The Trees Grew Because I Bled There

by Eric LaRocca

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales collects eight stories of literary dark fiction. Tense and terrifying, these masterful stories by Eric LaRocca explore the shadow side of love.

Contents:
You Follow Wherever They Go.
Bodies Are for Burning.
The Strange Thing We Become.
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There.
You’re Not Supposed to Be Here.
Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass.
I’ll Be Gone by Then.
Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Anthologies, Adult

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2021

About the author

Eric 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.

Reviews

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to post this review a couple of weeks ago, but honestly, I adored this collection so much that I needed to sit on my thoughts before I could even attempt to do it justice. First and foremost, I need you to know that this is my favorite read of 2021 so far, hands down. Eric has become an all-time favorite author for me and I'm forever in awe of the depths of horror and tragedy their stories reach, time and time again. ♥

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales is a collection of horror short stories, and these stories cover a wide range of topics and characters. In most short story collections, some pieces are stronger while others are weaker; however, in this one, I'm looking through the notes I took while reading these stories and I literally gave each and every one 5 stars all on its own. With a collection this powerful, each piece deserves a moment of attention.

1. You Follow Wherever They Go
This first story is so damn sad and heavy, and it really kicks off this collection with a bang and lets you know you're in for quite a ride. Told through the story of a child whose father is ill, there's a strange, ominous atmosphere that filled me with a sense of dread from the very first paragraph, and never let up.

2. Bodies Are for Burning
This story brings in the element of shock that Eric's readers are accustomed to, as it follows a character who is plagued by endless intrusive desires to burn people around them. Despite how violent and terrible the narrator's internal monologue is, I found myself feeling sorry for them at times, especially as someone who has OCD and deals with intrusive thoughts as well (of a very different and milder nature, thankfully).

Side note: This particular installment in the collection "shouldn't" have worked for me as it strongly involves my only trigger, but this story (and Eric's last novella, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke) taught me that I've reached a point in my life where I am able to sometimes separate myself from a topic emotionally enough to enjoy the story without being triggered by the content, which is a lesson I was incredibly grateful to learn.

"Each thing we love takes a little piece of us whether we give it willingly or not. By the time we find the person we were meant to be with, we're a honeycombed shell of what we once were. Each person we love turns us into the strange thing we become."

3. The Strange Thing We Become
This piece will be noteworthy for my fellow Things Have Gotten Worse lovers, as it's told through online journal postings. It follows a couple dealing with one member of the couple being diagnosed as terminally ill, and the havoc it wreaks upon her desperate desires to have a child before she passes. I was especially fond of how humanly flawed the narrator is; despite knowing their spouse is terminally ill, it isn't all sunshine and roses, and their cynicism towards the situation added an element of shocking reality.

4. The Trees Grew Because I Bled There
Absolutely one of my top-tier favorites in a collection of favorite stories. There isn't much I can say about this installment without giving the whole thing away, but it's graphic, viscerally painful in both a physical and emotional sense, and wraps up with the most perfectly satisfying ending I could imagine.

5. You're Not Supposed to Be Here
Part horror, part thriller, this story had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat the entire time. A couple takes their child to the park and is approached by odd-acting strangers, only to have their child abducted as they are forced into a terrifying "game" to win their child back. As a parent reading this, knowing that I, too, would give anything to keep my son safe, I couldn't reach the ending fast enough and found myself amazed at how much care went into crafting this mesmerizing installment. (Of all the stories, I would most enjoy seeing this as a short film, because it would translate flawlessly to the screen!)

6. Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass
This story felt so different from the previous ones at the beginning that it surprised me; it feels optimistic and fairly laid-back in the beginning, following a father and daughter on vacation when the daughter is injured, and a strange man comes forward to help her before making a shocking offer to our narrator, the father. This is another one I can't say much about without spoiling!

7. I'll Be Gone by Then
This next-to-last piece follows an adult whose ailing, elderly mother has come to live with them for the rest of her days, and explores the theme of a prodigal child growing up and being dragged reluctantly back into the fold. Yet again, I'm blown away by Eric's ability to write these tremendously flawed, unlikable protagonists and still keep me glued to every word on every page.

That was perhaps the single most repeated phrase I had heard throughout the course of my life — "Please leave or I'm going to hurt you."

8. Please Leave or I'm Going to Hurt You
Something in me suspects this is going to be one of the most controversial installments in this collection, but it just might be my favorite of them all. I've never read a story that tackles incest in this way, and I found myself stunned by how much nuance Eric managed to pack into these few melancholy pages. Our narrator and his elderly father are on a hike to visit the gravesite his father wants to be buried in, and during their journey, we explore the protagonist's memories and feelings for this figure he was never meant to love in such a way. While I would have hoped this could go unsaid, I know how the internet works, and I'll be very clear: neither my review nor this story are glorifying incest or promoting the idea of it; that aside, this final piece is a genuinely tragic, compelling, beautiful piece of art and I'm still in awe that Eric could weave this story from these elements. Eric LaRocca has become an all-time favorite author of mine, and this is my favorite singular piece they've released thus far.

All in all, The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales is one of the single greatest short story collections I have ever picked up, and I'm already desperately feeling the need to revisit it. I kept getting distracted while reading my notes for this review, because those notes kept tugging me back to certain scenes and I would have to read them all over again before I could move on to summarizing the next story. It's that good. I'm absolutely amazed by the stories and characters Eric creates, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next. ♥

✨ Representation: multiple queer characters

✨ Content warnings for: parent loss, spouse loss, terminal illness/cancer, violence, murder, torture/mutilation, abusive relationships, infidelity, kidnapping, miscarriage, elder abuse, incest, thoughts of violence against children/infants, thoughts of matricide

Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's take a stroll through the mind of the gifted, creative, and twisted writer: Eric LaRocca. I hope I can come out unscathed on the other side. If not, then I hope it only hurts a little. Time will tell....

