I'm definitely in the minority on this one but I was a little bored? I expected to rush through this as I loved 'Things Have Gotten Worse' but I struggled to motivate myself to carry on with this.

'This Skin was Once Mine' was very compelling and definitely the best of the bunch. As with all of LaRocca's stories, it was depraved and twisted while also being elegantly written and compelling.
'Seedling' was depressing but didn't grab me.
'All the Parts of You That Won't Easily Burn' was brilliant. It made me cringe and squirm the whole time and was very graphic.
'Prickle' was the worst of the bunch and if I hadn't already been on the last story I would have DNF'd.

LaRocca warns readers before they start that this is going to be graphic so they can check trigger warnings and I urge anyone reading this to do the same. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC! I’m a huge fan of Eric’s so when I got approved for their new stories I was beyond excited.

These are four tantalizing short stories that are written in LaRocca’s truly dark prose. If you’ve read anything by them in the past, you know what I mean. There is plenty of mentions of grief and pain, as well as a looming dread in all the stories. Like in Eric’s past stories, these are filled with plenty of body horror and gore.

I’d say my favorite story was This Skin Was Once Mine, but I can say I enjoyed all them!

Four short stories.
Gothic style literary horror.
Gruesome. Intriguing. Disturbing.

I’m not a big short story fan, but I will read the ones Eric LaRocca writes!

The book starts with a lengthy warning about unsettling material, which is intriguing and well-warranted.

This is not a book you can binge-read in one sitting. Each story sits in you like a stone. The characters weigh on you, making you put down the book after reading a piece and deal with the unsettling feeling they leave you with. Authentic literature makes you feel things, and it takes a unique perspective to bring the reader to an uncomfortable place, such as this book does.

Each story was a true stand-alone short story, but they tied together enough not to feel disconnected. The order of the short stories was perfect. My favorite story was This Skin Was Once Mine, mainly because I prefer longer short stories that can tie in more character history and details. I also really enjoyed Prickle. With every short story collection I find, one usually falls as the most forgettable, and that was Seedling for me. It didn’t feel as strong as the other three stories.

Overall, it was terrific writing. Eric has always been a great writer but is getting even better with every book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Titan Books, for the ARC of This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca. All opinions are my own.

#ThisSkinWasOnceMineandOtherDisturbances #NetGalley #ARC #Horror

ARC provided by NetGalley

Wow. I usually write reviews immediately after finishing a book, but I briefly considered letting this one sink in for a few days first.

If you begin this book and wonder if the warnings in the beginning are truly needed, trust me that they are. Please heed the warnings and check all trigger warnings for these stories.

That being said, these tales were truly depraved. LaRocca's writing has a way of propelling the reader onward, however, almost causing you to lean into the depravity. I was shocked on many occasions through this book and just when I assumed the next story would fall flat compared to the last, I was proven wrong.

If you are a fan of LaRocca's previous work, this is surely one you won't want to miss.

The writing is very good, but the stories were lackluster and quite boring. All the Parts of You started out good before going down a silly path that had me giggling at the pure corniness of its direction. None of the stories were scary, they were just dull.

Thank you for giving me this arc. This is my first Eric LaRocca book and I am impressed. The writing is absolutely incredible—captivating.

Each story was more disturbing and grotesque.

Highly recommend to read!!

Another captivating and gruesome collection of writing from the standout horror author Eric LaRocca. Each story presents its own unique set of attributes and horror tropes. While some lean more heavily into psychological horror or body horror, others explore the emotional depths of grief and abuse. Throughout LaRocca's stories, a variety of queer protagonists take center stage highlighting the importance of inclusion and representation in horror fiction. Please read the author's trigger warnings before diving into this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC!

Once you’ve read an Eric LaRocca book you have an idea of what you’re getting, without ever REALLY knowing what is coming next. I am serious when I say do check the trigger warnings for this book. Really. Do.

Another amazing set of short stories from LaRocca, the first This Skin Was Once Mine will stay with me for a long time, a dark disturbing twisting tale about family, what we imagine our childhood to be & what actually happened. As is often the case with short story collections I always love some more than others (the final story Prickle was my least favourite of the four stories presented here) but all were chilling & exquisitely written.

I believe at this point, I"ve read all of LaRocca's work and I'm always intrigued by the different concepts and new horrors they produce in all of their works. This collection was 50/50 for me. The first two stories were okay but the last two stories packed a punch for me. I think LaRocca has a special ability to write horror diversely, some of it will hit your horror spot and some might not but the ones that do are memorable.

This is my third time with a LaRocca story and it’s impossible to ignore the formula. LaRocca books are unmistakably LaRocca books.
Long evocative titles, queer protagonists, and neo-gothic, emotionally gutting tales of terrible thing s people do to themselves and each other. it would get tiresome, was he not so good.
Not faultless, mind you. There is a certain pomposity to the prose that could reigned in, the high school goth sensibility that occasionally shines through, but overall, the author’s stories (overall and these ones in particular) are literary, deep, and visceral in a way that ought to appeal to thinking horror fans.
Beware, these tales are nasty in the way that they expose humanity at its ugliest and most disturbing (as the title promises). You may want to prepare or pace yourself. The author wants you to in an elaborate trigger caution of a preface. These are not the tales for the delicate of mind. LaRocca may overwrite, but he will unsettle.
Overall, an interesting collection of nightmares. Thanks Netgalley.

4.5 stars

Eric LaRocca is a horror poet and genius. His prose is so stunning it’s hard not to get lost in his stories. Everything he has ever written is so unusual and unique and beautifully horrific.

In this book we have 4 short stories, dealing with grief, loneliness, trauma, and so much more. Eric approaches the subjects with care and understanding.
I’m not sure how he is able to make the most grotesque imagery also beautiful, but he does it time and again.
This has now become my favorite of his short story books, as he just keeps growing as an author with each of his works.

I am mostly disappointed when I read horror books but Eric LaRocca is incredible. His short stories are captivating and really disturbing. I love that the theme of this collection is obsession. So far I loved all of his collections because I think of his stories long after reading them which is always a sign that the book was great.

while this was not my favorite of his collections (that distinction still goes to they were here before us), this was absolutely larocca’s most unique and unexpected collection. dripping with gothic imagery and visceral descriptors, macabre tales that ooze vintage style under their contemporary coats, this collection STUNNED me. these four stories, all meditated on themes of loss and grief, couldn’t be more different in tone and denouement, but i loved them all for different reasons.

the title story, “this skin was once mine,” had shirley jackson vibes and the most gothic feel for me. the setting was superb and the minute details just helped to show the juxtaposition between the beautiful and the repulsive. also, that ENDING! totally threw me for a loop and was utterly shocked.

“seedlings” is the quietest piece in this collection because it lacks larocca’s trademark grotesquerie in favor of something a bit more cosmic, but it actually ended up being my favorite. the body horror imagery in this one was stellar and while the ending in this one was a bit more predictable, i still found it to be such a fulfilling piece.

“all the parts of you that won’t easily burn” possesses a timeless quality that had me feeling like the story was taking place in the modern age and the 19th century simultaneously—goes to show that level of depravity transcends eras. definitely the grossest, most violent of the collection but also was the most fun, peculiar and bizarre in all the right ways.

“prickle” was my least favorite in the collection, but i may chalk that up to length, as it was one of the shorter pieces. still the premise was so interesting and those final couple of pages had my jaw dropped.

all in all, another 5/5 for larocca. he never misses on these collections. really knows how to tailor stories to a theme, throw in the most egregious ideas, and make it all sound like poetry at the end.

I'm a huge fan of Eric's writing and I am always shocked by how quickly his stories suck me in. I could not put this down once I started reading it. I felt compelled to read it in one sitting - it was that good! His short stories are my favorite work by him and I though this was a really lovely collection.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is certainly disturbing! This was my first time reading Eric LaRocca and I’ve been left feeling intrigued, but also like it wasn’t totally for me. I didn’t love the first story in this collection, but thankfully from there things improved a bit. All The Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn in particular was so strange and unsettling. Overall the collection was decent, but just not totally to my taste.

