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You've Lost a Lot of Blood
Each precious thing I show you in this book is a holy relic from the night we both perished-the night when I combed you from my hair and watered the moon with your blood.
You've lost a lot of blood . . .
You've lost a lot of blood . . .
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2022
About the author
Eric LaRocca
46 books2,668 followersEric LaRocca (he/they) is a 2x Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award winner. Named by Esquire as one of the “Writers Shaping Horror’s Next Golden Age” and praised by Locus as “one of strongest and most unique voices in contemporary horror fiction,” LaRocca’s notable works include Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, Everything the Darkness Eats, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories, and You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. His upcoming novel, At Dark, I Become Loathsome, will be published by Blackstone Publishing in January 2025 and has already been optioned for film by The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,769 reviews
August 25, 2022
I was questioning my friends who've read this book and we all came to the same conclusion - no plot just vibes.
For real though, this book doesn't make a bit of sense.
What's the point? Couldn't tell ya.
How does the novella inside the novella connect to the story? Trust me, I tried to connect them and couldn't.
Why is the novella inside the novella longer than the actual story? Beats me.
Why are there a dozen pages with a drawing of a centipede on it? I assume vibes.
All that being said, I loved it. What a weirdo. Eric Larocca's horror does it for me. He's so unhinged. I'm obsessed.
Read this quote and tell me you'd even care about the plot...
"I haven't thought of him much since it first happened - since the night when I first pulled his teeth, plucked his fingernails, and organized them accordingly as if they were broken remnants, artifacts in the museum of our love: a gallery of yellowing antiquity."
For real though, this book doesn't make a bit of sense.
What's the point? Couldn't tell ya.
How does the novella inside the novella connect to the story? Trust me, I tried to connect them and couldn't.
Why is the novella inside the novella longer than the actual story? Beats me.
Why are there a dozen pages with a drawing of a centipede on it? I assume vibes.
All that being said, I loved it. What a weirdo. Eric Larocca's horror does it for me. He's so unhinged. I'm obsessed.
Read this quote and tell me you'd even care about the plot...
"I haven't thought of him much since it first happened - since the night when I first pulled his teeth, plucked his fingernails, and organized them accordingly as if they were broken remnants, artifacts in the museum of our love: a gallery of yellowing antiquity."
July 6, 2022
what was the point
Want to read
March 13, 2022eric larocca's covers need a medal
May 23, 2022
I didn't kill him because I wanted to. That would have been too easy.
When Eric posted a surprise announcement for this novella's release earlier this week, I was absolutely beside myself. There are some authors in this world whose work I enjoy so deeply and am held so captive by, that each and every new piece of fiction feels like something I need to get my hands on right away. I ordered a copy within mere seconds of seeing the announcement, but was lucky enough to be allowed to read the ebook while I waited for the shipment, and I'm so grateful for that, because I think I would have been counting down the hours and days until it arrived!
Now that I've experienced this bizarre little treat, I don't even know how to possibly describe You've Lost a Lot of Blood without spoiling it. There's a very good reason the synopsis for this story is so brief and vague: you need to go into it without knowing what to expect. In fact, even if I did tell you what to expect, spoilers and guts and all, I'm still not sure anyone could be fully prepared for the sheer unraveling chaos within these pages.
All I know is that, yet again, I've been reminded of why Eric's books hold such a special place in my heart. Dark and entrancing, their works always leave me reeling to process what I've just read in the best possible "what the hell just happened" way, and as always, I'll be counting down to their next release.
✨ Representation: multiple queer characters
✨ Content warnings for:
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March 27, 2022
I have so many thoughts on this book that I struggle to figure out where to start. I am so sad to give yet another Eric LaRocca book two stars, because he is genuinely such a great writer and a sweet person. And parts of this book were really wonderful… but unfortunately, for me, the sections I did enjoy were spread so far apart that they, in my opinion, were not enough to salvage this book.
I was extremely interested in our main characters, Martyr and Ambrose. That opening was completely gripping. Most of my issues lie in the novella sections of the story, which to be honest is the majority of the book. Though I understand the reason the novella was included, I kept waiting to get back to Martyr and Ambrose and see what twisted things they were thinking now. I really feel that if the story had been kept to just them, I would’ve enjoyed it so much more. So, a good portion of the book didn’t work for me, and unfortunately that portion is rather large.
The ending…. I was let down. At that point, I just wasn’t invested in it. But I was hoping for a little bit more of a punch, I guess. I’m sure it was a shock to some people, but it was just sort of unfulfilling to me.
I cannot say enough how much potential I think this book has. The parts that were good bordered on brilliance. But I didn’t get to know enough about the two main characters, yet I knew a ton about the characters in Martyr’s novella. So I think for me it was more of a conceptual issue. It was bleak in all the best ways… when we were focused on Martyr and Ambrose.
Again, I really do love the writing. I will look forward to more of Eric’s releases in the future, and I really wanted to love this one. It’s still worth it to read, even if only for the parts set in “reality,” such as the tape recordings and poetry entries. That universe was damaging and uncomfortable, but when we went back to the novella, it was like switching to an entirely different book. That will probably be cool to some, I was just too interested in the main characters to want to leave them. I want to know more of their story.
I was extremely interested in our main characters, Martyr and Ambrose. That opening was completely gripping. Most of my issues lie in the novella sections of the story, which to be honest is the majority of the book. Though I understand the reason the novella was included, I kept waiting to get back to Martyr and Ambrose and see what twisted things they were thinking now. I really feel that if the story had been kept to just them, I would’ve enjoyed it so much more. So, a good portion of the book didn’t work for me, and unfortunately that portion is rather large.
