Everything the Darkness Eats

i was so, so looking foreword to finally reading Eric LaRocca that i preordered a copy of this because it looked so gorgeous (note to self: matte black books get scuffed up SUPER easily). i read 70 pages in one sitting, hoping i'd adjust to the writing style, but i just couldn't. the writing itself felt like it was trying too hard and the story couldn't keep my interest. i'm so sad this didn't work for me.

for anyone who HAS finished this: is there any explanation as to why such a violently homophobic town would hire an outwardly gay (married, even!) muslim cop?

This book changed my definition of horror. 

3.5 stars.

I really liked the writing in this one. The story felt a little disjointed, but in the end I enjoyed the book.

so this is hard for me to write because eric truly is one of my favorite authors so i'm going to focus more on what i liked but first the things i didn't like.

this book did not feel like an eric book besides the prose. it felt like this was trying to be forced into a “normal” novel format, and eric and their stories, work better, written not in a traditional way. this book was also incredibly slow for most of the story which really dragged it down.

despite that i did love the prose as usual, and i think those who think his writing is “pretentious” may enjoy the writing in here more. i also loved loved loved the characters. i really resonate with them even though they were men and i truly cared about them. i also really liked the way their stories connected together but i do thing there could have been more throughout the rest of the story to make the transition of the connection better.

lastly, i loved the themes. one of the primary themes in the novel is the darkness of humanity and the lengths people will go to in order to achieve their desires, regardless of the cost. the characters in the book are driven by their own motivations. and the story shows the devastating effects of unchecked ambition and the desire for power. this is intertwined with the exploration of hatred and bigotry that lurks beneath the surface of society. this story exposes the dangers of intolerance and prejudice, particularly towards marginalized communities. It portrays the impact of hate crimes and how they can escalate into something much more sinister.