Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

265 reviews

aquaphobia's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Child death

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Body horror

carch3r's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Vomit

rosaelia's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, and Murder

tinyjude's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

1.0

Never read this after having a meal!!!

I had read some vague stuff about how disturbing this book could be, but I was definitely not prepared for whatever the fck this was. I am beyond disgusted. I can enjoy horrible fictional stories but this seems to be out of my taste completely. I just felt so sick and ready to throw up while reading it.

I can understand how someone in such a vulnerable state can go down that route and spiral so fast but the stories (like the baby jesus christ I'M PRAYING THIS NEVER HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE WTF WTF WTF) where way too much for me and too fast. The relationship barely develops, suddenly the convo turns "sexy" but feels more like 50 shades of grey bad ff (eugh) and then THAT. I won't spoil but, just, NO.

The ending was confusing but reading some theories about the cover, I got my horrifying answer 😳 100% not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

joeywins's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Well, its morbid and that is what I was looking for. 
This felt like it needed another draft or some longer time to brew. The concept is very appealing to me- unconventional relationship that turns to horror done with early internet culture.
Nothing is built up though, I have no idea who these women are- if you told me it was the same woman talking to herself i would believe it because there is no character! I cannot describe them beyond their roles in the story. 
It seems everything that happens serves to just give us some graphic imagery. Yes its done well, but that doesn't make a story. I just keep asking myself why do this if you're not going to commit? Don't give me unrelated stories that kind of thematically connect, give me what you said you would provide.  Aughhhh!!!

I read it in less than a day, so I'm not too frustrated, but I wish this was better than it was. Thought this was going to be a 5 star, ended with me shrugging my shoulders.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Self harm and Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, and Lesbophobia

ziemelumeita's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Not the psychological horror that I wanted it to be. I did sort of enjoy the main short story, but then again I always enjoy the e-mail format. In the afterword, the author mentions that it's about how far people will go to keep their loved ones happy, but I rather thought it was a good commentary on online relationships and our personal responsibility towards the lenghts we will have people go for our own selfish desires. But that's about all the deep meaning I managed to squeeze out of this book. Most of the "horror" revolved around odd fetishes and dead cats and that's just old. I was already bored of the religion stuff after the first story. You can tell this book was written by a man by the way two female characters in two seperate stories were obsessed with having "a life growing inside them". The author probably thought it was the peak of depravity, when in reality it's just kind of tired and misogynistic. And don't even get me started on the horrible writing in The Enchantment. I get that it was a bit, but it hurt to read. At least the single sentence paragraphs made for a quick read and I didn't have to suffer through it for too long. It's sad, because the title was so promising.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, and Miscarriage

calhudak's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Self harm, Religious bigotry, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Body horror, Infertility, and Racism

marcostorin's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Kidnapping

brynniek's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, and Excrement

muppetincrisis's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a read pretty far outside of my comfort zone. It is an incredibly well executed depiction of so many things - love, despair, obsession, distinction and disgust. I think some of the themes were easier for me to tolerate than usual because I have a personal history with abusive and manipulative queer relationships and have experienced severe manipulation. However, some of the more graphic descriptions

(primarily the portion about preparing and eating the spoiled meat to contract the parasite)

I had to skim over because they were too much to stomach. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia