[Review] Things Have Gotten Since We Last Spoke
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
Eric LaRocca
2021
Weirdpunk Books
5 out of 5 stars
TW: Animal cruelty, toxic relationships, suicide, gaslighting, body horror
When I picked up Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, it was already close to midnight, so I intended to read only the first few pages before going to bed. Well, I stayed up until two in the morning because I simply could not put this novella down; it sucked me in, and I barely even registered the passage of time while I was reading it. With barely one hundred pages and written through emails and chat room transcriptions, reading it doesn’t take long, but I found myself having to take breaks every so often due to how uncomfortable I was.
It’s been a long time since any form of entertainment (whether it be books, movies, series, or video games) made me feel truly disturbed and uncomfortable, and I mean this as a compliment. After years of consuming horror, naturally, you get more accustomed to it and your threshold for what shocks you becomes higher and, because of that, I wasn’t expecting this story to hit me as hard as it did (hence why I was insane enough to read it before bed). I’m still amazed that the author constructed a narrative that touches on so many dark subjects and managed to not let it turn to a mere description of gore or senseless violence. The emotional connection developed between Zoe and Agnes always remains the focus of the story. This is a solely character-driven narrative, meaning that every single event that took place was a direct consequence of their actions.
The interaction between the two main characters reminded me of the first years of Tumblr and how many young teens, like me, corresponded with strangers similar to Zoe and Agnes. When I was 13, Tumblr introduced me to a new “friend” who I talked to daily. The thing is, my friend was 19 and, as I realized years later, trying to groom a susceptible child, which gave this story another layer for me, it was as if the author was describing what could have happened to me had I not caught on to how creepy my situation really was. Even though both protagonists are adults, there is a power imbalance between them, but since LaRocca writes it in such a subtle way, the reader cannot spot the manipulation until further on in the story, even though it had been happening since the start. This novella exposes the development of an abusive relationship and how it escalates gradually, so that the abused don’t notice it, but it makes the onlooker (in this case, the reader) feel powerless and frustrated.
Once I finished this, I couldn’t stop replaying the horrible events in my mind repeatedly. It’s been days and I still find myself thinking about it and wanting to re-read it to check if I missed anything the first time around. Mostly though, I’ve been obsessing over the butterfly effect and how a small decision, like trying to sell a potato peeler on the internet, can have such an enormous impact on the rest of your life. I feel confident in saying that, whether you hate it or love it, this novella is something you won’t be able to forget for a long time.
Finally, even though I believe this to be an incredible novella, it is not for everyone. This is one of the heaviest pieces of fiction I’ve ever read, so I recommend you check the trigger warnings below to make sure that the experience will not be detrimental to your mental health. Take breaks when you need them and if during the reading you feel too overwhelmed, please stop, and leave it aside, since the story does not have a pleasant ending and your emotional well-being should always come first.
Marina Garrido
