2.5 rounded up
First of all, I went into because the title caught my interest and then when I started reading about the book I found out it was by Eric LaRocca, who is an author I was already familiar with having read Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, which I was not particularly impressed by overall despite it having some moments that were truly well written and chillingly terrifying. I have to say I went into this book with high expectations because I thought that LaRocca would be able to shine more with a bit more length to develop a story, that I felt was lacking in the novella, but now I feel the opposite way, LaRocca’s talent, in my opinion, lies in brevity. I felt like in this first installment of the new trilogy there were some interesting, compelling, truly terrifying moments, the chapter about the guy with the self-cannibalism curse was awesome, as was the final story Rupert conjured up to comfort Gladys. I know this is just the first book but I felt it lacked some foundation, some overarching question, something to compel me to read the next two. It left me very confused and perplexed. Either way I finished the book pretty quickly and I was very curious to know if all of these plot points made any sense together in the end. I don’t know that they did, but still it was a decent ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted copy of this novel!

I will preface this review with saying that I have read this author’s work before and have enjoyed it, and that this book is considered to be book one in a series. To me, this book read as part of a series; there was a lot of scene setting and building here. This story’s majority is told from two POVs, but there are journal entries and news clippings scattered about. These definitely have a sense for the town and backdrop for the series. The characters that the author chose to have as the narrators were interesting picks to me, as initially I had no idea how these characters were going to converge. I will be picking up the next book in the series, but I felt that this one didn’t have as much plot as I was hoping. There were elements that intrigued me (the criminal family, for example) and I found a lot of promising aspects here. That being said, my assumption will be that the subsequent books will be a bit faster paced, which I am looking forward to. Overall, this is definitely an atmospheric (and gruesome) start, setting the scene for what the author has in store for readers. As with all of this author’s writing, please check relevant trigger warnings before picking this one up!

We are Always Tender with Our Dead is centred around "Burnt Sparrow", a small town ran by a group of elders who rather than follow the law write their very own. The town is full of the strange and uncanny, from murders, to faceless creatures, to monsters that live in the space between the doors. The town is full of dread and depression and most of its residents have the fear or need to escape. This book contains the stories and reports of several different community members living within "Burnt Sparrow"

I liked the way this book was broken down, I really enjoyed how some of the accounts were handwritten and how some were reports, it kept me interested and keen to find out how it was all going to connect at the end.
I especially enjoyed the story told to Rupert by his mother about Audrey & her partner.
I did struggle with some of the chapters pacing especially when it was from Ruperts POV.
I know that this is only book one, but I did feel a little let down that some of the larger pieces of the puzzle weren't explained/unveiled at the end and I'm really hoping those are tied up in the next book.
The ending felt a little flat for me as I was keen to find out more about the creatures and their origins and why they are in burnet sparrow to start with.
I guess the best way to end this review is by saying I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS! Please give us some answers in book two.

Burnt Sparrows is a place built on and fueled by tragedies. It seems antiquated, creepy, cut off from the rest of the world. This story was a dark, disturbing and degrading tale of how cruel and evil effed up people, or even an entire society, can be.

LaRocca has a mesmerizing way of putting into words the most vile acts in such a way that it was impossible to pull away from. Did I enjoy this? Absolutely not, but also yes?

If Burnt Sparrows were a real place, I’d for sure steer clear of there. However, I will be back for book two. Thanks to Titan Books for my copy!

I somehow didn't see it was splatterpunk and the triggers in the beginning got to me. I still gave it a shot, was overall liking the writing style, then read some reviews and just know I cannot handle this one.

We Are Always Tender With Our Dead follows a secluded town in New Hampshire that is shocked by a random and terrible act of violence on Christmas. The majority of the story is told from the perspective of Rupert, a teenager who lives with his single father. The death of Rupert’s mother hangs over them, as Rupert and his father struggle to relate to each other. There are a couple of other perspectives that show up throughout the book, including Gladys, the wife of a wealthy and powerful resident of Burnt Sparrow, and the story explores the way this violent act unravels the town and the aftershock effects on the residents of the town, in particular Rupert and Gladys and through this examines the cyclic nature of violence, the dangers of repression, ways in which we justify violence against other people, and so much more. I truly think you could get something different out of this any time you read it.
The writing is genuinely unsettling and like the best horror novels, it uses the horror to make a point. It’s often quite atmospheric and had me feeling like I needed to be looking over my shoulder because I just couldn’t shake the creepy/haunting feeling that came with it. While it includes some of the most gruesome passages I’ve ever read in a book, it never felt particularly gratuitous. Many of the most horrific things are described in very vivid detail, but on the other hand I often found that the writing in between was quite basic and lacked the descriptive quality that was otherwise on show. It made the book a little hard to get into at first because it bounced between these incredibly evocative passages and large sections where it felt like every sentence started with “I” followed by some sort of verb. The ending also isn’t entirely satisfying, but I’m assuming that the loose ends will be largely wrapped up in the subsequent books, which I will absolutely be reading.

