Eric LaRocca’s The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales is a chilling exploration of love’s darker side, blending horror with poignant reflections on grief, obsession, and human frailty. Each of the eight stories dives into raw, intimate aspects of trauma, delivered in hauntingly poetic prose that makes even the mundane feel ominous. From imagined horrors to terrifying encounters, LaRocca’s characters grapple with love’s most twisted edges, and the result is as unsettling as it is beautifully crafted. Fans of literary horror will find this collection both thought-provoking and deeply disturbing—a standout work in contemporary dark fiction.

The stories in The Trees Grew Because I Bled There are eerie, creepy, disturbing, and heartbreaking. Stories are stronger in the latter part of the book.

Love this book. It made my skin crawl like a perfect horror book does. This book is disturbing and is not for the faint hearted but amazing

My house god! Eric LaRocca did it again. I immediately bought this book because I need it's presence in my library. His best yet!

Not my first work from this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as much as the rest. Unputdownable and creepy. I can see the authors skills developing more and more with each piece of work.

Eric LaRocca will forever be an instant buy for me. I struggle to keep up with it because they are constantly putting new books out! Thank you for allowing me to review this book and I’ve since purchased a physical copy for my own collection.

A truly haunting collection of short horror stories. The fifth tale, You're Not Supposed to Be Here, had to be my favourite out of them all. A couple finds their child abducted and forced to partake in a dangerous game in order to retrieve their child.

Eric LaRocaa does not miss! Loved this as much as Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. Creepy, weird, and wonderful. Easy 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

LaRocca is a solid writer who just keeps getting better with each release. Some of the stories here are less horror than simply being quietly disturbing, but that's absolutely fine- reminds me of how and why I fell in love with horror as a broad genre overall in the first place.

Like LaRocca's other books, I can't reccomend this enough! The stories are unnerving and have stuck with me after I finished reading. They're deeply upsetting and so much fun!

Everything Eric LaRocca writes is an insta-buy for me, and I loved this series of short stories too. Eric LaRocca has a particular style, and if you've read and enjoyed any others - you will enjoy this. The gory horror kept me as anxious and on edge as ever, and the descriptive prose is perfect. I adore the way that he writes and the stories thread together thematically in a way that kept me moving through them all even when sometimes I find collected stories difficult to focus on.

"The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" by Eric LaRocca is a haunting and visceral collection of dark poetry and prose that delves into the depths of the human psyche. LaRocca's raw and evocative writing style explores themes of pain, trauma, and growth, leaving a lasting impact on readers long after the last page is turned.

Eric LaRocca kicks it out of the park again with this collection of creepy stories. Whenever I enter a book by Eric LaRocca, I knew nothing going in, and they always exceeded my expectations. The Trees Grew Because I Bled There is an extremely interesting blend of the macabre, and the outright horrific. Written in his trademark writing style Eric draws you in easily, creating characters you truly feel for (both negatively and positively) in a short page count.

Eric LaRocca has shot to the top of my favorite author list in one year. I’ve been dazzled by the depth and breadth of his understanding of the human condition. His talents are on full display here. The Trees Grew Because I Bled There is a vicious collection of short stories with consistent themes about terminal illness and the ways that people hurt the ones they profess to love.

There is a lot to admire about this collection. There wasn’t a single story that I disliked, which is a miracle for any short story collection, even among my most trusted authors. It’s hard to pick favorites. More than one of these stories caused me to gasp, laugh, and curse; I didn’t want to put the book down.

I’m almost mad at myself for waiting so long to read this book because it is one of Eric LaRocca’s strongest works, bar none. I picked up an eARC of this book before I had read any of LaRocca’s books, and for some insane reason, I read five of his other books before finally coming back to this one. I regret holding off on some level, but at the same time, I don’t because it gave me a chance to fall in love with so many of his other books before becoming spoiled by this one.

Once I finished the second to last story, I put my Kindle down and immediately purchased the hardcover edition. I knew this was a book that I wanted to have on my shelves to read again and share with the people I love. My honest recommendation? If you love horror and haven’t read any of Eric LaRocca's books, make this the one you read if you could only choose one. If you’ve read LaRocca’s Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke because it went viral and disliked it, as I had, you might find better luck with this one. I’m not kidding; this book is a gem.

