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We Can Never Leave This Place
"When you're given a gift, something else gets taken away."
A precocious young girl with an unusual imagination is sent on an odyssey into the depths of depravity. After her father dies violently, young Mara is surprised to find her mother welcoming a new guest into their home, claiming that he will protect them from the world of devastation and destruction outside their door.
A grotesque and thrilling dark fantasy, We Can Never Leave This Place is a harrowing portrait of inherited grief and familial trauma.
A precocious young girl with an unusual imagination is sent on an odyssey into the depths of depravity. After her father dies violently, young Mara is surprised to find her mother welcoming a new guest into their home, claiming that he will protect them from the world of devastation and destruction outside their door.
A grotesque and thrilling dark fantasy, We Can Never Leave This Place is a harrowing portrait of inherited grief and familial trauma.
104 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2022
105 people are currently reading
12965 people want to read
About the author
Eric LaRocca
16 books3,409 followersEric LaRocca (he/they) is a 3x Bram Stoker Award® finalist, a Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a 2x Splatterpunk Award winner. He was named by Esquire as one of the “Writers Shaping Horror’s Next Golden Age” and praised by Locus as “one of the strongest and most unique voices in contemporary horror fiction.” LaRocca’s notable works include Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, Everything the Darkness Eats, and At Dark, I Become Loathsome. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, with his partner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 877 reviews
June 17, 2022
Don’t mind me over here, forever obsessing over everything Eric writes. 🖤
I've read several of Eric's works now, and have been genuinely captivated by each and every one. Their way with words is brilliant all on its own, but Eric has the plots and characters to flesh out all of that eloquence and give it a sturdy home that leads to the most memorable and truly special reading experiences. Unsurprisingly for anyone who's a fan of this author's works, We Can Never Leave This Place runs through a wide gambit of emotions, and left me feeling somehow both drained and fulfilled in the best way when it ended.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a gloomy, claustrophobic tale of a teen girl in a seemingly war-ravaged or dystopian society, trapped in a toxic home with her ruthlessly cold mother after her father is murdered. Strange characters filter into the apartment and bring their own bizarre and, at times, horrific motives and desires with them, and all Mara can do — and us, alongside her — is watch the quiet chaos reach its peak. There's a general sense of disgust and true, human horror that permeates the entire tale, due both to the characters' depraved actions and Mara's filthy living conditions, and each time a glimmer of hope is unveiled, you can't help but grasp onto it desperately despite knowing it will likely be wrenched away from Mara soon enough.
Much like Eric's other works, there's only so much I can say without spoiling the madness that ensues within these pages, but I truly enjoyed this novella so much and I know I'll be adding it to the ever-growing list of Eric LaRocca titles I frequently rave about and recommend so highly. Well done with another incredible release that has dug itself entirely under my skin, Eric. I'm happy to have it here.
✨ Content warnings for: mentions of child death, parent death, grief, unclean living situation, violence, murder, brief mention of rape, emotional and verbal abuse from a parent, animal violence/death, insects, body horror, brief descriptions of miscarriage/stillbirth, incest
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!
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“If you hold on to a rope long enough, it’ll pull you with it. I’ve been holding on to one my whole life.”
I've read several of Eric's works now, and have been genuinely captivated by each and every one. Their way with words is brilliant all on its own, but Eric has the plots and characters to flesh out all of that eloquence and give it a sturdy home that leads to the most memorable and truly special reading experiences. Unsurprisingly for anyone who's a fan of this author's works, We Can Never Leave This Place runs through a wide gambit of emotions, and left me feeling somehow both drained and fulfilled in the best way when it ended.
From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a gloomy, claustrophobic tale of a teen girl in a seemingly war-ravaged or dystopian society, trapped in a toxic home with her ruthlessly cold mother after her father is murdered. Strange characters filter into the apartment and bring their own bizarre and, at times, horrific motives and desires with them, and all Mara can do — and us, alongside her — is watch the quiet chaos reach its peak. There's a general sense of disgust and true, human horror that permeates the entire tale, due both to the characters' depraved actions and Mara's filthy living conditions, and each time a glimmer of hope is unveiled, you can't help but grasp onto it desperately despite knowing it will likely be wrenched away from Mara soon enough.
“She’s a storyteller.”
“Just another word for ‘liar,’” my mother said, folding her arms.
Much like Eric's other works, there's only so much I can say without spoiling the madness that ensues within these pages, but I truly enjoyed this novella so much and I know I'll be adding it to the ever-growing list of Eric LaRocca titles I frequently rave about and recommend so highly. Well done with another incredible release that has dug itself entirely under my skin, Eric. I'm happy to have it here.
✨ Content warnings for: mentions of child death, parent death, grief, unclean living situation, violence, murder, brief mention of rape, emotional and verbal abuse from a parent, animal violence/death, insects, body horror, brief descriptions of miscarriage/stillbirth, incest
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!
———
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August 12, 2022THIS IS A DNF REVIEW. I tapped out at some point.
am a big fan of Eric LaRocca's work. You can find my reviews of THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, THE STRANGE THINGS WE BECOME And Other Dark Tales and YOU'VE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD at Cemetery Dance & LitReactor
https://litreactor.com/reviews/things...
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
I show up for everything he writes and I am almost never disappointed.
WE CAN NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE is a bit of a departure from some of LaRocca's earlier work. Readers can expect this story to feel more like a fable or dark fairytale. The protagonist is a young woman named Mara who lives with her mother and has recently lost her father to a war that is waging outside their home.
Mara's mother is icy and unloving which comes across as unnecessarily harsh since the character development is a little thin. We're not really sure why Mara's mother despises her so much. It reminded me of James and the Giant Peach and how James (an orphan and a sweet boy) was treated so cruelly by his aunts. It's unexplained behavior the reader has to accept (sometimes I can get on board and sometimes I can't). The two of them live in squaller.
At some point in the tale, Mara's mother begins allowing strange guests to live in the house. She becomes preoccupied with them and their unusual promises, neglecting her grief-stricken daughter even further.
I have to admit, my experience was a perplexed one. I couldn't decide how I was supposed to interpret or engage with the story. I generally have a hard time with surreal, transgressive fiction. So I'm willing to admit the problem with this book lies with me and the way I don't enjoy feeling confused. I'm not good at the whole, "just go with it" kind of reading experience. There was one scene in particular, with a photograph I needed more from. I felt like there were more questions than conclusions; this unsettled feeling that I was missing something-was the author saying something about ugly trauma responses? Because this was full of them. Anyhoodles, this one didn't work for me and I felt like it was important for me to share my experience.
am a big fan of Eric LaRocca's work. You can find my reviews of THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, THE STRANGE THINGS WE BECOME And Other Dark Tales and YOU'VE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD at Cemetery Dance & LitReactor
https://litreactor.com/reviews/things...
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
I show up for everything he writes and I am almost never disappointed.
WE CAN NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE is a bit of a departure from some of LaRocca's earlier work. Readers can expect this story to feel more like a fable or dark fairytale. The protagonist is a young woman named Mara who lives with her mother and has recently lost her father to a war that is waging outside their home.
Mara's mother is icy and unloving which comes across as unnecessarily harsh since the character development is a little thin. We're not really sure why Mara's mother despises her so much. It reminded me of James and the Giant Peach and how James (an orphan and a sweet boy) was treated so cruelly by his aunts. It's unexplained behavior the reader has to accept (sometimes I can get on board and sometimes I can't). The two of them live in squaller.
At some point in the tale, Mara's mother begins allowing strange guests to live in the house. She becomes preoccupied with them and their unusual promises, neglecting her grief-stricken daughter even further.
I have to admit, my experience was a perplexed one. I couldn't decide how I was supposed to interpret or engage with the story. I generally have a hard time with surreal, transgressive fiction. So I'm willing to admit the problem with this book lies with me and the way I don't enjoy feeling confused. I'm not good at the whole, "just go with it" kind of reading experience. There was one scene in particular, with a photograph I needed more from. I felt like there were more questions than conclusions; this unsettled feeling that I was missing something-was the author saying something about ugly trauma responses? Because this was full of them. Anyhoodles, this one didn't work for me and I felt like it was important for me to share my experience.
June 3, 2022
Very weird!! Way weirder than Things Have Gotten Worse, but not quite as disturbing. Don’t get me wrong, it had plenty of f’d up, cringe-worthy things, but I mostly thought it was just bizarre!
Edit: it’s been driving me crazy because I couldn’t remember, but the plot twist at the end is the same exact plot twist as another book. Like, the same thing happened 😅 I didn’t mention it in my initial review because I thought I was losing my mind, but yeah. Still pretty good!
Edit: it’s been driving me crazy because I couldn’t remember, but the plot twist at the end is the same exact plot twist as another book. Like, the same thing happened 😅 I didn’t mention it in my initial review because I thought I was losing my mind, but yeah. Still pretty good!
July 30, 2023
what in the james and the giant peach HELL
June 2, 2022
We Can Never Leave This Place, I think probably I can’t. I’m trapped in a state of purgatory. How do you sum up a story that depicts such vivid imagery of neglect and trauma? I’m not going to lie; this book seems to be impossible to review with enough fervour to do it justice. It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring into space afterward. The musings playing around your consciousness like a never-ending loop.
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Eric LaRocca is the king of trauma horror. Reading a story penned by this glorious author is always an experience. He leads you down a path that humanity doesn’t willingly tread. It’s the dark side of the human condition, the wants, and desires that we only allow ourselves to know and most importantly he gives a voice to the voiceless. LaRocca is truly one of the most unique and influential authors in horror. He has an incredible talent for writing characters that are not impacted by the stereotypes of gender. The experiences can be associated with male, and female and it is delightful to find an author that writes for everyone.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a society gutted by destruction. The streets are patrolled with something akin to soldiers. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions can be heard all around. Mara, a sixteen-year-old girl answers the door two of these men returning her father’s body. He has been murdered and this is where life takes on a darker descent into oblivion. She was close to her father and grief threatens to forever change her. It also means that life with her mother and her abusive ways has no ending in sight. It’s oppressive – she is at the mercy of her venomous tongue and the constant ramblings that she is to blame for her father’s death.
Reality is a human-made construct, and her father’s death is the catalyst for monsters knocking at their door and interjecting into her mother’s life. She becomes enamoured with them and basically can’t see the wood from the trees.
LaRocca has perfectly examined how trauma can leave a permanent scar on bodies or places. The physical wound may have healed but they leave a bump in the road or the jagged healing of skin that only is skin deep. The actual wound is still there underneath the thinnest layer of skin, it wouldn’t take much to break free. That’s trauma, you can put a mask on but in difficult circumstances, it will slip, and you are back to the start.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a stunning masterclass in trauma horror. LaRocca remains white-hot in delivering another hold your breath novel. He truly understands the darkest recesses of the mind.
“When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.”
Eric LaRocca is the king of trauma horror. Reading a story penned by this glorious author is always an experience. He leads you down a path that humanity doesn’t willingly tread. It’s the dark side of the human condition, the wants, and desires that we only allow ourselves to know and most importantly he gives a voice to the voiceless. LaRocca is truly one of the most unique and influential authors in horror. He has an incredible talent for writing characters that are not impacted by the stereotypes of gender. The experiences can be associated with male, and female and it is delightful to find an author that writes for everyone.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a society gutted by destruction. The streets are patrolled with something akin to soldiers. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions can be heard all around. Mara, a sixteen-year-old girl answers the door two of these men returning her father’s body. He has been murdered and this is where life takes on a darker descent into oblivion. She was close to her father and grief threatens to forever change her. It also means that life with her mother and her abusive ways has no ending in sight. It’s oppressive – she is at the mercy of her venomous tongue and the constant ramblings that she is to blame for her father’s death.
Reality is a human-made construct, and her father’s death is the catalyst for monsters knocking at their door and interjecting into her mother’s life. She becomes enamoured with them and basically can’t see the wood from the trees.
LaRocca has perfectly examined how trauma can leave a permanent scar on bodies or places. The physical wound may have healed but they leave a bump in the road or the jagged healing of skin that only is skin deep. The actual wound is still there underneath the thinnest layer of skin, it wouldn’t take much to break free. That’s trauma, you can put a mask on but in difficult circumstances, it will slip, and you are back to the start.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a stunning masterclass in trauma horror. LaRocca remains white-hot in delivering another hold your breath novel. He truly understands the darkest recesses of the mind.
August 25, 2022
Vlog/Review: https://youtu.be/eztIapuW3bc
First of all, I love Eric Larocca. He writes a lot of different genres of horror but this one unfortunately wasn't for me. Nothing against him. This one just really missed the mark for me 'personally'. I will continue to pick up anything he writes in the future cause the man can WRITE!
First of all, I love Eric Larocca. He writes a lot of different genres of horror but this one unfortunately wasn't for me. Nothing against him. This one just really missed the mark for me 'personally'. I will continue to pick up anything he writes in the future cause the man can WRITE!
August 7, 2022
What a waste of a gorgeous cover. I’m sorry did I read the same thing as everyone else??? Gratuitous, pointless, nonsensical horror with paper thin characters and a message that is so surface level and obvious. I couldn’t suspend any disbelief by how ridiculous this book was. This author seems to think writing gross shit is all it takes to write a horror novel. I want the time back I spent reading this garbage of a book.
August 28, 2024
4.25⭐️ Ummmmm, wtf did I just read? I’ll admit I’m not a big fan of the surreal or abstract when it comes to what I read. I need a little more context and explanation. The symbolism mostly went over my head in this one. That being said, I do very much enjoy the ending. It reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror.
8/27/24 I’m revising my initial review because I’ve thought a lot about this book since my first read and have subsequently read it again. It clearly made an impact, one that I’ve come to appreciate more with time. Reading it a second time, knowing how it concludes, made me enjoy it so much more. Dare I say it’s even kinda brilliant?
8/27/24 I’m revising my initial review because I’ve thought a lot about this book since my first read and have subsequently read it again. It clearly made an impact, one that I’ve come to appreciate more with time. Reading it a second time, knowing how it concludes, made me enjoy it so much more. Dare I say it’s even kinda brilliant?
July 2, 2022
"I watched as blood swirled down my naked body in dark ribbons-tiny threads that had forever come undone from me and were sent to freedom."
It floors me how such a horrific story can have so much beauty.
It floors me how such a horrific story can have so much beauty.
January 7, 2022
“I wanted to be the only one to hurt you.”
Can we all come to an agreement that Eric LaRocca is probably one of the most beautifully horrific authors that’s graced our bookshelves? Yes? Good.
I’m fortunate enough to have received an advanced copy of We Can Never Leave This Place, and although it’s only the beginning of the year, I can say for certain that this will probably be one of my favourite pieces of writing that I’ll read all year.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a tale that portrays the horrific and dreadful things we do, to deal with the trauma and damage that’s bestowed upon us.
To say I was entangled in this story is undercutting how beautifully enchanting this novella is. I was swept away (again) by Eric’s prose, how much he’s able to pull you in so easily and captivate you with their sublime way with words. We Can Never Leave This Place is a master-craft at leaving you feeling dirty, unsettled, whilst reading. It feeds you bits & pieces, and leaves your head reeling over the circumstances of what’s taking place the further you tune in.
It’s very different from what I’ve read previously from Eric, but it stills holds to what I’ve come to know of them, and it’s a beautifully written creation. This novella mixes fairytale & macabre into a wondrous duo and tangles you in a web of abandonment and melancholy.
Each reader will come away with entirely different feelings and how the story affected them, and for me, this story hit deep, like, fist plummeting my intestines deep, and I’m bloody thankful for it.
Eric LaRocca really outdoes himself with each story they release, and We Can Never Leave This Place is probably one of his best works yet. This is horror at its best, and LaRocca deserves every ounce of praise they get.
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May 23, 2022
"When you're given a gift, something else gets taken away."
Eric's books instantly become favorites after reading them. This one was one even before I started it. The synopsis won my black heart and soul from the start. If you're ready to live a nightmare, take a journey through this book.
This was weird af and I loved it. Eric takes us on a horrifying journey and fills our minds with this gory tale that you'll never forget. Madness and nightmares are what are between these pages.
We Can Never Leave This Place was really bizarre and I enjoyed every single page. If you loved his other works then you'll love this one. I can't recommend Eric's books enough. Try them! Your warped mind will thank me.
