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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fascinatingly grotesque, this book kept my eyes glued to every page, to every word, turning my stomach upside down—yet never letting my gaze drift away. It is written in a way that, despite the most obscure plot points manifesting right before your eyes, it pulls you in with fierce immersion.
Themes of religion, body horror, the sense of belonging, and queerness are interwoven into three fascinatingly bizarre short stories. Naturally, I enjoyed some more than others ("Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" completely swept me off my feet), but overall, it was a compelling and very quick read.
At times, I struggled to connect with the protagonists, as their choices felt so otherworldly and obscure. However, considering the bigger picture and reflecting on the author’s afterword, I gained a deeper understanding.
So, overall, I "enjoyed" it—at least as much as one can enjoy a series of horror stories that leave you with a gut punch once finished.
Themes of religion, body horror, the sense of belonging, and queerness are interwoven into three fascinatingly bizarre short stories. Naturally, I enjoyed some more than others ("Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" completely swept me off my feet), but overall, it was a compelling and very quick read.
At times, I struggled to connect with the protagonists, as their choices felt so otherworldly and obscure. However, considering the bigger picture and reflecting on the author’s afterword, I gained a deeper understanding.
So, overall, I "enjoyed" it—at least as much as one can enjoy a series of horror stories that leave you with a gut punch once finished.
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Eric larocca's collection of short stories may not be for everyone, but I certainly had a good time. His three shorts are individually unique, giving readers a different take of the same theme, being human connection and dark desires. Each one is creative in their own way, while also having a dramatic story to tell about everyday lives and people. Larocca's writing style is not for everyone, because he is vague and is not descriptive. However, it makes up for how creepy, yet oblivious, Each story has to offer.
I surprisingly loved "The Enchantment" a lot more than I anticipated. The titular story was excellent, while the last one felt like a rough draft.
I surprisingly loved "The Enchantment" a lot more than I anticipated. The titular story was excellent, while the last one felt like a rough draft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide
Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse
dark
tense
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
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
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I devoured this thing REALLY quickly despite not particularly living it. Still, I was intrigued enough to want to know the twists and turns of each story. I’ll go over my thoughts on each quickly.
Things Have Gotten Worse - The title is great, and the concept (told over texts and AIM) is really novel. It suffers a bit from odd writing but that seems intentional (one character is way more verbose than it feels like anyone would be). The ending is so uniquely, terrifyingly, upsetting that it saves the plot that otherwise seems cruel and gross just for shock value. The twists are not interesting but the whole thing is disturbing enough I read the whole thing in a sitting.
Enchantment - Authors have things they like to include a lot but it’s still weird when child crucifixions and bleach ears show up twice. Again, the set up is great (though I’ll admit the prologue probably makes the rest of it worse) but the pay off is… just dull. The ending goes way too far in a way that isn’t earned. I retroactively get what the point was but… only retroactively.
Like That All Over - This one I liked, and it felt sorta Stephen King-y (though a bit too wordy in places). The moral was good, twists fun… no idea what the ending meant… but it made its point effectively and in doing so filled me with just a tinge of anxiety.
All in all a quick and easy read, but not a phenomenal one. Still, I read the thing in under 48 hours, which is rare for me, so it still dug its hooks in good.
Things Have Gotten Worse - The title is great, and the concept (told over texts and AIM) is really novel. It suffers a bit from odd writing but that seems intentional (one character is way more verbose than it feels like anyone would be). The ending is so uniquely, terrifyingly, upsetting that it saves the plot that otherwise seems cruel and gross just for shock value. The twists are not interesting but the whole thing is disturbing enough I read the whole thing in a sitting.
Enchantment - Authors have things they like to include a lot but it’s still weird when child crucifixions and bleach ears show up twice. Again, the set up is great (though I’ll admit the prologue probably makes the rest of it worse) but the pay off is… just dull. The ending goes way too far in a way that isn’t earned. I retroactively get what the point was but… only retroactively.
Like That All Over - This one I liked, and it felt sorta Stephen King-y (though a bit too wordy in places). The moral was good, twists fun… no idea what the ending meant… but it made its point effectively and in doing so filled me with just a tinge of anxiety.
All in all a quick and easy read, but not a phenomenal one. Still, I read the thing in under 48 hours, which is rare for me, so it still dug its hooks in good.