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This story collection made me realize that I definitely prefer horror more when it's a full novel length. Or at least a novella length. I really enjoyed 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke' by LaRocca, and that was only ~120 pages. But it provided enough space to really develop the setting and the characters. With these shorter stories, I didn't get enough time to understand where we were or why I should care before we started diving into the taboo spooks. Which made it hard for me to care or feel impacted.
I did really enjoy certain stories over others (ahem, Bodies Are For Burning I'm looking at you). But the rest sorta rolled off me. I will still read more by LaRocca, but maybe not anymore shorter works.

"The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories" by Eric LaRocca is a powerful collection of literary dark fiction that delves into the shadowy aspects of love, grief, obsession, and control. Comprising eight stories, this collection explores the depths of human emotion and the haunting consequences of trauma and tragedy.

It takes a lot for a horror book to gross me out, but Eric LaRocca successfully done that (multiple times) with this collection of short stories. I thoroughly enjoyed every second.

If you’re into horror, Eric LaRocca is a must for your TBR list. Please check TW list before reading.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Slow to start, but with (in my opinion) all the most memorable, nauseating and intriguing stories saved for the second half of the book. A very good and varied collection on parenthood, with my favourite story being "You're Not Supposed To Be Here" - I enjoyed the feeling of entrapment in plain, public sight, the voyeuristic appeal of secrets shared between both the hidden tormentor and the reader, and the hopless cyclical nature of the game. I would definitely recommend thus to anyone looking for a short horror anthology, with the caveat that the best stories come further in

Thank you to the publish and NetGalley for the review copy of this book.

Wow....I'm not huge on short stories just because I feel like I want more out of the world or the characters. I'm glad that this was collection of short stories. I kept stopping to tell my husband (also a horror fan) about what I just read. THere was one of them that was particularly hard for me to to read so please look up warnings first. But I loved it.

Rating 4.5/5

You Follow Wherever They Go

The anthology's opening story captivates with its subtlety, darkness, and open-ended conclusion, setting an enticing tone for what's to come. The ending is ambiguous and open to interpretation.

Rating: 4 stars

Bodies are for Burning

This story keeps you on edge throughout, with a relentless tension that's downright unnerving. It serves as a stark reminder that the inner workings of a person's mind can be an enigma, leaving you with a sense of unease and the unsettling notion that you can never truly know what's happening in someone else's thoughts.

Rating: 4 stars

The Strange Thing We Become

While this story didn't grip me like others in the collection, I found its unique use of forum posts to convey the narrative intriguing. I struggled at times to fully grasp the storyline, but the inventive approach to storytelling added a distinct and thought-provoking twist.

Rating: 2 stars

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There

This one's undeniably dark, and I couldn't shake that grim feeling it left me with. It's visceral and unsettling in a way that reminds me of Stephen King's Misery, with a similar sense of dread and unease running through the narrative.

Rating: 3 stars

You're Not Supposed to Be Here

This story strikes a balance with its symmetry, and it's executed with precision. It's unapologetically raw, delving into themes of pain in a guttural manner. The added length compared to some of the other stories provides more room for the narrative to be skilfully developed.

Rating: 4 stars

Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass

This story takes a somewhat milder approach compared to the graphic content of other tales in the collection. It delves into the supernatural with elements of foreshadowing and foresight, which add a layer of intrigue. The plot unfolds at a more measured pace, allowing for a slow build of suspense and anticipation.

Rating: 3 stars

I'll Be Gone By Then

This story cleverly subverts expectations and the ambiguous ending leaves you contemplating the characters' fate. It delves into the poignant theme of family expectations and the challenges of caring for the elderly, shedding light on the often complex reality of these responsibilities.

Rating: 4 stars

Please Leave or I'm Going to Hurt You

This story evokes a sense of melancholy as it delves into the theme of mortality, but it also carries a certain peacefulness despite its darker undertones. It serves as a fitting conclusion to the anthology.

Rating: 2 stars