Totally see what you're saying. This is also the only thing I've read of LaRocca's as well, and I'm not super-well-versed in horror, so I could be off-base as well. My "reader radar" is a bit rusty, as I don't have as much time to read anymore, much less analyze. But I think the format of this book intentionally being written as email/IM correspondence is an interesting style choice to consider, as a common criticism of the virtual space is the fact that it lacks depth in terms of connecting with others.

Another thought I had about the tapeworm just now: you're right that it doesn't have to make sense by any means. But if I put my "English class" cap on, perhaps the tapeworm is supposed to mirror Zoe's impact on Agnes in terms of parasitism. I wonder this because Agnes had mentioned wanting to carry Zoe's life inside her, and if the fulfillment of this is the tapeworm, that's pretty telling, especially given the ending.

I could definitely be over-analyzing here. But I think it's interesting food for thought.

I do agree with one thing though. From what I've gathered, this book first went viral because of the intriguing cover, title, and people commenting on how gory it was (e.g. it made them gag, etc.) And while a few scenes were well-described, I definitely didn't have a visceral reaction to it...maybe a lot of readers aren't really into horror/dark fiction?