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quinntillion 's review for:
At Dark, I Become Loathsome
by Eric LaRocca
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've been having difficulty putting words to it since I finished it. Spiritually, it feels like a companion to Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite, in so many ways: the writing style, the subject matter, the execution, how beautifully but realistically, rawly queer it is. In others, it feels so uniquely itself, so individual, so set apart, it really shines as itself rather than feeling derivative.
At Dark is lonely. It follows a deeply flawed man who has lost his wife and his son in a relatively short amount of time, who runs a Burial Ritual service wherein he buries clients alive for 30 minutes in order to induce, at best, a renewed desire to live. What follows is a perverse and dark dive in to desire, loss, pain, loneliness, and myriad other complex and strangely mixed emotions and subjects that may leave the reader feeling bereft and even upset. Painfully, I saw my own father in the point of view character Ashley, and myself in his missing son. I have never felt so painfully seen, and never have I related so deeply or seen my parent-child experience in a book at this magnitude.
As with Exquisite Corpse, At Dark is not for the faint of heart. It is at times graphic and painful, and deals with subject matter a lot of us would rather left in the dark. However, it handles it rawly and in my opinion the only way you should, without minced words and as honestly as possible.
Trigger warnings, if available, should absolutely be utilized. This book is going to live with me for a long time, and it's now one of my favorites.
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this free e-ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book beyond words.
At Dark is lonely. It follows a deeply flawed man who has lost his wife and his son in a relatively short amount of time, who runs a Burial Ritual service wherein he buries clients alive for 30 minutes in order to induce, at best, a renewed desire to live. What follows is a perverse and dark dive in to desire, loss, pain, loneliness, and myriad other complex and strangely mixed emotions and subjects that may leave the reader feeling bereft and even upset. Painfully, I saw my own father in the point of view character Ashley, and myself in his missing son. I have never felt so painfully seen, and never have I related so deeply or seen my parent-child experience in a book at this magnitude.
As with Exquisite Corpse, At Dark is not for the faint of heart. It is at times graphic and painful, and deals with subject matter a lot of us would rather left in the dark. However, it handles it rawly and in my opinion the only way you should, without minced words and as honestly as possible.
Trigger warnings, if available, should absolutely be utilized. This book is going to live with me for a long time, and it's now one of my favorites.
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this free e-ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book beyond words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Self harm, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail