Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
- Downloads：6572
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-28 04:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Eric LaRocca
- ISBN：1951658124
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
Vic
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what have I done today to deserve my eyes？
Alex
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Deeply unsettling！！
Anupama C K（b0rn_2_read）
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The cover was too enticing and blurb just perfect。 It just doesn't give anything away。 It is a short book and really engrossing I finished it in around an hour I'm still like "what did I just read"。 It was dark and disturbing （hope they don't come in my dreams） The cover was too enticing and blurb just perfect。 It just doesn't give anything away。 It is a short book and really engrossing I finished it in around an hour I'm still like "what did I just read"。 It was dark and disturbing （hope they don't come in my dreams） 。。。more
Lory Blanco （areaderheart）
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4。5 stars。 This one was wild。 I thought I was prepared and had a feeling where the story would go。 But boy was I wrong。 This novella was both horrifying and absolutely captivating。 It went places I didn't see coming。 So much depravity， I was hooked to the pages。 Haven't read anything this fast in a long time。 It was definitely 100% my type of psychological reading。 And it's one I'm going to be thinking about and analyzing in my head for a while。 4。5 stars。 This one was wild。 I thought I was prepared and had a feeling where the story would go。 But boy was I wrong。 This novella was both horrifying and absolutely captivating。 It went places I didn't see coming。 So much depravity， I was hooked to the pages。 Haven't read anything this fast in a long time。 It was definitely 100% my type of psychological reading。 And it's one I'm going to be thinking about and analyzing in my head for a while。 。。。more
Michelle {Book Hangovers}
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Review otw
Remo
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I am such a contrarian， that I rarely want to believe hype。 This isn't because I distrust my friends or other readers。 Instead， it's because I need to feel a work of art on a personal level to praise it so highly。 So that which moves others might not always move me。 However， after reading the synopsis， I was intrigued by the premise of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke。 I purchased the book， and finished it in a single reading session with my cat and dog snuggling beside me。 This brie I am such a contrarian， that I rarely want to believe hype。 This isn't because I distrust my friends or other readers。 Instead， it's because I need to feel a work of art on a personal level to praise it so highly。 So that which moves others might not always move me。 However， after reading the synopsis， I was intrigued by the premise of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke。 I purchased the book， and finished it in a single reading session with my cat and dog snuggling beside me。 This brief novella is perhaps the most exciting horror story I've read in years。ThemeI was impressed by the pacing of this story。 Though told in an epistolary format， LaRocca incorporates exposition in the form of small anecdotes from each character， particularly Agnes。 Each element feels intentionally incorporated to develop theme。 I consider myself primarily a theme reader。 I love looking at each story element as serving the theme or themes of a project。 It's what Palahniuk would call the "horses" of a story， each racing towards a particular theme。 Every section of this novel built on themes of control and domination， and each element felt meticulously reincorporated。 CatharsisIt's been ages since I've read a book that explores the complicated emotions surrounding kink。 I think it's a thematically rich world。 I felt the character portrayals were sympathetic， and I never felt that any of the characters were represented in callous or exploitative ways。 Kink was not presented as inherently scary， but instead as something that is emotionally complex and dependent upon the emotional profiles of its participants。 I mention the idea of catharsis —perhaps I've been a horror fan too long — because I think some works of horror can go to such extreme depths that they strike a deeper nerve and connect with something powerful。NihilismOne of my favorite works of art is the audio performance of "I Have a Very Special Plan for This World。" It's a long poem written by Thomas Ligotti and performed by the incredibly talented David Tibet， and set to a nightmare soundscape。 Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke reminded me of this poem in the feelings it evoked and the nihilistic themes it explored。 There was a dream sequence that gave me chills and made me think what an incredible audio performance this book could be。ConclusionOver the past few years， I've become increasingly burned out on horror。 I've felt that many of the same themes were being recycled。 New releases would feel like facsimiles of novels that already existed。 Recently， I've been excited to discover new horror authors I feel are pushing the boundaries of conventional horror。 I'm so excited to see what Eric LaRocca does next， because this novella amazed me。 。。。more
