Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

26 reviews

deshanejt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

2.5

Eric LaRocca's writing is intense. He's very good!

However, I can't for the life of me figure out the plot, the point, or the message in this story. 

What started in the beginning of the book, and what transpired throughout, LOOSELY connected to what happened in the end- IMO. 

I understand there's not always justice for victims of SA and hate-crimes, but it would have been nice to understand how being a witness to that brutality tied into the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Death, Violence, Blood, Rape, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Murder

autumnrevisited's review against another edition

slow-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

0.5

This is genuinely one of the worst books I have read from an "established," published author. The writing in the book was incredibly clunky with metaphors that not only didn't make sense, but felt like they were written solely for the sake of shock. There were also moments in the book where descriptions and explanations seemed to be entirely missing, with settings and situations coming out of nowhere. The story itself was lackluster, with the secondary main character only contributing the most minor presence in the following "climax." So much of Ghost's character and set up was shallow and unexplained, relying on supernatural nonsense to get the point across.

While I disliked the writing, what bothered me the most about this book was how LaRocca treated their characters. The book claims to be a queer horror novel, but the only part of it that seems genuinely queer is the secondary main character who services only as a conduit for violence. There is not a moment where Malik is happy, only witnessing his husband's hate crime, being kidnapped, sexually and brutally assaulted, and almost murdered. All for being gay. There is no other development to his character other than to have slurs thrown at him and have violence done unto him. Also, the "bad guys" in the story both are also queer or have experienced similar violence. I find it unacceptable and disgusting that LaRocca would take a character that does extreme sexual and physical violence to one of the only POC characters in the book and make their motivation be a past assault from another gay character. Furthermore, giving the main villain AIDS (at least hinting at it) for no reason other than to mention it adds to the image that people with AIDS are violent and dirty.

LaRocca also completely ignores his female characters. They are either stupid, pathetic, or fridged. There is not a moment with a female character where they have any real agency. They are dead to move the male main character's story forward or placed as a helpless damsel in distress in order to be protected.

I purchased and read this book because I heard many good things about LaRocca's other works and the horror they have created. However, after reading this book, I refuse to read anything else LaRocca has written or may write in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Blood, Violence, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Grief, Ableism, Gore, Kidnapping, Body horror, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Vomit

Moderate: Excrement, Child death, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Grief, Blood, Cursing, Alcohol, Death, and Hate crime

mary_magdalyn's review

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, and Gore

ecn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

So good but not much of a build up and the quickest resolution/wrap up, which left me wanting more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Body horror, Biphobia, Torture, Grief, Gore, Child death, Car accident, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Hate crime, Blood, Medical content, Homophobia, Rape, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Excrement

theochick's review

challenging dark

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

1.0

This book had an interesting concept and incredibly poor execution. Definitely mind the content warnings (I probably missed some)! Prologue sets up a way more enjoyable/fun story than the book delivers which I think makes it even more disappointing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Islamophobia, Grief, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Pedophilia

heartofhorrors's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Car accident, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Hate crime, Islamophobia, and Violence

unlifeoftheparty's review against another edition

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Death, Sexual assault, and Gore

achay91's review against another edition

dark sad 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? It's complicated

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Hate crime, Blood, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Death and Murder

emilysunflowers's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Gore, Homophobia, Excrement, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Blood, and Physical abuse

chilivanilli28's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Homophobia, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Rape, and Child death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts