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anniesaur's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.5
maisonmarsiela's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars - a quick read with an interesting premise, but i found the execution to be lacklustre. the writing was pretentious, yet full of grammatical errors and inconsistencies
ambrose_7's review against another edition
4.0
LaRocca can't be compared to anyone else; he's doing things to the genre never done before and I'm very much here for it. This novel reminded me of a classic, with deep meanings behind everything, and intent with every word and symbol. It will never get the recognition of books of old, it's disturbing and horrific and therefore not easily understood by many, and purposely misunderstood by even more. But I think that something like this inspires the reader to do more than look at the words and move on, it's a book that fosters contemplation into the darker parts of life.
I read many reviews of this book on Goodreads because it's a book that sparks violent emotions, good or bad, and I wanted to see what other people thought about it. Many people didn't get it and I was so with them, until the end of the book where I felt like it all came together. I don't know if I'm completely making this up and just want to think I got it, after all, it's more an abstract feeling hard to put into words. But I think it spoke to me of the human condition, about what makes life worth unliving and the justification of evil and horrid things. I got something from it. I don't know if it's what LaRocca wanted me to get, but I got it. (It also had a main character with my name which will probably never happen again)
(ATY #21)
I read many reviews of this book on Goodreads because it's a book that sparks violent emotions, good or bad, and I wanted to see what other people thought about it. Many people didn't get it and I was so with them, until the end of the book where I felt like it all came together. I don't know if I'm completely making this up and just want to think I got it, after all, it's more an abstract feeling hard to put into words. But I think it spoke to me of the human condition, about what makes life worth unliving and the justification of evil and horrid things. I got something from it. I don't know if it's what LaRocca wanted me to get, but I got it. (It also had a main character with my name which will probably never happen again)
(ATY #21)
teaselkie's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
saint_eleanor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Ugh so creepy and sad!! Eric Larocca always gets me. I got kind of confused around the end but then the ending itself was really crazy and devastating. Not as scary as his other works but still so addictive. And i have to say i agree with Martyr… ‘Mother!’ WAS a masterpiece
macyishere's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moxiemin's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Ok so I will be honest while starting this review the first question is about the plot... What plot? Like seriously where is the plot. I normally love when you have the book within a book stories. But neither one of the stories were complete. Or made any sense in general if you ask me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
rottedrapunzel's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
I enjoyed the epistolary format, which seems to be a running theme of LaRocca's books (or at least the two I have read so far). I also enjoyed the writing from the perspectives of Martyr and Ambrose, and the genuine sense of unease/disgust that their stories, alongside the disturbing imagery, had on me.
I didn't enjoy the novella within a novella, mainly due to finding the change of flow between the two story lines clunky, which I suppose you could argue makes sense with the ending reveal. I will say in that sense I enjoyed coming to that revelation after the book more satisfying than the reading process.
IMO not quite on the same level as THGWSWLS, but I am still interested in reading more work by this author.
A Grower, not a Shower.
I enjoyed the epistolary format, which seems to be a running theme of LaRocca's books (or at least the two I have read so far). I also enjoyed the writing from the perspectives of Martyr and Ambrose, and the genuine sense of unease/disgust that their stories, alongside the disturbing imagery, had on me.
I didn't enjoy the novella within a novella, mainly due to finding the change of flow between the two story lines clunky, which I suppose you could argue makes sense with the ending reveal. I will say in that sense I enjoyed coming to that revelation after the book more satisfying than the reading process.
IMO not quite on the same level as THGWSWLS, but I am still interested in reading more work by this author.
A Grower, not a Shower.