#eric larocca

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Bleak, unsettling, oppressive.

Underneath the shock value of LaRocca’s storytelling, the themes of SA, DV, and other forms of torture contribute to the book’s wider questions about personhood: what makes someone worthy of safety, dignity, autonomy, and who gets to decide that?

The rural setting the purple-clad council of elders create a strong sense of isolation; both between the characters and the outside world - giving weight to the way violence is normalized within their community - and from each other - examining performative masculinity and covert queerness, particularly in how pressure to conform can shape identity and relationships.

The perception of an embryo as a parasite, literally or metaphorically, has always had an impact on me.

1 - Someone you can build a nest in by John Wiswell.

This is coming from someone who is apart of the LGBTQ+ community but I sometimes don't see anything wrong with straight writers, authors, and directors making LGBTQ+ stories. I do understand that sometimes, certain artists will fetishize gay people, especially mlm and wlw but if the author doesn't do that, I really don't see what's wrong. Artists should be able to explore different groups of people and get to be able to create art. This idea of discussion is coming from watching Jules Dappers video on "Things Have Gotten Worse" By Eric LaRocca, were she mentions a criticism of the book is that its a toxic relationship between two lesbian women and that the author is a man. (I genuinely love Jules Dapper's videos, they are so fun to listen to while studying or cleaning my room for the nth time).

Character 3.5| Setting 3| Plot 3| Writing 4| Enjoyability 4

Rating: 3.5

Thank you to the author and Saga press for this ARC e-copy.

I did not know what I was getting into when I got this arc, a saga representative sent this to me to read and review, it took me a while to get to this so i'm sure it's out now.

We follow Simeon after he loses his husband Jonathan to cancer and he is so deep in his grief he can't handle life.

This was such an interesting look at grief, gay identity, and what we do with our relationships.

Hello, friends. This past week was strange in that it somehow dragged while still moving quickly. It was busy with two nights honoring G, one for poetry and another academically, and the typical return-to-school-after-vacation silliness. Welcome to the 171st installment of Gauthic Times, the newsletter about my writing, my life, and thinking about alternative histories of one’s life. If you’re…