Delightfully unhinged. Just what I was hoping for. Bazterrica always knows how to produce the most raw and visceral content.

I’m still not sure how to rate this book, but it feels like a 4 so we’re going with it. Overall, I really liked this book for some of the same reasons I liked Tender is the Flesh. I find the narration style to be quite unique in its more detached voice. The sections of this book told in real time at the Sisterhood have a fever dream quality that felt true to the character’s environment. The flashback scenes felt much more clear and connected emotionally. While I can’t say I enjoyed being on this journey with the main character, I found that I couldn’t put the book down. It was the same experience that I had with Tender is the Flesh where I was transported to this character’s world and I needed to know where the story was going - how it would end for these women. I appreciate that we got most of the answers we were hoping for, and I thought the commentary on climate change was poignant. Would definitely recommend if you like cults, fever dream narratives, and what many call weird literary horror. A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is my first time reading Agustina Bazterrica, but I know how well reputed she is in the horror community. I tend to shy away from the genre because I scare easily, but this was the type of horror I can handle and it was so totally engrossing. A shortie (under 200 pages) and fully of dystopic mystery, I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting. Thank you to Scribner for the gifted copy!

This book was poetic, raw, and disturbing. In just under 200 pages, Bazterrica creates a vivid dystopian future with a cast of characters evoking all sorts of emotions. I felt fear, strength, and incredible solidarity from the featured women, and a terrible sense of pain at what they endured. Unsurprisingly, the ending absolutely gutted me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Thought-provoking and timely, we have another masterpiece on our hands.

Wow. This is dark, gritty, dystopian, and depressing but- wait for it- the writing is interesting. It's hard to enjoy a novel where humanity is gone, there's torture and repression and you just want it all to stop. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's tough times in real life and I just wasn't in the right headspace for this so over to others.

Dystopian-dark religious horror- environmental hellscape-sapphic romance.
I’m not sure what lives in the mind of Bazterrica but I find it entertaining as hell. Her style is unique and niche, and probably not for everyone, but if you like her other works this is a must read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Agustina Bazterrica, I was so excited to read “The Unworthy”, and it did NOT disappoint! Unsettling and grotesque, it was an intriguing depiction of a twisted religious order set apart from the world. The story was unpredictable and made me unable to stop reading once I started. Highly recommend!

I have no idea what I read but I loved it? Bazterrica has a way of making me question everything. This was such a fascinating story to consume and I wouldn't have been mad if it was longer. Honestly my only complaint is that it was super confusing at first because I felt like I was just dropped into something without knowing anything. But I loved how this was a weird way of journal entrees that I've never read before.

Do you ever read a book and immediately after finishing question what you just read? Welcome to my experience after finishing The Unworthy.

Agustina Bazterrica is best known for her previous novel, Tender is the Flesh. If you're expecting something exactly in the same veins as Tender, I'm telling you now you aren't going to get it. The Unworthy felt more cerebral to me than its predecessor. I'm not trying to be mean to Tender is the Flesh because I loved it. The Unworthy is a dystopian book that I felt like I missed a lot on my initial reading. As I continued with the story I felt like there were subtle mentions in the story that became a bigger theme or points of intention the further I read along. I think I'd get more out of it on a second reading and more appreciation for it the more I read it. I'm not a very religious person so I know there are some things I missed for sure with a book that falls so heavily on trauma within religious sects. Although The Unworthy wasn't my favorite book, it will not hinder me from reading anything that Bazterrica writes in the future.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I cried about these lesbian nuns in a cult with all the violence and haunting a of climate change and religiosity. I cried about how much loss there was endured. I cried because we’re killing our planet. I cried because she got to know love. I cried because I read this the first 2 days of my period. Which is poetic in some way I think.

But also because I was so wrapped up in a story that is so layered and spellbinding and goddamn beautifully and interestingly written that I felt that rare feeling of sharing not unique human experiences but the universal ones.

Chaotic and melancholic and mournful and violent and horrific and honestly fucking beautiful.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I was excited to read this newest novel by Agustina. I wasn't in the mood, but it's not that long. It's so beautifully written. The words or pages that is the story that we are reading is a character in itself. It's definitely not "purple prose". It's lyrical, like a poem, that touches your soul. Even through the horrors, we are comforted by the perfect words. The pacing is great. I love the unfinished sections where to MC has to hide and hide the papers they are writing in order to survive. It's a lot of things, and horrific things take place, but I wasn't scared. It's a lot like Tender where you are just shocked these events are occurring. It's supposedly a dystopian world, but we don't know much except for a collapse of society. This fact is the scariest part, because we are only a few steps from chaos ourselves. Thank you to Netgalley for a free e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Unworthy read like diary entries of an isolation camp where power was distributed but no one really knew what the heck was going on. I devoured Tender is the Flesh and was hoping for more of the same style of writing. This was not it. The writing here was very imagery-driven (loved) but the plot was very much lost on me (did not love).

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy.

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica is an incredibly dark and tortuous look into a future where the world has been decimated by climate change and a group of survivors live in a convent called the Sacred Sisterhood. This convent is unlike others with the horrors that are done to individuals by its brutal leaders as they attempt to ascend its social hierarchy. It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did it didn’t let go. It has echoes of The Handmaid’s Tale but is also very unique. As a fan of Tender is the Flesh by the same author I was looking forward to reading this and not disappointed. Recommended to anyone who likes dark, dystopian fiction.

Thank you to Scriber and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Unworthy is a quick read, similar in length to one of the author's other titles - Tender is the Flesh. Here we find ourselves following an unnamed protagonist as she recounts in a secret diary - written in blood, ink, dirt, or whatever she can find - her story. Taking place an unspecified amount of time after an environmental crisis leaves the world and its inhabitants starving, infected and dying.

Much of the story is left without full explanation. The reader is frequently partially in the dark. The writing will randomly break off mid-sentence or have words or phrases scratched out. The protagonist is writing her account in secret, with stolen writing implements, so the lack of complete narrative makes sense.

The women in this story, all living in a convent of sorts, are subjected to various tortures as they compete to advance the ranks of the Sisterhood worshipping an unnamed "He". While at times I found the story difficult to follow, it was also powerful.

The Unworthy publishing March 4, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

“Every morning I rise and seek her scent, a scent like a song, like a wildfire you long to burn in.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Augustina Bazterrica for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

An immersive, grotesque, and thrilling dystopian horror by the author of Tender is the Flesh. This entire novel felt so surreal, so enveloping, I simply blew through it when I had the time to sit down and read.

Basically “since the death of God, there’s been a vacancy open” and when society ends and the world is in shambles, what more is there to do besides start or join an obscure religion? That’s exactly what the Sacred Sisterhood is; a secluded religious organization not subscribed to the basic “God stuff” but they’re doing their own thing. And by their own thing, that means some seriously messed up activities towards each other in their hierarchical society and to themselves as sacrifice to Him and His teachings. Obviously, things get weird, stay weird, or get weirder and we as the readers, just have to see where that takes us.

This novel was engrossing to say the least and I am so very glad to have had the opportunity to read this. I just love daydreaming about the end times and fall of society and what extreme dichotomies that would reveal. Publishing 3/4/25 , be sure to pick up The Unworthy by Augustina Bazterrica for a new kind of religious trauma to worry about 💕

I just couldn't get into this novel. I didn't care for the writing style. I know this author is very beloved, but I don't think her books are for me. The synopsis sounded more intriguing than the actual novel. I like dark and depressing stories, but "The Unworthy" just didn't deliver for me. The story was convoluted and murky. I didn't like any of the characters and the ending was silly. The only positive is the length. This is a quick read. The cover art is stunning though.

Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Agustina Bazterrica’s new book The Unworthy. I was drawn to the nun on the cover and the story about a mysterious convent called the Sacred Sisterhood that borders on a cult. I was also curious about this book due to Bazterrica’s popularity from her book Tender is the Flesh. Although I haven’t read that book, I know that the book was widely popular especially during the early days of the pandemic. I was a little intimidate by the topic of cannibalism, but this book about fanaticism, religion, and cults seemed more up my alley. The first half of the book doesn’t disappoint either. The narrator is surreptitiously writing in her journal at night, detailing the arduous and tedious events of life in this mysterious convent. These early sections detailing the challenges she faces in trying to document the austerity and brutality of the convent are enthralling, but also hard to read. Along with translator Sarah Moses’s artful and descriptive language, Bazterrica creates a terrifying and gruesome world that seemed to exist in some medieval nightmare realm where madness, depravity and cruelty ruled people’s lives without much explanation or hope. I found the different levels of devotion fascinating as well—some members who seem to be pure and untouched are thoroughly mutilated, having their eardrums ruptured or their eyes shown shut to further feel the sacred and beatific emotions of the true god. These moments and their descriptions are brutal and horrific, and I was really amazed at the various methods that Bazterrica developed to further torture the members of the sect. I wondered whether these were invented or if they were based on research. Furthermore, the narrator describes the different areas in and around the Convent, and the mysteries they hold. Interestingly, she often crosses out words and phrases in the book, and I wasn’t completely sure why, especially if this journal is hidden from others, with no real hope of anyone reading it. This choice does create a sense of mystery, and I have my theories based on later events in the book. However, Bazterrica also creates a sense of both mystery and dread about the different areas in the convent, and we learn that she entered the convent, like many other women, as a wanderer. These are often strangers who have made it through the ravaged, apocalyptic landscape to this seeming refuge where there is shelter and seemingly those who could help. However, due to a kind of virus or plague, those wanderers often have to spend some time in the Cloister of Purification, where the members can see if these wanderers are carrying the plague. Other areas like the Creek of Madness or the Tower of Silence also offer some ominous warnings based on their names, and I loved how mysterious and dreadful these places seemed.
Yet, all is not as it seems, and the narrator also describes the kind of jealousy and tribalism that slowly boils within the confines of the convent. In particular, a new wanderer who arrives arouses something in the narrator, eventually forcing her to unearth her long-buried memories of her life before the Convent. While this second half of the book was compelling and created a kind of twist I didn’t expect, I also felt like it wasn’t as descriptive and developed as the kind of world building she did for the establishing the kind of frozen world of the Convent and the brutality that the initiates faced from the Superior Sister. I won’t detail the twists, but it was surprising and it did hold my attention. If anything, I think this book offers a powerful lesson for how we respond to both tragedies (or catastrophes) and authority, and sadly how these two things are often linked in our society. I also think that The Unworthy is a powerful reminder of how we often lose our freedom and sometimes even our will when catastrophic or tragic events occur. Whether we look for meaning and leadership or whether we retreat in fear and sorrow, the book is an important reminder of the need to persist. I also think there is an important message of love and connection, and how we need to maintain these kinds of relationships in these challenging and often brutal times. Reading and stories also play an important part in sustaining the narrator. She seems to feel a sense of relief in sharing her story, and when she recounts her past life before the convent, she shares how important other stories are to her and those she loves. I also really loved this aspect of the story, and how when we face tragedies, challenges, or catastrophes, we can find some solace in reading and writing. I know that this book is not for everyone, and in looking at reviews, I can see that the book is somewhat divisive. However, I appreciated the book, and I thought it was a compelling read. With the brutality and drudgery of the narrator’s life, it’s hard to say that the book was enjoyable, but I did engage with the book and found her story enthralling. Reading this book reminded me of the kind of brutal world that Ottessa Moshfegh created in Lapvona, where elements of folk horror are mixed with a cruel society and leadership that relies on brutality and fear.

Unique story of devotion, fanaticism, antipathy, and empathy.
That first quarter was rough, had me feeling really in the dark with all the religious cult-y jargon. I was beginning to think maybe I don’t enjoy cult horror as much as I thought. But this book is short, and the pay off was considerable. Around the middle this story and the main character shifted in a way I didn’t see coming and enjoyed. This is one of those times where I think I enjoyed the thoughts and questions the book left me with more than the book itself. Which has left me confused on how to rate it. I’m settling on a 3.5 for now.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
There are two inevitable truths to the work of Agustina Bazterrica, beauty and pain. With prose that can be classified as nothing short of gorgeous, the author of Tender is the Flesh is back with a new novel, a story about faith, hope, devotion, and sacrifice. The Unworthy is a rather harsh, unrelenting tale made possible through luxurious narration and devoted characters, women to be specific, who live within the confines of a convent at the world’s (seeming) end. The lives of these women read as peculiar with their entire being centered around their faith and its classification system. While most are characterized as unworthy, each woman yearns to achieve the status of Enlightened within the sisterhood, a constant, familiar goal until one newcomer changes everything.
Surprising to absolutely no one, Bazterrica gives readers much to ponder with this novel, one that seems like a cult/post-apocalyptical story on the surface but is operating on much more complex levels deep within. There’s no one way to read a story like The Unworthy, rather it is more akin to an experience. Our perspective of this strange landscape is that of a woman within the Sacred Sisterhood, a woman who is currently deemed unworthy but wishes to attain higher status or rank. Yet, we are made privy to the treatment of the Enlightened through bizarre rituals and the treatment of other women. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that everything about these women’s lifestyle reads as cruel. Enter a new-comer and even harsher truths are revealed. Bazterrica’s choice to tell this story from this perspective, a suffering woman surrounded by suffering women, feels incredibly pointed as we slowly learn the brutal truths of the world these women find themselves living in. Is the convent, cruel? Undoubtedly. But so is everywhere else.
Humanity’s relationship with devotion is called into question with The Unworthy, asking just how far one will give their life to a communal cause. More pointedly, how far will women give themselves to man under the guise of a greater good. And at what point do you stop, if ever, to ask why this is? This is a story that hurts, and for very good reason. We are sternly reminded of the cruelty of man, the endless suffering we will endure to achieve an accepted, revered state, and the sharpness of our world’s teeth. This is not a story you walk away from feeling in any way shape or form good about. No, you walk away feeling a bit worse for wear, a bit damaged, and wondering what all that suffering was for.
And the answer to that question isn’t a simple one. Stories like these remind us of the harm we do to one another, the harsh, organized patterns humans so easily fall into under distress and persuasion. We’ve read these stories time and time again to the point where they no longer feel like reminders, rather, they are facts. The Unworthy is commendable for its gorgeous style and gutting direction, make no mistake. Yet, I still sit and wonder what some of this pain means beyond the reminder of our own cruelty or the diabolical ways we can inflict suffering amongst those who look just like us.
An echoing shout into the bleakest void, The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica will undeniably usher thoughts of cruelty dispensed from our own hands, of the trajectory of a world hellbent on burning itself.

“The Unworthy” takes us behind the walls of a religious order surviving an apocalypse. With undertones of violence, suspense, and even sexual tension, the narrator leads readers through the grueling days and nights as she seeks to be promoted from Unworthy to Enlightend. While an interesting plot, it does move slowly and the ending left me wanting more.