Ashley Lutin has suffered the death of his wife and the loss of his son at a store. To deal with his guilt and grief, he has altered his physical appearance to reflect the pain he feels inside. He spends time online, interacting with people who feel as if the world would be better off without them, offering them a ritual that attempts to use their desire to die to give them a chance at a rebirth and new life. What he doesn’t realize is that people will reveal things to him that he is not expecting.
This book is the definition of transgressive horror. At Dark I Become Loathsome is unsettling, dark and horrific, creating an increasing sense of unease with the reader as you turn each page. Caging the reader in with less and less room to breathe. LaRocca uses horror to evoke intense emotions that include empathy, understanding and fear.
There are a lot of trigger warnings and social issues that will go along with this book. However, all of them are deftly handled in a way that is truly stunning. LaRocca peels back layers of the heart and human psyche slowly and delicately to allow these emotions and traumatic events to flesh out and become real. This is a brutal and vivid read that will be talked about all year. Be prepared to take a break to get over this one.
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Purchase At Dark I Become Loathsome
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Barrington Books
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