Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca

132 reviews

schuster_s's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is three short stories about the "indescribable itch to connect with someone, something." 

The first novella is disturbing in a good way. Two women trying to find connection online in a queer community board. One is pushing the boundaries of her dark desires, and the other one just wants to feel loved in any way possible. How badly someone wants something shows us how far they will go to get it, whether that's a human baby, or just a tapeworm. 

The second novella was great. I would love to see a film adaptation of this. An estranged couple get a note from their son who commits suicide reading: "If you and dad love me as much as you say you do, you'll stay together after this...No matter what." We then travel with them to a seasonal hotel on an island off the coast of New England. ON their first night, a traveler appears. He seems to be the long lost son of the husband, and soon the wife feels as though he's not a human, but an angel with a message from their dead son. 

The final story is about a man who finds a bone with his neighbor's initials on it. When he goes to ask him about it, he ends up getting caught in a series of bets. As he completes the challenges successfully, racking up more cash, the challenges get stranger. How far will he go to appease this man and be a polite gentleman? 

I think this was a quick read and a nice suspenseful book. This made me uncomfortable in the best way possible, and it reminds me that being polite isn't what's always best, and that I should remember that people on the internet get to wear a mask 24/7... their intentions are not always what's best for the viewer/reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Self harm, and Suicide

Minor: Gore, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Pregnancy

It is suggested that the woman in the first story kills herself with an apple peeler after 'birthing' a tape worm that the other woman told her to contract. In the second story, the woman breaks her ankle and it describes her husband popping the bone back into place. It also describes her husband dying from ingesting poison. It also describes her son killing himself by crucifixion.

sina4books's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Torture, Excrement, and Pregnancy

mrpetej's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

sb4012315's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Slow to read, only the first story kept my interest. But even that took awhile to read, and was pretty gruesome. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

pbandjane_library's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Suicide

sofiam19's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

1.75

Overhyped unfortunately. All the stories could’ve used more detail. First one - the relationship moved crazy fast to be realistic. Second - only first part was interesting but rest was boring and flat. Third - ending ruined the whole story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, and Blood

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

chainsawheartbooks's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.0

1/ Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

What the absolute fuck? I feel sick to my stomach and so wildly concerned for Agnes. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder, they did! 

Well played Mr LaRocca, well damn played, and that writing was so visceral. I have immense fear for whatever dark and twisted alley the other two stories are going to drag me down.

2/ The Enchantment

I’m honestly more confused about this story, more specifically its ending, than I am anything else.

I understand it’s dealing with grief and coping with a horrific, surprising event, but I’m just sat wondering “what?”

I’m not quite sure what some of the events had to do with the plot, neither character really seemed to be dealing with anything in a normal way, and what was that weird bug creature at the end, what relevance did that have? 

All in all, I wasn’t a fan of this one, it fell flat for me sadly.

3/ You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over

It felt more like a 50 page essay on how people can be willing to do anything not to offend someone else, and the feeling of embarrassment they get when it doesn’t go right. 

I did gasp when they went into the attic, but overall it didn’t really inthrall me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

bigkazzac's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Suicide

automatic_rae's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Dark & twisted. Creative & thought-provoking. Gripping & gruesome.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment

hocuscrocus's review

dark fast-paced

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

3.5

I really loved the title story, but the other two didn't do much for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, and Pregnancy