Sharon Dwyer
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I am not sure how to rate this novella。 It begins and ends with an apple peeler and is the story of two women who meet online and the dark and twisted turns their relationship takes。 The twists this story takes are outside anything that I would have imagined。。。 almost too far outside reality （maybe I am just really naive）。 I loved the premise and how it is told in the form of emails and instant messages as part of a police report。 I can usually handle disturbing， but there were a few scenes that I am not sure how to rate this novella。 It begins and ends with an apple peeler and is the story of two women who meet online and the dark and twisted turns their relationship takes。 The twists this story takes are outside anything that I would have imagined。。。 almost too far outside reality （maybe I am just really naive）。 I loved the premise and how it is told in the form of emails and instant messages as part of a police report。 I can usually handle disturbing， but there were a few scenes that were over the top for me。 I also think that this could have been a longer story。。。 I wanted more about the two women involved in this bizarre relationship。 And while I am usually good with sudden or incomplete endings， I felt that like the brakes were hard stopped。 I am a huge fan of Eric's and fell in love with Starving Ghosts in Every Thread。。。 it isn't that I didn't like it。。。 I just wasn't in love with it like I wanted to be。 。。。more
Theo
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3 and a half stars， rounded up because I enjoyed the premise。 I was left wishing that this was built up over a longer period of time perhaps， or that maybe we saw more of how these two people came to their。。。intense feelings so fast。 （view spoiler）[ Start to finish， this relationship spans just shy of three months。 I think the ending could've been more impactful if I had more time to really understand these two characters as people instead of shells of people。 That said， the ending still packs a 3 and a half stars， rounded up because I enjoyed the premise。 I was left wishing that this was built up over a longer period of time perhaps， or that maybe we saw more of how these two people came to their。。。intense feelings so fast。 （view spoiler）[ Start to finish， this relationship spans just shy of three months。 I think the ending could've been more impactful if I had more time to really understand these two characters as people instead of shells of people。 That said， the ending still packs a punch and I'll be thinking about it for a while。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Leesa
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Very much disappointed。 The reviews made me think this was going to be a a story with twists and characters who were interesting/relatable， but it was just trauma porn
Alyssa
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I don't know how to rate this because I don't know wtf I just read I don't know how to rate this because I don't know wtf I just read 。。。more
Shannon
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Body Horror。 Yes。A modern epistolary。 Yes。Short fiction。 Yes。Gore。 Yes。The only thing I wish I could have had was more。 I wish it was just a bit more fleshed out。 I also will say I didn't find the two characters to have distinct enough voices。 Their manners of "speech" were so similar， yet too distinct to feel authentic。On the whole though， this graphic bit of horror can be read in one unsettling sitting， and if this genre is typically your bag， I definitely recommend。4/5 Body Horror。 Yes。A modern epistolary。 Yes。Short fiction。 Yes。Gore。 Yes。The only thing I wish I could have had was more。 I wish it was just a bit more fleshed out。 I also will say I didn't find the two characters to have distinct enough voices。 Their manners of "speech" were so similar， yet too distinct to feel authentic。On the whole though， this graphic bit of horror can be read in one unsettling sitting， and if this genre is typically your bag， I definitely recommend。4/5 。。。more
Ryan
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Gritty and disturbing。 I really enjoyed this brief read。 The two main characters are troubled and believable in the way their desires feed off one another in a vicious cycle of depravity。 In some ways， I wish it hadn't been written in epistolary format， because the prose is so vivid that it broke my suspension of disbelief that emails would be written in such a way。 That's a minor quibble， though， and speaks to how great the writing is。 Well worth picking this one up。 Gritty and disturbing。 I really enjoyed this brief read。 The two main characters are troubled and believable in the way their desires feed off one another in a vicious cycle of depravity。 In some ways， I wish it hadn't been written in epistolary format， because the prose is so vivid that it broke my suspension of disbelief that emails would be written in such a way。 That's a minor quibble， though， and speaks to how great the writing is。 Well worth picking this one up。 。。。more
Laila Aisha
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I wish I never read this。
Robert Hill
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It made me want to vomit。 In a good way。 I think。。。 I need a hug。
Juan Valencia
