouldn’t take much to break free. That’s trauma, you can put a mask on but in difficult circumstances, it will slip, and you are back to the start.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a stunning masterclass in trauma horror. LaRocca remains white-hot in delivering another hold your breath novel. He truly understands the darkest recesses of the mind.
Merged review:
We Can Never Leave This Place, I think probably I can’t. I’m trapped in a state of purgatory. How do you sum up a story that depicts such vivid imagery of neglect and trauma? I’m not going to lie; this book seems to be impossible to review with enough fervour to do it justice. It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring into space afterward. The musings playing around your consciousness like a never-ending loop.
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Eric LaRocca is the king of trauma horror. Reading a story penned by this glorious author is always an experience. He leads you down a path that humanity doesn’t willingly tread. It’s the dark side of the human condition, the wants, and desires that we only allow ourselves to know and most importantly he gives a voice to the voiceless. LaRocca is truly one of the most unique and influential authors in horror. He has an incredible talent for writing characters that are not impacted by the stereotypes of gender. The experiences can be associated with male, and female and it is delightful to find an author that writes for everyone.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a society gutted by destruction. The streets are patrolled with something akin to soldiers. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions can be heard all around. Mara, a sixteen-year-old girl answers the door two of these men returning her father’s body. He has been murdered and this is where life takes on a darker descent into oblivion. She was close to her father and grief threatens to forever change her. It also means that life with her mother and her abusive ways has no ending in sight. It’s oppressive – she is at the mercy of her venomous tongue and the constant ramblings that she is to blame for her father’s death.
Reality is a human-made construct, and her father’s death is the catalyst for monsters knocking at their door and interjecting into her mother’s life. She becomes enamoured with them and basically can’t see the wood from the trees.
LaRocca has perfectly examined how trauma can leave a permanent scar on bodies or places. The physical wound may have healed but they leave a bump in the road or the jagged healing of skin that only is skin deep. The actual wound is still there underneath the thinnest layer of skin, it wouldn’t take much to break free. That’s trauma, you can put a mask on but in difficult circumstances, it will slip, and you are back to the start.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a stunning masterclass in trauma horror. LaRocca remains white-hot in delivering another hold your breath novel. He truly understands the darkest recesses of the mind.
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Eric LaRocca is the king of trauma horror. Reading a story penned by this glorious author is always an experience. He leads you down a path that humanity doesn’t willingly tread. It’s the dark side of the human condition, the wants, and desires that we only allow ourselves to know and most importantly he gives a voice to the voiceless. LaRocca is truly one of the most unique and influential authors in horror. He has an incredible talent for writing characters that are not impacted by the stereotypes of gender. The experiences can be associated with male, and female and it is delightful to find an author that writes for everyone.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a society gutted by destruction. The streets are patrolled with something akin to soldiers. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions can be heard all around. Mara, a sixteen-year-old girl answers the door two of these men returning her father’s body. He has been murdered and this is where life takes on a darker descent into oblivion. She was close to her father and grief threatens to forever change her. It also means that life with her mother and her abusive ways has no ending in sight. It’s oppressive – she is at the mercy of her venomous tongue and the constant ramblings that she is to blame for her father’s death.
Reality is a human-made construct, and her father’s death is the catalyst for monsters knocking at their door and interjecting into her mother’s life. She becomes enamoured with them and basically can’t see the wood from the trees.
LaRocca has perfectly examined how trauma can leave a permanent scar on bodies or places. The physical wound may have healed but they leave a bump in the road or the jagged healing of skin that only is skin deep. The actual wound is still there underneath the thinnest layer of skin, it wouldn’t take much to break free. That’s trauma, you can put a mask on but in difficult circumstances, it will slip, and you are back to the start.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a stunning masterclass in trauma horror. LaRocca remains white-hot in delivering another hold your breath novel. He truly understands the darkest recesses of the mind.
Merged review:
We Can Never Leave This Place, I think probably I can’t. I’m trapped in a state of purgatory. How do you sum up a story that depicts such vivid imagery of neglect and trauma? I’m not going to lie; this book seems to be impossible to review with enough fervour to do it justice. It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring into space afterward. The musings playing around your consciousness like a never-ending loop.
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Eric LaRocca is the king of trauma horror. Reading a story penned by this glorious author is always an experience. He leads you down a path that humanity doesn’t willingly tread. It’s the dark side of the human condition, the wants, and desires that we only allow ourselves to know and most importantly he gives a voice to the voiceless. LaRocca is truly one of the most unique and influential authors in horror. He has an incredible talent for writing characters that are not impacted by the stereotypes of gender. The experiences can be associated with male, and female and it is delightful to find an author that writes for everyone.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a society gutted by destruction. The streets are patrolled with something akin to soldiers. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions can be heard all around. Mara, a sixteen-year-old girl answers the door two of these men returning her father’s body. He has been murdered and this is where life takes on a darker descent into oblivion. She was close to her father and grief threatens to forever change her. It also means that life with her mother and her abusive ways has no ending in sight. It’s oppressive – she is at the mercy of her venomous tongue and the constant ramblings that she is to blame for her father’s death.
Reality is a human-made construct, and her father’s death is the catalyst for monsters knocking at their door and interjecting into her mother’s life. She becomes enamoured with them and basically can’t see the wood from the trees.
LaRocca has perfectly examined how trauma can leave a permanent scar on bodies or places. The physical wound may have healed but they leave a bump in the road or the jagged healing of skin that only is skin deep. The actual wound is still there underneath the thinnest layer of skin, it wouldn’t take much to break free. That’s trauma, you can put a mask on but in difficult circumstances, it will slip, and you are back to the start.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a stunning masterclass in trauma horror. LaRocca remains white-hot in delivering another hold your breath novel. He truly understands the darkest recesses of the mind.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wtf did I just read? A story that gets weirder as it progresses but has a sweet ending.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this book, I am struggling to find the word to explain why I liked this book but I know I did!
Poor Mara... and love Samael and FUCK RAKE MAN
Poor Mara... and
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent
Minor: Incest