Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca

16 reviews

ruthypoo2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

3.75

All the stories included in this book are very well written explorations of human nature, both normal and aberrant, and how people are inclined to react when placed under emotional duress. In some of the stories the emotional stress is common to the lives of pretty much everyone, while some of the stories placed the main protagonist(s) in unexpected and/or extreme circumstances. Each story is unique and can stand alone.

Here are the story titles and their main themes, though it’s actually quite difficult to try and fully categorize the psychological complexity of each story. This is more of a hint, if you prefer.

“You Follow Wherever They Go” - Grief / Loss of a Parent
“Bodies Are for Burning” - Mental Health
“The Strange Thing We Become” - Finding and Losing Love / Grief
“The Trees Grew Because I Bled There” - Obsession / Unequal Commitment to a Relationship 
“You’re Not Supposed to Be Here” - Parents Love for a Child
“Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass” - Parents Love for a Child vs. Desire for Self Satisfaction 
“I’ll Be Gone By Then” - Obligation of Child to Parent
“Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You” - Desperation for Love / Confusing Feelings of Incest

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicide, Mental illness, and Self harm

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Dementia, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Infidelity

probablytoolate's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Violence, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Child death, Gore, Incest, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Death of parent

keen's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Child abuse, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Torture, Death, and Cancer

Moderate: Incest, Suicide, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Abortion, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Transphobia, Bullying, and Dementia

bookedandbusy's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

This book was incredibly eerie and strange and I loved it.  The stories were all incredible and I could not stop reading.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Blood, and Incest

mikepalumbo's review

dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Dementia, Excrement, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Infertility

dokushoka's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, and Blood

Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Mental illness, Body horror, and Dementia