This is my third book by this author and as usual he did not disappoint. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it!

I genuinely wish that this collection was as well loved for me as the other ones that I've read by him. I will continue to hold out hope that the next thing that I pick up by LaRocca will be another new favourite.

Has Eric LaRocca ever let me down? No, never, not possible.

Everything he writes just hits for me. Just such queasy, unsettling, skin-tingling sickness bleeds from his stories. They're all so unique and are the perfect mixture of body horror and genuine creepy ambience. My favourite story from this collection was "All the Parts of you that Won't Burn Easy".

I honestly believe that Eric LaRocca is going to be one of the writers that we are all talking about 20 years from now. With an immense and un-categorizable body of work that we will be dissecting, analyzing, and radically divided upon.

The writer with entire social media accounts devoted to his vast, uncompromising, bibliography. If you dig it, then you're my people. If you don't, well, you're still my people. It's ok to have differing opinions. Know that I am a fan.

THIS SKIN WAS ONCE MINE:

The perfect way to start this book. . Creepy and terrifying. The characters were unpredictable and the setting was eerily uncomfortable. I couldn't stop thinking about the music box or the snakes.

SEEDLING:
This was disgusting, but in the way that horror can be/should be.

ALL THE PARTS OF YOU THAT WON'T EASILY BURN:

Love this type of story. An unexpected escalation of events.
PRICKLE:

A perfect ending.

This is a short collection of dark horror stories that center of family, trauma, and identity. It is weird and uncomfortable in all the best ways. A phenomenal collection, and one of the best books I read in 2024.

I love the writing that Eric LaRocca does. I enjoy all the short stories in this book. I bought it after reading it since I needed it in my collection of books.

No one writes quite like LaRocca; raw, disturbing, unflinchingly direct but undeniably compelling. "This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances" plumbs the depths of grief, strained relationships and returning home with LaRocca's cynical eye focused on family secrets. Horror fans will love this one.

This released April last year so I’m a bit late but to be honest it took me a while to get through (esp for such a short book). It’s a collection of four stories and the first one is by far the best. The second one made no sense to me at all and the last two just seemed shocking for the sake of shocking. It has been a while since I’ve read any body horror so I don’t know if that’s why I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would?I didn’t hate the writing - in fact I thought the last two stories were interesting written, which definitely kept me engaged and not wanting to DNF but yeh overall I’m just not sure about this one.

Eric LaRocca is just amazing at the horror genre.
These stories get under your skin, so expertly written and disgusting in the best way!

Thank you for my copy!

A collection of 4 horror tales, all very different but impactful in their own way

This Skin Was Once Mine. Jillian returns home after 20 years as her father has suddenly passed, however, this trip home may uncover some dark secrets about her family and even her own nature...

Seedling. A young man is called home by his father as his mother has passed away. Upon arriving he realises his father is going to need more help than he first realised, and also, what is this mysterious injury on his hand....

All The Parts of You That Won't Easily Burn. Enoch enters a shop to buy his husband a knife for a dinner party. The shopkeeper has a strange request in exchange which will creep under his skin and change the way he looks at things...

Prickle. Two old men find their fun in seemingly harmless pranks in a park, however, these escalate to a devastating level

Great collection of stories, definitely was squirming at a few for different reasons. Liked that they were different themes as kept me wanting to read on

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is a masterful collection of short stories that blends body horror with psychological dread in a way that’s both terrifying and thought-provoking. Each story drags you into its unsettling world, with vivid descriptions that linger long after you've finished reading. LaRocca excels at crafting tension, and the horrors depicted are both visceral and deeply unsettling.

While I found the final story, "Prickle," to be good and effectively eerie, it felt a little lackluster compared to the intensity and impact of the other three stories. It left me with that familiar sense of unease that I appreciate in horror, but it didn’t quite reach the same chilling heights. Still, the collection as a whole is a must-read for fans of horror who enjoy both the grotesque and the psychological.

I'm a huge fan of Eric LaRocca but I didn't think it was his best here. None of the stories really grasped me or did anything interesting, but I did love the writing style as usual.

Depraved, gruesome, brutal, unsettling. I've come to really enjoy LaRocca and his particular taste for horror!

Another amazing horror collection from Eric LaRocca, again as with most of his collections I didn't love everything. But overall it was an amazing read.

Go to author and I will read whatever they put out. Bought a copy for my home library. Have enthusiastically recommended.

I read this book while on a plane to Florida. Read it from cover to cover, start to finish. There's something so exquisitely disturbing about the author's writing style and there are so many moments that have haunted me since reading the resounding last pages, a mile high in the sky.

A forerunner in modern horror. This book is perfect for anyone seeking something chilling this spooky season (and beyond)

I only shaved off a star in my rating because the subject matter might be too much for some people. And there's always the old question of how far is too far you know?

OK So I am a huge LaRocca fan! And if I could sit down and have dinner with this author I would. He is wonderfully twisted (I mean that in a good way) I just finished his one book "You've Lost A lot of Blood" and remembered I had this gem waiting in the wings so I did a double header and read "This Skin Was Once Mind and other Disturbances" I loved all the stories! Each one making you wonder "How does this guy sleep at night" lol - I would say go in this with the thought that you will feel uncomfortable in the best way possible and I can't wait to buy this in physical book form for my library! 4 solid stars!

**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A Gripping Exploration of Identity and Transformation**

*This Skin Was Once Mine* offers a compelling and thought-provoking look at identity and self-discovery. The author’s evocative prose and intricate storytelling pull readers into a narrative that explores the complexities of personal and cultural transformation. The characters are richly developed, and the themes are handled with depth and sensitivity. While some plot elements may feel predictable, the book’s emotional resonance and insightful reflections make it a powerful and engaging read.

**3.5 out of 5 Star Review: This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca**

*This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances* by Eric LaRocca is a dark and unsettling collection of four stories that dive deep into the grotesque and the disturbing. LaRocca has a distinct style that fans of his previous works will recognize immediately, blending raw emotion with gruesome imagery to create tales that are both haunting and thought-provoking.

**Thoughts:**
The collection opens with the titular story, *This Skin Was Once Mine*, where we follow a woman returning to her childhood home after her father’s death. The narrative is steeped in themes of self-loathing, body horror, and family trauma, and it’s clear that LaRocca is a master at weaving these elements together. The story is intensely dark, with layers of subtext that leave the reader questioning what is real and what is imagined. However, the portrayal of the protagonist’s relationship with her father might be difficult for some readers, as it delves into uncomfortable and triggering territory.

The second story, *Seedling*, explores grief and the complicated dynamics between father and son in a way that is both symbolic and brutally literal. While the concept is intriguing, the execution left me feeling a bit unsure about the ending, which veers into the surreal and gruesome, perhaps a little too suddenly.

*All the Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn* shifts in tone, reading almost like a modern-day parable. The narrative is strange and unsettling, with a story that feels more like a dark fairy tale than the visceral horror of the previous entries. It’s an interesting departure, though it might not resonate with everyone, especially those who are sensitive to trypophobia, as this story features some unsettling imagery.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find the final story, *Prickle*, as compelling, and it was the only one I didn’t finish. It seemed to lack the same intensity and intrigue as the others, which was disappointing.

**Final Thoughts:**
*This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances* is a solid collection for horror readers who enjoy tales of body horror, trauma, and emotional turmoil. While not every story hit the mark for me, the collection is worth reading for the standout moments of discomfort and dread that LaRocca excels at creating. However, if you’re looking for something that breaks away from LaRocca’s established formula, you might find yourself wanting a bit more variety in both theme and execution.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Fans of LaRocca’s previous work will find plenty to appreciate here, but newcomers might want to brace themselves for the heavy themes and intense content.