I enjoyed this! I wasn't really sure what to expect from a full length LaRocca book and wasn't sure how his style would work spread out over a few hundred pages. For one thing, this is still pretty short, so it isn't like full length full length. Then again, it's a part of a trilogy, so I'm still not sure how this is ultimately going to turn out. It did drag for me a little bit, even with all the absolute insanity going on left and right, but I'm definitely interested. I hope that he explains some things in the next one. Like the bird baby thing and what exactly the faceless people are. I'm also not sure if this cult town exists in the real world or not because it seems weird that they'd be able to just privately deal with a full on mass murder like that. Then again, I don't know why I'm questioning anything, because it's just a weird book from front to back, and I guess that's to be expected from LaRocca. I have no idea where it's going to go from here because even though the ending didn't really make sense and was pretty abrupt, it did pretty much feel like it wrapped up. I am definitely ever intrigued and will be requesting the next one as soon as it's available. Thanks for the ARC!

I will read anything Eric LaRocca writes! Although the content of this book is dark and, at times, deeply upsetting, it is written so beautifully. Especially the background built into the main story that reveals what life in Burnt Sparrow is really like. Although I didn't love any of the characters (and you probably shouldn't anyway), I felt like they were real people in a real New England town. This isn't my favorite of his, but I am excited about the story of Burnt Sparrow continuing. With the way the book ended, I can't stop thinking about what else is going on in the tiny town. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for an atmospheric and unsettling read for your spooky season. Be sure to check out the TW, as there are some very dark sections of the book. However, if you're already familiar with Eric LaRocca's work, this is nothing you haven't already encountered.

On Christmas morning, the isolated town of Burnt Sparrow, New Hampshire, is shattered when three faceless entities unleash a brutal and senseless act of violence. In the aftermath, grief and fear consume the community, while young Rupert Cromwell must also face the painful truths within his own family. As violence escalates, the townspeople realise that revenge brings no peace and some limits are never meant to be broken.

I went into this book expecting it to be unsettling, but I wasn’t prepared for just how deeply disturbing it would be (even with the thoughtful content warning from the author). It was overwhelming at times and left me uncomfortable and heavy with sadness. The unease it stirred reminded me of The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, where the community’s actions, and their warped sense of justice, were horrifying to witness.

The recurring use of sex as a tool of violence and control became difficult to read, though I could see how it tied into the broader themes of humanity versus the unknown where, ironically, the faceless entities often felt more human than the people themselves. Very little is explained about who these beings are or why they’re there, and while the supernatural elements were probably the main reason why I kept reading, I assume more will be revealed later in the series.

What really stood out for me, though, was LaRocca’s prose. I enjoyed the story of a couple where the wife insisted they whistle each time they passed through a door, believing an unseen creature would snatch them otherwise. There was a softness in that story that contrasted with the brutality elsewhere.

I feel that this is a complicated book to score because thematically it’s thought-provoking, but the content really left me just feeling unsettled, sick and sad. I’ll go with a half-way mark as it was probably not a book for me. 2.5/5.

Thanks to Titan Books and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Available on the 9 September 2025.

Larocca has a good grasp of the English language. However, I don’t think that makes him a good writer. Every emotional beat in this novella is narrated to death. ‘Tell, don’t show’ in extremis. Not great in terms of character-building. The only “showing” we get is gore and rape, which frankly does very little to actually move the story along. So everyone here is sexually perverse. Okay, what does that add to the narrative? Nothing? Then why spend 200 pages telling this story?
There are some bright spots here — a quick interlude with two characters Darren and Bradley accomplished more characterization and drive than the entire main story! When Larocca isn’t allowed to first-person narrate the reader to death, he does good work!

It took me a bit to catch onto how the title connects to the book, but once I did I realized this book is so much more than what it seems and tackles an interconnected web of larger topics that heterosexual, white, male America never seems ready to talk about and heterosexual, white, female America turns their face away from in guilt, shame, and ignorance all too often. They’re topics we ask children to understand every day: We tell them it’s a horrible thing that happened and it should be stopped, but then another day/month/year goes by and no one has done anything at all. And then we wonder why they become apathetic to it all.

What does it mean to be tender? Affectionate? Compassionate? Aware of how fragile and prone to injury they are? Aware you don’t want to jostle or disturb them lest they be disturbed? And is tenderness only reserved for those who have passed? Where is the tenderness for the living? Where is the affection, compassion, and care for those still here and not only grieving but trying to come to terms with the world changing every time a life is lost? Is it just easier to be tender with those who are gone?

I picked up this book at about seven in the evening and smashed right through it in about four hours. It had me in a chokehold. LaRocca’s choice to go with a mixed-media approach of narrative passages from two protagonists, diary entries, newspaper pieces, and academic journal articles was a thoughtful choice that helped not only with exposition but also worldbuilding while not bogging the text down or slowing the pacing significantly. I’d heard this book was traumatic and gruesome, but I’ve honestly read books far more gruesome this year with far more disturbing scenes…though maybe none as unflinchingly thought-provoking. 5⭐️


I was provided a copy of this by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Body Horror/Book Series/Horror/LGBTQ Horror/OwnVoices/Paranormal Horror

3.5 stars!! not much tenderness towards the dead in this one… honestly this was a hard book to read the content can be very severe and I found myself needing to take breaks but i really do love the way that eric larocca writes and it can make even the most vile things somewhat tolerable…. really nice to see them venturing into a full-length novel and i’ll be interested to see where he’ll go with this story

I was unfortunately not able to finish this book on time but i did reach 46% percent and...gosh. I've been a huge fan od LaRocca since his novella and it seems with everything he puts out he just gets better and better. There's something about the way he's able to capture the very essence of being human...its wonderful and awesome and just...wow

I really enjoyed this book! I have read a couple of things from LaRocca over the years, mainly collections and short stories and this felt totally different from his other works. Particularly, in the past my thoughts would have been that LaRocca's horror style is much more subtle than typical splatterpunk or gore. This felt like a departure from this which I thought was great. The characters were multifaceted and interesting. I liked the shift of perspectives with diary entries and blog posts. It really made the setting come alive and built this world which you don't often have in horror. This is set to be a trilogy which I am really looking forward to finishing!

Mysterious strangers show up in the small town of Burnt Sparrow on Christmas, a massacre ensues. Pay really close attention to the TW’s of this book, because they’re heavy.

Now, this book is completely bogged with walls and walls of text, paragraphs of information that just…. went on. It barely felt like there was dialogue and lots of time conversations got diced up in the middle with more paragraphs of internal monologue and info. I found myself extremely bored the first 25-30% before anything really happened. So I’m not sure if I recommend this book, a lot of things for shock value. But someone get this town a therapist!

We Are Always Tender With Our Dead marks the first entry in Eric LaRocca’s Burnt Sparrow horror trilogy. After recently reading my first LaRocca book and loving it, I knew I had to request this ARC on NetGalley.

The novel follows Rupert and Gladys, two lonely souls desperate to escape the suffocating grip of Burnt Sparrow. LaRocca’s strength lies in his atmosphere, within just 11% of the book corpses are already on the page, and you can practically feel the town’s decay seeping through. Between the unsettling cast of characters and the inclusion of eerie “magazine clippings” that piece together the town’s macabre history, Burnt Sparrow itself feels like a living, rotting presence.

As Rupert and Gladys’ lives violently collide, I found myself especially drawn to Rupert’s plight, sympathizing with his quiet desperation. Meanwhile, the villains commit such vile, stomach turning acts that you can’t look away, you read on, half in horror and half in hope for their eventual downfall.

We Are Always Tender With Our Dead is repulsive, twisted, and utterly enthralling. Everything I look for in horror. It’s a grotesque ride that will leave your jaw hanging open, and I can’t wait to see just how much darker and more unhinged the next installment in the trilogy will get. Anyone else secretly hoping Mr. Esherwood meets an unspeakable fate?

Thank you to Netgalley, Titan books and Eric LaRocca for a chance to read this twisted tale in exchange for an honest review.

A small town horror with claustrophic cosmic nightmare vibes.

Where do I even start? I love everything about this book.

The writing is accessible, captivating and compulsively readable. At the same time Eric comes out with these SORCHING literary prose that made me stare at a wall for minutes at a time.

The book revolves around a mass murder that happened during a Christmas parade in the small town of Burnt Sparrow. However, it seems the people of Burnt Sparrow either can't or have no compunction to leave, and no one comes in. As if the town lives in a different plane of existence. The people responsible for the murder (or at least accused of it) is a family who are faceless. A father, mother and teenage son.

The story flips between a troubled 17 year-old who lives in the town and is given the unenvious task of guarding the dead bodies as they lay on the street. And an abused housewife of the richest man in town.

What elevated this book for me is the mini stories scattered throughout the book. The way Eric can take two things that seem so disparate and connect them by having the characters recount short stories or live through nightmares is magic.

I am ready to demand book 2 and book 1 isn't even public yet.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I am not entirely sure how to talk about this book. I found this book to be bizarre and disgusting and it made me sick but also it was really engrossing? Like, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

There are lots of short stories interwoven with the main story; stories about other strange events surrounding the town of Burnt Sparrow, written in different formats and mediums. I typically don't care for that sort of thing, but in this case I actually really liked it. While others may feel the opposite, I found that breaking up the main story with the short stories actually helped to sustain the overall sense of dread.

I don't want to talk too much, because I found the experience of going into this knowing nothing made for a rather intriguing experience. That being said, I think it is extremely important to check the content warnings if you struggle with dark or heavy topics, because this book does not flinch away from portraying them explicitly.

It feels like this book mainly exists to set the stage for the sequels: it isn't very plot-heavy and there is still a lot to learn about Burnt Sparrow. That being said, I still really liked this, and I'm definitely looking forward to the sequels.

We Are Always Tender With Our Dead is raw, atmospheric, and devastating. LaRocca pulls us into the small town of Burnt Sparrow, where a senseless act of violence fractures a community and unleashes something far darker.

Thank you Titan Books for the ARC!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF pretty early in due to some major triggers. This book is slightly darker than normal horror, and I really recommend people check out trigger warnings prior to reading. I won't be reviewing on any review websites, since I didn't finish the book.