This is my third time with a LaRocca story and it’s impossible to ignore the formula. LaRocca books are unmistakably LaRocca books.
Long evocative titles, queer protagonists, and neo-gothic, emotionally gutting tales of terrible thing s people do to themselves and each other. it would get tiresome, was he not so good.
Not faultless, mind you. There is a certain pomposity to the prose that could reigned in, the high school goth sensibility that occasionally shines through, but overall, the author’s stories (overall and these ones in particular) are literary, deep, and visceral in a way that ought to appeal to thinking horror fans.
Beware, these tales are nasty in the way that they expose humanity at its ugliest and most disturbing (as the title promises). You may want to prepare or pace yourself. The author wants you to in an elaborate trigger caution of a preface. These are not the tales for the delicate of mind. LaRocca may overwrite, but he will unsettle.
Overall, an interesting collection of nightmares. Thanks Netgalley.

4.5 stars

Eric LaRocca is a horror poet and genius. His prose is so stunning it’s hard not to get lost in his stories. Everything he has ever written is so unusual and unique and beautifully horrific.

In this book we have 4 short stories, dealing with grief, loneliness, trauma, and so much more. Eric approaches the subjects with care and understanding.
I’m not sure how he is able to make the most grotesque imagery also beautiful, but he does it time and again.
This has now become my favorite of his short story books, as he just keeps growing as an author with each of his works.

I am mostly disappointed when I read horror books but Eric LaRocca is incredible. His short stories are captivating and really disturbing. I love that the theme of this collection is obsession. So far I loved all of his collections because I think of his stories long after reading them which is always a sign that the book was great.

while this was not my favorite of his collections (that distinction still goes to they were here before us), this was absolutely larocca’s most unique and unexpected collection. dripping with gothic imagery and visceral descriptors, macabre tales that ooze vintage style under their contemporary coats, this collection STUNNED me. these four stories, all meditated on themes of loss and grief, couldn’t be more different in tone and denouement, but i loved them all for different reasons.

the title story, “this skin was once mine,” had shirley jackson vibes and the most gothic feel for me. the setting was superb and the minute details just helped to show the juxtaposition between the beautiful and the repulsive. also, that ENDING! totally threw me for a loop and was utterly shocked.

“seedlings” is the quietest piece in this collection because it lacks larocca’s trademark grotesquerie in favor of something a bit more cosmic, but it actually ended up being my favorite. the body horror imagery in this one was stellar and while the ending in this one was a bit more predictable, i still found it to be such a fulfilling piece.

“all the parts of you that won’t easily burn” possesses a timeless quality that had me feeling like the story was taking place in the modern age and the 19th century simultaneously—goes to show that level of depravity transcends eras. definitely the grossest, most violent of the collection but also was the most fun, peculiar and bizarre in all the right ways.

“prickle” was my least favorite in the collection, but i may chalk that up to length, as it was one of the shorter pieces. still the premise was so interesting and those final couple of pages had my jaw dropped.

all in all, another 5/5 for larocca. he never misses on these collections. really knows how to tailor stories to a theme, throw in the most egregious ideas, and make it all sound like poetry at the end.

I'm a huge fan of Eric's writing and I am always shocked by how quickly his stories suck me in. I could not put this down once I started reading it. I felt compelled to read it in one sitting - it was that good! His short stories are my favorite work by him and I though this was a really lovely collection.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is certainly disturbing! This was my first time reading Eric LaRocca and I’ve been left feeling intrigued, but also like it wasn’t totally for me. I didn’t love the first story in this collection, but thankfully from there things improved a bit. All The Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn in particular was so strange and unsettling. Overall the collection was decent, but just not totally to my taste.

Certainly not for everyone but God did I love it. Very dark and twisted. If you know LaRocca then you understand, if you don't well, might be the time to know him!

Eric LaRocca is surely cementing himself as a prolific horror writer with a true talent for shocking revelations. All 4 short stories left me picking my jaw up from the floor in horror, excitement and bewilderment.

'This Skin Was Once Mine', the opening story and book's namesake, is the longest and most compelling story within the collection. It is 74 pages that radiate with tension, discomfort and depravity. A daughter banished from her childhood home returns after the death of her father and uncovers horrific family secrets. LaRocca forces you to revel in the uncomfortable capabilities of the truly evil, and what constitutes an 'evil' person.

'Seedling' is an astute observation on the debilitating effects of loss. A son loses his mother and returns to his devastated father, bound together by their grief and fear of losing touch with one another. This is a hard read for anyone who has experienced profound loss, especially of a parent. A haunting, deeply metaphorical tale with a sadness that lingers after finishing the chapter.

'All The Parts of You That Won’t Burn Easily' is the penultimate short story. LaRocca commands the English language with such beautiful descriptions without sacrificing clarity or plot. A gruesome depiction of obsession, self-harm and control, you will have some vivid imagery floating behind your irises before bedtime.

'Prickle' is a stunning representation of the human experience. In a sick game, two elderly men perform acts of cruelty onto unbeknownst strangers. Readers are swept into the role of voyeur, sensing the rising tension of impending doom, yet all we can do is read on. All we can do is finish the closing chapter and sigh.

My only criticism is the repetition of some language and phrasing. Perhaps this small issue can be rectified before official publication.

Overall, this collection is a remarkable success and I cannot wait to see it hit the shelves. Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books and Eric LaRocca for the ARC.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca will coil itself around you, sink its fangs in, and leave you a hollow shell of yourself. These stories are ruinous to your psyche and emotional state, but arresting in their beauty and execution. I’ve never been so repulsed yet completely enamored with the written word until I read LaRocca, the master of body horror and a must-have on your shelf.

4.5/5 A disturbing, visceral short story horror collection that brings you deep into obsession, then abandons you at the height of terror.

This short story collection revolves around the theme of obsession and how far someone will go to attain their infatuation or hide their dependency. The stories are all really accessible, no matter if you are a hardened horror fan or just want to dip your toe into the horror genre, you might find your new obsession here.

When I think about a typical story format I think of a mountain shape, where the drama or horror peaks, and the author slowly lets us down with a conclusion. What makes Eric LaRocca's stories resonate far beyond when we close the book is that he doesn't bring us down the mountain. He dutifully guides us to the top, and then leaves us at the height of the horror. Our characters get no redemption, and we, as readers, are left with nowhere safe to turn. It's a really compelling format, and kept me reading consistently until I finished the whole book.

The first story, 'This Skin was Once Mine', is the one that rooted deep in my mind and didn't leave. Our main character and her parents have a complicated, opaque relationship that kept me guessing about who our 'good' character was. However, as I quickly learned, no one is as boring as 'good' or 'evil' in Eric LaRocca's books. which is what makes them even more terrifying. These characters seem like decent people I would see sitting on a park bench, or working behind the counter in a local shop, and I'd never suspect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this advanced reader copy.

This book is best read with all the lights on, in the middle of the day. If your partner enters your house covered in blood with a new 'pet', best to not ask too many questions.

SNAP! This is the fastest I've finished a book, I think. Like ever. I am so thankful to Titan Books, Netgalley, and Eric LaRocca for granting me advanced digital access to this terribly horrid and darkly comical collection of stories before this baby hits shelves on April 2, 2024.

Eric LaRocca has DONE IT AGAIN, folks. Strap in for some ULTIMATE BODY HORROR and familial trauma that bites more than it barks, with buried secrets galore. There are four stories and you'll have yourselves struggling to process the aftermath of each narrative, one after the other, but in the very best way, because I wanted more and more and more. I could read LaRocca's horrific extremities all day long, for the rest of my life and I would still be increasingly more shell-shocked as the stories heighten in their climax.

I give this five stars, but I wish i could give it more, because ahhhhh, the magnitude doesn't quit.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances is a collection of four short stories. This Skin Was Once Mine follows Jillian Finch after her father dies as she reckons with the past and present after being sent away by her mother twenty years ago. I’m rating this story 2.5 stars. Seedling follows a young man after his mother has passed away. He goes to see his father and finds his mother’s body is still in the house. I’m rating this story 2.5/3 stars. Prickle follows two old men as they take part in a cruel, twisted game. I’m rating this story 2.5 stars. All The Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn follows Enoch as he meets a strange shopkeeper when he goes to buy a knife for his husband which leads to mutilation. I’m rating this 2.5 stars. Overall I’m giving this collection 3 stars. It has an audience but I’m just not part of it. These stories just didn’t resonate with me and I’m not really enjoying the direction this author is going down. I would heed the authors note at the beginning with the content warnings. This isn’t a bad collection but many of the stories just feel a bit empty or dark for no reason.