Reviews tagging 'Violence'

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

140 reviews

shelbymarie314's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Murder, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Violence, Child death, and Gore

viciousfrockery's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.0

this collection unsettled me in a way that's stuck with me as i eat apples, as i pick the florets of vegetables from my teeth, and as i slip into the bath. queer not as in romantic, but queer as in obsessed with the self and devoted to the other, queer from the inside out. truly excellent dip into what LaRocca can accomplish in short order. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Gore, Body horror, Body shaming, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Death

lidia_ortizg'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Violence

lauriebird's review

dark tense 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

2.25

I really had high hopes for a book. First of all, the cover is gorgeous! Congratulations to the artist because that cover really drew me in and kept me going.

I love to read queer literature even if the characters are morally grey or ambiguous. However, I feel there is something… “icky” about the way the author wrote about the woman that I feel falls into the evil lesbian trope. I found that their motivations within the story were not often clear. I feel like it it was written to shock but not provoke the reader to look into the characters. Perhaps he wrote the shock value to distract from what little personality he gave both women? I think this story is so underwhelming for what could have been a truly remarkable premise. Neither woman has a unique voice and honestly, they sound like they’re writing in an into to philosophy course. S.Penkevich said it right when they mentioned that this could’ve been a story that examined class and power dynamics and could’ve given a deeper look into Agnes’ vulnerabilities. 

I think it’s also important to note in this story that both women are equally manipulative and manipulated. Agnes and Zoe both use love bombing and silence as punishment. However, Agnes repeatedly reaches out to Zoe (in a way that feels very “lesbians have mommy issues” but I digress) and begs for love while Zoe’s affection is contingent on Agnes completing her tasks. Once Agnes does and becomes obsessed with the relationship between the two of them, Zoe becomes disinterested which leaves Agnes presumably devastated. However, to get to this conclusion, the story meanders through nothingness. I set this book down a few times; not because I was disturbed but because I was incredibly bored.

As I stated, this could’ve been a great book! This book has so much potential. It is disturbing to a point but the prose was just too distracting for me. I feel like if the author gave himself more time to truly develop a voice and personality for both women and delve further into the manipulation and desires for both women, this could’ve been an amazing novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Misogyny, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Lesbophobia, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Animal death

Moderate: Violence and Abandonment

Minor: Grief, Classism, and Gaslighting

avrilamber's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Wild.
I see the authors intention to write short stories about connection but all stories were told in such macabre and disturbing ways, it was unsettling. I enjoyed the first story (the titular short story in this book) more than the other two, purely for its complete creep factor. But I struggled to relate to all the characters need for connection when the means to that end were totally batshit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, and Body horror

laurianeisreading's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Torture, Self harm, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Gore, and Mental illness

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Miscarriage and Lesbophobia

victorsbookshelf's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Mental illness, Violence, Sexual content, Death, and Drug abuse

questionablereads's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

I didn't realize this was a collection of three short horror stories but I've broken down my review based on stories, and love the Afterward where the author explains the connection with all three. Overall, I'm glad I finally read this.  

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke - 5 stars
I love the power imbalance at play. It was so sinister and chilling and made me horrified with how warped people behave to hold onto what they deem to be love. 

The Enchantment - 5 stars
This was a bit slow when getting into but after chapter 6 I was hooked.  It is a story surrounding grief and loss, and a struggle/need to hold onto marriage and faith. The ending left my jaw on the floor. 

You'll Find It's Like That All Over - 3 stars
My least favorite story in the collection but enjoyed the language around the need for people pleasing, and the dangers that often leads to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Blood

Moderate: Miscarriage and Gaslighting

rory_john14's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Gore

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Vomit, Cursing, Pregnancy, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Classism, Medical content, Abortion, Terminal illness, Slavery, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Dementia, Abandonment, and Death of parent

swebby's review against another edition

dark 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

It’s an extremely disturbing and uncomfortable read, one that will stay with me for a while. Although the writing is good, I think the ending needed developing more. It left me feeling a bit flat, like it needed another few pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Medical trauma