You've Lost a Lot of Blood

“I’d rather be a cockroach without a head than continue carrying on like this.”

This is going to be a short review because much like the other reviews out there, I really do think you should go into this story knowing nothing. Just know this, the vibe and horrors are akin to THGWSWLS so if you’re a fan of LaRocca’s previous work, I definitely suggest picking this up.

You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood feels like a deep dive into the deranged and criminally insane. You follow these characters that have vastly different motivations and wants but are all evil in their own ways. I think some of what was meant to come across in the ending flew over my head a bit and the writing was at times difficult to follow, but the imagery was immense and horrifyingly beautiful. I also think not understanding EVERYTHING isn’t always a bad thing because it opens the avenue to discussions with others who’ve read and interpreted things differently from you!

This is a unique piece with a flavor of insanity that hits just right. I think I would’ve liked to see more of the characters lives, more about what lurks within those minds, but I enjoyed this all the same and the length was binge worthy. 🪱🐛

Book Review - YOU'VE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD by Eric LaRocca

"A worm doesn't listen to a grasshopper."

LaRocca continues to blow my mind with his stories.

This is a book where the story, in a similar fashion as Things Have Gotten Worse Since the Last Time We Spoke, is in transcripts surrounding a MC named Martyr. Another part of the story is a novella that Martyr wrote which involves a young woman who is hired to be a video game character designer and moves into a questionable situation with her little brother.

I have seen other reviews where people said they weren't as interested in the novella portions of this book but I am the opposite. I was so much more invested in the video game parts and was really excited to see where it would go. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to know the story behind Martyr and his partner, Ambrose but the super weird mystery with the novella had me hooked. There was a twist I wasn't fully expecting and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of You've Lost a Lot of Blood.

This book is easily quotable and had some many creepy descriptions, I was in love. Weirdly, I think this has been the "most tamed" book out of the three I've read from LaRocca so far but it still had a decent amount of body horror.

You've Lost a Lot of Blood was a win for me and Eric will forever be on my auto read list. Brilliant.

A book about a horror story is so different from a horror movie. I feel like not enough people understand that (like the people who gave 1 and 2 star reviews)

While this is by no means a "masterpiece", it is very good. It is unnerving and makes you uncomfortable, which is all we can really ask of it. It is graphic and gory without being over the top, and while some may feel the story goes "nowhere", I can't help but feel like that was the point. Not every story is going to end the way you want it.

I did feel like 4 stars was the best fit. Yes, there are some typos here and there. And yes, it was very short (I read it in under 3 hours) but overall it was a unique reading experience and I'm glad to have bought it.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with ‘You’ve Lost A Lot of Blood’, but I couldn’t put it down once I started. Eric LaRocca has such a unique way of writing/storytelling. This is such a bizarre but brutally imaginative read. I haven’t read anything quite like it yet. I don’t know exactly what I can (or should) say since I don’t want to spoil this. There is just so much going on in this multilayered novella. There is poetry, a novella in a novella and a dark story underneath that ties everything together. The characters are incredibly dark and unsettling in a way that made me feel almost uneasy to read about them at certain parts. All in all, I thought this was quite a unique book and definitely a great new addition to the horror realm (especially as it feels like its own genre of horror).

“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.” -Excerpt from the back of the book.

Before embarking on this read; know there are plenty of trigger warnings.

After reading "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke", I've been following Eric LaRocca's work with bated breath, and I preordered this book on faith in the author alone- honestly, this is my recommended way to experience it: totally blind and with no idea what you're getting into. But I'd be loathe to say nothing, because this is one of my favorite books I've read in a GOOD while, and one I'll be thinking about nonstop.

You've Lost A Lot Of Blood is multilayered, nonlinear and at times opaque, but these are all to its strength. One narrative is the fiction-in-a-fiction novella "You've Lost A Lot Of Blood" by author Martyr Black; the other narrative is an account of Martyr's published works, audio logs and journals. Over time the two weave together, and in the end the book leaves you going back and combing through previous chapters and works for hints, clues, details. I finished reading it and immediately started compiling notes on publication dates so that I could piece the sections into chronological order; I'm absolutely ITCHING for my friends to read this so we can theorize and discuss it together.

At its heart, this book speaks to a narrative about queerness and desire and self that feels *deeply* relatable and stuck with me; multiple times when reading, I commented to friends that it felt like LaRocca plucked his narrative out of my dreams, so specific was it to my interests and tastes. Without spoiling the central ethos, this is a book to read if you've loved any of the following: House of Leaves, The Secret History, Exquisite Corpse, NBC's Hannibal, or Netflix's Bly Manor. Afterwards, I recommend making a cup of tea and sitting down with friends and chat about the relationship of the book to its thematic peers, and how that relates to Martyr Black's story and work as a creator. Overall an incredible piece of work, one that I can already tell I'm going to reread.

The book is split into two narratives -- a first person narrative from a serial killer, and a third person narrative about a software developer who goes to a spooky mansion to develop a strange video game for a mysterious benefactor. The third person narrative is supposed to be a story the serial killer was writing when he was apprehended.

I really enjoyed the first person narrative -- LaRocca's lyrical prose really shines here, and the way we see this deranged man's relationship with his lover unfold is fascinating to watch. Some really beautiful turns of phrases in this part. Unfortunately, most of the story is the third person narrative, which I found boring. The prose is extremely stilted and basic, at times reading like a first draft or list of basic action descriptions. It doesn't really reveal anything special about its creator's mental state or mood. I wouldn't say it has a very formulaic and predictable plot per se, but I wasn't particularly drawn to or impressed with any part of it. I kept wishing these sections would be done soon so we could return to the first person narrative.

Overall, I will continue to follow LaRocca's work, but I wasn't as impressed with this one as I was with Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.

Once again, this author slaps. They do a great job as creating a story within a story. This is just the case of two lovers with one hiding his deadly lust. These novels have reignited my love for horror novels and I can't wait to read more from the author!

It's hard to summarize this story because it's so much more than a single story. It's more like a tapestry with vibrant threads woven throughout. In the end, yes, you have a story, just like various colored threads lead to the end result of a blanket with a design. But, it's more about the experience than the plot. Not only that, but it's like a story within a story within a story. It's Russian dolls. Despite this, I never felt lost or confused and I was always ready to jump back into a different thread when it was time.

The frame story is about lovers Martyr Black and Ambrose Thorne, who you find out on the first page are killers. You learn a bit about what motivates them, what their relationship is like, and what they feared.

Then there's the actual story of Martyr and Ambrose, told in transcript from Martyr's perspective.

And then, the story Martyr published about Tamsen and her brother Presley and their gothic adventures at a creepy mansion where nothing is what it seems.

It all connects, trust me.

You've Lost a Lot of Blood feels like what might happen if Hemingway's tight prose and Barker's bold storytelling had a baby. Except it's utterly unlike anything I've ever read in my life. LaRocca is pioneering something new and fresh in horror literature and I'm 1000% here for it. Sheer joy!

Definitely not what I expected after reading Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.
If you're looking for the same disturbing, grotesque style- I wouldn't recommend this one.
There were a few editing errors that had me confused. Overall, my opinion on it was meh.

Y'all are in for a ride. The structure of the book is a cool concept. The story is wonderfully dark and bizarre. The prose is fantastic. I really enjoyed this one. Larocca knocked it out of the park.