Don’t mind me over here, forever obsessing over everything Eric writes. 🖤

I've read several of Eric's works now, and have been genuinely captivated by each and every one. Their way with words is brilliant all on its own, but Eric has the plots and characters to flesh out all of that eloquence and give it a sturdy home that leads to the most memorable and truly special reading experiences. Unsurprisingly for anyone who's a fan of this author's works, We Can Never Leave This Place runs through a wide gambit of emotions, and left me feeling somehow both drained and fulfilled in the best way when it ended.

We Can Never Leave This Place is a gloomy, claustrophobic tale of a teen girl in a seemingly war-ravaged or dystopian society, trapped in a toxic home with her ruthlessly cold mother after her father is murdered. Strange characters filter into the apartment and bring their own bizarre and, at times, horrific motives and desires with them, and all Mara can do — and us, alongside her — is watch the quiet chaos reach its peak. There's a general sense of disgust and true, human horror that permeates the entire tale, due both to the characters' depraved actions and Mara's filthy living conditions, and each time a glimmer of hope is unveiled, you can't help but grasp onto it desperately despite knowing it will likely be wrenched away from Mara soon enough.

Much like Eric's other works, there's only so much I can say without spoiling the madness that ensues within these pages, but I truly enjoyed this novella so much and I know I'll be adding it to the ever-growing list of Eric LaRocca titles I frequently rave about and recommend so highly. Well done with another incredible release that has dug itself entirely under my skin, Eric. I'm happy to have it here.

✨ Content warnings for: mentions of child death, parent death, grief, unclean living situation, violence, murder, brief mention of rape, emotional and verbal abuse from a parent, animal violence/death, insects, body horror, brief descriptions of miscarriage/stillbirth, incest

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!