Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

56 reviews

ticklemetiff's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

mallory_minerva's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

 

Well that was gross

I know this book is disliked, and I find the criticisms understandable. I do not dispute the realism issues; people don't really email like that. The texting to me seemed fine on the local level however. The progression of the relationship, as well as the relationship with the Tapeworm, seemed most unrealistic, but in some ways the psychological nuance of it was very interesting. I have mixed feelings on that front. I also am unsure about the claim of the author fetishizing lesbians. I didn't pick up on it much myself but I can see why others do.

I honestly found it mostly fun. I read it in one sitting which is rare for me. The characters are good and distinct, and the scenes conveyed through texts and emails are really vivid. I also liked Agnes's tendency to tell anecdotes; a lot of the literary merit is in those moments and I actually do buy that someone would just infodump anecdotes to make a point. I think the online take on an epistolary novel was well done all things considered; this is an epistolary novel and it will read like letters, not emails, and that's fine.

The horror is... The body horror is better than the psychological horror. I did not enjoy the BDSM aspects, and the animal cruelty really felt out of place for both characters and plot-necessitated. The Findom was underexplored but maybe that's a good thing. Zoe places enough emphasis on consent and caution that I didn't really perceive much manipulation. I didn't pick up on it until she self-discloses out of guilt and concern. There's moments where I feel things are getting worse and Agnes is blundering into a bad situation though, which is good psychological horror. The body horror is well-done.

I wanted to read trash after Foucault broke me, and I certainly got it. I get the low average but this book came to me at the right time I guess.

 PS: this is the most content warnings I've ever added for a review. I guess I don't do horror much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, and Lesbophobia

shelbymarie314's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• 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 abuse, Child death, Gore, Miscarriage, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

chantel_stewart's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

praevalesco's review against another edition

1.0

Sometimes when you have ideas, it's okay to leave them in your drafts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

cloud_z's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

swebby's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.0

It’s an extremely disturbing and uncomfortable read, one that will stay with me for a while. Although the writing is good, I think the ending needed developing more. It left me feeling a bit flat, like it needed another few pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Violence, and Medical trauma

wlw1tch's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

An intriguing, fast-paced downward spiral with a unique format. Not as shocking as people made it seem but definitely heed the content warnings, it does get graphic!
I wouldn’t go to this book for representation by any means, but the characters’ queerness makes certain parts of the narrative much more compelling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

Minor: Terminal illness and Vomit

All instances of animal death are described in graphic detail,

a salamander

and

a cat

as is one child (infant) death in which

the narrator describes a case she saw on the news wherein a baby is murdered by his brother

jiayuanc's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Abandonment

friendofdorothea's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

Disgusting disturbing 
Why was this a sapphic couple? I would think Zoe was actually a man because what woman would do that it almost feels offensive as a lesbian to read this omg Im surprised I didn’t throw up. Also so weird that a man wrote this 
I don’t know why anyone would write this but not surprised that it wasn’t a woman that wrote this. Like how did this come into somebody’s head. Ew 🤮🤮🤮
This author needs to go to therapy 
Also I may never eat again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail