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

Eric LaRocca is incredibly talented at coming up with twisted, inventive new short horror stories/novellas. This collection is no exception. All of his work is very original.
That being said, I think it may not be for me. I love horror, and I've read a bunch of his work now, hoping that I'll find one that totally resonates with me, but none of them have. This collection absolutely has an audience (and a fairly large one at that), I just may not be one of them, and that's okay.

While not my usual go-to, I was in the mood for a short story collection and every time I saw this book at the store I would pick it up and think ‘I should try that one day.’ On the recommendation of a friend I bought it and found myself thrown into a collection of short stories, richly woven and brilliantly crafted to take me down the twisted narratives contained within. LaRocca is an author I will continue to revisits

The master of gut wrenching short horror. Eric LaRocca has done it again with The Trees Grew Because I Bled There.
LaRocca's unsettling style of horror sticks with you, clings onto you so that you're thinking about it days, weeks after you've read these stories. The visceral descriptions, leaning into disgust rather than simply allowing the reader to fill in the blanks with vague reference. Oof.
The title story as well as Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You. were my favorites but all of them are worth reading, if you can bear it.

Eric LaRocca's short stories are just getting better and better! This was an excellent collection of short fiction, and I don't think there was one that I didn't like for one reason or another. It borders on disgusting, which is some of my favorite type of horror, and Eric once again delivered a brilliant book!

I've read LaRocca and enjoyed their works before, but this collection was just okay.

I didn't feel scared or unsettled or uncomfortable the way I want to after a horror read.

There was one short story (the longest one in the middle, about a child and telling truths) that I thought was interesting and unique. The last short story in the collection made my skin crawl but not in a good way 🙃

Mostly, I've already forgotten the stories as they weren't memorable. I'm not sure what happened there - LaRocca's a great writer and I know they've done amazing imagery and concepts before. But this just wasn't the one for me...

Well, LaRocca never ceases to surprise me in the most grotesque and repulsive ways. This book felt like the Twilight Zone but with more horror elements. These stories definitely have speculative twists and requires the reader to suspend her disbelief in order to respect the concept and moral of each story.

The final story in this collection disgusted me beyond words. The theme shown in this story alone removed a star from me.

I can't say I will be inclined to read this collection again but I have to admit there is something about LaRocca that makes me want to keep reading more.


I originally received book via Netgalley in exchange for a review, but seeing as how it was archived before I could download, I ended up purchasing this myself in order to read it.

An overall solid collection of creepy, dark and unsettling tales! I really enjoyed this one and am super intrigued to check out more of the authors work, especially since I wasn’t a fan of the other arc I read by them!

This is definitely the best of the LaRocca I've read- I think the short story form works much better for him than novellas. The stories were diverse but with interesting thematic throughlines and generally tight and effective.

I am honestly impressed with the degree that LaRocca is willing to lean into the fucked upness of various relationships here, whether it be between family members or lovers. The title story is going to stick with me a while, honestly, as will most of these. Double props for deliberately leaning into things that cause a disgust reflex. You want some viscerally uncomfortable horror short stories, this is your collection.

A well-crafted collection of horror stories from the very talented breakout horror author, Eric LaRocca. In the past few years that we've been gifted with his work, I have experienced LaRocca developing and evolving as a writer. I am thrilled whenever I hear that he's publishing a new book.

Spectacular!

This is a collection that fans of the short story must add to their reading list.

Eric LaRocca delivered a collection of dark horror that had me cringing and uncomfortable yet totally enthralled throughout. Like all collections there are some stories that are more intense and impactful but overall this collection of eight well written tales truly delivered. There are two stories that resonated with me, "You're Not Supposed to Be Here" and "Please Leave or I'm Going to Hurt You". These are partly unsettling to read, somewhat disturbing and yet enjoyable to the point of going back for a second read.

If there was a superstar at short stories, Eric LaRocca would be that star. I became a fan instantly after I read "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" and he did not disappoint with The Trees Grew Because I Bled There.

This is another fantastic collection of short stories. This collection includes the following stories:

You Follow Wherever They Go.
Bodies Are for Burning.
The Strange Thing We Become.
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There.
You’re Not Supposed to Be Here.
Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass.
I’ll Be Gone by Then.
Please Leave or I’m Going to Hurt You.

Each story delves into the dark and intellectual depths of human emotion from all facets. LaRocca has a unique way to pulling his readers into his stories. He changes his tone with each story. This gives the reader the allusion that what they are diving into isn't as bad as it really is. This creates a different experience for each story.

Such beautiful but also disturbing and creepy writing. I love a short story collection and this gave me what I needed,

Disturbing and beautifully written, despite the subject material in these stories. Gory as always - very good.

As always the dark mind of Mr LaRocca never fails to blow me away. This collection like many of his other works proves that fiction can never be too dark...sometimes that's exactly what it needs to be.

TW: cancer, death of parent, bullying, suicide, language, divorce, homophobia, gore, cheating, torture, incest, dementia

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Eight stories of literary dark fiction from a master storyteller. Exploring the shadow side of love, these are tales of grief, obsession, control. Intricate examinations of trauma and tragedy in raw, poetic prose. In these narratives, a woman imagines horrific scenarios whilst caring for her infant niece; on-line posts chronicle a cancer diagnosis; a couple in the park with their small child encounter a stranger with horrific consequences; a toxic relationship reaches a terrifying resolution…
Release Date: March 7th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 202
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The pages in this book are so nice and soft
2. Reads fast
3. The cover is nice
4. I like the bold writing at the beginning of the chapters

What I Didn't Like:
1. 20 uses of the word animal
2. 39 uses of rain
3. Why is every story about cancer
4. Every story feels the same

Overall Thoughts:
Has anyone else ever noticed the authors fetish for bugs? There are so many references to bugs or animals;
centipedes
Beetles
carpenter ant
snakes
maggots
Monkeys
Earthworm
Cattle
Honeybees
Deer
Fish
Robin
Sparrow
Elephants
Locust
Salamander
Mouse
Leopard
Bumblebee
Tarantula
Hyenas
Mosquito (at this point I was only 100 pages in)
Cobra
Turtles

I just think the author needs to learn how to pose words in a different way. I feel like every story at the base was the same story told over and over again & again. Characters are gay, trying to have a baby, and so much cancer! It's all just cancer in this book. Every story feels so redundant and like I've already read these characters. I also have this nagging feeling when I read each story that wasn't this already a story that existed - written by someone else?

Where do you go when you're Icarus and you've flown to close to the sun? Perhaps that's my issue with Eric LaRocca. He's pulled the M. Night Shyamalan move and lost sight of what drew people in. I know he's still getting good reviews (Eric) but I'm still holding onto that person that wrote Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. In some sense though even that book felt a little bit on the edge of Dennis Cooper's The Sluts. I read these stories/books and I finish wanting more. Is that all he has to give. I'm being unfair. Writings hard I know but picking the book out of millions and then reading it for 2 hours to days is just as difficult if you ask me. An author doesn't want to write a book that sucks just like a reader doesn't want to read one that sucks either.

You Follow Wherever They Go - the first story very bland. I blinked and it was over. I understood it too easily that I started doubting that it was right and it had to be deeper - I mean we are talking Eric LaRocca here, but no just a kid who's parent dies and go off into the rain. In the rain with a paper lantern.... Hmm okay. ⭐

Bodies Are For Burning - another story where someone has cancer. Author doesn't know what baby formula is because mentions her feeding the baby a jar of baby formula that's blended carrots. This story had no mystery in it. You know where it's going pretty much from the beginning. The ending remind me of the ending of Saint Maud. ⭐⭐


The Strange Thing We Become - Cancer again again... Sokushinbuts take a minimum of 3 years to get to. I watched a whole documentary on it. It's so difficult to achieve that in the last 1000+ years only 30 monks have made it all the way. This makes so little sense. She's the one who read up on self mummification and yet she has no idea what Evie is doing. It makes no sense. Also her being able to exercise when she's so sick she can't even hold food down and she's terminal. And then this character brings her take out but isn't her stomach bothering her so how would she even eat that? So much just left in the air with zero answers. Why does every story of his never have an ending that makes sense. At this point I'm questioning ifthe author knows how to end stories. This book with it's weird fake pregnancy and an odd item being the baby plus the mixed media style just reminded me too much his other book. ⭐

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There - I'd love to come back as a tree but you can't just hack off branches and grow back like normal. Trees risk getting an infection in it and killing the tree. This story reminded me of Geek Love when the one character has this cult where people remove body parts to show how much they owe him ⭐⭐

You’re Not Supposed to Be Here - rip off of The Chain. ⭐

Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass - random dude tells Norval that his daughter is going to be bitten by a snake and die and Norval will lose his arm but that he'll also kill that dude - and Norval starts considering sending his daughter with him. Norval starts thinking he can't take care of this 12 year old - 12 year old, not a baby or young child but teen. Dude I bet Norval was the kind of man that made his wife who had cancer wash dishes because despite living in the same house for 10 years - he just can't figure out where bowls go. He's been taking care if his daughter for 3 years alone already and now he's like "yeah she needs a mother but just any mother - a mother we don't even know who's 72 years old!" Plus they are in another country and some random dude who's by himself on a vacation without his wife but happens to have a blurry photo of her and Norval thinks this checks out. While I think this story was one of the better ones. It doesn't make any sense. Dude warns against a snake biting him and his daughter but he's the one that releases it. So if he didn't release the snake none of that would happen. Why would he still release the snake if he knew it was going to kill him too? So if he can't have this guy's daughter then there is no point of living and he's going to put Norval through the same torture of losing a daughter - if he even lost a child. I think this story would have been more interesting if he was actually Ali and that's how he knew things. He scams single father's and steals their kids. ⭐⭐

I’ll Be Gone by Then - this woman doesn't want her mother anymore (the whole 3 hours she's spent with her) so she decides to get rid of her - first trying to kill her and then abandon her. She talks about leaving her in the park and no one will know who she is because she only speaks Italian but the daughter hands her her pills, which I imagine have her name on them, so doesn't that make the job easier in knowing who she is? I don't understand why the daughter was traveling with her mother's purse - why she hadn't already went through her purse to see the fruit - also how could she not feel it in there? This one was okay. It's ends in a cliffhanger, which I feel like added to the story and made it interesting to not know. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Please Leave or I’m Going To Hurt You - this story was the best one. It was sad and heartbreaking. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Final Thoughts:
This is the last Eric LaRocca book I will read - at least now. His writing style is just not for me. This book is the 5th one I've read him and I've only liked one so far.

I feel like every story is redundant. Every character sounds like the last character there is no different sound to them.

Recommend For:
• Queer stories
• Complex characters
• Stories with loose

I had unusually high hopes for this one, and it disappointed me. Some of the stories had their creep factor, but for the most part, I was underwhelmed.

This was such a weird and twisty story! I love how unique it felt and kept me turning the pages. Would recommend to my friends!

I'm not usually a shot story fan but I think I can only take these stories in small shots, they are so full of dread and real horror. Beautifully written, they're little terrible gems. They suck you right in, bleed you out, and spit you back, needing a break before another. Wonderful.