A review by starsiren
Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

2.0

This is the first Eric LaRocca that I've read. I really wanted to like this, since it was very highly recommended by reviewers that I trust. The concept was something I could get behind, missing people, a cult, rituals, exploding heads, LGBTQ+ characters. But the writing itself came across as really simplistic and juvenile, while simultaneously overwrought with prose. Well, juvenile until graphic violence begins, that is. I generally have a pretty strong stomach when scenes like these appear, and it wasn't particularly the content of the scenes that bothers me. It felt like the characters upon whom the violence was meted out were only part of the story so that they could BE abused. Maybe I'll re-read it in a year to see if I still feel the same.
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