Introduction
We Are Always Tender with our Dead is set to be released in August 2026, as the first book in the Burnt Sparrow trilogy authored by Eric LaRocca. This novel sets into motion a horrific, fantastical chain of events that will leave you disturbed in the best way possible.
A Summary
A mass shooting occurs in Burnt Sparrow on Christmas Day. The townsfolk are in shock and the grief echoes through every citizen as they try to deal with the grief and provide consequences for the 3 faceless entities that committed the atrocity.
Rupert is a 17 year old boy that lives with his father after his mother passed away, and they are both tasked with watching over the corpses of those they once knew. They do not know why they cannot move the bodies, and they do not know what will happen to the entities that caused it.
Writing Style
The writing style is extremely lyrical and poetic in its portrayal of the story, and it is by far the best part of the reading experience. Due to this, it’s a faster read than a lot of other horror books on the market. There aren’t typical chapters in this novel, and instead it focuses on POV changes, and other methods of story telling such as vignettes interspersed throughout, diary entries and audio transcripts.
My Thoughts
The warning at the beginning of the book prepared me for this to not be an enjoyable read but, instead, a read that would disgust and intrigue me. The writing was undoubtedly the best part of this book. It was beautifully crafted in an eerie but poetic way, and I found myself feeling hypnotized to keep reading, which was what this book needed as it carried me through very dark topics.
At times, I felt the book was disjointed in the way it was telling the story, more so through the structure than anything else. It is the first book in a series, but I still don’t feel like that accounted for all of the different plot holes, structural missteps and unresolved questions we are left with at the end. The story weaves in and out of two different POV’s, each of which I enjoyed in their own right, but the inclusion of the diary entries, the audio transcripts and the little stories really threw me for a loop. There’s a balance to be had when giving pieces of information for readers to figure out and still making sure the story makes sense enough to keep them entertained and I don’t believe that balance was achieved well here. I’m left with tons of questions but I don’t necessarily understand enough of the world to want to seek answers for them.
Having said all of this, I also have to mention the inclusion of queerness into LaRocca’s novels, and how interwoven they are with the plots. I really enjoy horror stories that don’t shy away from queer characters and include it into the story and it was done incredibly well here.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Rape
- Necrophilia
- Domestic Abuse
- Body horror
- Incest
- Animal Cruelty
- Gun violence
- Child sexual abuse
- Infant death (violent)
- Torture
- Bereavement
Recommendation
I don’t think I would recommend this as a book to sit back and relax with, but it is an interesting read - mainly due to the writing style. If you like horror, and you are okay with all of the trigger warnings above, check it out.