You Follow Wherever They Go - A tale of love and loss. Melancholic and quiet. A little too short to pack much of a wallop but thought provoking nonetheless.

Bodies Are For Burning - An aunt, with a penchant for burning things, fears what she will do when she is left to care for her toddler niece.

The Strange Thing We Become - This story being the most similar in style to his wildly popular story, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. Heart wrenching and utterly disturbing.

The Trees Grew Because I Bled Here - That was a wee bit horrifying. I'm kidding. That was A LOT horrifying. Yikes! How much are you willing to give to those you love?

You're Not Suppose To Be Here - A beautiful sunny day. A great day to spend at the park. Vince and Terry along with their 6 month old son are having a lovely picnic enjoying the weather when a man approaches them insisting "You're not suppose to be here" from here it's a full on parental nightmare! (This is my favorite of the bunch!)

Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass - A father and his teenage daughter are vacationing at a tropical jungle resort. His daughter has an accident and an elderly Frenchman comes to their aid. He has much more to offer than just his medical expertise if only the father had heeded his warning.

I'll Be Gone By Then - This story is the perfect example of that old saying, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Don't take the ones you love for granted.

Please Leave Or I'm Going To Hurt You - Um. Hmm. Ahh. Huh. LaRocca has rendered me speechless. Let's just say this is a taboo love story and leave it at that.

Well guys, I've made it safely to the end though I may never be the same again. LaRocca writes the most disturbing stories in the most beautiful and exquisite ways. His writing is that rare gem that is meant to be admired. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for my complimentary copy.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE STRANGE THINGS WE BECOME and OTHER DARK TALES by Eric LaRocca
Off Limits Press (September 1st, 2021)
128 pages
Review originally published at Cemetery Dance:
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...


Nobody could comfortably follow an act in indie horror fiction like, THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, except Eric LaRocca with another release.
THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE… broke every record for sales and reviews I have ever seen for an indie release. That book was released in June and just three months later, here we are with THE STRANGE THINGS WE BECOME.

This is a collection of short, dark fiction plumbing the depths of human emotions. The fascinating thing about LaRocca’s storytelling is his ability to draw on specificity. You won’t find a garden variety love story. Expect the unexpected but not just something unusual for the sake of being strange--expect the unexpected to probe, pierce, or puncture any barriers or protective layers in place. It’s startling to read characters behaving in some obscene way that feels relatable at the same time.

In the story, BODIES ARE FOR BURNING, the main character struggles with intrusive thoughts. LaRocca exposes the reality of a very real mental health crisis and it’s hard to be in that intimate shared space with someone who is imagining horrific scenarios while in the company of their infant niece. This one lingers.

THE TREES GREW BECAUSE I BLED THERE is an unsettling imbalance of reciprocity in a relationship. Givers and takers. I loved the escalating tension of the story and the way it pairs with the tone of the narrator. Exquisite.

YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE was my first real encounter with LaRocca’s work when I first read this story in an unreleased book, A BRIGHT ENCHANTED SUFFERING.
“This review is spoiler-free, but don’t read the back of the book or other reviews. Trust, Mother. A married couple is enjoying a day outdoors at a park with their small child. Their day is interrupted by an odd stranger. Done. That’s all you need to know. Please go! Read! Be shocked and amazing and enjoy.”
This is the story that cemented me as a die-hard LaRocca fan. Love at first read.

The next story, WHERE FLAMES BURNED EMERALD AS GRASS has a similar setup, so again...no peeking! Enter at your own risk and fully uninformed. A widower and his daughter are vacationing in paradise when they encounter an eccentric individual with a proposal.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about PLEASE LEAVE OR I’M GOING TO HURT YOU. This is one of those stories that will live rent free in your brain for the rest of your life because of the nature of this love story. In just a few pages, LaRocca brilliantly and effortlessly develops a complex, multifaceted incestual relationship. It’s as heartbreaking as it is disturbing and readers will be helpless against LaRocca’s magnetic pull no matter how much you don’t want to know the story. Mesmerizing. I read it twice.

Sadie Hartmann



You Follow Wherever They Go.
Bodies Are for Burning.
The Strange Thing We Become.
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There.
You’re Not Supposed to Be Here.
Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass.
I’ll Be Gone by Then.
Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You.

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbing and imaginatively gory, these stories are the sort of horror that you can’t look away from. Each explained with a nonchalance that feels chilling, every new story brought images that won’t leave my mind anytime soon, and will leave a distinct impression on the horror genre.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars🌟

Very lovely and fascinating collection, as one might anticipate from the author. It really displayed his writing style and his manner of skillfully presenting the topics to the audience while also captivating them with his masterful storytelling.

You follow wherever they go :- 2.75 stars
-It took a while for me to realize what had occurred. It was brief and had a depressing message about love and death. I adore the images used here.

Bodies are for burning :- 4 stars
-The depiction of mental illness was extremely disturbing and well done. The internal conflict of the narrator's mind was palpable; it sort of engulfs you and keeps you on edge. Outstandingly well done.

The strange thing we become :- 4.5 stars
-The right amount of grotesque imagery and a gut-wrenching message make this an emotional rollercoaster.

The trees grew because I bled there :- 5 stars
-Despite being horrifying and sinister, I can understand this tale of self-interest, power, lust, and fixation. So flawlessly put together, with the ideal conclusion. The term perfect cannot be emphasized enough. A perfect 5 star and the finest by far.

You are not supposed to be here :- 3.75 stars
- something straight out of a horror movie

Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass:- 2.5 stars
-Comparing this story to the earlier ones is kind of somber. I can't say much without giving anything away, but it does put you in a difficult situation.

I will be gone by then:- 3 stars
-I always find flawed people interesting, and Eric always gets them right.

Please leave or I am going to hurt you:- 3.5 stars
-This is not what I anticipated, but it is Eric, so you have to maintain an open mind. Even so, I have to confess that I kind of liked it. This is one of my favourite stories about this specific taboo subject.