The ending…. I was let down. At that point, I just wasn’t invested in it. But I was hoping for a little bit more of a punch, I guess. I’m sure it was a shock to some people, but it was just sort of unfulfilling to me.
I cannot say enough how much potential I think this book has. The parts that were good bordered on brilliance. But I didn’t get to know enough about the two main characters, yet I knew a ton about the characters in Martyr’s novella. So I think for me it was more of a conceptual issue. It was bleak in all the best ways… when we were focused on Martyr and Ambrose.
Again, I really do love the writing. I will look forward to more of Eric’s releases in the future, and I really wanted to love this one. It’s still worth it to read, even if only for the parts set in “reality,” such as the tape recordings and poetry entries. That universe was damaging and uncomfortable, but when we went back to the novella, it was like switching to an entirely different book. That will probably be cool to some, I was just too interested in the main characters to want to leave them. I want to know more of their story.
December 1, 2022
I have no witty review.
No attempt at lengthy discourse.
Simply: it was gay, but I’m disappointed.
No attempt at lengthy discourse.
Simply: it was gay, but I’m disappointed.
Read
January 12, 2023Originally posted at Cemetery Dance:
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
Mother Horror is going to tell you a little story about a book called Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (THGWSWLS), written by Eric LaRocca. This novella’s ratings on Goodreads are at 20.8K+ with written reviews at 6.6K. These numbers for a book published by a small press like Weird Punk are unheard of. I’ve never seen anything like it.
That book has since been picked up by TITAN and will see a re-release soon. In the meantime, Eric wanted something out there for his fans to read. Both of his newest releases are out of print.
On March 11th he surprised everyone by releasing You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. Just like with THGWSWLS, the cover is another striking piece by Kim Jakobsson. When my copy arrived, I was surprised by how thick it was. A hefty two hundred and thirty-six pages! Quite a bit more than the previous novella which was just a hair over one hundred. I also thought the synopsis was tantalizingly cryptic:
Each precious thing I show you in this book is a holy relic from the night we both perished-the night when I combed you from my hair and watered the moon with your blood.
You’ve lost a lot of blood . . .
I had no clue what to expect. Zero expectations apart from expecting the unexpected. LaRocca can be counted on to shock and amaze. There is so much going on inside this book. It’s like running across someone’s diary where they have journaled all of their secrets and dark thoughts, but the diary is also full of poems, snippets of ephemera, texts, and transcripts. There is enough information to piece together a linear story, but the events are so dreadful and there are so many things shared alluding to violence and tragedy, it’s scary to keep reading.
There’s also a story-within-a-story just to keep readers on their toes.
In fact, to speak on the format a bit more, I’ll confess that this book felt longer due to the abrupt stops and starts. That magical immersion I experienced with THGWSWLS didn’t happen here and I did miss it. Again, the reading experience for me is more akin to being a fly on the wall observing rather than being sucked into a story. Not a cinematic experience but maybe more of an experimental art exhibit. I enjoyed it; there were aspects I enjoyed more than others, and my overall feeling is that LaRocca is building a brand. A cult following. I’m here for it. Everything he does feels fresh and new and I like it.
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
Mother Horror is going to tell you a little story about a book called Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (THGWSWLS), written by Eric LaRocca. This novella’s ratings on Goodreads are at 20.8K+ with written reviews at 6.6K. These numbers for a book published by a small press like Weird Punk are unheard of. I’ve never seen anything like it.
That book has since been picked up by TITAN and will see a re-release soon. In the meantime, Eric wanted something out there for his fans to read. Both of his newest releases are out of print.
On March 11th he surprised everyone by releasing You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. Just like with THGWSWLS, the cover is another striking piece by Kim Jakobsson. When my copy arrived, I was surprised by how thick it was. A hefty two hundred and thirty-six pages! Quite a bit more than the previous novella which was just a hair over one hundred. I also thought the synopsis was tantalizingly cryptic:
Each precious thing I show you in this book is a holy relic from the night we both perished-the night when I combed you from my hair and watered the moon with your blood.
You’ve lost a lot of blood . . .
I had no clue what to expect. Zero expectations apart from expecting the unexpected. LaRocca can be counted on to shock and amaze. There is so much going on inside this book. It’s like running across someone’s diary where they have journaled all of their secrets and dark thoughts, but the diary is also full of poems, snippets of ephemera, texts, and transcripts. There is enough information to piece together a linear story, but the events are so dreadful and there are so many things shared alluding to violence and tragedy, it’s scary to keep reading.
There’s also a story-within-a-story just to keep readers on their toes.
In fact, to speak on the format a bit more, I’ll confess that this book felt longer due to the abrupt stops and starts. That magical immersion I experienced with THGWSWLS didn’t happen here and I did miss it. Again, the reading experience for me is more akin to being a fly on the wall observing rather than being sucked into a story. Not a cinematic experience but maybe more of an experimental art exhibit. I enjoyed it; there were aspects I enjoyed more than others, and my overall feeling is that LaRocca is building a brand. A cult following. I’m here for it. Everything he does feels fresh and new and I like it.
March 17, 2022
I might be in the minority here, but I feel like there is a huge difference between beautiful and pretentious writing. I love horror that marries elegant language with horrific themes, but you don’t need to use every unique word you find in a thesaurus to do so.
The author’s tone came across as incredibly arrogant rather than woke and beautiful. Maybe that’s just a personal issue I have rather than a critical one. I was going to let it go, yet it occurred numerous times throughout the novella and I found myself annoyed the more I read on.
Also, I am not, in the least bit, faint of heart when it comes to disturbing themes in books. However, it needs to serve a purpose. Not merely thrown in for shock value.
I don’t think this author is for me personally.
