I was excited to get this ARC even though I did not read Tender is the Flesh, I know of all the hype and around it. I will say I enjoy the authors deeply descriptive writing. Though the story did not keep my attention, and it seemed disjointed. It was a quick read but was left with many unanswered questions.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
3 star

Look, sometimes the world really really fucking sucks when you're reading a book (see, a good chunk of my near future reviews are going to reference the fact these were read around the aftermath of the 2024 election), and you just need a glorious nightmare fever dream with nuns, lesbians, possible post climate apocalypse, religious ecstasy with a side of sadism and glorification through mortification. This has been a saving grace and a sanity marker through the last few days, and my god, I can't wait to share this with folks when it comes out Stateside. Pick it up, get your thorn shirt and flogger, and fucking enjoy the ride.

Wait. I'm kind of obsessed with this.

It's an apocalyptic, dystopian, queer horror that has body horror, gore, and grit, but also unexpected heart and romance. We're following a woman who secretly writes the story of her life while in a convent, sealed away from the uninhabitable outside. The convent has bizarre and grotesque practices, all meant to keep its followers safe from harm. When a stranger comes into the convent, our main character's life is upended as she reveals her past and questions her current situation.

Although it is set in the postapocalyptic future, this felt very medieval (one of my favorite settings to read about). I loved the ranking of members, the rituals, the nonsensical nature of the convent's rules. I loved that everything is a bit mysterious and not overly explained. The romance was unexpected but appreciated. There's a bit of magic/witchiness that reminded me a bit of True Blood (in a good way). This is a book that I would want to re-read.

I'd recommend this for fans of horror, post-apocalyptic / survival stories, dystopian settings, and for fans of queer stories. It is graphic in the rituals and mutilations, so I wouldn't recommend it for non-horror fans. This felt a bit like if you mixed The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Matrix by Lauren Groff.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Like all of Agustina Bazterricas writing. I’m left sitting here with so many questions. This was brutal yet beautiful. The prose was descriptive and vivid. My only issue with this book is the length.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc

The Unworthy is as bleak but beautiful as you’d expect from Agustina Bazterrica.

We are reading a journal, written by an unnamed author. Earth had a devastating climate event and there are barely any animals or people left. The narrator lives in an extremely religious, torturous, evil convent and has to endure physical and psychological torment. However, she also has to participate in the grotesque culture of the convent for her own survival. We get some back story of her life before finding the convent and experience just how barren the planet is. I truly don’t understand how anyone has the will to live in this place.

The writing is horrifying but eloquent, brutal but at times empathetic. If you’ve liked any of her other writing, you will definitely like this! It is a bit heavy so just be prepared for that, check trigger warnings!

“She was the one who taught me that disaster means living without stars, or celestial bodies, or comets, without the light of night, in complete darkness. (In the mouth of God?)”

Set during a post-apocalyptic world that has been destroyed by climate catastrophe, “The Unworthy” is an epistolary novel that follows an unnamed narrator as she writes about her life in a violent and mysterious religious covenant.

This is a novel that begs to be dissected and discussed. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a physical copy so I can reread this and fully annotate it in the future.

Bazterrica’s prose is stunning, though it is repetitive at times. The pages are chock full of vivid religious imagery, gore, body mutilation, and descriptions of a ravaged earth, all of which are sure to satisfy fans of dystopian horror.

The narrative is bleak, yet tender. It’s also mysterious, and compelling — I never wanted to set the book down. My biggest complaint as a reader was that I wanted more of everything — I wanted a little more character development, a little more description of the Sacred Sisterhood, a little more details about the ending. I wish “The Unworthy” was more of a traditional novel length, but ultimately for a novella it was satisfying and an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A full review will be posted to Goodreads and Instagram closer to the release of the English translation, as requested by the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an eARC copy of The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica.

Bazterrica has a way of making you feel her writing - in the best and worst way possible. Between the body horror and the terror of both a dystopian world outside and within the cult, it was extremely detailed.

I did feel as though there wasn’t a very defined plot. While I enjoyed the way it was written, I felt empty at the end, wanting more from the book than I got.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for this ARC of Agustina Bazterrica's 'The Unworthy.'

I'm not entirely sure what I just read. It's like a mix of 'The Handmaid's Tale' gone to the furthest extreme and a post-climate apocalyptic 'The Wizard of Oz.'

Women make their way through a weather-blasted landscape to a convent-like Sacred Sisterhood where mention of the Christian god is verboten. There they're overseen by a mega-Aunt (the Superior Sister) and. unsurprisingly, there's an omnipotent male figure who, the Wizard of Oz, is behind the curtain and also like the Wizard of Oz, we eventually get to witness him.