[Richard Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Eric Larocca has quietly been gaining acclaim over the last few years with his fiction and poetry, it wasn’t until earlier this year that his name seemed to be on the lips of every indie horror fan with the unmitigated success of his devastating queer horror novella, ‘Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke’. With sell-outs at the publisher, reviews coming through in the thousands, and incredible word of mouth from some of the industry’s biggest names, the book is all but guaranteed top spot in many of 2021s ‘best of’ lists and, more importantly, has marked Larocca out as an incredible new talent to watch.

With expectations now sky high for his follow up book, all eyes will be on the release of his new short story collection, ‘The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales’. Can this release possibly live up to the insane hype surrounding ‘Things Have Gotten Worse…’? I’m thrilled to report it not only lives up to but exceeds the promise shown in that book.

When Larocca refers to these stories as ‘Dark Tales’, that is no hyperbole. The worlds he has created in these eight tales are pitch black to the point of nihilism, populated with characters capable of depravity beyond comprehension. Make no mistake, ‘The Stange Thing We Become…’ is not a book to be enjoyed and it is not entertaining in the traditional sense. It is, however, an incredible reading experience, each short utterly engrossing and entirely unforgettable in its own way.

The stories here are all very character-driven and focus on the human condition (you’ll find no otherworldly monsters or bloodthirsty creatures in this book), with a pervading theme of love and desire that remains a consistent presence throughout. Stories such as “The Trees Grew Because I Bled There” present a seemingly innocuous and mundane setting (a conversation between a couple) that gleams its horror from how casual the pair are discussing a subject that horrifies the reader, and how we are slowly fed details on their dysfunctional relationship through dialogue that feels blaise and routine to the characters delivering it. “I’ll Be Gone By Then” takes a similar approach, telling a story of a woman taking care of her elderly mother. This is one of the books most disturbing tales simply due to how casually and easily the lead character thinks, and then acts upon, impulsive, selfish and ultimately despicable notions. Larocca doesn’t judge his characters (he leaves that to his reader) and this detachment is what makes these stories work so well as they leave the reader to feel the emotions that the characters should.

Strangely, the collections most tender and uplifting stories are the ones that bookend it. Make no mistake, they still pack a punch, but there is a tenderness underneath the heart-breaking (“You Follow Wherever They Go”) and taboo (“Please Leave or I’m Going To Hurt You”) subject matter that isn’t always present in the harder and more downbeat stories between them.

Fans of ‘Things Have Gotten Worse’ will revel in the familiarity of the title story (“The Strange Thing We Become”) which plays with the same format (this time told as a one-way stream of posts as opposed to a series of e-mails and responses) with equally effective results. What works differently here is getting one side of the story, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps which, for me at least, made the story more immersive and left you wanting to re-read in order to pick up on the subtle hints that may have been missed the first time around.

Picking a favourite feels almost pointless because there’s so little to distinguish each expertly crafted short from the next, but “Bodies Are For Burning” is probably the collection's stand-out for me and it is a masterclass in building tension, so much so that it’s the only story that I had to put down midway through and revisit later because things got so intense. I can’t think of any other author since Jack Ketchum where I have had such a visceral reaction to something I’ve read. The story’s success is in hinting at something unthinkable in the opening paragraphs, then putting its character in a situation where the unthinkable becomes not only possible but gut-wrenching feasible. It makes the reader almost unbearably anxious as things escalate slowly but surely, making you believe you are going to read something so abominable and appalling, even as a seasoned horror reader you can’t believe the author will actually go there. Whether they do or not is not something I’ll be spoiling here.

I also be remiss if special mention didn’t go to “You’re Not Supposed To Be Here” for being another contender for the book's best short. Unlike many other tales presented here, which put an anarchic spin on an everyday setting, this short was more high-concept, throwing its characters into an outlandish situation and seeing how they reacted. This story of a married couple with a young child looks at the steps they would go to in order to protect their loved ones (a theme which is also covered in the, also excellent, “Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass”). It was a nice change of pace to switch from contemptible characters in a routine situation to a generally likeable cast becoming increasingly embroiled in something altogether more unusual.

I rarely declare any book a ‘must read’. The enjoyment of fiction is so dependant on personal taste. I would, however, regardless of your own horror preferences, highly recommend reading Eric Laroccas’ work, and ‘The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales’ is a perfect starting point. It is an unsettling, upsetting, disturbing work, completely original and hugely assured and thoroughly deserving of any and all acclaim coming its way.

[STEPH · Rating 4 out of 5]

That introduction from Chuck Wendig was incredible. Had to write his name down and remind myself to read one of his books because I was mesmerised by his use of words. Wow.

Can somebody explain to me what happened in the first story? I coudn't wrap my head around what was going on with the narrator and his sick father and the marching band of kids outside their house. To say it simply, I didn't get it, I am so clueless until now. Can somebody explain it to me in a language that I could understand? Please?

Anyway, back to my review—I am completely out of words. This book hit all the right places, left me a bit uncomfortable and amazed at the same time if ever there is such a thing. Unsettling thoughts about burning people up, a ritual based on Buddhism, boiling hot wax, leaving your sick mother at a secluded spot of a park and then bail or a son's romantic love for his father. Deeply scary.


I just love how he played with my emotions with his writing style. He wrote about bad news like it's poetry from hell. Damn, he's good.


One more thing—morse code is freaking confusing, Eric! I didn't get the picture and I'll probably never would. Well, anything that's worth doing always hurts, and this book totally hurt me.

[Michael Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last year I read and enjoyed Eric LaRocca’s “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke,” an unusual and, at times, gruesome trio of stories. “Trees Grew Because I Bled There” has met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and I looked forward to reading it.

The eight stories here are a mixed bag. At one point, early on, I was ready to toss this, but I feel a responsibility to try and finish anything I had specifically requested. The story that triggered me was “Bodies are for Burning,” where we are dredged into the mental illness of someone struggling to keep from torturing a baby. Granted, the author has the skill and talent to make this vividly real– it is just a place I do not need to go to.

I did enjoy “You’re Not Supposed to be Here,” where a couple is drawn into a dangerous encounter with body parts and the life of a child at stake. Another interesting one was “You Follow Wherever They Go,” about the parting of a father and his daughter. The bottom line is I can not really recommend a book for a couple of stories. I understand this is a specific genre of horror. If I am reading about mutilations and amputations, I need more than just the gross outs and shocks. Again, I recommended “Things Have Gotten Worse” with all its gore, I just found it to be a stronger set with more to offer.

Thank you to Titan Books and Edelweiss for providing the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cody | CodysBookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Major thanks to the author for sending an ARC of this book my way in exchange for an honest review!

Like many others, I became a fan of Eric LaRocca with their novella Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, surely one of my favorite reads of 2021. So when they offered an advance copy of this short story collection I jumped on it! (My response might have been a lot of embarrassing screaming in caps lock.)

The Strange Thing We Have Become is comprised of eight stories, including the title story which is my favorite here. It’s told in the same sort of epistolary-via-email style as Things Have Gotten Worse . . . and it’s just as successful as that novella. Writing a story in which the characters communicate only over email, or text message, or whatever, must be very challenging but this author makes it look easy—and wrings out wickedly horrific moments in the process.

Another favorite of mine is “You’re Not Supposed to Be Here”, a very human-based sort of story that reminded me a bit of Stephen King’s “Morality” albeit more cutting and enjoyable. I especially liked the way this story wrapped up. I didn’t know where it was going the whole time I was reading, and I love that feeling!

Because this is a story collection, some stories work better for me than others. I didn’t care so much for the opener, “You Follow Wherever They Go”, which feels like more of a sketch than a fully developed story . . . still, it’s well-written! And I didn’t quite connect with “Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass” for reasons of which I’m not totally sure . . . again, it’s not badly written, it just didn’t quite connect with this reader. Those two entries are more than made up for with something like closer “Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You” which is equal parts sickening and heartwarming; it’s the only story I immediately reread after finishing. What an ending for this collection!

Readers of dark/horror fiction would do well to check out this collection, because this author is bursting with talent and they’re only going up from here. Might as well jump onboard now!

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes you have to do something horrible to prevent something even worse from happening."

This one may be small, but it packs a hell of a punch. Its intense and visceral, quite an intro for me to LaRocca!

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fantastic, and you should read it. Daring, tense, and imaginative with tragically poetic prose. One of the best collections I've read in years.

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of eight short stories from Eric LaRocca perfectly captures the weird vibe that makes their work so compelling. It's hard to say exactly what it is about LaRocca's work that keeps drawing me back to it, maybe it's the singleminded vision it possesses. There is something about all the stories here, and everything else by them I've read, that feels unlike anything else out there. A weirdness, a darkness, an unsettling insight into the human psyche.
I think my favourite story was the most conventional one, 'You're Not Supposed To Be Here' which has a pulpy crime feel to it, alongside LaRocca's trademark darkness. There's also a great introduction from Chuck Wendig.

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric LaRocca's "The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" is a collection of horror short stories that will make your spine tingle and fill you with existential dread. The stories are expertly written, filled with suspense, and place you in the minds of some truly twisted people.

As a huge horror fan, I absolutely devoured these stories and loved how they pushed the boundaries of evil in the ordinary person. Fans of Mike Flanagan's TV series "The Haunting of Bly Manor" will appreciate the LGBTQ+ representation in horror, as well as the tragic and terrifying storylines. "The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" left me feeling unsettled about mankind's capacity for evil and the unavoidable tragedies of life.

This is not a comforting read so be warned, but true horror fans will love LaRocca's willingness to delve into some very uncomfortable and dark places. Madeline W.

[Trashique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wanna setup an Airbnb inside LaRocca's mind and hibernate there for awhile. You sir are my therapeutic sanctum. An outlet I never knew I needed until now.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was dark and disturbing and I loved it! There are nine short stories each more horrifying than the last.

My favorites were:

-Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You
-You’re Not Supposed to Be Here
-The Strange Things We Become


The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories is available March 7, 2023

Thank you netgalley and Titan Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: cancer, death of parent, bullying, suicide, language, divorce, homophobia, gore, cheating, torture, incest, dementia

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Eight stories of literary dark fiction from a master storyteller. Exploring the shadow side of love, these are tales of grief, obsession, control. Intricate examinations of trauma and tragedy in raw, poetic prose. In these narratives, a woman imagines horrific scenarios whilst caring for her infant niece; on-line posts chronicle a cancer diagnosis; a couple in the park with their small child encounter a stranger with horrific consequences; a toxic relationship reaches a terrifying resolution…
Release Date: March 7th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 202
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The pages in this book are so nice and soft
2. Reads fast
3. The cover is nice
4. I like the bold writing at the beginning of the chapters

What I Didn't Like:
1. 20 uses of the word animal
2. 39 uses of rain
3. Why is every story about cancer
4. Every story feels the same

Overall Thoughts:
Has anyone else ever noticed the authors fetish for bugs? There are so many references to bugs or animals;
centipedes
Beetles
carpenter ant
snakes
maggots
Monkeys
Earthworm
Cattle
Honeybees
Deer
Fish
Robin
Sparrow
Elephants
Locust
Salamander
Mouse
Leopard
Bumblebee
Tarantula
Hyenas
Mosquito (at this point I was only 100 pages in)
Cobra
Turtles

I just think the author needs to learn how to pose words in a different way. I feel like every story at the base was the same story told over and over again & again. Characters are gay, trying to have a baby, and so much cancer! It's all just cancer in this book. Every story feels so redundant and like I've already read these characters. I also have this nagging feeling when I read each story that wasn't this already a story that existed - written by someone else?

Where do you go when you're Icarus and you've flown to close to the sun? Perhaps that's my issue with Eric LaRocca. He's pulled the M. Night Shyamalan move and lost sight of what drew people in. I know he's still getting good reviews (Eric) but I'm still holding onto that person that wrote Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. In some sense though even that book felt a little bit on the edge of Dennis Cooper's The Sluts. I read these stories/books and I finish wanting more. Is that all he has to give. I'm being unfair. Writings hard I know but picking the book out of millions and then reading it for 2 hours to days is just as difficult if you ask me. An author doesn't want to write a book that sucks just like a reader doesn't want to read one that sucks either.

You Follow Wherever They Go - the first story very bland. I blinked and it was over. I understood it too easily that I started doubting that it was right and it had to be deeper - I mean we are talking Eric LaRocca here, but no just a kid who's parent dies and go off into the rain. In the rain with a paper lantern.... Hmm okay. ⭐

Bodies Are For Burning - another story where someone has cancer. Author doesn't know what baby formula is because mentions her feeding the baby a jar of baby formula that's blended carrots. This story had no mystery in it. You know where it's going pretty much from the beginning. The ending remind me of the ending of Saint Maud. ⭐⭐


The Strange Thing We Become - Cancer again again... Sokushinbuts take a minimum of 3 years to get to. I watched a whole documentary on it. It's so difficult to achieve that in the last 1000+ years only 30 monks have made it all the way. This makes so little sense. She's the one who read up on self mummification and yet she has no idea what Evie is doing. It makes no sense. Also her being able to exercise when she's so sick she can't even hold food down and she's terminal. And then this character brings her take out but isn't her stomach bothering her so how would she even eat that? So much just left in the air with zero answers. Why does every story of his never have an ending that makes sense. At this point I'm questioning ifthe author knows how to end stories. This book with it's weird fake pregnancy and an odd item being the baby plus the mixed media style just reminded me too much his other book. ⭐

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There - I'd love to come back as a tree but you can't just hack off branches and grow back like normal. Trees risk getting an infection in it and killing the tree. This story reminded me of Geek Love when the one character has this cult where people remove body parts to show how much they owe him ⭐⭐

You’re Not Supposed to Be Here - rip off of The Chain. ⭐

Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass - random dude tells Norval that his daughter is going to be bitten by a snake and die and Norval will lose his arm but that he'll also kill that dude - and Norval starts considering sending his daughter with him. Norval starts thinking he can't take care of this 12 year old - 12 year old, not a baby or young child but teen. Dude I bet Norval was the kind of man that made his wife who had cancer wash dishes because despite living in the same house for 10 years - he just can't figure out where bowls go. He's been taking care if his daughter for 3 years alone already and now he's like "yeah she needs a mother but just any mother - a mother we don't even know who's 72 years old!" Plus they are in another country and some random dude who's by himself on a vacation without his wife but happens to have a blurry photo of her and Norval thinks this checks out. While I think this story was one of the better ones. It doesn't make any sense. Dude warns against a snake biting him and his daughter but he's the one that releases it. So if he didn't release the snake none of that would happen. Why would he still release the snake if he knew it was going to kill him too? So if he can't have this guy's daughter then there is no point of living and he's going to put Norval through the same torture of losing a daughter - if he even lost a child. I think this story would have been more interesting if he was actually Ali and that's how he knew things. He scams single father's and steals their kids. ⭐⭐

I’ll Be Gone by Then - this woman doesn't want her mother anymore (the whole 3 hours she's spent with her) so she decides to get rid of her - first trying to kill her and then abandon her. She talks about leaving her in the park and no one will know who she is because she only speaks Italian but the daughter hands her her pills, which I imagine have her name on them, so doesn't that make the job easier in knowing who she is? I don't understand why the daughter was traveling with her mother's purse - why she hadn't already went through her purse to see the fruit - also how could she not feel it in there? This one was okay. It's ends in a cliffhanger, which I feel like added to the story and made it interesting to not know. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Please Leave or I’m Going To Hurt You - this story was the best one. It was sad and heartbreaking. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Final Thoughts:
This is the last Eric LaRocca book I will read - at least now. His writing style is just not for me. This book is the 5th one I've read him and I've only liked one so far.

I feel like every story is redundant. Every character sounds like the last character there is no different sound to them.

Recommend For:
• Queer stories
• Complex characters
• Stories with loose

IG | Blog

[Ross Jeffery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two of these stories had appeared in a limited edition (now super rare book) ‘A Bright Enchanted Suffering’ which Eric pulled from publication at the very moment it was about to go live. So I’d read those two before, but I was very excited to see if the other stories he’d been compiling would stand up to those two bangers because believe me, when I read those last year, damn I was waxing lyrical about them - and then he went and dropped ‘Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke’ and now his star is shining bright and shining like it should be because LaRocca is a major talent in the horror / dark fiction realm!

This is a wonderful collection that looks at the various shades of the human condition, it is a collection that holds a mirror up to society, to those of us that feel unseen, or are too damaged to believe anyone can see us and our plight - it’s a collection of stories about connection and belonging, about love and destruction about all the many faceted things we humans do for love, life and survival - and in the end what we become.

LaRocca’s writing in ‘The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales’ is hauntingly poetic and lyrical (I appear to always be saying this about his work, because it’s true). With prose that is scalpel sharp but always raw and always brutally honest, LaRocca shows us the darkness that resides in humanity, and forces us to take in every last bit of its horrific beauty until we are choking for air!

- You Follow Wherever They Go -

This is a gut wrenching story, where it is more the unsaid that is truly unsettling. We get small glimpses of the bigger picture here, whilst there are also some delicious passages and throw away lines that uncover more of the story in glorious detail. There are as always delightfully constructed prose that at times feels as if you’re reading poetry rather than fiction, but I love that stuff!

- Bodies Are For Burning -

Our protagonist has a predilection for starting fires, for burning things, for reducing things to carbon, so what happens when they are entrusted to look after a small child… this is LaRocca so all bets are off, but you can be guaranteed you will be out through the ringer with this one! There are some quite fabulously squeamish moments early on, which I absolutely loved - these are descriptions by LaRocca of injury detail and they are just gorgeously put across! Anyway, this story is crazy good… I’ll leave it there before I give away too much! ‘Sometimes you have to do something horrible to prevent something even worse from happening.’

- The Strange Thing We Become -

The structure of this story is quickly becoming a LaRocca trademark (epistolary emails - Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke & another novella I’ve read of his but can’t speak about). I love this format, some people dislike it, but on the whole it’s a great way to write, as many of us spend our lives writing emails, it has a way of pulling us into the world and lives LaRocca wants us to inhabit and explore. This ones dark, and I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) it pre-dates THGWSWLS - but you can see that the dark threads of this story could have been the genesis of that dark tale that’s taken the horror genre by storm!

- The Trees Grew Because I Bled There -

How much of yourself do you give away when you find the one that makes you whole, how much do you surrender, how much do you bend and fall in line, how much heartache, despair, pain and suffering do we suffer to make another whole - how much do we love the ones that destroy us. This ones a hard hitting piece that breaks your heart whilst mashing your face into broken shards of glass… brutal and brilliant!

- You’re Not Supposed To Be Here -

A married couple Vince and Terry are at the park with their son Philip when a couple approach them - Lyric and Melody who want to play a little game.

This story is just balls to the wall brilliant. I had no idea where it was going and LaRocca just threw me around like a ragdoll - I was putty in his hands as I read this beautifully crafted and disturbing story of what parents would do to protect what they cherish most.

A remarkable story that further cements the brilliant mind of one of my favourite indie writers. LaRocca blows away the competition with this story. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of Lyric, because to me he reminded me in his mannerisms and creepiness of the old guy from Poltergeist (he’s not that old) it was just the way he talked, the way he moved, the way he acted and the way he had something he was hiding - it was creepy and I bloody loved it.

The next time a stranger asks to play a game at the park when you’re with your children, be afraid, be very afraid.

- Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass -

Norval Dowling is holidaying with his daughter Cassie. He’s lamenting his current predicament whilst writing a letter beside the pool to his lover and his recently found soulmate. But Norval is plagued by worry, it’s eating him up because he knows that if he tells his daughter she will never forgive him from moving on from her dead mother, she also never forgive him for falling into the welcoming arms of his new lover, a man.

A stranger appears after his daughter hurts herself and presents Norval with a way out, a way to change everything and give Cassie what she desires most, whilst also freeing Norval to pursue his love and life and purpose with his lover.

- I’ll Be Gone By Then -

This is a beautifully macabre tale about surviving your childhood and as an adult how those ties that bind are hard to break, but if you don’t sever those binds they’ll drag you down into the undertow of despair. There is a marvellous scene in this story involving some particular Golden Arches and a decision that is made, and I just love how LaRocca splices the mundane with the brutal and the innocuous - this scene is made even more horrific because of the simplicity it is written in and just LaRocca’s observations! Dark and brilliant.

- Please Leave Or I’m Going To Hurt You -

This story is bleak and utterly dark, taboo subject matter but fabulously written - it was wrong but it broke my heart in the process. It deals with the themes of insest, but in that dark and troubling issue LaRocca brings beauty to this most perverse act that shatters ones heart.

Eric LaRocca is the dark prince of the horror genre, a unique, brave and masterful writer who unsettles the reader time and time again with his imagination and then comforts us with his beautifully crafted prose!

[Emily Coffee and Commentary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eerie collection of stories that highlight the darkest moments we face as humans, our most bleak observations and reflections. With beautiful, intimate prose, each story adds depth to the growing unease and sorrow of this reading experience; it is a look at the ghosts that haunt us, be they memory, regret, resentment, or love lost. Brimming over with emotion and terror beneath a relatable surface, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There is a collection that effectively uses a subtle buildup of psychological horror and hurt until it reaches a shocking conclusion.

[Gafas y Ojeras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Te daré un consejo, ahora que me estás leyendo. Busca un ejemplar de Los árboles crecen porque yo los regué con mi sangre, este libro de relatos de Eric Larocca, piérdete entre sus líneas y decide si sus letras conectan o no contigo. No vas a perder demasiado tiempo. Diría que el primero de sus relatos, Síguelos donde quiera que vayan, apenas ocupa alrededor de cinco páginas, pero ese pequeño instante que emplees en dejarte llevar por esa desconcertante propuesta te servirá para hacerte a la idea de lo que te puede esperar en esta recopilación de historias que apelan directamente a los sentimientos y emociones del lector.
Creo que pocas veces he vivido dentro de una historia. He sentido miedo, desconcierto, inquietud, he cuestionado actos y hasta me he indignado con la posibilidad de que los escritores torturen a mis personajes favoritos hasta la muerte. Pero la narrativa de Larocca es diferente. Apela sin complejos a la esencia básica de todos aquellos que alguna vez se han perdido en medio de sus sentimientos, en sus impulsos, en la fragilidad emocional que se arrastra ante la incertidumbre. Cualquiera de estas narraciones parte hacia un océano en el que se diluye el puerto de partida, enfrentándote a sus personajes, y al lector, a un infinito indeterminado. Y no siempre llegarás a salvo al recorrer mares tenebrosos.
Lo curioso es que esa apuesta por la emoción no está reñida con lo extraño. Quizás ese sea otro pilar del tridente con el que se sustenta esta recopilación. Lo extraño aparece en estas historias para destruir la calma cotidiana hasta hacer pedazos cualquier apego a la cordura. Desde adentrarnos en los pensamientos de una pirómana incapaz de controlar sus impulsos (Los cuerpos están para quemarlos), a comprobar, en Esa cosa extraña en la que nos convertimos, como la enfermedad acaba devastando la fortaleza del parasiempre. Desde un picnic improvisado, Se supone que no deberías estar aquí, donde poner a prueba tu integridad, tanto física cono moral, por mantener una fingida luna de miel en donde nada ni nadie es lo que parece, a la destrucción completa de tus corazas cuando tu odio queda atenazado ante la magia de las cerezas (Para entonces ya no estaré). Relatos devastadores, crueles, llenos de desesperación por vivir un segundo más o desvanecerte por completo.
El último apoyo de estas historias las une a todas y cierra la recopilación. Lo prohibido, el tabú, la belleza escondida de lo insano que perecerá oculta ante el que dirán. Por favor vete o te haré daño es un relato que duele y emociona al mismo tiempo, pese a su prohibida temática. Quien no se emocione con ese cierre tan poético y descorazonador ya habrá abandonado este libro antes. Y es que, es evidente. No todo el mundo ha sido regado con sangre.

