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

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

I thought they’d match each other’s freak so well and go on this destructive cycle for a number of pages more, turned out one is actually saner than the other. After that the story didn’t pick up and just ended - no final note to bring some conclusion or further information to the case mentioned at the beginning. 

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke could have been really good if it hadn't ended so abruptly. It had the potential to do more, and it would have been a lot better. I couldn't rate it any lower because I was hooked and finished it in one sitting ; it just feels rushed and sadly not fully developed . 

I agree with the criticism about the lack of distinct character voices and how the emails often sound unrealistic. It’s the same with Martyr and Ambrose in You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. Their verbal sparring feels a little pretentious and strange for the time but didn’t mind it as much since their social status justifies it somehow.

It also think it failed to effectively deliver its intended message and if it tried on being  a commentary on sexuality, social/financial class or power dynamics, it  fell short of doing so. 

A page-turner, but ultimately a massive disappointment.