A review by clovewinter
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

challenging dark tense 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

1.75

This one hurts because I was on a streak of reading only good books this year. One thing I'll give this novella is that it's definitely "page-flippity" (yes, I did indeed invent that word!). As I summarised the book in the back of my mind, I was left with one question: what was the point?

What could have been a deeper insight into the minds of these two women was just tossed aside. I don't mind characters doing messed-up things, as long as you can tell me why they're doing them or at least maintain some consistency with their given disposition.

The plot escalated so quickly, as if the author couldn't wait to dive into all the viscerally disturbing descriptions, which felt loosely connected to the story. By the end, I was like, what was the point of that scene, you just told it to evoke a reaction, and so you did. The little anecdotes within the novella came across as preachy, which I wouldn't have minded if they were better tied to the plot. Instead, the whole thing felt like a random assemblage of quotes and disjointed ideas that were just thrown in there randomly.