[Karly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Titan Books, NetGalley and the author for a copy of this in exchange for a review.

My rating: 1⭐️ for so many reasons that aren’t my usual 1star reasons… but it just wasn’t good.

So I am not going to do a recap - this is a collection of short stories (8 I think) and they are promoted as being dark, beautifully crafted and devastating… in the beginning the writing was quite beautiful…the prose was crafted very well… It is possible it was that way for the entire book but the book was doing other things that completely derailed me.

For starters - I found some of these stories unintentionally funny… I think it was the way things were described that it made them seem like some kind of satirical comedy but my understanding is that these were supposed to be dead ass serious… so I guess this makes them miss the mark for me… I am absolutely not telling you which bits I found funny either 🤣 it was not supposed to make you laugh and I guess that either says the writing was not what it was cracked up to be or I am a monster… lets leave it at that!

The stories themselves were quite dark and depressing especially in the first half of the book but … then there were some that were incredibly boring and some that were outright disgusting and stupid (like the last story). If that one was the first one I would have DNF’d this book… I was so over it by that stage I literally just stuck around because I had like 6% to go and thought what the hell.

I am not going to drone on and on… clearly I am in the minority and others found this and will find this beautiful and the way it was intended, unfortunately I did not. The best part of it was the absolutely gorgeous cover, well done on that.

I absolutely have no friends on my GR list that I would recommend this to… so if you do pick it up and like it I am very happy for you… but be warned if you’re thinking hey I am gonna check this one out just for funsies… you may not have a good time.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly crafted tales of the macabre, dwelling on the gruesome side of the human psyche. There is a sprinkling of the grotesque stirred in to season the mix of mostly psychological terror. The writing is crisp and sharp enough to cut glass.
My favorites were The Strange Thing We Become in which a cancer diagnosis is chronicled in online messages. In the same vein as Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke the postings become increasingly darker and unnerving.
You're Not Supposed To Be Here is the prophetic title of a story in which a weird couple intrudes on a family outing, If only they had picnicked somewhere else. If only they hadn't been there.
Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass is another story that spirals into terror when a stranger intrudes, this time on a single father vacationing with his young daughter and contemplating his future with a new love.
Bodies Are For Burning showcases a different kind of intruder. This time it's not a person but a woman's own thoughts that intrude on her everyday life and ability to function.
These were my favorites but every tale is a gem. I don't think Eric LaRocca could write a bad story if he tried.


My thanks to Titan Books.

[Kelly| Just Another Horror Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I fell in love with Larocca’s writing when I read his novella THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE FIRST SPOKE and I wasn’t the least bit disappointed in this fantastic short story collection.

Larocca has a very unique way of writing horror. His prose is lyrical and extremely dark. His stories get under your skin and fill you with dread. He takes the most ordinary circumstances and turns them into nightmares.

My favorite of the eight stories were The Strange Thing We Become, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There and Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You.

I really love Larocca’s fearlessness. By that I mean that it takes guts to write these types of stories. They’re definitely not mainstream and may not appeal to every reader though I’d encourage everyone to give them a try. Larocca is a brilliant writer and one who I look forward to reading more from.
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[Devin The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, LaRocca never ceases to surprise me in the most grotesque and repulsive ways. This book felt like the Twilight Zone but with more horror elements. These stories definitely have speculative twists and requires the reader to suspend her disbelief in order to respect the concept and moral of each story.

The final story in this collection disgusted me beyond words. The theme shown in this story alone removed a star from me.

I can't say I will be inclined to read this collection again but I have to admit there is something about LaRocca that makes me want to keep reading more.


I originally received book via Netgalley in exchange for a review, but seeing as how it was archived before I could download, I ended up purchasing this myself in order to read it.

[Emily Fravel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Eric LaRocca's Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and I really disliked it. I thought I would give him another shot but I also disliked this collection. I feel like he uses queerness and also cancer/illness as a trope. It doesn't feel natural the way he includes it in a story. As someone from the LGBT community I'm not offended but I don't think it's a good representation. It just feels like if he didn't include queerness or cancer/illness he would explode. I also think that the last story could have been done well but it was just gross. Incestuous relationships are not an unknown trope in horror stories but this felt almost like a romance story. It almost seemed like he was trying to romanticize it or make it seem normal. I will not be reading anything more from this author. The stories were so lacking and I can't even call them horror. His work is supposed to grip you and make you uncomfortable but it just makes bored and disappointed.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I meet them and am greeted by a warm embrace, flames wrapping around me with loving fingers made of smoke. I’m pulled deeper into their arms, petals of fire weaving through my hair, until I’m gently rocked to sleep the same way a mother swaddles a child."

These were some of the most f**ked up stories that I have ever read and I loved them. Some of these will haunt me until the day I die. These short stories are the reason why I love horror and ER.

RTC

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you pick up a book and fall in love with it and then sometimes you pick up an Eric LaRocca book and it just hits different!

The Strange Thing We Become and other Dark Tales was not my first by LaRocca, so I was already Intune to just how flawless his skill is. The characterisations, the haunting undertones, the way he just reaches in and pulls your heart out. Call me a masochist, call me a glutton for punishment! If you haven’t checked out this man’s inexplicable magic with the written word, rectify that now. He creates prose with the written word like the exquisite sculpting of Michelangelo’s David.

