This book is lingering inside me.
The first 35% of this book was pretty slow, but even when I put it down, I felt myself thinking about it in slow times. Around 45% with the introduction of Lucia and her magical antics, I found myself hooked.
Loved the sapphic nature of the main character. Representation can often feel centralized in an over-the-top way, but the queerness of the main character was so normalized it fit very well and felt natural.
My heart broke over Circe. I was not ready, and I cried at work.

Something I felt could have been improved upon: I feel like the ramp up and climax of the book could have been fleshed (haha, heeeyyy, Agustina!) out a little more if the book had been given 50 more pages. We could have gotten more background on the Tarantula Kids, Circe, basically her life before the Sisterhood. From the beginning of their relationship to the fleeing of the compound felt a little rushed. It could have used a little more build up and suspense.

Will always and forever love and read anything that Bazterrica puts out.

Thank you, Net Galley, Agustina Bazterrica, and Scribner for the ARC! Will definitely be ordering a copy for our collection.

C

This book was so weird, neurotic, and delicious. Dystopian novel about a sisterhood with bizarre rules and rituals in the middle of an apocalypse. I was not expecting it to also be sapphic, which was the cherry on top. The story was kind of giving jim jones/doomsday cult with some elements of mysticism. There were many scenes in the book that depicted torture to obviously satiate the sadistic tendencies of the sisterhood’s leadership, and even though they were disturbing I found the power dynamics within the cult really interesting. I wish it was a bit longer and delved more into the hierarchy and origins of the sisterhood. Overall the book was really good and I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the eARC!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Where do I start with this book?

We begin in a post-apocalyptic world within the inner walls of the House of The Sacred Sisterhood. A global climate crisis has led to a progressing mass extinction of humanity. Our narrator, once a wanderer, has been inducted into this religious cult ran by the Superior Sister and...Him in order to find refuge. She lives as an Unworthy, determined to move up the ranks and become an Enlightened. We follow her journey through diary entries and watch in horror as she begins to unravel her past and the cult’s web of lies.

Bazterrica’s writing is absolutely captivating. The style in which she writes has a particular, haunting beauty that left my stomach churning throughout the whole read. I don’t frequently read horror, but if you’re looking for something gory and slasher-esque, I think you’ll be left scratching your head. The Unworthy is the type of horror that crawls under your skin and raises the hairs on your arms. It was deeply disturbing, but not overtly gory or terrifying. Bazterrica relies on the reader to find the true horror of this story, with deeper meanings hidden in every line. Some of the most grotesque realizations come from the reader’s imaginations, and Bazterrica capitalizes on this like no other.

The Unworthy is a story of perpetual dread with moments of ever-fleeting happiness. It left me speechless with my mouth covered in absolute horror, a moment I truly don’t think I’ll ever forget.

Thank you to Net Galley and Scribner for a copy of “The Unworthy” by Agustina Bazterrica in exchange for an honest review!

This was quite the letdown considering how captivating “Tender is the Flesh” was.

The beginning felt purposely confusing in a pretentious way. I was very frustrated with how little the reader is given, to the point that I didn’t care about a single one of these characters. I was anticipating a twisted take on a story we’ve all heard before, but this just ended up being a recycled version of the same old exhausted trope involving an all female religious cult, committing horrendous acts of torture and mutilation, all in the name of servitude to their “godly” male leader.

Although this author’s writing is beautiful, this was quite tiresome and repetitive. Nearly every word was painfully predictable, and then the reader’s reward for crossing the finish line was a hasty 2 page afterthought of an ending, which felt incredibly insulting.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It’s a foray into a violent, dangerous and very possible future, where the Earth is destroyed and humanity is desperate for anything to hold onto, such as land, food, water- or a safe place to land and believe in. Enter: the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, where young woman are allowed to live in subjugation to the Superior Sister and Him, as long as they remain “uncontaminated” and follow the rules. Men, children, and old women are killed if they wander in. The unnamed narrator begins to question everything she’s believed since she’s become an “Unworthy” when a new woman wanders in and the narrator begins to remember more about her past.

I don’t know where I fall with this one. It’s gory, violent and feels disturbingly prophetic, but it also doesn’t seem to have a clear message in it. I was hoping there would be some kind of clear metaphor or message in the writing a la Margaret Atwood, but I was disappointed on that score. Things seemed very bleak from head to toe and not getting much better.

However, there were some interesting points about subjugation, fear, and control, in the way that the Sisterhood and its hierarchy operates. Obviously, without the fear instilled by the conditions of the outside world, the Sisterhood would have no power, and the things the Superior Sister and He do are awful, all in the name of healing what is clearly a natural catastrophe, which they present as a divine punishment. It’s a classic story.

Either way, I was terrified reading this, which is the main purpose of a horror story, right? So on that point, it did the job perfectly! A++! The idea of environmental catastrophes and water wars could 100 percent happen and this scenario, trying to find shelter and enduring hell to remain safe and alive - that could very well happen. Like I said, it’s terrifying on many levels.

So I do recommend this book, just because I didn’t “get it on every level, doesn’t mean you won’t! Maybe you can help explain it to me!

Not for me... Not for many, honestly. The writing here is working too hard to be edgy while revealing so little that it is impossible to care what is going on in this world. Like others have mentioned, there are pieces here that remind me of I Who Have Never Known Men and The Handmaids Tale but those two do it far better, in my opinion. There's not much to drive readers forward here and, considering this is my first encounter with Bazterrica's work, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

3.5 rounded down to 3. I generally enjoyed this book but I did have some issues with it.

This book is a short read at just shy of 200 pages but the first 60% of this is very slow. Once you get to around 65-70%, everything starts happening so it's definitely a very slow-burn. My first book that I've read by Agustina Bazterrica was Tender is the Flesh and I absolutely adored that one. This one was also a good read, but wasn't quite as good in my opinion. I think both are worth reading as long as you have the stomach for the content.

I wish the beginning of this book had a bit more context to it with less of an abrupt start. I felt like I got thrown into the thick of things and needed some catching up. Because of this, there was some confusion for me and I had to read quite a bit further to get a grasp on things. Once I had that baseline of understanding, this book was much more enjoyable for me. I think I would appreciate this story more on a reread after having the context of already finishing the whole book.

The story itself was harrowing. You could feel the desperation and determination of the "Unworthy" sisters. The story is very dystopian having taken place after a climate disaster leaving the world in shambles. Being inside the convent walls is not much better and only adult women are allowed entry.

This story brings up a lot of great points for deeper thinking.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scriber for sending me an arc of this book!

TW: torture, violence, death, physical and sexual abuse, rape, blood, animal death, murder, emotional abuse, gore, religious bigotry, confinement, self-harm, pregnancy

This was super atmospheric, the prose was great, I loved the back story. Did not love the rush job ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing this digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) to me. This book is set for release on March 4, 2025.

The Unworthy takes place in a dystopian future when ecological disasters have caused the destruction of civilization, covered many countries in water, and eradicated many species. Within this future, a group of women have taken refuge in a former monastery and have formed a cult. Within this cult, one woman is secretly writing about what is happening and about her own past before coming to this place. Through her writings, we learn about how the world came to this state of destruction and the horrors these women are both enduring and inflicting on one another.

This book started out very bleak and I found that I did not empathize with a single character. Having previously read Tender is the Flesh by this author, I did not have high hopes that this might improve at all (iykyk). But to my surprise there was a major turning point where my perspective changed drastically and I got fully enveloped in the story and found myself rooting for some of the characters.

Overall, I’m impressed with this book and I am going to continue to follow this author. While I do not think her writing is for everyone, I have found it thought-provoking and discomforting in an enjoyable way.

I loved every single sentence of this book. It was almost unbearably atmospheric. Bazterrica’s writing does such a great job of putting me in the world she’s created - Even though I had issues with Tender is the Flesh, I requested this ARC as soon as I signed up for NetGalley because I couldn’t wait to see what she had come up with next.

This book was slow - Much of it was world-building, but the way it was done made me feel as if I was cloistered in with the unworthy, unable to escape from the punishments and horrors they must endure for refuge from a climate-decimated world outside their walls (and there were horrors aplenty - Bazterrica is a master of body horror). At less than 200 pages, it was reminiscent, to me, of Piranesi, in that not much happens until the last 35%, but the first 65% is such a delight to read that I could barely put it down - there were parts of this book I read 2-3 times over, not because I didn’t remember what I had just read (MY focus is laser-sharp, personally 💀), but because it was so beautiful I wanted to live in the words.

**Rounded up from 4.5

Nuns being freaky and degenerate in a dystopian society. There's nothing I love more. This wasn't my first book by this author. I've loved everything else I've read from Bazterrica. I love dystopia and horror, and she does it perfectly every time.

Listen, I feel like I can't miss when it comes to anything that this author writes.

All there is to say about this story is that we are following a woman who is living in a sisterhood of sorts where ideological beliefs are *extreme* and the world outside the walls of this potential haven may be the best or the worst decision that our main character can face.

Bazterrica has exceptional prose. There is nothing that can be said otherwise. Every single time I pick up something that they have written I find myself immediately sucked into the world and horrified from the literal first sentences on the page. The amount of tension and discomfort seeps under your skin and leaves you feeling perpetually itchy and nauseated the entire time you are reading. It also ends with a culmination of reveals and violence that feels both breath taking and mundane all at the same time.

We definitely explore themes of grief, repression, extremism and misogyny in this book and through the lens of some inherently flawed and unlikable characters. I don't think that this is anything terribly new for the horror genre - post apocalyptic and religious horror heavily saturate the market - but this felt so unrelenting for such a short book. Highly recommend. Be warned though that if Tender is the Flesh had your tummy turning or your skin crawling that this new book will leave you in no better condition.

Agustina Bazterrica has such a beautiful but calamitous writing style. She dives into the darkness of your mind while focusing on real world issues—this time climate change, cults, religious hypocrisy, etc. This was not as shocking as Tender is the Flesh but equally as impactful and possibly better writing. If I could have a conversation about LIFE with any author, it would be Agustina because the darkness she puts out resonates somewhere in me. You decide if that’s a good thing or not.

Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for a copy of "The Unworthy" by Augustina Bazterrica in exchange for an honest review. This book blew me away! I've noticed a recent rise in religious critique recently, and this itched the right spot that I was looking for. It's scary, it's disturbing, right from the get go. Something about Bazterrica's writing is so rhythmic that it almost flows like water. It's hypnotic and I found myself struggling to put the book down. "The Unworthy" is compulsively readable for any horror and/or post-apocalyptic fan! I was also very happy to see sapphic representation. It's a book that will stay with me for a while, and has struck me as one of my top reads of the year.

Bazterrica is such an amazing author with a unique writing style I have not found anywhere else. Her stories manage the balance of dystopian settings and complicated main character so well. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Tender is the Flesh but I believe on a second reading I would truly enjoy it more. The pacing for the plot is a little slow in the beginning but compliments the pacing towards the end of the book so well. I believe Bazterrica's books are underappreciated for how short yet dense they are. I would definitely recommend this to others!

First book of 2025 and I already know it will be in my top 10 for the year. The beautiful prose and poetic writing was very well done. The way the author does flashbacks and especially the way she captures nature is wonderful. This book was moving, emotional, and creepy in the best ways.

Well, this book is classified as post apocalyptic horror. I didn’t not really find it to be horror in nature. Some of the content was very and or somewhat disturbing, but not to the level that I would say it was horror in my opinion. It didn’t unsettle me. I did very much like the writing. And the concept behind the book, The Unworthy.
This is a post apocalyptic tale yet we do not know what happens to cause it to be a post apocalyptic time. We do know that our main character is a female character and that she lives in a convent/church type place that is called House the Sacred Sisterhood. Here she and others are led by the top sister called the “Superior Sister”. And that they give sacrifices and depending upon the hierarchy what happens to them.
I thought the story started very interesting, but I did kind of lose my interest a little bit in and then it started picking up again. I really just do wish there was more information about the world and what happened and what caused this. We do find out that our main character is keeping a journal throughout that and I do feel that we are actually reading this and what is happened throughout her life lead leading her to the end of the story. Our main character is nameless we never know her name and when her name is mentioned, we don’t actually find out what it is. I thought that was very interesting.
There were times in the beginning I thought there was whole sentences missing at the end of a paragraph when it broke into a new part of the chapter, but that was intentional so if you go into reading this, it’s kind of like our character was writing and stopped in the middle of thought while they were writing, so it is not a mistake and do not report it.
Also be aware that there is some triggering content in here that is not along the lines of a regular horror story including SA on page.
Overall, I give it 3.75 stars

I adored this book. It reminded me a lot of The Handmaid's Tale, but way more cult-y. My only complaint is that I really want to know more about what happened to the world and why some of the "miracles" happened and just... everything! My favorite parts were learning about the narrator's past, although it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize Circe was a cat. All in all, very entertaining read, especially for one that's so short.

Thank you Bazterrica, Scribner, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I'm slightly disappointed by this. I absolutely loved Tender is the Flesh, but this book felt rambling, repetitive, and too confusing to even make me feel horror? I understand that this is supposed to be stylised as the diary of a lost woman in an unconventional situation, her painful story written out in a method that makes sense to her, but as a reader, we are dropped into the middle of the story with zero explanation.

The first 2/3rds felt like a mess of random current and past stories before "action " finally started, but even then, it didn't catch me. I wanted to like this book SO much, but it just...fell flat for me. Disappointed because I was so excited to be approved for this ARC, and it just left me feeling like I may have wasted my time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this eARC!

This is a bleak post apocalyptic dystopian novel about an unnamed woman in a convent called the Sacred Sisterhood. You follow her as she recalls the events on her journey in this convent and her attempt to document them by writing though it’s forbidden. You go throughout this novel trying to figure out what exactly is going on and what’s happened to the world and its people. As you reach the end of the novel / her journal she inevitably explains her findings and in hopes her words and experiences aren’t forgotten.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience reading this. I love films that involve cultish-religion and once I read the description of this I knew it was right up my alley. It’s actually my first horror novel and first by Augustina despite her other book also being on my TBR, Tender is the Flesh. The writing transported me into this world and I couldn’t put it down. It kept me wondering what the heck was happening and what it all meant. I did kind of piece things together 80% through and so the secret didn’t surprise me. Despite that I still had a great time and highly recommend this read!