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hjwilder 's review for:
Everything the Darkness Eats
by Eric LaRocca
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oof. Oof oof oof. Oofoofoofoofoof.
I will admit, as much as I typically love LaRocca, their prose is not my favorite part. I'm an enjoyer of his experimental approach, such as in You've Lost a Lot of Blood. Darkness doesn't experiment with much of anything at all. It feels like the first draft of a fanfiction, and what I mean by that is the excitable stream of consciousness feeling without the need to kill any darlings. The acknowledgments details that LaRocca sent each chapter to their mother every night during the writing process, and I think that shows in the poor pacing, descriptive for vibes but without much guidance, the lack of defining, consistent traits in any of the characters, and the rushed ending. I did finish it, which is something, but I can honestly say that's more because I'm endeared to LaRocca typically and wanted to see just what was going on. Because it's such a departure from what I enjoyed in his other works, and in a way that felt like "first story" and not "intentional style shift."
I will admit, as much as I typically love LaRocca, their prose is not my favorite part. I'm an enjoyer of his experimental approach, such as in You've Lost a Lot of Blood. Darkness doesn't experiment with much of anything at all. It feels like the first draft of a fanfiction, and what I mean by that is the excitable stream of consciousness feeling without the need to kill any darlings. The acknowledgments details that LaRocca sent each chapter to their mother every night during the writing process, and I think that shows in the poor pacing, descriptive for vibes but without much guidance, the lack of defining, consistent traits in any of the characters, and the rushed ending. I did finish it, which is something, but I can honestly say that's more because I'm endeared to LaRocca typically and wanted to see just what was going on. Because it's such a departure from what I enjoyed in his other works, and in a way that felt like "first story" and not "intentional style shift."