Eric's books instantly become favorites after reading them. This one was one even before I started it. The synopsis won my black heart and soul from the start. If you're ready to live a nightmare, take a journey through this book.
This was weird af and I loved it. Eric takes us on a horrifying journey and fills our minds with this gory tale that you'll never forget. Madness and nightmares are what are between these pages.
We Can Never Leave This Place was really bizarre and I enjoyed every single page. If you loved his other works then you'll love this one. I can't recommend Eric's books enough. Try them! Your warped mind will thank me.
June 28, 2022
Another great exploration of grief through horror masterfully written.
I ended up reading this in one sitting because I was just physically unable to put it down.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a story about a girl trapped home in the middle of a war with her toxic mother. That is all I can say in order not to ruin your reading experience. What I can tell you is this gets weird and weirder. Just imagine something like the movie Mother!
At first glance this might seem like a sad but innocent story. However it changes its skin like a snake and ends up being your absolute worst nightmare. Get ready to feel disgusted and claustrophobic.
I ended up reading this in one sitting because I was just physically unable to put it down.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a story about a girl trapped home in the middle of a war with her toxic mother. That is all I can say in order not to ruin your reading experience. What I can tell you is this gets weird and weirder. Just imagine something like the movie Mother!
At first glance this might seem like a sad but innocent story. However it changes its skin like a snake and ends up being your absolute worst nightmare. Get ready to feel disgusted and claustrophobic.
March 31, 2022
I HEART ERIC LAROCCA
June 10, 2022
Let me just say this before I get into my review: if you haven’t read Eric Larocca, you absolutely need to.
ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴇ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ᴡᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴘᴏᴋᴇ put Eric in the auto-buy category. It’s still one of my favourite novellas.
I still don’t have the words to describe this experience but…let’s try.
It’s a portrait from a nightmare that will make your hairs raise and skin literally crawl. A fever dream of epic proportions. This one will have you scratching your head and thinking to yourself : what did I just read, dear heart? Was this just a bad trip that felt like reality was shattering?
Delirium. That’s the best word to describe this novella. It started to morph into something that resembled Naked Lunch by William S Burroughs. And it will haunt you for days.
The atmosphere is gloomy, fetrid and extremely claustrophobic. I mean it’s in the title, we can never leave this place.
Mara knows trauma. From her war torn town that has boarded up windows, buildings crumbling and bombs going off, to a mother that is literally grotesque and mean spirited. A hellish environment.
After the death of her father, the grief escalates. And I mean, what can I say… did these events happen or were they the musings of a wandering teenage mind searching for a way to process the trauma and grief?
It’s gory, slimy, and full of creatures that devour, creep and crawl.
Thank you Eric for my ARC. I loved it. I’m still thinking about it. And I need some more of it.
March 25, 2022
"From baby teeth to virginity, to live is to regularly suffer loss."
THANK FUCKING GOD. Not at that quote, though that will stick with me for a while, but this whole story! Fuck. LaRocca is high, HIGH on my favorite horror novella, short story writer EVER. And this is HUGE for me. GINORMOUS.
Reading this was like living my worst nightmare. *SHIVER* Are fever nightmares a category because that's where I would put this. Grief horror. Vivid depravity. Charlotte and Mommy Dearest got NOTHING on this book. Ok, ok, I should try to calm down. I spent the majority of the book with a cringe look on my face because phew, these guests that were welcomed in are things I actively try to avoid. Except for one... ok maybe two things.. but I digress. Y'all don't want to hear about my phobias. When it all starting clearing up at the end, I couldn't help but smile. Like huge, creepy smile as I was so satisfied with it all. Though I also really need a shower now. Bless.
I fell in love with his writing after reading THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE. I absolutely LOVED that book and all it's WTFness. And just bought YOU'VE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD. Seriously y'all. If you can stomach it, you HAVE to read their books!
Also, I love Mara. The end.
THANK FUCKING GOD. Not at that quote, though that will stick with me for a while, but this whole story! Fuck. LaRocca is high, HIGH on my favorite horror novella, short story writer EVER. And this is HUGE for me. GINORMOUS.
Reading this was like living my worst nightmare. *SHIVER* Are fever nightmares a category because that's where I would put this. Grief horror. Vivid depravity. Charlotte and Mommy Dearest got NOTHING on this book. Ok, ok, I should try to calm down. I spent the majority of the book with a cringe look on my face because phew, these guests that were welcomed in are things I actively try to avoid. Except for one... ok maybe two things.. but I digress. Y'all don't want to hear about my phobias. When it all starting clearing up at the end, I couldn't help but smile. Like huge, creepy smile as I was so satisfied with it all. Though I also really need a shower now. Bless.
I fell in love with his writing after reading THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE. I absolutely LOVED that book and all it's WTFness. And just bought YOU'VE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD. Seriously y'all. If you can stomach it, you HAVE to read their books!
Also, I love Mara. The end.
July 10, 2022
Sometimes life is too hard to accept it for reality. This standalone novella brings the night to dark fiction. It brings unwelcomed visitors, stone hard grief, and violences that very few could cope with. It's a short read, but impactful. As always, I love this author's work.
June 25, 2022
1.5
I hate that I am not a fan of LaRocca, his cover art always draws me in, but the content pulls me out.
I have the same issue with this novella as I do with the author’s previous works. They are trying too hard to impress me.
What do I mean by this?
Instead of focusing on developing the characters and allowing them convey depth and dimensions, he puts effort into over-embellishing his writing. Further, placing unnecessary emphasis on symbolism and extravagant horror. The tone comes across as shallow, elitist, and arrogant, rather than philosophical or unique.