Let me introduce you to some of the individual stories. You Follow Wherever They Go – A story of childhood. It’s the preparation of a journey that will make you feel and hurt. It’s an opening that gifts you a knife, leaves you without instructions on how to use it, but, you know it’s not going to be pleasant. We all know children are extremely resilient, but how much of that is borne from pain and suffering?

Bodies Are for Burning – I’m not ashamed to admit that this one punched me in the throat…hard. We all know that grief affects us all differently. It can either drag us down temporarily or it can send us off at the deep end. It can feel like standing at the edge of a precipice and one step is all it takes. Reading this story left me with a lurching feeling in my stomach as a mother. LaRocca’s examination of mental health was unique but deeply disturbing.

The Strange Thing We Become – This wouldn’t be a horror compilation without the devastation of the human condition. Illness can catch us at any point. Life can be trucking on and then you can receive terrible news, and everything changes. The story is incredibly gut wrenching and never has an author been able to convince me so coherently that the person watching a loved one suffer also changes and often not for the better.

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There – Holy hell! I know relationships should be a combination of give and take but this beyond anything I could have imagined. A story of lust and obsession. Control and selfishness.

You’re Not Supposed To Be Here – Now this is a story that has to be experienced. Instantly gave me vibes of the movie franchise, Saw and the Jigsaw Killer. This story had me on tender hooks the entire time.

I’ll Be Gone by Then – I interpreted this story as a kind of circle of life. From caring for our children to the expected burden of caring for ailing parents. It’s not until it gone do you realise what you have lost. Youth is wasted on the young scenario.

LaRocca’s writing is mesmerising. He takes the weaknesses that he finds in everyday individuals and injects it into his fiction. He uses it to spur an authenticity into his stories. The way the author has used trauma and tragedy into his narration is real and awful and so perfectly written that your own emotions are on a rollercoaster. Each individual plot is intricate, outraging and deeply sad. It felt so amazing to engage myself in Eric’s writing once more – he’s on fire!

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una nueva antología de Eric LaRocca que me deja con buen sabor de boca por contener algunos relatos bastante impactantes. El horror de LaRocca es bastante original ya que no contiene trazas fantásticas ni monstruos, es un horror real que te coge por la garganta ante los hechos que presencias, irremediablemente humanos pero sumamente crueles. Los ocho relatos aquí contenidos son como directos al estómago, te atrapan y no te dejan respirar. Como bien dice Chuck Wendig en la introducción, estos relatos son como un parásito a quien necesitas pero se alimenta de tí.
Una colección que incluso supera a la primera publicada por el autor y disponible también en español gracias a Dilatando mentes.
Mis relatos destacados:

Los cuerpos están para quemarlos(****): Un chica aquejada de piromania es dejada al cargo de la bebé de su hermana. La chica no dja de imaginar escenarios donde da rienda suelta a su afición por quemar cosas y lo que podría hacerle a la niña en cuanto se queden solas. Para sufrir un rato.

Se supone que no deberíais estar aquí(*****): Un relato angustiante a más no poder en el que lo que empieza como Terry y Vince, unos padres disfrutando junto a su bebé de seis meses un día tranquilo en el parque, se convierte en la peor pesadilla que puedan imaginar.

Donde las llamas ardían de un color esmeralda:(*****): Un hombre rico y viudo está con su hija a de 12 años después de que su madre muriera de cáncer y sin saber mucho qué hacer. Se encuentran de vacaciones en un hotel de lujo en el medio de la selva de Costa Rica y de manera repentina se ve atrapado ante una decisión imposible. Una en la que tendrá que renunciar a su hija para que viva o arriesgarse a que muera de manera terrible. No pude dejar de leer hasta terminar.

Para entonces ya no estaré:(****): la historia de una mujer de origen italiano que emigró a Estados Unidos hace más de veinte años y de repente se ve atrapada cuidando a su madre anciana cuando la prima que la cuidaba ya no lo puede hacer y la envía en avión. La lucha de esa hija única que se ve obligada a cuidar de una mujer a la que no quiere y que parece que fue todo menos una madre ejemplar. Giro final aterrador.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
LGBTQ+ Rep; Age rep; Mental Health Rep
Triggers for Self Assisted Life Termination (SALT); Child Endangerment; Mental Health Challenges; Caretaker Challenges; Inappropriate Romantic Feelings for an Established Platonic Relationship and more I'm sure I've missed.

Collected Stories: You Follow Wherever They Go, Bodies Are for Burning, The Strange Thing We Become, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There, You're Nit Supposed To Be Here, Where Flames Burned Emerald As Flames, I'll Be Gone By Then, and Please Leave Or I'm Going To Hurt You.

Now in these stories Love and its many manifestations and corruptions is the prevalent theme. The one that resonated most for me was the very first story, You Follow Wherever They Go. I bawled my eyes out like 85% of the read, that's how much I was made to feel the thing that is always present in the back of my mind. Seeing it on paper so to speak, just clawed right through my chest and held my heart in its mangled unforgiving grip. This one was a 5 star for me while the rest were 4.5 and 4 stars. This would be fantastic for Valentine's - whether you celebrate it or not! This would be perfect for those looking to try out Eric LaRocca's works but with no previous starting point. Dip your toes into his genius with these short collected works, each different but with the overall theme Love and its subsequent effect in different relationships. I highly recommend!

[Priya Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you meet someone and within a few minutes you know you're going to be the best of friends. That's how I felt about this book within a few sentences.

For such a slim volume it packs a huge punch, touching on Ray Bradbury and Roald Dahl, but completely its own. I felt a pain in my chest during some of the stories. a visceral anxiety to some of the writing.

Eric LaRocca is truly original, truly subversive, and truly talented.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror shorts are something I adore and this collection reminded me why. These stories are unnverving, unsettling and haunting!! I was drawn to this book because the cover was so beautiful and the writing equals that. There is a perfect mix of physical and psychological horrors lurking within. Why has it taken me so long to get you know you Eric LaRocca what an absolute travesty. I am glad we have finally met. Another book to add to my favourites.