#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 117: 2 Winners of the Hottest Debut Novel of 2023

This week I have 2 copies of the hottest but of the year courtesy of Clash Books. Details below, but first, here is how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #116. Our winner was Nicole from Queens [NY] Library. Now to this week's giveaway.

My April 2023 Horror Review Column is now live [you  can access it all on the general blog here] and one of my STAR reviews is Eric LaRocca's debut novel, Everything the Darkness Eats. I LOVED this book. Clash Books sent me 2 ARCs, which means, we will have 2 winners this week.

Here is my draft review with 3 words from Goodreads:

Three words that describe this book: emotionally resonant, cosmic twist on small town horror, strong characters 

Draft Review: Adding a cosmic twist to the small town horror trope, LaRocca introduces readers to Henley’s Edge, where everyone knows each other, but also, a place where evil, both human and supernatural, has taken hold. Senior women have been disappearing without a trace. The local cop, Malik, is unable to find any leads, while simultaneously facing violent, homophobic attacks in his own home. Heart Crowley is a rich, funeral plot salesman who wants to help people find everything they are looking for in this life, if only they will go into his basement first. And then there is Ghost, an unlikely hero, a young man grieving a huge loss, literally stalked by guilt. Beginning with a terrifying prologue that makes the evil all are up against abundantly clear, and continuing to enhance the dread with scenes of palpable fear, deep-seated trauma, and visceral villainy, this remarkable debut will move readers through every possible emotion, with language that is in equal turns brutal and beautiful, and expertly built, messily realistic characters. Undeniably a tale filled with shock and disgust, but like the very best Horror, it is a story that seeks to elevate love and allow humanity to shine through. 

Verdict: LaRocca has seen viral success with his shorter works, but this novel demonstrates their growth as a writer. A perfect example of how the influx of writers from historical marginalized communities are actively mining the horror of their personal experiences to create terrifying, original and emotionally resonant works that speak loudly to all readers much like Hailey Piper, RJ. Joseph, and V. Castro.

Good luck. Remember if you enter once you are entered going forward, and there are a lot of good titles coming. Don't miss out.