The author’s tone came across as incredibly arrogant rather than woke and beautiful. Maybe that’s just a personal issue I have rather than a critical one. I was going to let it go, yet it occurred numerous times throughout the novella and I found myself annoyed the more I read on.
Also, I am not, in the least bit, faint of heart when it comes to disturbing themes in books. However, it needs to serve a purpose. Not merely thrown in for shock value.
I don’t think this author is for me personally.
Read
June 6, 2024I’ve never read this author before and found this book inside one of the Little Free Libraries that I steward so I grabbed it up before someone else could (don’t worry I’ll put it back soon - I am not a greed monster). I saw some buzz about this author online and for some reason I was under the impression that their writing was grossly extreme but that might just be my brain being forgetful and mixing things up. Or maybe I’m horribly jaded. Probably a bit of both. There were some nasty scenes of ick and of humans being disgusting and deplorable but the writing didn’t sit in the ick for very long and that was fine by me. Either way would’ve been fine by me. I’ll never drag a book for being too extreme or too quiet or anything else that lies between the extremes. As long as it grabs me, I’m good.
This is a weird one to write about. Not because it’s easy to give it all away (though there’s always that) but because it’s difficult to describe what’s happening here in this book. There’s a wrap-around story featuring two lovers who may be murderous, interspersed with sometimes random feeling dark poems, a repeated drawing of a centipede, and chapters from a disorienting novella about a young woman with sketchy memories who accepts a job to finish a game in a creepy mansion complete with creepy inhabitants. Or something like that. I did pay attention, believe it or not, I did take notes and I did enjoy coloring in that happy little centipede with my colored pencils whenever he appeared. And he appeared often. Sometimes every 4 pages and I never got tired of seeing him. He became my anchor and my book buddy as this story became stranger and stranger. I wish all books had a cute little book buddy tucked away inside.
So that’s all I’m going to say about the plot, I think. The story started out great. I was hooked. I was thinking I was going to blow through the book and revel in its strange, deviantness and it would become one of my newest favorites. Alas, it didn’t quite work out that way for me. I started having flashbacks to “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” which I finished sort of recently. That book made me feel as if I were trapped in a car listening to tedious conversations for half my life. I learned something about myself then. I don’t have patience for flowery speech and philosophical conversations with deeper meanings when they carry on and on and feel unnatural throughout a book. There may be people out there who talk like that but I’ll spend the rest of my life doing my best to stay away from them. Which brings me to the possibly (certainly) murderous couple who start out fine enough. I had flashbacks to “Exquisite Corpse” and I was engaged in their story but eventually their conversations devolved into the sort of thing I mentioned above and they lost my interest and I began to hope they’d murder each other (sooner rather than later) if only so I could stop hearing them talk.
There is some good squirmy writing in here, like this gem “his helpless body fruiting with more decay” but overall it all felt too disconnected for me and I found myself hoping for more emotional moments from some of the characters (in the novella) because the bones were there for some major pain and guilt and internal suffering but it didn’t dig in there deep enough for my liking.
Sorry to be the outlier and I'll probably lose my horror card here but I’m giving it a 2. You might love it though so give it a go if you stumble across a copy like I did!
This is a weird one to write about. Not because it’s easy to give it all away (though there’s always that) but because it’s difficult to describe what’s happening here in this book. There’s a wrap-around story featuring two lovers who may be murderous, interspersed with sometimes random feeling dark poems, a repeated drawing of a centipede, and chapters from a disorienting novella about a young woman with sketchy memories who accepts a job to finish a game in a creepy mansion complete with creepy inhabitants. Or something like that. I did pay attention, believe it or not, I did take notes and I did enjoy coloring in that happy little centipede with my colored pencils whenever he appeared. And he appeared often. Sometimes every 4 pages and I never got tired of seeing him. He became my anchor and my book buddy as this story became stranger and stranger. I wish all books had a cute little book buddy tucked away inside.
So that’s all I’m going to say about the plot, I think. The story started out great. I was hooked. I was thinking I was going to blow through the book and revel in its strange, deviantness and it would become one of my newest favorites. Alas, it didn’t quite work out that way for me. I started having flashbacks to “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” which I finished sort of recently. That book made me feel as if I were trapped in a car listening to tedious conversations for half my life. I learned something about myself then. I don’t have patience for flowery speech and philosophical conversations with deeper meanings when they carry on and on and feel unnatural throughout a book. There may be people out there who talk like that but I’ll spend the rest of my life doing my best to stay away from them. Which brings me to the possibly (certainly) murderous couple who start out fine enough. I had flashbacks to “Exquisite Corpse” and I was engaged in their story but eventually their conversations devolved into the sort of thing I mentioned above and they lost my interest and I began to hope they’d murder each other (sooner rather than later) if only so I could stop hearing them talk.
There is some good squirmy writing in here, like this gem “his helpless body fruiting with more decay” but overall it all felt too disconnected for me and I found myself hoping for more emotional moments from some of the characters (in the novella) because the bones were there for some major pain and guilt and internal suffering but it didn’t dig in there deep enough for my liking.
Sorry to be the outlier and I'll probably lose my horror card here but I’m giving it a 2. You might love it though so give it a go if you stumble across a copy like I did!
July 7, 2022
Excuse me, sir: what was that? I read 200 pages of this, almost fell asleep as soon as I picked it up every. single. time. and in the end it still gave nothing. I mean, I freaking loved the vibes, but those alone can’t change my mind. This was a boring mess that meandered and went literally nowhere.
The poems and recordings veered into philosophical territory so much that there was little to no horror—and the one thing that was horror-y made me uncomfortable but not in a good way. My eyes rolled on their own from the halfway point. Tamsen’s story was okay, though it would have been better if there was something concrete enough to tie that story to the bigger picture of this novella. This is honestly my biggest complaint, because having an idea of how these two parts connected in the end would have single-handedly made this book a whole other experience.
I can’t deny Eric LaRocca is a great horror writer (their writing style, concepts, vibes and dark atmosphere: immaculate). After Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke this was a complete flop, but I’ll check out more of their work and see if that was a one-time charm.
The poems and recordings veered into philosophical territory so much that there was little to no horror—and the one thing that was horror-y made me uncomfortable but not in a good way. My eyes rolled on their own from the halfway point. Tamsen’s story was okay, though it would have been better if there was something concrete enough to tie that story to the bigger picture of this novella. This is honestly my biggest complaint, because having an idea of how these two parts connected in the end would have single-handedly made this book a whole other experience.
I can’t deny Eric LaRocca is a great horror writer (their writing style, concepts, vibes and dark atmosphere: immaculate). After Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke this was a complete flop, but I’ll check out more of their work and see if that was a one-time charm.
October 9, 2023
Weird, confusing and unsettling but it worked and it's a 5 star book. But I'm not sure how to describe it and not really sure what the plot was. It's one of those books that it's easier jut to recommend if you like horror but I don't know really how to talk about it.
May 13, 2022
bae what was the plot of that book
March 15, 2022
Wow. That was a total mindfuck. 🤯
May 31, 2024
”Each precious thing I show you in this book is a holy relic from the night we both perished - the night when I combed you from my hair and watered the moon with your blood.
You’ve lost a lot of blood…”
Well, this was certainly a unique choice for my first Pride Month read (yes I’m aware I’ve finished it a day early, was a quick read!)
You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a horror book within a book, as the titular story is a novella 'written' by one of the main characters, Martyr. The narrative goes between chapters of this novella, poetry, and a transcript of conversations between Martyr and his lover, Ambrose. The less you know, the better with this one… Such an interesting story-telling method is used here. Eric LaRocca has intrigued me and I’m curious to check out more of their work in the future.
4 Stars
You’ve lost a lot of blood…”
Well, this was certainly a unique choice for my first Pride Month read (yes I’m aware I’ve finished it a day early, was a quick read!)
You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a horror book within a book, as the titular story is a novella 'written' by one of the main characters, Martyr. The narrative goes between chapters of this novella, poetry, and a transcript of conversations between Martyr and his lover, Ambrose. The less you know, the better with this one… Such an interesting story-telling method is used here. Eric LaRocca has intrigued me and I’m curious to check out more of their work in the future.
4 Stars
March 13, 2022
I loved this book… and you will too!
There are so many weaving styles that one can’t help to be pulled into the story and be drowned by LaRocca’s words and mastery of horror!
There are so many weaving styles that one can’t help to be pulled into the story and be drowned by LaRocca’s words and mastery of horror!
June 6, 2022
I enjoy LaRocca’s prose a lot, which is why this pains me.
I wish they had worked on the novella included in this book rather than in the story that’s between them. It feels way more relevant and developed and each time we exited it and got back to our “main characters” i rolled my eyes. I didn’t care for them and I was annoyed at how they talked; the pretentious way of speaking worked so well for Things Have Gotten Worse because it was online, imagining someone talking like that OUTLOUD made me cringe so hard.
The ending redeemed this book quite a lot for me, it explained the dismembered feel of the whole book. But it’s just not good enough to justify how bad the book feels (except the novella, a full star goes to it). I suffered through this book, and not in a good way.
Also: this needs editing, this is not self published. At one point he says he was born in the late 90s, then that he’s 28. Unless this is set in the future and I didn’t know, it’s fucking annoying.
Possible influences/stuff to check out if you enjoyed the novella inside, which is the only part I liked: Nefando, Triangle, Neon Genesis Evangelion
I wish they had worked on the novella included in this book rather than in the story that’s between them. It feels way more relevant and developed and each time we exited it and got back to our “main characters” i rolled my eyes. I didn’t care for them and I was annoyed at how they talked; the pretentious way of speaking worked so well for Things Have Gotten Worse because it was online, imagining someone talking like that OUTLOUD made me cringe so hard.
The ending redeemed this book quite a lot for me, it explained the dismembered feel of the whole book. But it’s just not good enough to justify how bad the book feels (except the novella, a full star goes to it). I suffered through this book, and not in a good way.
Also: this needs editing, this is not self published. At one point he says he was born in the late 90s, then that he’s 28. Unless this is set in the future and I didn’t know, it’s fucking annoying.
Possible influences/stuff to check out if you enjoyed the novella inside, which is the only part I liked: Nefando, Triangle, Neon Genesis Evangelion
July 28, 2023
lowkey a waste of time but ok! like what was the point of the novella and why have it be longer than the actual story? on top of that it was the least interesting part of the story so that just made it worse for me 😭
October 11, 2022
How did we get from such an amazing and promising beginning to... this?
First of all I rarely read horror, so feel free to call me an ignorant bitch at any time you like.
On the rare occasion I do pick up a horror book though, I do it because apparently I am a masochist who wants to be scared shitless.
Which is, to be fair, really not that hard to achieve as I literally jumped at the most predictable, low budget jump scare in a children's movie about 3 kid detectives the other day, so that's how pathetic I am easy it is to scare me.
Yet You've Lost a Lot of Blood did nothing for me.
I think the problem here (besides the bland characters, the complete lack of suspense or logic and the most mediocre ending imaginable) is that in the end LaRocca didn't follow his own advice.
At one point the main characters were having a discussion about how in horror movies the things you can't see, that are left unexplained, only for you to imagine, are far more scary than any monster ever could be.
Which I completely agree with, so I am at a loss why after telling us readers something like that, he revealed a lot of the secrets in You've lost a lot of Blood so soon.
For example (don't worry I will keep this spoiler-free in case 1-star reviews actually make you want to read a book or something) how Tamsen wants to get rid of her kid brother and despises him for some unknown reason.
In my mind, I came up with the wildest guesses why that could be so.
It honestly was the most exciting thing about this book, but then he explains it super fast (not to mention that the reason behind it was boring as hell) and immediately killed the tiny bit of suspense he actually managed to create.
It also really wasn't scary...? I don't know, either that or that children detective movie really toughen me up.
First of all I rarely read horror, so feel free to call me an ignorant bitch at any time you like.
On the rare occasion I do pick up a horror book though, I do it because apparently I am a masochist who wants to be scared shitless.
Which is, to be fair, really not that hard to achieve as I literally jumped at the most predictable, low budget jump scare in a children's movie about 3 kid detectives the other day, so that's how
Yet You've Lost a Lot of Blood did nothing for me.
I think the problem here (besides the bland characters, the complete lack of suspense or logic and the most mediocre ending imaginable) is that in the end LaRocca didn't follow his own advice.
At one point the main characters were having a discussion about how in horror movies the things you can't see, that are left unexplained, only for you to imagine, are far more scary than any monster ever could be.
Which I completely agree with, so I am at a loss why after telling us readers something like that, he revealed a lot of the secrets in You've lost a lot of Blood so soon.
For example (don't worry I will keep this spoiler-free in case 1-star reviews actually make you want to read a book or something) how Tamsen wants to get rid of her kid brother and despises him for some unknown reason.
In my mind, I came up with the wildest guesses why that could be so.
It honestly was the most exciting thing about this book, but then he explains it super fast (not to mention that the reason behind it was boring as hell) and immediately killed the tiny bit of suspense he actually managed to create.
It also really wasn't scary...? I don't know, either that or that children detective movie really toughen me up.
January 20, 2023
""Ambrose: It's a terrible story. There's no point to it other than to disturb the listener.
Martyr: Sometimes that is the point."
Two stories feature here. Chapters of each intersperse the other and I anticipated them to conjoin at the book's close. They did not and this, initially, left me feeling a little perplexed. I don't usually gravitate or enjoy abstract pieces of fiction, preferring a hard and firm truth to be revealed in what I read, but here no closure or meaning was provided and it left me feeling initially bereft.
But then, I came to realize, this entire novel is about nothing but the senses. It's whole point is to make the reader feel something. The journey to reaching these emotions is less important than what this resulting emotion actually is. Disgust and terror, despondency and awe, dread and grief were only some of the many feelings that this invoked. It was an entirely strange and unsettling read and I would visit this book again, as well as anything else this author pens, to guarantee a strong and visceral reaction, although one I'm sure would alter upon each return.
Martyr: Sometimes that is the point."
Two stories feature here. Chapters of each intersperse the other and I anticipated them to conjoin at the book's close. They did not and this, initially, left me feeling a little perplexed. I don't usually gravitate or enjoy abstract pieces of fiction, preferring a hard and firm truth to be revealed in what I read, but here no closure or meaning was provided and it left me feeling initially bereft.
But then, I came to realize, this entire novel is about nothing but the senses. It's whole point is to make the reader feel something. The journey to reaching these emotions is less important than what this resulting emotion actually is. Disgust and terror, despondency and awe, dread and grief were only some of the many feelings that this invoked. It was an entirely strange and unsettling read and I would visit this book again, as well as anything else this author pens, to guarantee a strong and visceral reaction, although one I'm sure would alter upon each return.
March 11, 2022
Okay, boys, girls & nonbinarys pals, time for another ‘what the f*ck did I just read?’ which always seems to be the case when it comes to LaRocca and his books. They could probably write a 500 page book on blood drying on a plaster wall and I would think it’s a masterpiece, a sensation to the world, something so magnificent that us readers don’t deserve it.
You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a clever, sneaky and thrilling novella. I went into this having no clue what to expect, I didn’t even have any expectations set, yet this little monstrosity managed to surpass what I tend to expect from Eric.
This novella is a…novella within a novella. I don’t want to give much away because you seriously need to go into this knowing nothing. Nothing. Hell, even if I wrote paragraph upon paragraph of what this book entails, it still wouldn’t prepare you for the roller-coaster that LaRocca so brilliantly crafted. If you’ve read THGWSWLS, you’ll definitely appreciate the format of this book, how the novella is constructed with texts, poems and transcripts, all crafted into one disturbing little archive.
We follow several characters, Martyr, Ambrose, Tamsen & Presley, alongside several other characters who are just as important to the book as the main characters. As I said, I don’t like giving spoilers, I hate even giving hints into what to expect, but your brains ain’t ready to comprehend what Eric LaRocca has created. You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a mind fuck, it had my brain churning non-existent gears, it had me swiping to past pages to make sure I was reading correctly because I was not coping. The novella was building so much dread and anticipation that I felt like I was suffocating, wanting to know what was going to happen, what is happening. I promise you, by the end of the book, you’ll be left speechless because this story takes you on a disturbing and anxiety-inducing ride.
I’ve said countless times before, LaRocca is changing this genre. His writing, their ideas, how he’s able to craft such magnificent stories and how well they’re able to draw the reader in, strap them to the chair and keep them there is a talent I admire.
I’m borrowing a quote from the great Zimpago
- “You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood will be an experience like no other.”
INSTA | TWITTER
You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a clever, sneaky and thrilling novella. I went into this having no clue what to expect, I didn’t even have any expectations set, yet this little monstrosity managed to surpass what I tend to expect from Eric.
This novella is a…novella within a novella. I don’t want to give much away because you seriously need to go into this knowing nothing. Nothing. Hell, even if I wrote paragraph upon paragraph of what this book entails, it still wouldn’t prepare you for the roller-coaster that LaRocca so brilliantly crafted. If you’ve read THGWSWLS, you’ll definitely appreciate the format of this book, how the novella is constructed with texts, poems and transcripts, all crafted into one disturbing little archive.
We follow several characters, Martyr, Ambrose, Tamsen & Presley, alongside several other characters who are just as important to the book as the main characters. As I said, I don’t like giving spoilers, I hate even giving hints into what to expect, but your brains ain’t ready to comprehend what Eric LaRocca has created. You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a mind fuck, it had my brain churning non-existent gears, it had me swiping to past pages to make sure I was reading correctly because I was not coping. The novella was building so much dread and anticipation that I felt like I was suffocating, wanting to know what was going to happen, what is happening. I promise you, by the end of the book, you’ll be left speechless because this story takes you on a disturbing and anxiety-inducing ride.
I’ve said countless times before, LaRocca is changing this genre. His writing, their ideas, how he’s able to craft such magnificent stories and how well they’re able to draw the reader in, strap them to the chair and keep them there is a talent I admire.
I’m borrowing a quote from the great Zimpago
- “You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood will be an experience like no other.”
INSTA | TWITTER
May 3, 2022
4,5*
A new take on horror and completely different from his other works, prepare yourself to be confronted with a bizarre and unexpected journey.
The less you know about this one, the better. This clever novella within a novella will leave you wondering what the hell just happened. That is one of my favorite parts about Eric’s imaginative and immersive stories.
You never know what you can expect from Eric. But I can assure you that his vision of horror will make you shiver and his skills to craft a creative and strange mind fuck will leave you wanting more of his stories.
Perfect for: people that enjoy weird and bizarre fiction and horror stories more poetically written
A new take on horror and completely different from his other works, prepare yourself to be confronted with a bizarre and unexpected journey.
The less you know about this one, the better. This clever novella within a novella will leave you wondering what the hell just happened. That is one of my favorite parts about Eric’s imaginative and immersive stories.
You never know what you can expect from Eric. But I can assure you that his vision of horror will make you shiver and his skills to craft a creative and strange mind fuck will leave you wanting more of his stories.
Perfect for: people that enjoy weird and bizarre fiction and horror stories more poetically written
June 17, 2022
TW: drug abuse, alcoholism, murder, death of parents, gore, sexual abuse
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:"Each precious thing I show you in this book is a holy relic from the night we both perished-the night when I combed you from my hair and watered the moon with your blood. You've lost a lot of blood . . ."
Release Date: March 11th, 2022
Genre: Horror
Pages: 184
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. It started out okay
2. The writing style was good
3. At certain points had no idea what was happening
What I Didn't Like:
1. Over and over saying "You've lost a lot of blood.. " Over & over & over....
2. This book has the tone of I'm Thinking of Ending Things
3. That ending 👀
Overall Thoughts:
" I had thought of ending things for a while"
I think I'm reading the wrong book
*Checks book cover*
Nope still reading You've Lost a Lot of Blood.
Pet peeve of mine - you take a photo not a picture. A picture is a painting or drawing.
It’s so annoying having these two dudes bickering back and forth about stories. That’s all they talk about. They fight about stupid minor details in the stories over and over. And then you get to the lame ending that it was just about stealing other people's stories.
If they never found the 2 murdering people then how did they get the recordings? How was Martyr able to record over some of his writing if he was dying? How did they know he was the one committing the murders? So many plot holes.
Final Thoughts: I feel unsatisfied having read this book. It doesn't tell you what it's about in the description. Then as you read you get poems, story's, and an audio recording. It's all so very luck luster when you find out it's about stealing people's stories. I felt like I was playing that game two lies and a truth.
Recommended For:
• Complex storytelling
• Novellas
• Ambiguous endings
• Gory scenes
• Books with multi-layers
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:"Each precious thing I show you in this book is a holy relic from the night we both perished-the night when I combed you from my hair and watered the moon with your blood. You've lost a lot of blood . . ."
Release Date: March 11th, 2022
Genre: Horror
Pages: 184
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. It started out okay
2. The writing style was good
3. At certain points had no idea what was happening
What I Didn't Like:
1. Over and over saying "You've lost a lot of blood.. " Over & over & over....
2. This book has the tone of I'm Thinking of Ending Things
3. That ending 👀
Overall Thoughts:
" I had thought of ending things for a while"
I think I'm reading the wrong book
*Checks book cover*
Nope still reading You've Lost a Lot of Blood.
Pet peeve of mine - you take a photo not a picture. A picture is a painting or drawing.
It’s so annoying having these two dudes bickering back and forth about stories. That’s all they talk about. They fight about stupid minor details in the stories over and over. And then you get to the lame ending that it was just about stealing other people's stories.
If they never found the 2 murdering people then how did they get the recordings? How was Martyr able to record over some of his writing if he was dying? How did they know he was the one committing the murders? So many plot holes.
Final Thoughts: I feel unsatisfied having read this book. It doesn't tell you what it's about in the description. Then as you read you get poems, story's, and an audio recording. It's all so very luck luster when you find out it's about stealing people's stories. I felt like I was playing that game two lies and a truth.
Recommended For:
• Complex storytelling
• Novellas
• Ambiguous endings
• Gory scenes
• Books with multi-layers
IG | Blog
October 15, 2023
⭐3.5 STARS⭐
You've lost a lot of blood contains two novellas circling eachother.
One is about Martyr Black and his partner Ambrose, it's mostly dialogues between them which I found really intriguing. Also Martyr is a serial killer who likes to leave his victims in famous painting poses.
The second is about Tamsen and her brother Presley who move to a big dark mansion to complete a half-made game and some weird and dark stuff starts occurring. (Can't say much)
It was a fun read, gives a thrill at the end. This book contains a bit of violence which didn't reach that horrific level for me but was actually entertaining however all the wires and electrical stuff was quite hard for me to imagine.
I really liked the conversations between Martyr and Ambrose, my fav ones were the difference between scary and disturbing and that everything contains plagiarism in some way.
I'd say Eric did a great job at writing cuz reading this does give you dark vibes.
There's a huge plot twist at the end of one novella which like changes your whole perspective and I'd say it's one of my faves cause it was REALLY surprising.
So yeah I'd recommended this, it's a good story.
.
You've lost a lot of blood contains two novellas circling eachother.
One is about Martyr Black and his partner Ambrose, it's mostly dialogues between them which I found really intriguing. Also Martyr is a serial killer who likes to leave his victims in famous painting poses.
The second is about Tamsen and her brother Presley who move to a big dark mansion to complete a half-made game and some weird and dark stuff starts occurring. (Can't say much)
It was a fun read, gives a thrill at the end. This book contains a bit of violence which didn't reach that horrific level for me but was actually entertaining however all the wires and electrical stuff was quite hard for me to imagine.
I really liked the conversations between Martyr and Ambrose, my fav ones were the difference between scary and disturbing and that everything contains plagiarism in some way.
I'd say Eric did a great job at writing cuz reading this does give you dark vibes.
There's a huge plot twist at the end of one novella which like changes your whole perspective and I'd say it's one of my faves cause it was REALLY surprising.
So yeah I'd recommended this, it's a good story.
.
April 3, 2024
I truly don’t know what the fuck was going on in You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood, but I was vibing through it as I typically do with all of LaRocca’s work. Don’t ever just expect to actually know what’s going on when you read something by this author.
It’s like— I always know what he’s gonna serve (typically something odd and disturbing) and how he’s gonna serve it (beautifully, but vague as fuck and left feeling incomplete/unfinished) yet I still anticipate. I’m definitely a LaRocca girlie though, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad. He gives you all the feels, that's the best way I can put it.
The story within the story is really what kept me going. It was actually really captivating, and it’s the only part you’re going to actually understand. This is what bumped my ★★ star rating to a ★★★. I didn’t expect the author to turn YLALOB into this sci-fi, techno-esque, kind of cyberpunk tale. Nothing about this book— its cover or book description— tells you that you’re going to delve into tech horror. But I mean, Eric LaRocca can truly write anything, and writes very well at that.
Literally such stunning writing and verbiage but seems to alwaaaaays fall flat when it comes to holding the story together or making a point. I mean, the point is probably there— and we’re collectively missing it. He has a brilliant mind, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
Though the ending does make a kinda??? redemption. It lazily puts all the pieces together. So, you do eventually come to understand why there is a random tech horror novella, cryptic poetry, and recorded dialogue within the book itself.
But for real, I need Eric to bless us with some more sci-fi horror because that novella within a novella carried.
It’s like— I always know what he’s gonna serve (typically something odd and disturbing) and how he’s gonna serve it (beautifully, but vague as fuck and left feeling incomplete/unfinished) yet I still anticipate. I’m definitely a LaRocca girlie though, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad. He gives you all the feels, that's the best way I can put it.
The story within the story is really what kept me going. It was actually really captivating, and it’s the only part you’re going to actually understand. This is what bumped my ★★ star rating to a ★★★. I didn’t expect the author to turn YLALOB into this sci-fi, techno-esque, kind of cyberpunk tale. Nothing about this book— its cover or book description— tells you that you’re going to delve into tech horror. But I mean, Eric LaRocca can truly write anything, and writes very well at that.
Literally such stunning writing and verbiage but seems to alwaaaaays fall flat when it comes to holding the story together or making a point. I mean, the point is probably there— and we’re collectively missing it. He has a brilliant mind, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
Though the ending does make a kinda??? redemption. It lazily puts all the pieces together. So, you do eventually come to understand why there is a random tech horror novella, cryptic poetry, and recorded dialogue within the book itself.
But for real, I need Eric to bless us with some more sci-fi horror because that novella within a novella carried.
April 28, 2022
"I’d drown you in dark water if you weren’t so beautiful."
Eric LaRocca shocked us all with their story Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. I didn't expect that ending to happen in that book but it did. My mind never was the same after that. It really made me think twice before talking to strangers.
Then this fell into my lap and I knew that it was going to take me on another messed up journey. You would have thought that I would have been mentally prepared for this but I sure as hell wasn't. I'm still in shock at where this story led us.
There was only one thought I had after finishing this book, what in the hell did I just read? Eric does it again and blows my mind clear across the room. This was freaky. I had to go back and reread some parts because I just couldn't believe what played out in front of my eyes. Splatterpunk is taking over the world!
You've Lost a Lot of Blood was freaking amazing. It was so very bizarre and twisted. I loved it. I will read whatever Eric releases because I know it's going to be a bloody good show. Please add Eric's books to your tbr because you won't regret it.
Eric LaRocca shocked us all with their story Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. I didn't expect that ending to happen in that book but it did. My mind never was the same after that. It really made me think twice before talking to strangers.
Then this fell into my lap and I knew that it was going to take me on another messed up journey. You would have thought that I would have been mentally prepared for this but I sure as hell wasn't. I'm still in shock at where this story led us.
There was only one thought I had after finishing this book, what in the hell did I just read? Eric does it again and blows my mind clear across the room. This was freaky. I had to go back and reread some parts because I just couldn't believe what played out in front of my eyes. Splatterpunk is taking over the world!
You've Lost a Lot of Blood was freaking amazing. It was so very bizarre and twisted. I loved it. I will read whatever Eric releases because I know it's going to be a bloody good show. Please add Eric's books to your tbr because you won't regret it.
May 2, 2024
This was ... execrable. I am a huge fan of experimental writing, especially if it combines epistolary / poetry / meta narrative. But there's not nearly enough human connective tissue amidst the gore and offputting weirdness here for the reader to connect to anything. Plus, I have never read so many two-sentence paragraphs in such a short book up to now. Exhausting. Thank God it's over.
March 1, 2024
3.5 ★
the chaos and bizarre nature of this novella is so on par with Eric LaRocca’s usual writing, they are great at making me feel traumatized and speechless.. (i promise that’s a compliment). don’t ask me to explain what this is about cause i couldn’t even gather a coherent thought, i’ll just say i loved the story within a story approach and this was not at all what i was expecting but i still enjoyed it.
the chaos and bizarre nature of this novella is so on par with Eric LaRocca’s usual writing, they are great at making me feel traumatized and speechless.. (i promise that’s a compliment). don’t ask me to explain what this is about cause i couldn’t even gather a coherent thought, i’ll just say i loved the story within a story approach and this was not at all what i was expecting but i still enjoyed it.
October 20, 2022
Ive heard Eric LaRocca is a really nice and cool guy, but this just… potentially put me into a slump. I did not have fun with this, and that’s saying something as for horror I read either slow burns that have something to say, fun books where people just die, or fever dreams. And this didn’t check any of those boxes for me.
If anything it was TOO fever dreamish, and then in other parts, it was just kinda boring/frustrating. It did start strong, kinda gave me little piece of heaven by A7x vibes. But that quickly disappeared once Ambrose and Martyr got more into their banter about both, killing people, and plagiarism. I know plagiarism was supposed to have a deeper meaning in this, but their convos just really irked me. They were boring, clunky, and physically very difficult for me to not skim.
You also get a book within a book (written by Martyr one of the MCs) and poems in this. The poems I’m gonna be honest, did nothing for me. I liked the book within a book at first as it was really eerie and had the spooky video game trope going for it . But it was super rushed and clunky as well by the end and wasn’t satisfying. Tbh I would have preferred the story within the story be the entire book. It was a lot more interesting than the story with Ambrose and martyr. This honestly really feels like it tried to get by on weird and pretty writing, which I will admit this author has beautiful prose. But it just didn’t do it for me.
Also was there supposed to be a twist in this? I hear people rave about this authors twists. But literally nothing read like a twist or was that shocking.
I know there’s a line in here about how sometimes there is no point other than to disturb and like… nah I want a point lol.
I never read “things have gotten worse since we last spoke” by this author, and I’d still like to try it as well as his new release. It’s just a shame as people rave about this one too, and I just…. Don’t get it at all.
If anything it was TOO fever dreamish, and then in other parts, it was just kinda boring/frustrating. It did start strong, kinda gave me little piece of heaven by A7x vibes. But that quickly disappeared once Ambrose and Martyr got more into their banter about both, killing people, and plagiarism. I know plagiarism was supposed to have a deeper meaning in this, but their convos just really irked me. They were boring, clunky, and physically very difficult for me to not skim.
You also get a book within a book (written by Martyr one of the MCs) and poems in this. The poems I’m gonna be honest, did nothing for me. I liked the book within a book at first as it was really eerie and had the spooky video game trope going for it . But it was super rushed and clunky as well by the end and wasn’t satisfying. Tbh I would have preferred the story within the story be the entire book. It was a lot more interesting than the story with Ambrose and martyr. This honestly really feels like it tried to get by on weird and pretty writing, which I will admit this author has beautiful prose. But it just didn’t do it for me.
Also was there supposed to be a twist in this? I hear people rave about this authors twists. But literally nothing read like a twist or was that shocking.
I know there’s a line in here about how sometimes there is no point other than to disturb and like… nah I want a point lol.
I never read “things have gotten worse since we last spoke” by this author, and I’d still like to try it as well as his new release. It’s just a shame as people rave about this one too, and I just…. Don’t get it at all.
May 15, 2022
2☆ for You've Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric Larocca.
I am well aware that I'm in the minority here - but I did not enjoy YLaLoB.
The parts that were good were very good, but sadly the story took itself too seriously and the writing was too pretentious. Just like Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, I feel like Larocca showed the reader a glimpse of what an amazing story the novel could have been, but somehow, doesn't end up there.
Overall, I felt like I was being lectured for a few hours over something that barely made any sense to me. If I wanted to feel that way, I'd just have dinner with my parents.
I am well aware that I'm in the minority here - but I did not enjoy YLaLoB.
The parts that were good were very good, but sadly the story took itself too seriously and the writing was too pretentious. Just like Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, I feel like Larocca showed the reader a glimpse of what an amazing story the novel could have been, but somehow, doesn't end up there.
Overall, I felt like I was being lectured for a few hours over something that barely made any sense to me. If I wanted to feel that way, I'd just have dinner with my parents.
April 23, 2022
This book made my brain hurt. In a good way. There are two vastly different stories going on and I didn't love the teeter totter between the two. However, I did enjoy each story individually and would have loved more time with each. One storyline is more an intimate portrait of psychological horror and the second storyline is highly mysterious and an absolute mindfuck. I could give examples of what I mean but you'll want to read this without any spoilers whatsoever.
If this interests you or even if you just like the cover art for your collection, don't delay. This author's work goes out of print in a hot second.
If this interests you or even if you just like the cover art for your collection, don't delay. This author's work goes out of print in a hot second.
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