“You Follow Wherever They Go”—1.5/5 stars
Not off to a great start. This story really did nothing for me and I’m not sure what the point of it was. It was also very short, and I’ve noticed that the shorter the short story, the less likely I am to like it.
“Bodies Are for Burning”—3/5 stars
This story definitely has tense undertones, and the author writes it in a way where you feel kind of nervous and worried for the character the whole time. I thought it was well-written and an interesting concept. Enjoyment-wise it was middle-of-the-road for me though.
“The Strange Thing We Become”—4/5 stars
I enjoyed the forum-post style this story was told in. It was counting down to an event, giving it that ominous air of something gone horribly wrong but you don’t know yet what happened. This story was sad but also compelling. I think I liked it.
“The Trees Grew Because I Bled There”—4/5 stars
Well if that wasn’t the most disturbing story I’ve ever read. It definitely goes head to head with “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke,” but I really don’t know which one was more egregious. This story was creepy and unsettling, evoking feelings of imminent disgust and ominous dread lingering in the distance. Definitely worth a read for any body horror fans out there.
“You’re Not Supposed to Be Here”—3.5/5 stars
I didn’t particularly enjoy most of this story, but it had a very impactful ending. The ending completely threw me for a loop and made me rethink the whole of the story up to that point, which I think is the mark of a twist done well. This story will definitely stick with me.
“Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass”—2/5 stars
This story ventures into some animal-themed horror. All of LaRocca’s stories that I’ve read have interesting concepts and masterful executions, but not all of them are enjoyable for me to read, and this is one of those. I don’t love reading about kidnapping as that is a truly terrifying concept to me, and this narrative bordered on that. I’m not totally sure what the point of this story was or what the title is referring to, either.
“I’ll Be Gone by Then”—3.5/5 stars
Starts out as a pretty normal story with a few morbid moments throughout, but then concludes with an eerie and unsettling ending that kind of turns the nature of the narrative on its head. I liked this story, but didn’t love it.
“Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You”—4/5 stars
This wasn’t horror, just kind of sad and maybe a little uncomfortable to read, but not horror by any means (as far as I can tell). I enjoyed the story, but this is one where I don’t fully understand the implications of the ending. The romantic in me also wished for a different outcome.
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