Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca

337 reviews

alexalily's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

annie_brewer's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This was an bizzare read that I absolutely did not enjoy, but it was quite good.

In summary, this is a documentation of a dissolution into madness. Additionally, the reader gets dragged along to witness the disturbing descent.

The writing is eloquent and quite disarming at times with a story-telling pace, but the charm is quickly contrasted by the dark purpose of the discourse between the women, the relaying of a debauched or sinister thrill.

Loved the ambiguity of the women and that it was a very quick escalation - I thought both of these factors promoted the unsettling gnaw that the derailment could not be stopped. I did find some of the pacing a bit disjointed, and the inclusion of the contract felt unnecessary for the plot.

Lots of gross and vivid imagery, very gritty and grim 'plot', a trainwreck that is hard to look away from.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Child death

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Manipulation of vulnerable individual. Body horror.

Suicide alluded to

peckreadsbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Child death, Suicide, Murder, Vomit, Grief, Death, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Miscarriage, Murder, Self harm, and Pregnancy

msbedelia's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The only book that's ever given me a stomache. Extremely well-written with so many layers between the lines... But at what cost?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Body horror, Self harm, Sexual content, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

tobibi's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Pregnancy, Excrement, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

ribbenkast's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

4.25

At one point I literally wanted to vomit. What a great horror book!

It's a gripping tale of a toxic relationship gone even more wrong. It could've benefited from being a bit more of a slow burn but it works great as this short novella.

Please check the trigger warnings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Infertility, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Animal cruelty

everie's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

1.5

It's not particularly compelling. Fine (ish) for a short story but it doesn't have enough to carry a novella. The maggot imagery was sickening (positive), but I think its greatest strength is in its publisher's marketing campaign and cover design. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

bea2001's review against another edition

dark 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Torture, Abandonment, and Pregnancy

nuclear_droid's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

That… sure was a book. 
It was attention grabbing and it kept me wanting to know what will happen. Some of the descriptive language was really quite incredible (in the less icky bits). But it was also just so profoundly weird and off putting. I feel like I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was longer and the absurdity developed over time, very 0 to 100 real quick. An uncomfortable read but a read I still think was worth reading?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

bowlingforboots's review against another edition

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Gore, Abandonment, and Infertility

Moderate: Animal cruelty