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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
tense
what the hellđ ok maybe ill expand on this later but while i really enjoyed the dark fairytale esque characters and imagery my main gripe with this story is the ending like it was pretty obvious already from the beginning that mara was projecting her fantasies onto these home invaders. like literally itâs said on the back that she has an âunusual imaginationâ but that isnât even the thing that bothered me. it was rather how it was presented in the end as if it was some huge reveal that we didnât get already?? like. oh they were humans all along!! no shit???? same thing with maraâs dad also being her motherâs son like. the picture was enough to know. idk. also im not a huge fan of the vulnerability of young girls/women being used for shock value in horror like this like,, the horror was really good as it was but i dont think having the constant looming threat of a 15-year-oldâs potential SA hanging as a very fucked up sword of damocles over our heads really added to it. idk . what i did very much enjoy however was how eerie and atmospheric it was. like from the get-go you get pulled into the story with very little buildup & it still manages to be so compelling from the start that you just really want to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, War
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Excrement
Minor: Abandonment
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was incredibly dark and depraved, and I don't think I "got it"
We Can Never Leave This place has horrific plot twists and once you figure out what's happening its hard to put down
Like any LaRocca novellas this is a none forgiving gorefest (that should NEVER have any cinematic representation). But it is written so well, like Mara.. omg she is one of the best written character of all time.
In a mere 97 page I grew so attached to her. Every side character was so fascinating, the pacing was off the roof!
*it is not for the faint if heart but if you can handle the disgust it is 110% worth the read*
I want a sequel SO bad with the baby and the soldiers
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i think the reason i didnât enjoy this as much as others is because i kept putting it down for one reason or another. there were so many times i was uninterested or simply distracted. my attention was completely gone once i learned there was a talking spider.
Star review in the April 2022 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: immersive, grotesquely beautiful, claustrophobic
DRAFT REVIEW:
On the first page of LaRoccaâs macabre and exquisite fever dream, readers are introduced to Mara ominously noting, "From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss." Readers are then whisked back to the dystopian world of Maraâs childhood, to the pivotal day her fatherâs body was returned to their dilapidated apartment, in a war torn neighborhood, where a sewage pipe endlessly drips. In her intense grief, Maraâs pregnant mother starts hosting an ever growing cast of hideous but beguiling creatures, most notably a spider and a snake, who take up residence, promising to take away the familyâs pain, while simultaneously taking control of their home and minds. Schedule two uninterrupted hours to experience this visceral, lyrical, and beguiling dark fantasy, as LaRocca takes readers on a weird, intense, and upsetting journey, an exploration of extreme trauma and grief, but one that is also so compelling, affecting, and original that they will eagerly follow him to its breathtaking conclusion.
Verdict: The hype surrounding LaRocca is real. He is quickly emerging as one of the best authors at articulating the emotions of Horror, feelings of disgust, unease, but also, wonder that physically pulsate through the readerâs body as they interact with his creations. Similar to the storytelling style and reading experience of the extraordinary work of Oyoyemi, Schweblin, and Helpmeet by Ruthnum [also in this column].
NOTES:
Okay, the hype on LaRocca is for real. This novella is amazing and you need to schedule about 2 uninterrupted hours to experience it. I want to stress, he is a master of intense, dark, squirmy, and upsetting feelings, but 1, that's Horror at it's core so if you like Horror you are fine with this, and 2, he does it in a way that you want to keep reading, you never contemplate not continuing, in fact, you go faster. Brilliant.
It is very different plot wise from Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and yet, like that first novella this one is also an example of trying to turn what trauma feels like into a story that represents it.
Except, this time, I think it is better because We Can Never Leave This Place is a compelling and grotesque dark fantasy story. On its own it is a dark fable. But it is also a visceral manifestation of trauma. He takes what extreme trauma and grief feels like-- in your brain and body-- and turns that into a story. It is eerie and upsetting to read but then you take a break and you wonder at the brilliance and originality of it. It is compelling and immersive.
LaRocca punches you in the gut. I would go so far to say that he is one of the current creators best at making you FEEL the emotions that are Horror.