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Queer misery porn with nothing particularly important or momentous to say。 Reads very fast and was pretty entertaining。 Its biggest obstacle is that it attempts to be grandiose and impactful， with gnostic and Biblical symbolism about sacrifice and rebirth to spare， but it mostly only jabs at the reader with the blunt tools of cheap shock theatrics。 The ending was （unintentionally？） hilarious， a la Matthew Stokoe， and yet its refusal to embrace its absurdity was quite infuriating。 I didn’t react Queer misery porn with nothing particularly important or momentous to say。 Reads very fast and was pretty entertaining。 Its biggest obstacle is that it attempts to be grandiose and impactful， with gnostic and Biblical symbolism about sacrifice and rebirth to spare， but it mostly only jabs at the reader with the blunt tools of cheap shock theatrics。 The ending was （unintentionally？） hilarious， a la Matthew Stokoe， and yet its refusal to embrace its absurdity was quite infuriating。 I didn’t react much except with a nonplussed chuckle here and there， surely the kind Dennis Cooper would let out at having to witness the exact kind of “economical transgression” he always set out to push back against with his truly troubling writing。 2 stars for readability and mild entertainment。Also， note to self: This is the last time I buy a book at the “As seen on TikTok” display at B&N。 。。。more
Charlotte Anderson
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That escalated quickly
Abbey
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This was a super fun （yet unsettling） read。 According to Apple books I read it in about 95 minutes so it was a pretty fast read。 I really loved the style of writing with the emails and dms back and forth between Zoe and Agnes！（view spoiler）[The main premise of the book is two lesbians in a dom/sub/sugar mommy online relationship。 The 'dom' Zoe， tries to push the 'sub' Agnes to her limits， and when Agnes begins to comply very willingly Zoe backs off the relationship。 The scenes with the salamande This was a super fun （yet unsettling） read。 According to Apple books I read it in about 95 minutes so it was a pretty fast read。 I really loved the style of writing with the emails and dms back and forth between Zoe and Agnes！（view spoiler）[The main premise of the book is two lesbians in a dom/sub/sugar mommy online relationship。 The 'dom' Zoe， tries to push the 'sub' Agnes to her limits， and when Agnes begins to comply very willingly Zoe backs off the relationship。 The scenes with the salamander and the rotting meat literally made my stomach churn such great writing！ I'm also pretty confused by the ending， from what I gather Agnes eats the tapeworm as well as peels out her eyes？ I wish a teeny bit more detail was put into that scene。My biggest gripe is that the relationship seemed to move so fast， but I do understand it's a novella so you can only really fit so much in that short amount of time。 There were also times where I felt that the immersion in the year 2000 was a bit broken。（hide spoiler）]Overall the book was a quick read， and I love the representation （even if it was a pretty awful relationship！） 。。。more
Brenda Rodriguez
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literally what the fuck
Philip Fracassi
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This is a powerful little book。 An epistolary tale about two women each seeking comfort in different ways， and the disturbing lengths they'll each go to in trying to achieve it。 This is not a book for the squeamish， but what makes it truly frightening is how believable it all really is。 Also， I'll never look at an apple peeler the same way again。Recommended for readers with strong stomachs， or--more seriously--for something completely original， which is rare these days。 This is a powerful little book。 An epistolary tale about two women each seeking comfort in different ways， and the disturbing lengths they'll each go to in trying to achieve it。 This is not a book for the squeamish， but what makes it truly frightening is how believable it all really is。 Also， I'll never look at an apple peeler the same way again。Recommended for readers with strong stomachs， or--more seriously--for something completely original， which is rare these days。 。。。more
Coy Hall
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So many reviews attacking the author， but how can a reader know an author's intentions？ How can a reader know who an author really is by their social media presence？ Only LaRocca knows their identity and intentions。I want to judge the work alone here。This novella is a work of art。 It's disturbing and beautifully written。 It leaves a mark that doesn't quickly fade。 A brutal story and a quick read。 I finished it in a couple hours。 It stayed on my mind as I went to sleep。 It was on my mind the next So many reviews attacking the author， but how can a reader know an author's intentions？ How can a reader know who an author really is by their social media presence？ Only LaRocca knows their identity and intentions。I want to judge the work alone here。This novella is a work of art。 It's disturbing and beautifully written。 It leaves a mark that doesn't quickly fade。 A brutal story and a quick read。 I finished it in a couple hours。 It stayed on my mind as I went to sleep。 It was on my mind the next morning。 What more can you ask for from a book？ 。。。more
Laertes
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Okay。 Imagine you are in a class for creative writing - and the teacher gives you the following writing prompt:"The protagonist wants to sell an apple peeler。"This is the beginning of Eric LaRoccas novella 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Met'。 And believe it or not - what follows is some of the darkest and bleakest stuff I have read in a while。And yet， in its core， it is a story about much more than that: it's about acceptance， loneliness， the search for kindness and sense， dependency， a Okay。 Imagine you are in a class for creative writing - and the teacher gives you the following writing prompt:"The protagonist wants to sell an apple peeler。"This is the beginning of Eric LaRoccas novella 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Met'。 And believe it or not - what follows is some of the darkest and bleakest stuff I have read in a while。And yet， in its core， it is a story about much more than that: it's about acceptance， loneliness， the search for kindness and sense， dependency， and even love。The book belongs to the epistolary genre， meaning 'letter novel'， but in a broader sense: it consists mainly of mails and chats， presented as - partially redacted - documents of a pending court case。All in all， I found the book not only to be atmospheric， dreadful and suspensful， but also relevant， so I recommend it to everyone who doesn't shy away from looking into the abyss。 But be warned: the abyss might look back。 。。。more
vanessa nicole
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let’s go lesbians！！！
Kate
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I would definitely suggest purchasing a physical copy as opposed to e-reading this one。 I felt like I had fallen down a Reddit rabbit hole instead of picked up a sick and twisty， punchy novella。 It's finishes very quickly and feels even more so when read on a screen。 As a queer woman， the "sad， lonely lesbian" trope felt a bit contrived and heavy-handed， but overall， I enjoyed it。 Surprisingly， it kept me thinking about what I'd just read for as long as it took me to read it。 I would definitely suggest purchasing a physical copy as opposed to e-reading this one。 I felt like I had fallen down a Reddit rabbit hole instead of picked up a sick and twisty， punchy novella。 It's finishes very quickly and feels even more so when read on a screen。 As a queer woman， the "sad， lonely lesbian" trope felt a bit contrived and heavy-handed， but overall， I enjoyed it。 Surprisingly， it kept me thinking about what I'd just read for as long as it took me to read it。 。。。more
Meghan
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4。5。 The ending was a tiny bit too quick。 Otherwise， what a fucking gut punch。
romy
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what。 the。 hell。 i have never been so disgusted while reading， i don’t even know how i’m gonna sleep tonight if i keep thinking about this trigger warnings for this book : gore， body horror， murder， parasite infection （tapeworm）， animal death/animal cruelty， blood
Dave Brown
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I’m rating this highly yet in no way am recommending it to any close friends or family。 This book was incredibly disgusting。 Just filthy。 Twisted。 Depressing。 That said。。。It was a unique reading experience。 I didn’t think a human mind could put such thoughts together， let alone throw them readably onto a page。 This is the story if an early-internet chat room relationship which takes some frigging twisted turns。 It might make you vomit。 It won’t make you forget。 If that sounds like your thing， fi I’m rating this highly yet in no way am recommending it to any close friends or family。 This book was incredibly disgusting。 Just filthy。 Twisted。 Depressing。 That said。。。It was a unique reading experience。 I didn’t think a human mind could put such thoughts together， let alone throw them readably onto a page。 This is the story if an early-internet chat room relationship which takes some frigging twisted turns。 It might make you vomit。 It won’t make you forget。 If that sounds like your thing， fire away。 。。。more
Vivienne Parent
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This was a really quick read， only 68 pages on my Kobo。 Two women meet in an online chat room， and they enter a Sponsor/Drudge relationship （Master/Slave）。 I would have liked for the story to be a little more fleshed out so we could really understand Zoe and Agnes。 They were interesting characters， and I was itching to know more about them。 Some of the descriptions were disgusting， but didn’t shake me to my core。 I would read another story by this author。
Elizabeth
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I don’t understand what I’ve just read。 I don’t understand who this is for。 It was profoundly disturbing。
Jessie
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This was so fucked up， I don’t even know how to rate it。This novella is so reliant on lesbian suffering and when it’s this traumatic and sad it feels gratuitous。 Giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because it did keep my attention。 The author is a good writer; the story is engrossing。 I read it all in one sitting - I just wish I hadn’t。
Bee Dorothy
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