I really enjoyed this book. LaRoccas writing is one I've wanted to try for some time and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. This book could be considered quite graphic but personally, I love that style. The topics discussed and used were a mix of heavy and disturbing which I found fit well together. I found that it didn't linger on one subject too long and flicked back and forth between Ashleys pain and..."hobbies" frequently enough that it kept me interested. A short and enjoyable read from an author I look forward to picking up again.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book.
[Please note: I don't review with star ratings so I give each author and book 5 stars for the creativity, effort and energy alone, that goes into writing and publishing each book. Stars are a commendation of art]

I will start by saying I am a fan of Eric Larocca's stylized writing and disturbing horror stories. This novel was no exception! In a lyrical, almost poetic kind of pose, Larocca delves into the mind of Ashley Lutin, a grieving widower and parent of an abducted child. Ashley describes himself as being out of the norm, with his unique look involving piercings, and other body modifications. He is not someone who hopes to belong. However, through his grief, he enacts a kind of "ritual" for other people who may feel as though they do not deserve their lives any longer. We learn more about Ashley's history, losses, and other people who come into his life, and what that means for him. He also battles with his sexuality having been bisexual for his wife but mainly feeling homosexual in his mind.
A haunting, poetic journey into a dark mind. Five out of five read and listen!

This audiobook was utterly amazingly narrated, and it only added to the dark atmosphere of the writing. The narration truly made this novel come to life and crawl off the pages!

I recommend checking trigger warnings for this one. I made it through, but barely.

Ashley has had two horrible tragedies in his life: his wife died, and, shortly after that, their 8 year old son disappeared from outside a supermarket. To help him cope, Ashley has done some extreme body modifications to his face, so he looks on the outside as monstrous as he feels on the inside. He’s also come up with a “death ritual” that clients pay him money to perform.

I found some of Ashley’s actions inexplicable. I also thought the two side stories were unnecessary, and it seemed like they were added just to pad the book a bit.

I did like the ending!

Our main character, Ashley, has lost his son and his wife and is just trying to get by. He has started a business of burying people alive for thirty minutes to help them find a renewed appreciation for life. He is struggling to find his own purpose in the world without his loved ones.

I was very confused throughout the short story and there were too many side stories that carried on far too long without furthering the actual plot.

This was an interesting short queer horror. I listened to the audio and read the book and found the book slightly easier to follow than the audio.

The story was chilling, and you need to check the TW's.

I have loved everything I have read by LaRocca, but sadly this one missed the mark. It felt like a bunch of side shoots that had trouble connecting to the main story and the repetition of the title also got tiresome after a while. It has all the gruesome bits we have come to love from LaRocca, but this one just did not work for me in the way that I had hoped. I think I will be in the minority here though, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt!

This was my first Eric larocca book, and I’m pretty sure also my last. I knew nothing about it but have heard about some of his other books, so I fully expected dark and weird. This was so far beyond that though and I’m left wondering what the hell I just read.
Depending on what the author was going for, I guess you could say it was well written, but oh my god, this was definitely not for me.

📖At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

I just know I'm going to hear Andrew Eiden say, "At dark, I become loathsome," in my dreams for weeks! 😂 He truly brought this grim poetry to life. I'll be adding more stories narrated by him to my TBR.

Eric LaRocca has been on my radar for a while. When I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to start my journey with this one. I finished this audiobook in one sitting; there was no way I was walking away once I was immersed in this story. It oozes grief, touching on themes of mourning, mental health struggles, and self-identity acceptance. My only complaint: I felt something was missing in the final moments of Ashley with his wife, when those with his son were poetic.

If you enjoy audiobooks and horror reads, I highly recommend this one. However, do check the ❌TWs❌, as it is a dark read that really makes you reflect on the subjects of loss and grief.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC!

“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”

Horrifying, beautifully written and something out of nightmares.
Ashley Lutin is no stranger to loss, after his wife passes of cancer and his son went missing. He struggles to continue living and he creates a ritual for others who feel this way. He takes willing participants for this ritual that is truly disturbing. But that’s not all… there were so many moments my jaw dropped open from what I was reading but I was truly invested. Be sure to check the trigger warnings as there is many.

The story follows Ashley Lutin, a man broken by his wife’s death and his son’s abduction, leading him to question whether he should even stay alive. In an attempt to cope, Ashley creates a disturbing ritual where he helps others struggling with suicidal thoughts by temporarily burying them alive. This dark act becomes the backdrop for his growing emotional turmoil, which worsens as the story unfolds.

LaRocca excels at capturing the toxic combination of grief and guilt, illustrating how these emotions can drive a person to become a loathsome monster. He deeply explores Ashley’s unraveling mind, portraying his downward spiral in visceral, unforgiving detail. This is not a light read, but for those who appreciate horror at its darkest, it’s an unsettling journey into the mind of someone who is both a victim of his circumstances and a perpetrator of his own undoing.

Andrew Eiden’s narration is truly exceptional—brilliant, poetic, and tinged with self-loathing. He adds a somber, reflective quality that deepens the portrayal of Ashley’s internal struggle. His voice brings a haunting tenderness to the tragic, dreamlike moments when Ashley converses with visions of his lost loved ones, adding a strange poignancy to the horror.

That said, At Dark, I Become Loathsome is not for everyone. The themes are heavy, the graphic imagery intense, and the trigger warnings are numerous. But if you enjoy horror, especially books exploring grief, guilt, and self-destruction, you'll want to add this to your TBR.

I don't understand all the 5 star reviews. Makes me feel like people just try to agree with whatever the "popular" view is.
First off this is written like edgy teenager. If you forget the title of the book don't worry it's repeated about 30 times.
The whole story makes no sense and feels like all the gay sex is just shoved in there for shock value.
This didn't work for me.
Thank you netgalley and Blackstone publishing for the ARC for my honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book. The audible is fantastic.

I like the way it was written but it is just not something I would read again. It was a bit out there for me, little gross, little sick.

The repeating of At Dark, I become Loathsome was a bit much as well.

All in all solid 3.

Deliciously dark, Eric Larocca once again manages to tell a depraved tale of morality and desperation.

I listened to the audio of this book - narrated by Andrew Eiden. I have enjoyed many books by this narrator under other pseudonyms and his voice is absolutely perfect for this book and character.

At Dark, I Become Loathsome tells the tale of Ashley Luton, a man who has lost everything - his wife to cancer, and his son Bailey who went missing when he was 8. To cope with his loss, he helps people to find the meaning of life through death reinactment rituals and has purposefully disfigured his face through piercings and modifications to make himself appear as gruesome as he feels on the inside.

In true Larocca style we are faced with the initial story and other stories contained within, through excerpts from blogs, manuscripts and chatrooms.
One particular story of Tandy and Victor is so awful and disturbing I found myself talking out loud along with the narration, expressing my disgust and said 'urghhh' on more than one occasion.

This may be Eric Larocca's best one yet.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to this book via Netgalley.

I went into this book knowing that the content would be heavy and dark, but otherwise completely blind. I'd heard of LaRocca's work on TikTok and Instagram, but never delved into their books because I wasn't sure the genre would be for me. This book has asserted to me that body horror and splatter-punk is indeed for me.

The grief of Ashley, the ritual he's worked so hard to perfect, the side stories that made me feel a little ill listening to, were all beautifully written, and has set a high bar when it comes to the genre for me.

This is my second book by Eric LaRocca, so I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into; LaRocca never pulls any punches. This book was no exception. At Dark I Become Loathsome deals with crippling grief and loss, self-acceptance, and our most hidden natures. The writing was beautiful and the narration of the audiobook was phenomenal.

That being said, the book is graphic. It travels down paths few dare to go. There is sexual violence, body horror, gore, and child abuse. At times, it feels as if LaRooca is challenging the reader to have the fortitude to finish, to examine their dark, loathsome selves through these scenes. Which is uncomfortable and unsettling, to say the least.

If extreme horror is your thing, I highly recommend this book. And even if it isn't, I still recommend this book. Perhaps, you will discover that at dark, you, too, become loathsome.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Eric LaRocca for providing me an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

I have read many of LaRocca's works and was excited to get my hands on this novel. It is incredibly short and I do wish more time was spent on developing the end as it felt rushed. The audiobook narrator was incredible but I do not think the format is great on audio, especially the "chatroom" chapter where the typer's username is repeated over and over. I would caution anyone who picks this up to look into content warnings and understand this is a grotesque, morbid book that deals with themes of grief and crimes involving children.

This was my first experience reading Eric LaRocca's work and I thought the writing was fabulous and really well done. I was very into the story overall and I liked Ashley - he is a complicated character struggling with grief and his own identity but ultimately had a lot of love for his family. I opted to give 3 stars because there were a lot of elements of shock value, body horror, and some animal violence which I am not into, despite usually enjoying the horror genre, so I found some of the book gratuitously disturbing. The book also had a lot of digressions into other stories that I found a little distracting. Overall though, I enjoyed the ride of listening to this book and it absolutely held my interest. I've already recommended it to a few friends who enjoy this type of book and I would like to give some of Eric LaRocca's other works a read.

I listened to this as an audiobook and I wondered if that had an impact on how I felt about the book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it, instead of listened to it, so I think I'll give that a try. I would've loved to see some of the internet chat conversations and excerpts of Ashley's ritual handbook written on a page, rather than read aloud to me. The repetitive reciting of the screen names and things that a reader can usually absorb by glossing over were all read aloud and it was a bit annoying IMO. I'd definitely recommend reading this as a book instead of an audiobook.

Thank you, Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review! <3

#AtDarkIBecomeLoathsome #netgalley

*****Thank you Net Galley for supplying this book in exchange for my honest review*****
I will read anything Eric puts out. The audiobook narration paired with LaRocca’s eerie prose made for one spooky read and a few sleepless nights on my end. Great read!

At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Wow! This is an intense, stressful, creepy and fantastic horror story!
The story focuses on Ashley and the grief and traumas he has gone through in life. Now he is offering a “helping” service to others.
The writing is excellent and it kept me thinking and feeling the whole time! The story is deep, dark and emotional!
Thank you to NetGalley for an audio arc of this amazing book. The narrator was wonderful!
I can’t wait to read more from this author!
*It’s out now, so get your copy!*

I was sadly not able to finish this story.
About a third of the way through, there was a graphic event that felt disturbing to me in it's telling, and I realized that I was not the audience for this book.
Prior to that event, I felt that the grief displayed by the main character was well written and I was interested to see where the story would go. Unfortunately, I did not foresee the even darker and more graphic sexual direction that it took, nor was it in the synopsis (certainly for good reasons).
I will refrain from posting reviews on any other sites since I did not finish.

If this is not a turn-off for you, then by all means proceed.