Certainly not for everyone but God did I love it. Very dark and twisted. If you know LaRocca then you understand, if you don't well, might be the time to know him!

Eric LaRocca is surely cementing himself as a prolific horror writer with a true talent for shocking revelations. All 4 short stories left me picking my jaw up from the floor in horror, excitement and bewilderment.

'This Skin Was Once Mine', the opening story and book's namesake, is the longest and most compelling story within the collection. It is 74 pages that radiate with tension, discomfort and depravity. A daughter banished from her childhood home returns after the death of her father and uncovers horrific family secrets. LaRocca forces you to revel in the uncomfortable capabilities of the truly evil, and what constitutes an 'evil' person.

'Seedling' is an astute observation on the debilitating effects of loss. A son loses his mother and returns to his devastated father, bound together by their grief and fear of losing touch with one another. This is a hard read for anyone who has experienced profound loss, especially of a parent. A haunting, deeply metaphorical tale with a sadness that lingers after finishing the chapter.

'All The Parts of You That Won’t Burn Easily' is the penultimate short story. LaRocca commands the English language with such beautiful descriptions without sacrificing clarity or plot. A gruesome depiction of obsession, self-harm and control, you will have some vivid imagery floating behind your irises before bedtime.

'Prickle' is a stunning representation of the human experience. In a sick game, two elderly men perform acts of cruelty onto unbeknownst strangers. Readers are swept into the role of voyeur, sensing the rising tension of impending doom, yet all we can do is read on. All we can do is finish the closing chapter and sigh.

My only criticism is the repetition of some language and phrasing. Perhaps this small issue can be rectified before official publication.

Overall, this collection is a remarkable success and I cannot wait to see it hit the shelves. Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books and Eric LaRocca for the ARC.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca will coil itself around you, sink its fangs in, and leave you a hollow shell of yourself. These stories are ruinous to your psyche and emotional state, but arresting in their beauty and execution. I’ve never been so repulsed yet completely enamored with the written word until I read LaRocca, the master of body horror and a must-have on your shelf.

4.5/5 A disturbing, visceral short story horror collection that brings you deep into obsession, then abandons you at the height of terror.

This short story collection revolves around the theme of obsession and how far someone will go to attain their infatuation or hide their dependency. The stories are all really accessible, no matter if you are a hardened horror fan or just want to dip your toe into the horror genre, you might find your new obsession here.

When I think about a typical story format I think of a mountain shape, where the drama or horror peaks, and the author slowly lets us down with a conclusion. What makes Eric LaRocca's stories resonate far beyond when we close the book is that he doesn't bring us down the mountain. He dutifully guides us to the top, and then leaves us at the height of the horror. Our characters get no redemption, and we, as readers, are left with nowhere safe to turn. It's a really compelling format, and kept me reading consistently until I finished the whole book.

The first story, 'This Skin was Once Mine', is the one that rooted deep in my mind and didn't leave. Our main character and her parents have a complicated, opaque relationship that kept me guessing about who our 'good' character was. However, as I quickly learned, no one is as boring as 'good' or 'evil' in Eric LaRocca's books. which is what makes them even more terrifying. These characters seem like decent people I would see sitting on a park bench, or working behind the counter in a local shop, and I'd never suspect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this advanced reader copy.

This book is best read with all the lights on, in the middle of the day. If your partner enters your house covered in blood with a new 'pet', best to not ask too many questions.

SNAP! This is the fastest I've finished a book, I think. Like ever. I am so thankful to Titan Books, Netgalley, and Eric LaRocca for granting me advanced digital access to this terribly horrid and darkly comical collection of stories before this baby hits shelves on April 2, 2024.

Eric LaRocca has DONE IT AGAIN, folks. Strap in for some ULTIMATE BODY HORROR and familial trauma that bites more than it barks, with buried secrets galore. There are four stories and you'll have yourselves struggling to process the aftermath of each narrative, one after the other, but in the very best way, because I wanted more and more and more. I could read LaRocca's horrific extremities all day long, for the rest of my life and I would still be increasingly more shell-shocked as the stories heighten in their climax.

I give this five stars, but I wish i could give it more, because ahhhhh, the magnitude doesn't quit.