A review by xalrynne
This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca

challenging dark slow-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

1.0

I think all of LaRocca’s other stories and story collections are a lot stronger and more entertaining than the stories in this book. I was extremely disappointed by this collection. 

This Skin Was Once Mine—2/5 stars
I don’t understand this story. Traumatic family relationships, a girl living in a box under a bed, and lots of snakes. The main character’s actions didn’t make any sense, and the plot twists were quite predictable. This was underwhelming. 

Seedling—1/5 stars
I found this story to be quite boring and also confusing. 

All the Parts of You That Won’t Burn—1/5 stars
This story was the epitome of “wtf did I just read?” Like the first story, this story was another example of a lack of character development that leads to questionable character motivations. I don’t understand why the main character did what he did or even wanted to do what he did: he embeds glass in his skin and it feels sexual arousal while doing so. Also this story features thoughts of infidelity, which I didn’t like. 

Prickle—1/5 stars 
Extremely forgettable and disturbing. Also features murder of a baby, so that’s a no from me. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings