**3.5 out of 5 Star Review: This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca**

*This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances* by Eric LaRocca is a dark and unsettling collection of four stories that dive deep into the grotesque and the disturbing. LaRocca has a distinct style that fans of his previous works will recognize immediately, blending raw emotion with gruesome imagery to create tales that are both haunting and thought-provoking.

**Thoughts:**
The collection opens with the titular story, *This Skin Was Once Mine*, where we follow a woman returning to her childhood home after her father’s death. The narrative is steeped in themes of self-loathing, body horror, and family trauma, and it’s clear that LaRocca is a master at weaving these elements together. The story is intensely dark, with layers of subtext that leave the reader questioning what is real and what is imagined. However, the portrayal of the protagonist’s relationship with her father might be difficult for some readers, as it delves into uncomfortable and triggering territory.

The second story, *Seedling*, explores grief and the complicated dynamics between father and son in a way that is both symbolic and brutally literal. While the concept is intriguing, the execution left me feeling a bit unsure about the ending, which veers into the surreal and gruesome, perhaps a little too suddenly.

*All the Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn* shifts in tone, reading almost like a modern-day parable. The narrative is strange and unsettling, with a story that feels more like a dark fairy tale than the visceral horror of the previous entries. It’s an interesting departure, though it might not resonate with everyone, especially those who are sensitive to trypophobia, as this story features some unsettling imagery.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find the final story, *Prickle*, as compelling, and it was the only one I didn’t finish. It seemed to lack the same intensity and intrigue as the others, which was disappointing.

**Final Thoughts:**
*This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances* is a solid collection for horror readers who enjoy tales of body horror, trauma, and emotional turmoil. While not every story hit the mark for me, the collection is worth reading for the standout moments of discomfort and dread that LaRocca excels at creating. However, if you’re looking for something that breaks away from LaRocca’s established formula, you might find yourself wanting a bit more variety in both theme and execution.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Fans of LaRocca’s previous work will find plenty to appreciate here, but newcomers might want to brace themselves for the heavy themes and intense content.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I appreciated this small collection of short stories. They are all vastly different to one another with the core theme being horror. The morals and decisions that the characters make in this book are awful but to be expected. I felt like each story was entertaining in itself and gives you a taste of LaRocca's writing style. I do feel like it left something to be desired. I would read more of LaRocca's books.

LaRocca's short story collections always make me want to crawl out of my skin while simultaneously having the best time reading it. While I found the first story to be a little too long and it kind of threw my momentum off a bit, overall I still really enjoyed my time with this and definitely recommend it to lovers of their previous work. Thank you Netgalley and Titan books for my review copy!

Creepy, gorey and fantastically written. I couldn't put this book down, and was desperate to see what happened next.

Really decent set of stories. I’ve read most of what Eric Larocca has put out, and these were more of the same writing. Some tough, dark, emotional stories! He’s a favorite!

Eric LaRocca’s This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is a collection of four dark, haunting, and psychologically intense stories that delve into the human condition with visceral, emotional precision. This collection is a testament to LaRocca’s ability to blend horror with deep, introspective themes.

The titular story, "This Skin Was Once Mine," follows Jillian as she returns to her childhood home after her father's death. The narrative is non-linear, exploring her struggles with mental health and the complicated relationship with her estranged mother. The story intricately weaves themes of identity, grief, and self-discovery, making it both heart-wrenching and compelling.

"Seedling" presents a chilling exploration of grief, depicting a father and son who are physically and emotionally affected by a wound that symbolizes their overwhelming loss. The story's vivid, haunting imagery captures the relentless and consuming nature of grief, although it sometimes feels a bit too on-the-nose compared to the other tales in the collection​.

In "All the Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn," LaRocca delves into themes of body horror and self-discovery through the story of Enoch, who finds a disturbing yet life-affirming kink. The story's blend of horror and introspection is both riveting and unsettling, exploring how pain and pleasure intertwine in the human experience​.

"Prickle" closes the collection with the story of two men who rediscover a sinister pleasure in tormenting others. The protagonists are complex and unlikable, yet LaRocca’s storytelling makes their motivations disturbingly understandable, creating a narrative that is as engaging as it is horrifying.

LaRocca’s writing is marked by its emotional depth and unsettling atmosphere. His stories are not just about horror but about the human experiences and traumas that lie beneath. While some stories may feel less assured than others, the collection as a whole is a powerful exploration of the darker sides of human nature.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is a must-read for fans of psychological and extreme horror. LaRocca’s ability to evoke deep emotional responses through his dark narratives makes this collection both a challenging and rewarding read.

Don't read it at night or if you're feeling nervous because it's grippping, disturbing, and excellent.
Four stories, four different type of horror that brings to face ancestral fears, monsters, and your own fears.
Great job, the right type of disturbing read if you want something that will shake your mind.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Reader beware: this is a disturbing and devastating collection of four tales. Each one is unsettling in different ways--whether it is cosmic horror, body horror, or psychological suspense. Reading this is like peeling back layer after layer of terror....and you are in LaRocca's hands. What works so well is that with each story, you are also being peeled back to gaze at the darkest recesses of the human being and the human condition. A dazzling and disturbing offering from one of horror's most underrated writers.

3.5 stars for the overall collection

I love reading Eric LaRocca every summer. I have picked up a novella or short story collection by him for the last 4 years. It's a summer thing for me. I was so excited to pick this one up after rereading They Were Here Before Us (which is my personal collection from him). This is a four-novella collection and they are in the theme of snakes- shedding their skin to become new. Some of the stories are more obvious with their snake imagery like the title story, and others are more sinister or unsettling. As per all Eric LaRocca, this collection is not for the faint of heart and all his publisher even asked him to have a trigger warning page at the start (which I appreciated because the opening story is brutal).

Here are my star ratings:
5 stars: The Skin Was Once Mine
4 stars: Seedlings
3 stars: Prickle
2 stars: All The Parts of You That Won't Burn Easily

In all honesty, the only story I'm riding for is The Skin Was Once Mine because that was a phenomenal and unsettling story. Definitely stomach-churning, but visually, thematically, and horrifically stunning and gripping.

I sadly didn't like this horror short story collection as much as I've enjoyed some of LaRocca's other works.

I really liked the second short story, as that one leant into abstract horror and grief. I think LaRocca's strength is in their abstract horror.

The others felt a lot more stilted and dry in terms of writing style. And stylistically, that didn't work for me.

They also leaned into shock factor instead of developing a more deep rooted sense of horror, so it felt ineffective as a result.

For some of them I didn't really believe people would make the choices the characters did, which also made them harder to appreciate.

This book, like most of LaRoccas, is a series of short stories that are disturbing, unsettling and grotesque in a way only LaRocca seems to be able to pull off. I absoluetley loved the first three stories, and felt that the last one *(Prickle) was a little lacking. I'm not sure what it was specifically about it, but it felt somewhat rushed and a bit shallow, especially compared to the other three. I think I needed to just.. know more about the two, for me to really care what was happening. All together another fantastic collection from LaRocca, can't wait to read more from him in the future.

This Skin Was Once Mine: 5 ⭐️'s
Seedling: 4 1/2 ⭐️s
All the Parts of You That Won't Burn Easily: 5 ⭐️'s
Prickle: 3 1/2 ⭐️'s

Real rating: 3.5 - 4🖤

I haven’t read a proper horror in some time so this compilation of tales really hit the spot. Creepy and unsettling, but in the best possible ways. These stories will definitely stick with you and I’m excited to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

I really enjoyed the first short story in this collection - “This Skin Was Once Mine.” The others were just okay and left me wanting to go back to the first story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Eric LaRocca, and Titan Books for the opportunity to read and review an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've enjoyed everything I've read from Eric LaRocca and this was certainly no exception. The stories are, while not out right scary, certainly chilling and always get under my skin in a way that I can't stop thinking about. The titular story especially stood out to me in this group. This collection has some nice twists and like any collection of short stories, some titles were better than others, but I thought they were all good. It's perhaps not as strong as some of his other collections, but still a nice addition to a horror collection.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Eric LaRocca is indeed an acquired taste. I really enjoyed Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, but I have come to realise that I loved that because I hadn’t read anything like it before. The writing is clever and authentic, but sometimes it is over complicated. It really doesn’t need to because LaRocca’s storytelling is strong enough on its own merit.

Each story felt like it dragged on unnecessarily. I found myself glancing at my watch and dreading picking it back up after a break, never a good sign. The stories did make you think in a kind of philosophical way but I wasn’t at all scared, which I need to feel in a horror story.

This was good as a sampler of an author’s work but I just didn’t love this, the way I thought I would. It makes me wonder if we have just seen this type of work from him before. There was nothing different. No ground broken. I was disappointed as I felt this was a mediocre collection at best.

I obviously love and adore Eric LaRocca’s work and will bend over backwards for each new release. With that being said, this collection fell a little flat for me.

I wanted “This Skin Was Once Mine” to end on a harder note than it did. I will admit I needed to tap out of “Seedling” because of my anxiety around the topic in general. “All The Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn” was a solid story but I still felt the pacing was a little off. The final story “Prickle” just didn’t hold my attention at all.

Now, of the four “All the Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn” gave me an Eyes Wide Shut vibe combined with the “wtf” vibe of a very specific moment in the film adaptation of Audition (iykyk).

Either way, this one didn’t do it for me, but I still adore the author to the end.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is a collection of four horror stories that identify grief, trauma, and desperation. All four stories are thrilling and I had to take breaks after each short story to collect my thoughts before diving headfirst into the next terror. Eric LaRocca knows how to title a book and keep the readers attention with all the twists and turns he masterfully throws our way. My only issue with this book is the dialogue between characters. It was somewhat lacking to me, but I understand this is just my preference.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC!

I couldn’t get through this one at ALL. I was sooo excited for it and it just fell so very flat :( The premise behind each story was fascinating but when it came down to the actual stories they were a bit cringey and felt like they were trying to be visceral as opposed to actually being really hard hitting

This was alright. A quick spooky read - 4 different short stories. All a little unhinged and odd, which is what I expected given the title, blurb, cover, and everything else. Most of these generally involved some form of body horror - so if you're not big on that, maybe check TWs.

Story 1 - Shocking, jarring, stockholm syndrome ft. grief, unhinged, with an odd sense of justice.

Story 2 - Another look at grief, bizarre, ominous and very evocative.

Story 3 - Will make you wince but also impossible to put down

Story 4 - A horrifying game that gets more and more sinister

Nothing particularly memorable but if you just want something short and unsettling I'd say to give it a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC!

"The worst thing someone can do to you after they've hurt you is to let you live."

THIS SKIN WAS ONCE MINE AND OTHER STORIES by @eric_larocca is a compilation of four short horror stories and in true LaRocca fashion, my skin did not actually feel like mine at times as the stories crept under and made it squirm!

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @titanbooks for the e-ARC.

Three of these four stories were very compelling, jarring or otherwise memorable, while one was just ok. Synopsis and my thoughts for each:

💥THIS SKIN WAS ONCE MINE - a young woman returns to her affluent family home after the death of her father to confront her dying mother...things don't go according to plan. This one was particularly icky to me as it involves danger noodles🐍 which are a no go for me, dawg!

💥SEEDLING - this was definitely grief horror but just didn't quite work for me.

💥ALL THE PARTS OF YOU THAT WON'T EASILY BURN - a man gets sucked into a strange cult where strangers ritualistically create minor fissures in their skin and introduce pieces of glass... This one is my favorite I think and a few scenes are still living rent free in my brain!

💥PRICKLE - old gentlemen friends meet up and play an old game of inflicting minor pains on unsuspecting strangers until the game takes a turn...I was kinda bored with this one at first but when things started picking up the tension was palpable!

As an FYI, these are heavy on the body horror so if that is not your thing, consider this a trigger warning!