It’s like having a conversation with someone who is trying to tell you how intelligent they are instead of demonstrating it. In simpler terms, it oozes with the, “I’m not like other girls,” vibe.
I think LaRocca need an editor to help him pull back from the overly-verbose prose and focus more on bringing tangibly to his characters. Because he has great ideas and an amazing imagination, but appears to get lost over-bedazzling his books. It’s a shame.
I hate that I am not a fan of LaRocca, his cover art always draws me in, but the content pulls me out.
I have the same issue with this novella as I do with the author’s previous works. They are trying too hard to impress me.
What do I mean by this?
Instead of focusing on developing the characters and allowing them convey depth and dimensions, he puts effort into over-embellishing his writing. Further, placing unnecessary emphasis on symbolism and extravagant horror. The tone comes across as shallow, elitist, and arrogant, rather than philosophical or unique.
It’s like having a conversation with someone who is trying to tell you how intelligent they are instead of demonstrating it. In simpler terms, it oozes with the, “I’m not like other girls,” vibe.
I think LaRocca need an editor to help him pull back from the overly-verbose prose and focus more on bringing tangibly to his characters. Because he has great ideas and an amazing imagination, but appears to get lost over-bedazzling his books. It’s a shame.
April 22, 2022
An exceptional, strange splatterpunk fairy tale that kept me up all night.
Overview:
😍 Modern fairy tale
😍 Novella
😍 Coming of age
🤯 Gore
😍 Themes of loss
🤯 Not quite sure what is real
Eric LaRocca has done it again with his 100 page novella We Can Never Leave This Place. It's very hard to describe the plot of a book this short without spoilers, but the general idea is that a teenager (Mara) and her mom live together. One day, her father's dead body is delivered to their home. The next day, a strange man enters their lives, entrancing Mara's mother.
The novella is haunting and well written, leaving the reader constantly guessing if there is a deeper meaning behind the way Mara tells her story, or if there is something supernatural and sinister going on in her house. Like many splatterpunk stories, We Can Never Leave This Place normalizes the strange and grotesque, with the characters often experiencing unimaginable horrors casually. The pace of the book is perfect for its length, with significant build up before and unforgettable climax of horror and dread that will absolutely not leave your head.
At the same time, the characters are vivid and well written. You care about Mara, and certainly develop strong feelings (whatever those might be) about the cast of characters that makes their way into her home. The story touches a lot on loss and broken families. Any "least favorite child" can find some painful truths in this book.
One thing I love about Eric LaRocca is how aggressively non binary their books are, in that his unique perspective clearly influences their ability to tell a story from both male and female points of view while still being easy to empathize with. LaRocca taps into deep gender anxieties even when the book in question is "less queer" (We Can Never Leave This Place does not have the same aggressively queer themes as their other titles) In this case, Mara's generational trauma colliding with her blossoming womanhood, her mother's relationship to motherhood, and all of the twisted secrets within the family.
Like everything else in this genre, expect a lot of shock and ~problematic~ stuff. I would shy away if your idea of good horror is limited, or you think some elements of horror should be off limits.
If you enjoyed Thing Have Gotten Worse, you know what to expect from Larocca at the core. Strong characters, psychological and physical disgust, and no holding back on the "splatter". I will continue to be a dedicated fan who will preorder anything they put out moving forward with the level of quality that these novellas are maintaining.
Overview:
😍 Modern fairy tale
😍 Novella
😍 Coming of age
🤯 Gore
😍 Themes of loss
🤯 Not quite sure what is real
Eric LaRocca has done it again with his 100 page novella We Can Never Leave This Place. It's very hard to describe the plot of a book this short without spoilers, but the general idea is that a teenager (Mara) and her mom live together. One day, her father's dead body is delivered to their home. The next day, a strange man enters their lives, entrancing Mara's mother.
The novella is haunting and well written, leaving the reader constantly guessing if there is a deeper meaning behind the way Mara tells her story, or if there is something supernatural and sinister going on in her house. Like many splatterpunk stories, We Can Never Leave This Place normalizes the strange and grotesque, with the characters often experiencing unimaginable horrors casually. The pace of the book is perfect for its length, with significant build up before and unforgettable climax of horror and dread that will absolutely not leave your head.
At the same time, the characters are vivid and well written. You care about Mara, and certainly develop strong feelings (whatever those might be) about the cast of characters that makes their way into her home. The story touches a lot on loss and broken families. Any "least favorite child" can find some painful truths in this book.
One thing I love about Eric LaRocca is how aggressively non binary their books are, in that his unique perspective clearly influences their ability to tell a story from both male and female points of view while still being easy to empathize with. LaRocca taps into deep gender anxieties even when the book in question is "less queer" (We Can Never Leave This Place does not have the same aggressively queer themes as their other titles) In this case, Mara's generational trauma colliding with her blossoming womanhood, her mother's relationship to motherhood, and all of the twisted secrets within the family.
Like everything else in this genre, expect a lot of shock and ~problematic~ stuff. I would shy away if your idea of good horror is limited, or you think some elements of horror should be off limits.
If you enjoyed Thing Have Gotten Worse, you know what to expect from Larocca at the core. Strong characters, psychological and physical disgust, and no holding back on the "splatter". I will continue to be a dedicated fan who will preorder anything they put out moving forward with the level of quality that these novellas are maintaining.
April 17, 2022
What kind of fever induced nightmare did I just read? Eric LaRocca has already proven that he has a creatively wicked imagination but with WE CAN NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE he takes it to another level, or further down the rabbit hole with a demented and warped Alice in Wonderland sort of tale saturated with sadness.
A dystopian society ravaged by destruction. Bands of gas masked marauders roam the streets to a symphony of gunfire and explosions. Being indoors seems like it would be safer but for adolescent Mara it's a prison where the toxicity of her venomous mother is slowly poisoning her psyche, corrupting her wellbeing. When the one relationship keeping her tethered to reality snaps with the violent murder of her father, Mara spirals down the rabbit hole of grief into a world that manifests monsters who come knocking at her door.
A myriad of stranger denizens interject themselves into the lives of the grieving mother and daughter, weaving a web of condolences and reassurances to placate Mara's mother into a semblance of peace, safety, and security. The insidiousness of the (un)welcomed guests permeates the story with a constant sense of unease and tension, of a danger rippling just beneath the quivering surface ready to boil up and scald at any moment. Mara must tread these new trepidatious waters alone with no care from her mother all while bearing the weight of her grief that threatens to pull her under like an anchor if she is to survive.
WE CAN NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE by Eric LaRocca is a spellbindingly surreal exploration into the horrors of neglect, grief, and trauma. Perpetuating the idea that no matter how we process our sorrows they never truly dissipate, only fade, like the residue of a stain we can never scrub clean, or a place we can never leave. We can hope to drag ourselves up from the darkness of that rabbit hole and out into the light, for a while at least, before our mind wanders with the desire to go tumbling back down.
I received an eARC of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/BORkS3HQiW4
A dystopian society ravaged by destruction. Bands of gas masked marauders roam the streets to a symphony of gunfire and explosions. Being indoors seems like it would be safer but for adolescent Mara it's a prison where the toxicity of her venomous mother is slowly poisoning her psyche, corrupting her wellbeing. When the one relationship keeping her tethered to reality snaps with the violent murder of her father, Mara spirals down the rabbit hole of grief into a world that manifests monsters who come knocking at her door.
A myriad of stranger denizens interject themselves into the lives of the grieving mother and daughter, weaving a web of condolences and reassurances to placate Mara's mother into a semblance of peace, safety, and security. The insidiousness of the (un)welcomed guests permeates the story with a constant sense of unease and tension, of a danger rippling just beneath the quivering surface ready to boil up and scald at any moment. Mara must tread these new trepidatious waters alone with no care from her mother all while bearing the weight of her grief that threatens to pull her under like an anchor if she is to survive.
WE CAN NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE by Eric LaRocca is a spellbindingly surreal exploration into the horrors of neglect, grief, and trauma. Perpetuating the idea that no matter how we process our sorrows they never truly dissipate, only fade, like the residue of a stain we can never scrub clean, or a place we can never leave. We can hope to drag ourselves up from the darkness of that rabbit hole and out into the light, for a while at least, before our mind wanders with the desire to go tumbling back down.
I received an eARC of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/BORkS3HQiW4
June 17, 2022
"Wings and claws burst through the opening to seize me. I screamed, struggling as the creatures pulled at my hair and tore me from the passageway into the living room, where they finally released me. Lifting my head, I covered my mouth, and my eyes widened with horror at the sight—a feeding frenzy."
We Can Never Leave This Place is the first Eric LaRocca that I've read, and it most definitely will not be the last!
Massive thanks to the inimitable Mother Horror for her consistent efforts to promote horror & getting this into my hands!
We Can Never Leave This Place comes out June 24th!
LaRocca's dark odyssey is compulsively brutal, viscerally squicky & weird as fuck. IN THE BEST WAY!!
What a gruesome little delight this is!
HOWEVER--
Please look up the trigger warnings, if needed, because HOO BOY there are plenty in this graphic, emotional novella!
We Can Never Leave This Place is the first Eric LaRocca that I've read, and it most definitely will not be the last!
Massive thanks to the inimitable Mother Horror for her consistent efforts to promote horror & getting this into my hands!
We Can Never Leave This Place comes out June 24th!
LaRocca's dark odyssey is compulsively brutal, viscerally squicky & weird as fuck. IN THE BEST WAY!!
What a gruesome little delight this is!
HOWEVER--
Please look up the trigger warnings, if needed, because HOO BOY there are plenty in this graphic, emotional novella!
November 24, 2022
Waste of time. Stupid, childish, and gross.
I will never pick up another one of this author’s books. This one completely validated my feelings on this author.
Not very scary for horror. I sat straight faced the entire time.
The entire time I read this I wanted to use the mother’s head as a fucking baseball, I was glad when she died,
Someone needs to stop letting this man write about women. I really don’t think any of the comments in here about womanhood, motherhood, vaginal hygiene, and periods needed to be written by a man.
Also wtf was the point of just causally throwing some incest in here?
Main character’s dumbass should’ve just left with that lady.
Book 12/30 For 30 Books in 30 Days 2022.
I will never pick up another one of this author’s books. This one completely validated my feelings on this author.
Not very scary for horror. I sat straight faced the entire time.
The entire time I read this I wanted to use the mother’s head as a fucking baseball, I was glad when she died,
Someone needs to stop letting this man write about women. I really don’t think any of the comments in here about womanhood, motherhood, vaginal hygiene, and periods needed to be written by a man.
Also wtf was the point of just causally throwing some incest in here?
Main character’s dumbass should’ve just left with that lady.
Book 12/30 For 30 Books in 30 Days 2022.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2022
My biggest fears are rats/mice & pregnancy. Never thought I'd ever see an author manage to combine those things into one scene. This was just as disturbing as people warned me it'd be, it made my stomach hurt, it made me scream/cringe/hyperventilate/gag/need a breather. But you bet it's 5 mf stars 🌟
May 21, 2022
Troubling on many levels. Five stars! LaRocca is the horror genre's darling, and deservedly so.
October 23, 2025
one of the most unique horror books I've read... Eric's a bit of a strange guy...
January 29, 2025
“What are you afraid of?” he asked. ”Letting go, or being left with nothing to hold?”
What a melancholic, claustrophobic, dystopian fever dream of a novella. Eric LaRocca never fails to build an atmosphere full of pain, angst, destruction, and brokenness.
And he does it so beautifully. I’m always moved by his writing, even in its most grotesque form— there’s poetry tucked away in the words.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a disquieting, almost fairytale-esque story that follows fifteen year old Mara through all of her darkness. Mara and her mother live in a dirty, boarded up apartment in an unnamed and war-torn country. It seems like a post-apocalyptic wasteland where children are getting shot up outside of their home like it’s a regular day, and militias make their rounds checking people’s documentation. Leaving your home is extremely dangerous— and food is scarce. After Mara’s father is murdered while out scavenging for food, all she has left is her mother. A mother scorned— one full of hatred for her own child. Reading this hurts. The rejection Mara feels. The stifling carelessness. The suffocation in their tiny, sewage filled apartment that mother refuses to get fixed. Mother hates Mara, but Mara just wants love. She wants to understand. A lot of the book focuses on Mara’s battle to simply live in peace. To bond with her mom. To feel love. But this doesn’t happen, especially when Mara’s mom decides to invite a dangerous creature inside of their home and reveals a shattering secret about her father.
But we never get to read about love and bonding— and I think that’s the most depressing realization. This is a book full of sadness, misery, and trauma.
I always love the atmosphere that LaRocca manages to build. What an incredible depiction of a life in extreme poverty. The entirety of the novella takes place in this tiny apartment that is barely a structure at all. There are blankets instead of doors, boarded up windows, vomit and excrement float amongst the ankle-deep sewage water as Mara sloshes from room to room, and a loaf of bread is considered as two weeks of food supply. You can feel the suffocating ambiance as you read— and this atmospheric space assists you in understanding Mara’s pain. It’s kinda deep.
And there is so much more emotion versus plot. You’re reading one strange encounter after the next— nightmarish after nightmarish situation. So rather than subtext, there’s just a plethora of really dark encounters and situations.
And I do love the element of how the war kind of goes from outside— to breaching the walls of Mara’s own apartment, her own life. I think that was pretty powerful.
And as I always say— though a part of me always wonders what the fuck LaRocca is talking about, he’s a brilliant writer. And he’s going to write whatever the fuck pops up in that little head of his— we’re just tagging along on his insane escapades. And I will always be here for it. He knows how to make you feel horror in a way that’s deeper than a jump scare. I love that— I can always get behind that.
What gets me even more is how the fire ass covers of his books NEVER give any hints to the story inside, but his titles always do. You read the story and then match it up to the title and you’re like— wow, incredible.
I just adore him. LaRocca girlie for life.
What a melancholic, claustrophobic, dystopian fever dream of a novella. Eric LaRocca never fails to build an atmosphere full of pain, angst, destruction, and brokenness.
And he does it so beautifully. I’m always moved by his writing, even in its most grotesque form— there’s poetry tucked away in the words.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a disquieting, almost fairytale-esque story that follows fifteen year old Mara through all of her darkness. Mara and her mother live in a dirty, boarded up apartment in an unnamed and war-torn country. It seems like a post-apocalyptic wasteland where children are getting shot up outside of their home like it’s a regular day, and militias make their rounds checking people’s documentation. Leaving your home is extremely dangerous— and food is scarce. After Mara’s father is murdered while out scavenging for food, all she has left is her mother. A mother scorned— one full of hatred for her own child. Reading this hurts. The rejection Mara feels. The stifling carelessness. The suffocation in their tiny, sewage filled apartment that mother refuses to get fixed. Mother hates Mara, but Mara just wants love. She wants to understand. A lot of the book focuses on Mara’s battle to simply live in peace. To bond with her mom. To feel love. But this doesn’t happen, especially when Mara’s mom decides to invite a dangerous creature inside of their home and reveals a shattering secret about her father.
But we never get to read about love and bonding— and I think that’s the most depressing realization. This is a book full of sadness, misery, and trauma.
I always love the atmosphere that LaRocca manages to build. What an incredible depiction of a life in extreme poverty. The entirety of the novella takes place in this tiny apartment that is barely a structure at all. There are blankets instead of doors, boarded up windows, vomit and excrement float amongst the ankle-deep sewage water as Mara sloshes from room to room, and a loaf of bread is considered as two weeks of food supply. You can feel the suffocating ambiance as you read— and this atmospheric space assists you in understanding Mara’s pain. It’s kinda deep.
And there is so much more emotion versus plot. You’re reading one strange encounter after the next— nightmarish after nightmarish situation. So rather than subtext, there’s just a plethora of really dark encounters and situations.
And I do love the element of how the war kind of goes from outside— to breaching the walls of Mara’s own apartment, her own life. I think that was pretty powerful.
And as I always say— though a part of me always wonders what the fuck LaRocca is talking about, he’s a brilliant writer. And he’s going to write whatever the fuck pops up in that little head of his— we’re just tagging along on his insane escapades. And I will always be here for it. He knows how to make you feel horror in a way that’s deeper than a jump scare. I love that— I can always get behind that.
What gets me even more is how the fire ass covers of his books NEVER give any hints to the story inside, but his titles always do. You read the story and then match it up to the title and you’re like— wow, incredible.
I just adore him. LaRocca girlie for life.
November 18, 2023
I actively hated reading this book. 'Why not DNF it?' you ask? Unlike a big doorstop of a tome that overstays its welcome, this story comes in just shy of a hundred pages and I figured I'd stick around to see just how bad the trainwreck would get. It turns out, pretty bad!
Maybe I was never destined to enjoy this one because I never like child protagonists, especially when they're unreliable narrators and have overactive imaginations that warp everyday events into Kafkaesque oddities. And we jump into the surreal pretty quickly, but with that comes the steady downward trend of my enjoyment.
I'm not a stranger or particularly opposed to difficult content being present in books as long as it serves a narrative purpose. But what we got here felt like a list of taboos being checked off just to say they were present. We got: child abuse, animal death, murder, necro-cannibalism, incest, rape, decapitation, and an ever-present layer of literal ankle-deep raw sewage on the floor of every scene. And instead of a slow build-up to instill a sense of dread in the reader of any one of these things happening, you're just hit over the head with one after another. Towards the end I wasn't thinking, "I really hope X doesn't happen even though I think it will," but rather, "sure, this may as well happen too at this point, why not?"
There is a story and a message here about inherited generational trauma buried under all the detritus and filth, but it's more trouble than it's worth to dig it out. The biggest surprise of this book was that it was written by an author I've previously read (and really enjoyed!). But after this "Wouldn't it be fucked up if..." Mad Libs exercise of a book, I'm gonna need some time before I revisit their work again.
Maybe I was never destined to enjoy this one because I never like child protagonists, especially when they're unreliable narrators and have overactive imaginations that warp everyday events into Kafkaesque oddities. And we jump into the surreal pretty quickly, but with that comes the steady downward trend of my enjoyment.
I'm not a stranger or particularly opposed to difficult content being present in books as long as it serves a narrative purpose. But what we got here felt like a list of taboos being checked off just to say they were present. We got: child abuse, animal death, murder, necro-cannibalism, incest, rape, decapitation, and an ever-present layer of literal ankle-deep raw sewage on the floor of every scene. And instead of a slow build-up to instill a sense of dread in the reader of any one of these things happening, you're just hit over the head with one after another. Towards the end I wasn't thinking, "I really hope X doesn't happen even though I think it will," but rather, "sure, this may as well happen too at this point, why not?"
There is a story and a message here about inherited generational trauma buried under all the detritus and filth, but it's more trouble than it's worth to dig it out. The biggest surprise of this book was that it was written by an author I've previously read (and really enjoyed!). But after this "Wouldn't it be fucked up if..." Mad Libs exercise of a book, I'm gonna need some time before I revisit their work again.
September 4, 2022
Just when you thought nothing could gross you out anymore, you find Eric LaRocca. I don't even know what to say about this book, other than praise for its exceptional grim atmosphere and horrifying twisting of reality. Although I might have to also mention a CW spanning from... honestly what in this book isn't on the CW-list?
June 29, 2022
WTF did I just read? This was insane! I’m not usually a fan of fantasy but this worked for me. LaRocca has a beautiful, spellbinding way with words that just sucks you right in. I eagerly await his next masterpiece!
July 7, 2022
it’s giving james and the giant peach but make it an ✨ actual fucking nightmare✨ 🐍 🪳 🐀 🕷
June 26, 2022
Horror Bookworm Reviews
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
A mother and daughter live within four walls of fear & stress as their underlying disease of anxiety slowly grows due to a poisoned environment. Shortly after an unforeseen tragedy rocks the duo, an unusual visitor comes knocking at their door. The newly acquired guest brings with it empty promises, accusatory blame and sacrificial offerings of the unprocurable. Monsters are real and they dwell out there waiting to get in.
Eric LaRocca’s We Can Never Leave This Place has an artistic penned content of surreal horror and symbolisms of power & chaos. From a wool-haired eight eye antagonist to a slithery serpent that exposes celestial truths. The suspense LaRocca creates dangles from the ceiling by a thread of silk above the reader. He spins his web of fictional fear with beauty and finesse.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a warped Brothers Grimm, a morbid Aesop’s Fables, a demented Charlotte’s Web if you will. Be without fear, dear reader…LaRocca’s irresistible flavor of horror will suck you in one page at a time and never let go. What an amazing complete package this is! From the beautiful cover straight out of a Rod Serling night gallery to the visionary representation of this amazing literary talent. A must read, and a five star Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
A mother and daughter live within four walls of fear & stress as their underlying disease of anxiety slowly grows due to a poisoned environment. Shortly after an unforeseen tragedy rocks the duo, an unusual visitor comes knocking at their door. The newly acquired guest brings with it empty promises, accusatory blame and sacrificial offerings of the unprocurable. Monsters are real and they dwell out there waiting to get in.
Eric LaRocca’s We Can Never Leave This Place has an artistic penned content of surreal horror and symbolisms of power & chaos. From a wool-haired eight eye antagonist to a slithery serpent that exposes celestial truths. The suspense LaRocca creates dangles from the ceiling by a thread of silk above the reader. He spins his web of fictional fear with beauty and finesse.
We Can Never Leave This Place is a warped Brothers Grimm, a morbid Aesop’s Fables, a demented Charlotte’s Web if you will. Be without fear, dear reader…LaRocca’s irresistible flavor of horror will suck you in one page at a time and never let go. What an amazing complete package this is! From the beautiful cover straight out of a Rod Serling night gallery to the visionary representation of this amazing literary talent. A must read, and a five star Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
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