The stories in this collection were dark and disturbing but were well-written and creative. I don't normally mention trigger warnings in my reviews, but I have to say that you should be aware that there should be a content warning for this book. Some of the content warnings/triggers include abusive relationships, parent loss, spouse loss, terminal illness, murder, miscarriage, elder abuse, and much more. Also, the cover is amazing. Honestly, I could see a few of these stories being made into films or shows. A couple of the stories that stuck with me are You're Not Supposed to Be Here and Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass.

Each of these eight stories are so different from each other, explore very different aspects of life, love, loss and the darkness dwelling in the corners of the human soul. I was fascinated and even made uncomfortable in the way these stories challenge and test boundaries of what it means to be human.

Final Thoughts

A truly thought-provoking and at times uncomfortable exploration of the human condition. Stark and unflinching, LaRocca explores grief, tragedy and the harm done to others defined in singular events. A masterpiece of raw and powerfully undisguised humanity. Skilfully written and elegantly told stories that are at the darker heart of what makes us human.

Conclusion

A great literary collection of dark fiction. LaRocca holds a mirror to humanity and – without filters – it shows the darkness and love, the anguish of loss of each human experience without flinching. A highly recommended dark fiction collection!

✨ Review ✨ The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca

ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLLECTIONS OF SHORT STORIES EVER!

Short story collections are usually hard for me to get into -- the stories are usually either too short or too long, or don't connect together enough; and this was perfect! With a mix of some super short stories and some that took me about 30 minutes to read, it felt engaging; and the thematic connections between the stories held this all together.

Each of the stories were memorable -- some sad, some horrifying, each of them made me want to find someone to go talk about them with! The way in which the stories were ordered brought a feeling of conversation to me, like the stories were in dialogue with each other.

This collection is gruesome in places, but I seriously loved the sharp writing and feelings that it evoked in me. It was definitely SUPER dark, but it was incredibly smart and connected in how it explored trauma, tragedy, grief, love, family, obsession, and so many other themes.

Pick this up if you want to delve deep, but also shout WTF into the air as you read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: dark literary fiction, horror, short stories
Pub Date: out now!

Thanks to Titan and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

As always, Eric LaRocca provides a collection that runs the gamut of poignant, thoughtful, grotesque and horrific with everything in between. There is a focus on relationships in this collection, which I found interesting and the ways in which we impact those around us. My favourites in the collection were 'Bodies are for Burning', which was a fascinating and terrifying exploration of the so called maternal instinct in women; 'The Strange Thing We Become', which was structurally interesting told in a series of message board posts; and 'You're Not Supposed to be Here', which was just terrifying and anxiety inducing from start to finish. I really enjoyed this collection and will continue to read whatever Eric LaRocca releases.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

All hail Eric LaRocca, my new favorite horror writer, who is not only a master of the unsettling but a gorgeous writer who could undoubtedly crank out literary fiction if he really wanted. They are truly so talented at crafting a scary and disgusting premise and holding my attention till the stories meet their unsettling end.

I wanted to give LaRocca another chance after being pretty disappointed with Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, but I think I've determined that his writing is just not for me (which is really disappointing, considering queer horror is my wheelhouse). It seemed like the theme of this collection was people /almost/ doing something horrible and then... deciding not to? Which is really not a very compelling plot, especially when it's repeated over and over. They were very readable, but I don't think I'll be reading any more of LaRocca's work after this.

These were a couple of weird short stories. I loved some of them, their plot twists were genius, remarkable. Every story had something special. It took me 2 months to read this book tho, I don't know why. I enjoyed the writing style and the mysterious atmosphere.

Erica LaRocca is one of my favourite authors and never ceases to amaze me and The Trees Grew Because I Bled There did not let me down either. This short story collection is very different from their other recent collection that focused on animals, however, it felt more true to their original work of Things Have Gotten Worse etc. I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys weird and wonderful fiction!

Eric LaRocca has an extreme gift for keeping me on the edge of my seat and this one was no exception. While this is definitely a horror collection, there's also a very taboo theme that made me squeamish... in a good way!

This brief but brutal and memorable story collection makes it clear that the promise Eric LaRocca showed with his breakout body-horror masterpiece THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE is no illusion. Rather than having much of if any of the supernatural that occasionally surfaced in LaRocca's first few stories, THE TREES GREW BECAUSE I BLED THERE focuses almost entirely on the depths human cruelty can plumb. The most distinctive addition to his thematic spectrum seems to be the intense dysfunction and perversity that can take hold in complicated family relationships, which is extremely prominent in "Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass," "I'll Be Gone by Then" and "Please Leave or I'm Going to Hurt You."

Those seeking the completely unbridled horror and hideousness of THINGS won't quite find that here, though the epistolary "The Strange Thing We Become" and the vicious "You're Not Supposed to Be Here" come close. But that's a good thing; it would be boring if he were a one-trick pony. LaRocca is writing powerful, transgressive horror fiction and is only getting better with each release.

I really enjoyed this anthology. I haven't read queer horror before, and this has made me want to explore this genre.

Some of the stories are genuinely unsettling; particularly those involving babies and children. Others are macabre, and cleverly evoke repulsion without being gratuitously gory.

Each of the stories also feels distinct, despite there being recurring motifs/themes, e.g. cancer, loss of bodily control, dark secrets. The inclusion of different story formats - e.g. an internet thread - also keeps things unpredictable and interesting.

Thank you for the opportunity to read. I will definitely be trying more from Eric LaRocca!

Gosh do I love Eric Larocca. I also had this book pre ordered. I loved this collection of short stories and I hope in the future I can get ARC's from him as well.

Originally published under the title The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales, this short story collection deals with human relationships and the dark, intrusive thoughts that permeate them. Most of the tales here depict violent thought that slowly develop until they explode into action; for example, Bodies Are For Burning, and I'll Be Gone By Then: in the first one, an aunt tries to ask for help to her psychologist because she keeps thinking about burning things and people. But when she has to babysit her niece, she has to do something about those impulses, or she might hurt a loved one; the second story is about a selfish woman who wants to get rid of her elderly mother. She plans on how to do it, and goes about it too casually, but she realizes soon afterward that it could've been a mistake since her resentment toward her mother was uncalled-for. You are not supposed to be here and Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass are more genre inclined, but nevertheless, they are very strong in the way the narrative flows: in the first one, a gay couple is approached by a man and woman who apparently mistake them for others. They soon start to chat until the conversation turns for the worse and then dark secrets and hot blood start leaking; In the second one, a father and daughter are vacationing in a resort, and they meet a strange but respectful man. But then this mysterious man tells the father of an impending doom that will befall her daughter, and the only way of rescuing her will cause the father to make a very hard choice. The rest of the stories are all very subtle, the twist so nonchalantly presented, and the prose so inconspicuous that before you realize it, you can't but feel sorry and terror for these characters. LaRocca will be a very interesting horror writer to follow in the coming years. ~

As alaways with Erics LaRocca I enjoy his writing style and a lot of his story ideas are original in its execution. However, the stories mostly devolve into pure use of (sometimes pretty illogical) shock factors. As always, with a story collection there are good ones (The strange thing we become, bodies are for burning), but also mediocre/ broing ones (where flames burned the gras, i will be gone by then).
I was entertained throughout, but always felt like I was missing out as these stories could have been executed so much better!

My second Eric LaRocca collection (following Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes) and once again the author has managed to take ordinary situations and by the end of the story twist everything until you have chills. The story about the young couple in the park that find themselves playing a frightening game to save their infant is truly terrifying . Very much looking forward to the author's debut novel Everything the Darkness Eats (doesn't he have the best titles!)

LaRocca pushes the envelope with these stories, and if you read them and don't squirm in your seat (at least a little) then I think you should possibly be put on a government watch list. Some of these short stories are just hauntingly disturbing, but all of them are unsettling. I was pulled into each one abruptly each time as I waited for whatever horror filled nightmare I was going to read about this time.

I completely loved it of course. 10/10. Eric LaRocca is an instant read and an instant buy for me forever.

I became an Eric LaRocca fan after first reading "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke," which I found to be such a refreshing, bizarre, and horrific story. I was equally as blown away by this short story collection! LaRocca is able to weave emotion so carefully into the narratives, while still having the reader be like "wtf am I reading?!" I like that we are getting LGBTQIA+ representation in the horror genre, and honestly it's such a new take on what things are genuinely frightening versus what modern horrors minorities face everyday. I enjoyed reading every story in this book, and because LaRocca is so adept at beautiful descriptions of not only scenery, I was able to play out every detail in my mind. I will be reading more of LaRocca, and also let it be said that the cover (and all their covers) are gorgeous works of art. Thanks, NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for the free copy!

Wow, what a collection! This was my first encounter with the force that is LaRocca’s writing, and it did not disappoint. The stories are incredibly dark and unsettling in different ways. I specifically like the creativity in the “hauntings”, and the dichotomy between a diversity of horrors and a repetition of signs being used. I’ll read many more of this author’s work in the future.

This short stories collection was weird, daunting and truly horrifying.
It’s hard for all stories to be at the same level but this one definitely delivered in creepiness and horror. The feel of dread and deep rooted anxiety can be felt throughout all stories and some of them really made me stressed and uncomfortable. It’s impressive that an author can write short stories with so much atmosphere and that can pack a punch while grossing you out. I was honestly too scared and anxious to read those at night before bed because it was making me tense and uneasy.

My favourite short story was definitely “the trees grew because I bled there”, which gave its title to the collection!

If you want disturbing short horror stories, this one is for you!

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun collection of short stories. Some are dark and gory, others are creepy. A quick read for fans of horror.