Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
- Downloads：5512
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-30 02:31:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Eric LaRocca
- ISBN：1951658124
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
Susanna Sarko
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I dont know。 i needed more。。。。 however disturbing it was。
lana
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WHAT DID I JUST READ！？！！#&$
Akshaya Raghu
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What a weird novella
Jake
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What
Becky Spratford
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Three words that describe this book: Epistolary， Menacing， EngrossingFirst things first， read this novella in one sitting！ I tell you this but I don't think I even need to because once you begin reading， you will lose track of time， space， everything and you will fall into this intense story that is a 3 month online relationship that begins with an antique apple peeler and ends in body horror。 And Larocca pulls it off without skipping a beat。 I am not kidding， I started reading this in the late Three words that describe this book: Epistolary， Menacing， EngrossingFirst things first， read this novella in one sitting！ I tell you this but I don't think I even need to because once you begin reading， you will lose track of time， space， everything and you will fall into this intense story that is a 3 month online relationship that begins with an antique apple peeler and ends in body horror。 And Larocca pulls it off without skipping a beat。 I am not kidding， I started reading this in the late afternoon and looked up after what I thought was minutes and I was on page 82 of 103。I am not giving anything about the plot except for the "apple peeler to body horror" comment away。 The story is fresh and original in how it invokes unease， dread， and then horror in the reader。 When I talk about feeling the emotions of a book， this book is what I mean。 Reading this novella is a full body experience。 You are in the story， caught up in the online conversations， checking the time stamps and feeling it all both rush by and also slow down at the same time。 This story is a "fake" recreation of online conversations from a message board， email， and IM from Late May of 2000-late August of 2000。 It goes fast。 The "author" only intrudes at the beginning。 They [it is not stated the gender of the "author"] are providing details into what has become a sensational murder investigation。So from the start you are un the edge of your seat。 And then the story unfolds in those messages as we watch these two women start a "relationship" online。 Because of the epistolary format， as a reader， you are THERE。 The story is obviously unfolding in the past， and yet， the reader is there in real time too。 It is an exceptional reading experience。 This is THE Novella of the year so far。 Also， my appreciation for the title is at standing ovation level after finishing it。 Wow does that encapsulate the feel of this book。If you like the intensely close narration， character driven storyline， and watching something go from strange to psychologically terrifying in a blink but also with skill and care-- the author takes you there with what seems like no effort， but of course the effort and skill are on display-- and you follow entranced-- this is for you。 It reminded me of last year's novella of the year [for me] Crossroads by Laurel Hightower and Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones。I saw Sadie Hartmann mentioned Samanta Schweblin as a read alike in her review。 I agree。 Her work is also about how it makes you feel and she writes in a similar super close and personal way where you are part of the story。I also just read {and will be reviewing for Booklist- THIS THING BETWEEN US by Gus Moreno。 That novel while more cosmic horror， has a similar feel to me。 Not sure if I is because I read them back to back， but I am putting that out here。 I will say， LaRocca Sticks the ending of this novella and Moreno's debut novel's ending is good but not as good as this novella。 。。。more
Benjamin DeHaan
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Make sure you have about two hours before you begin reading this novella。 The hook is sharp my friends。 Horror at its finest。
isa
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what the fuck？？？？？？？
Justin Moritz
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 While this novella is full of psychological and body horror， I found the use of emails and internet chat rooms truly elevated the terror。 At the heart of the story is a tale of dependency and control， but the relationship unfolding with real world consequences from behind a screen withholds any certainty that Agnes is in correspondence with someone who truly means her no harm to unsettle the reader。
adinda
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some thoughtful writing choices in conveying the codependency in a subtle way - at what point someone's sense of agency slips away from them。 but mostly this is just shock value to me， probably would have been much more interesting and effective in another/a longer format。 some thoughtful writing choices in conveying the codependency in a subtle way - at what point someone's sense of agency slips away from them。 but mostly this is just shock value to me， probably would have been much more interesting and effective in another/a longer format。 。。。more
Laura
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don’t ask for a freak if you can’t handle a freak
Grace
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made me want to vomit。not ideal wlw rep。
anna|moss
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this was insane。
Theresa
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I MEAN THIS IN THE NICEST WAY POSSIBLE。。。 WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT ？？？？！？！？！！！！？！？
Hazel Walsh
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Interesting premise but a very bad representation of LGBTQ+ women and the BDSM community。 Toxic presentation， full of stereotypes and doesn't make much sense。 Interesting premise but a very bad representation of LGBTQ+ women and the BDSM community。 Toxic presentation， full of stereotypes and doesn't make much sense。 。。。more
Corinne
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I feel like I could’ve found this on wattpad for free。 I expected a macabre and dark tale of an online BDSM romance but in reality it was a man writing queer women， which was violently obvious。 It was corny trauma porn。 It was easy to read but lacked any substance。 Felt super trope-y。 I heard plenty about a “shock ending” but the ending didn’t really exist。
Victoria Suding
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what the fuck did I just read
Ashley （spookishmommy）
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I want to read that again。
Sam
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I have now been recommended this twice on tiktok so now I simply must read it soon。 Hoping it’s as disturbing as it’s been sold to me as
Lindsay
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That was wild- what just happened？！
图海
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uhokthis was only about 114 pages on an app， so i decided to give it a go after seeing some review- seemed simple and quick enough。 it。。。 didn't go the way i thought it would。 i feel like i should go back and reread it more closely， but a part of me never wants to look at it again。if you can stomach it， go ahead and try it out。 uhokthis was only about 114 pages on an app， so i decided to give it a go after seeing some review- seemed simple and quick enough。 it。。。 didn't go the way i thought it would。 i feel like i should go back and reread it more closely， but a part of me never wants to look at it again。if you can stomach it， go ahead and try it out。 。。。more
Naelie
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I don’t know what I just read。。It’s so disturbing but I guess it did it’s job。 I love the writing a lot and it’s quick to read。 Will def check out some of the author’s other work:）
Mariah
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Incredible novella。 The pace was just right and it kept me intrigued。 I’ve read some people say they wish it was longer but I don’t really agree。 I do because I enjoy the writing and story but I think it was perfectly executed and not drawn out。 Must read！
Kendall
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Maybe I’m just not smart enough to “get” this book。 It’s like one of those movies that is supposed to be intellectual and everyone raves about how brilliant it is， but when you watch it you’re just confused as to what was supposed to be so good about it。 I love the format， let me just get that out of the way。 Everything takes place via email and instant messaging， and I love when books do something different with the way the story is conveyed like that。 My first problem， however， is that the boo Maybe I’m just not smart enough to “get” this book。 It’s like one of those movies that is supposed to be intellectual and everyone raves about how brilliant it is， but when you watch it you’re just confused as to what was supposed to be so good about it。 I love the format， let me just get that out of the way。 Everything takes place via email and instant messaging， and I love when books do something different with the way the story is conveyed like that。 My first problem， however， is that the book is about two lesbians and written by a cis man。 Not to say people can’t tell stories outside of their own identities， but the way he portrayed Agnes and Zoe seemed cliché and played out。 Sub with mommy issues and a bad representation of BDSM couples。 Yawn。 Second， I read a lot of reviews to try to bring this book into perspective after I finished it。 Loads of people are praising the “body horror”， but I found that part underwhelming。 Yeah， some scenes were a bit icky but nothing crazy。 I was expecting， I don’t know…more？ Something more interesting， I guess。Perhaps I am just not the audience that this was intended for。 It didn’t do it for me。 。。。more
DonJohn80
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It’s definitely unsettling and goes to some dark places， but I think it needed a bit more room to breathe。 I’m not saying it isn’t in the realm of possibility， but with a bit more time for the story to develop I feel like it would have worked better for me。
Karen Elisabet
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What have you done today to deserve your eyes？
Deanna O'Keefe
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This is a well done short horror but I'd also literally never recommend it to anyone because its horrifying so。。。。I am lost on how to rate it。 So 3。 The pacing is excellent and it's very upsetting。 Good job at the thing。Edit: I appreciate gay representation in body horror lol This is a well done short horror but I'd also literally never recommend it to anyone because its horrifying so。。。。I am lost on how to rate it。 So 3。 The pacing is excellent and it's very upsetting。 Good job at the thing。Edit: I appreciate gay representation in body horror lol 。。。more
Sofia C
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I felt like I was going to gag at one point
Danielle
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I don't know if this author has any experience with how women think， speak， and act， because the characters were so ridiculously unrealistic that I couldn't take the book seriously。 I didn't even know the gender of the author when I bought and read the book。 I checked at the end because I just felt that it had been a male author， and I was right。 The way the characters wrote in their emails was laughably pretentious and nothing like how people actually email。 At least the instant messenger conve I don't know if this author has any experience with how women think， speak， and act， because the characters were so ridiculously unrealistic that I couldn't take the book seriously。 I didn't even know the gender of the author when I bought and read the book。 I checked at the end because I just felt that it had been a male author， and I was right。 The way the characters wrote in their emails was laughably pretentious and nothing like how people actually email。 At least the instant messenger conversations were a bit more realistic。 The jump from them being strangers to being close enough to one of them giving the other a "task" just didn't make sense。They didn't even really seem like queer female characters， just images that a man constructed with little understanding of his subject matter。I'm going to be honest， this just comes off as trauma lesbian porn from a male author who didn't even bother to create realistic characters。The gory scenes are visceral and are the best parts of the book， in my opinion。 But the rest of it was just too ridiculous and shallow to take seriously。 。。。more
Judson Buescher
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I loved the premise of this book， but it quickly became outlandish。 There were certainly parts that were disturbing， such as the Christ Child。 However， I just can’t be convinced by the events that led up to the climax of the story。
Kaydi
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