The sense of place here is amazing. The apartment, the creatures, the world outside-- perfectly rendered. The dripping sewage pipe and secrets passageways in the walls are great examples.
The language in general too. The descriptions of everything perfectly render the emotions but he does it with an economy of words. He strings them together in brilliant, retrained ways.
Many are quoting the line from the ominous open of the novella, "From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss." I wanted to use another example [I wrote down a few and there are many] but then I was worried they were a little harder to frame or spoilery, so I too will use that quote.
Bravo. LaRocca is now on my MUST READ everything list.
Readlaikes: I also read Helpmeet for this column and the two are so similar and yet so different. This reminded me of Mapping the Interior by Jones and Oyoyemi like that one but also strong Fever Dreams by Schweblin too.
Three Words That Describe This Book: immersive, grotesquely beautiful, claustrophobic
DRAFT REVIEW:
On the first page of LaRoccaâs macabre and exquisite fever dream, readers are introduced to Mara ominously noting, "From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss." Readers are then whisked back to the dystopian world of Maraâs childhood, to the pivotal day her fatherâs body was returned to their dilapidated apartment, in a war torn neighborhood, where a sewage pipe endlessly drips. In her intense grief, Maraâs pregnant mother starts hosting an ever growing cast of hideous but beguiling creatures, most notably a spider and a snake, who take up residence, promising to take away the familyâs pain, while simultaneously taking control of their home and minds. Schedule two uninterrupted hours to experience this visceral, lyrical, and beguiling dark fantasy, as LaRocca takes readers on a weird, intense, and upsetting journey, an exploration of extreme trauma and grief, but one that is also so compelling, affecting, and original that they will eagerly follow him to its breathtaking conclusion.
Verdict: The hype surrounding LaRocca is real. He is quickly emerging as one of the best authors at articulating the emotions of Horror, feelings of disgust, unease, but also, wonder that physically pulsate through the readerâs body as they interact with his creations. Similar to the storytelling style and reading experience of the extraordinary work of Oyoyemi, Schweblin, and Helpmeet by Ruthnum [also in this column].
NOTES:
Okay, the hype on LaRocca is for real. This novella is amazing and you need to schedule about 2 uninterrupted hours to experience it. I want to stress, he is a master of intense, dark, squirmy, and upsetting feelings, but 1, that's Horror at it's core so if you like Horror you are fine with this, and 2, he does it in a way that you want to keep reading, you never contemplate not continuing, in fact, you go faster. Brilliant.
It is very different plot wise from Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and yet, like that first novella this one is also an example of trying to turn what trauma feels like into a story that represents it.
Except, this time, I think it is better because We Can Never Leave This Place is a compelling and grotesque dark fantasy story. On its own it is a dark fable. But it is also a visceral manifestation of trauma. He takes what extreme trauma and grief feels like-- in your brain and body-- and turns that into a story. It is eerie and upsetting to read but then you take a break and you wonder at the brilliance and originality of it. It is compelling and immersive.
LaRocca punches you in the gut. I would go so far to say that he is one of the current creators best at making you FEEL the emotions that are Horror.
The sense of place here is amazing. The apartment, the creatures, the world outside-- perfectly rendered. The dripping sewage pipe and secrets passageways in the walls are great examples.
The language in general too. The descriptions of everything perfectly render the emotions but he does it with an economy of words. He strings them together in brilliant, retrained ways.
Many are quoting the line from the ominous open of the novella, "From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss." I wanted to use another example [I wrote down a few and there are many] but then I was worried they were a little harder to frame or spoilery, so I too will use that quote.
Bravo. LaRocca is now on my MUST READ everything list.
Readlaikes: I also read Helpmeet for this column and the two are so similar and yet so different. This reminded me of Mapping the Interior by Jones and Oyoyemi like that one but also strong Fever Dreams by Schweblin too.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing short read with a really powerful plot. An interesting insight to a traumatised childâs mind. A really clever way to write about such a serious topic that made the book a lot more terrifying. The only thing stopping me from giving this book a 5 stars is some of the aspects of the ending.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes