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2.76 AVERAGE
2.76 AVERAGE
It felt like two separate books happening at once, and failed to tie the stories together in a satisfying way while also leaving both stories feeling unfinished?
Disappointed. Not what I wanted it to be. Much more SA and brutality than expected.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Incredibly wordy. Dumb MCs. Relationships I didn't believe. Characters names used in nearly every sentence. Gang rape as a plot point. Nonsenical "bad thing" ... Yeah, woefully disappointed by this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
I’m giving this 2.5. Not the most amazing book but not horrible. The scary element was not super scary but the horror others can cause on one another….oh boy. Is thought provoking on god, the devil, and human beings.
You try not to like, judge a book too harshly because the very act of writing a whole goddamned book and getting it published is such a monumental task and everyone who does it should absolutely be commended for the sheer act of creation.
This book is a miserable piece of dogshit. No offense to the author, maybe they name search, but man every chapter of this book was more unpleasant than the last and what a poorly written ending damn dude cmon now.
This book is a miserable piece of dogshit. No offense to the author, maybe they name search, but man every chapter of this book was more unpleasant than the last and what a poorly written ending damn dude cmon now.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Despite all the terrible reviews, I loved this !!! It’s a strange and twisted horror story with vivid characters and a fast paced plot. While I do feel quite unresolved about the ending, LaRocca really brings this town alive. I loved that the parts that felt the most horrific were the parts containing the least magic. It really struck deep in my heart how hate hurts.
I read a physical copy and I must say that the book is like nothing I have ever seen before. Besides a nice loveable size 16 font, the pages are in black and grey which really added to the mysterious, dark plot line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
(via audiobook)
my second larocca read. there's something about his style and presence as a writer that is both so inviting while simultaneously being off-putting. it's very effective! i must say the narrator for this piece was especially fun to listen to.
that said, there's a few scenes where violence towards a gay man are written that felt a little....... odd to me. i dont think the plot point was unnecessary, per se- it just seemed... idk! weirdly placed? like not only did it have to be physical violence but also the addition of sexual violence? plus the character was muslim?? idk. i could put up with all this if the ending of the story wasnt so.......... pointless. it was tough to read (which i understand was the point).
all in all, a great book with a lot of undertones and overtones.
my second larocca read. there's something about his style and presence as a writer that is both so inviting while simultaneously being off-putting. it's very effective! i must say the narrator for this piece was especially fun to listen to.
that said, there's a few scenes where violence towards a gay man are written that felt a little....... odd to me. i dont think the plot point was unnecessary, per se- it just seemed... idk! weirdly placed? like not only did it have to be physical violence but also the addition of sexual violence? plus the character was muslim?? idk. i could put up with all this if the ending of the story wasnt so.......... pointless. it was tough to read (which i understand was the point).
all in all, a great book with a lot of undertones and overtones.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5/5 stars. This is the third book that I read from Eric LaRocca and I have to say, that it’s the one I like the least. But it’s not to say it’s bad by any means, but compared to Things Got Worse Since We Last Spoke and We Can Never Leave This Place, this one is almost a little more on the soft side.
You still need to like darker and sadder books in order to like this one, specially because Eric managed once again to describe very well what characters felt through certain episodes. The book contains a couple suffering from homophobia and everything to do with these two characters, was a painful read. Specially as I am queer myself.
But either way, this book will be one I will recommend to people that can’t take something like Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke but that still want to get to know Eric’s work!
You still need to like darker and sadder books in order to like this one, specially because Eric managed once again to describe very well what characters felt through certain episodes. The book contains a couple suffering from homophobia and everything to do with these two characters, was a painful read. Specially as I am queer myself.
But either way, this book will be one I will recommend to people that can’t take something like Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke but that still want to get to know Eric’s work!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia
I don't really understand why this book received so much hate?
It's classic Eric LaRocca. Dark, twisted and whimsically weird with vivid, well thought out characters and a quick moving plot. All good in my books!
It's classic Eric LaRocca. Dark, twisted and whimsically weird with vivid, well thought out characters and a quick moving plot. All good in my books!