There's brutality, mutilation, self-harm, demeaning rituals and the normal human traits of jealousy, love, envy, hate, distrust, greed, etc., etc.

As the book unfolds we learn about the climate change that led to the current status quo and some parts of the key characters' lives.

The writing's the star, very evocative and unyielding but, for me, it's not enough to carry an unfocused narrative.

Starting with what i did think was good about this book: Bazterrica's writing was so immersive that i felt such visceral reactions to the horrific things that happen in this book. It was definitely descriptive, and i felt myself shudder at some of the things that were described.

That being said, i was not a fan of this book overall. Once the initial shock wore off about the scariness of this cult, nothing really changed as the book went on. There was very little plot, and i felt both disturbed and also bored at the same time somehow. It ended up not being my kind of book at all; i probably would have not finished it if it had been any longer than it was.

Bazterrica has such a talent for writing horrifying dystopian stories with the most compelling characters. This might be the most unique dystopian story I've read, combining the eeriness of a somewhat mysterious apocalypse just outside the walls and an equally disturbing environment within them. The world-building was detailed and immersive. The blending of the "old" Catholic culture with new vulnerabilities created a cult-like situation that made my skin crawl. Still, the story is imbued with hope and love and strength, even if they're not shown in the clearest or most virtuous of ways. The ending was incredibly satisfying and this book has solidified Bazterrica as an auto-buy author for me.

In a disturbing dystopian world where cell phones, internet, and electricity are long gone, there is an abandoned monastery that now houses a “sacred sisterhood” of young women- the enlightened, the chosen, the unworthy, and the servants. Told through diary entries of a nameless unworthy, we learn of the repulsive structure of this religious cult and the horrors of the decaying world beyond the monastery walls. When a wandering traveler makes her way past the walls, our narrator begins to question whether it’s truly safe within the confines of the sisterhood.

While limited by the first person point of view, Bazterrica has created an addicting narrative. Her descriptive writing style is incredibly vivid, just horrifying enough to make you want to look away but simultaneously crave more. What the characters lack in depth is made up for with their distinct traits - clearly crafting a villain vs. hero dynamic. The timeline is skewed, and while it feels a bit like being dropped into the story midway, I think the stylistic choice gave me a better understanding of the main character and insight into what led these women to the sisterhood in the depths of their despair. My biggest complaint is that I wish it was longer!

A bleak but engaging read, highly recommend to fans of dystopian fiction.

Thank you to netgalley and Scribner for an eARC copy of this novella

Wow I'm blown away by this one, in more ways than one. This was beautifully written, vividly described, enthralling, sad, and disgusting, all in one. Gives me the vibes of the Elden Ring videogame, specifically the dancing ladies on the Altus Plateu, also the creepiness and sanguine background like Bloodbourne. It's a post-apocalyptic,dystopian cult-like, vivid, disgusting, and so immersing. It makes you feel anger and anguish for the MC and the sisters surrounding her as well as disdain. There are too many complex emotions. There's not much I can say without spoiling. But I wish to have a prequel to this novella. It was otherworldly while also fully rooted in today's day and age ongoing world crises. All of this in under 200 pages. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure was mine

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an eARC copy of The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica.

I'm not 100% on what I feel about this book. While the premise was good, I was left with more questions then answers and it honestly felt so unfinished. It felt so focuses on the punishments, which felt like the focal point of the book rather than the nameless diary writer and outside of the punishments could have been explored so much more.

As an avid reader of Bazterrica I was very excited to read this advance copy. It was gloriously painful and beautiful. Bazterrica is a master at capturing so many aspects of what humanity is capable of, and it is always portrayed in a way that is clean, concise, and utterly stunning.

An unnamed narrator has found refuge in the convent known as the Sacred Sisterhood, trying to make peace with her place in their caste system as an ‘unworthy.’

The world has been ravaged by man made and environmental disasters for as long as the narrator can remember and there is no hope of ever turning back.

I think the only fault with this book is the length, there could have been more depth if the characters and world building had been more fleshed out. I wanted to know more about what happened outside of the convent and get a deeper understanding of our narrator.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this upcoming book!

Like eons of readers, I devoured Tender Is the Flesh by this writer, and I did so with such a voracious hunger. All the puns intended here. I have not read her follow up, the collection of short stories. This is not to say I had no interest; it is just sitting happy on my never ending TBR. I did buy it on its release day though, purely out of excitement and faith that this author was one I would soon deem a favorite. However, with The Unworthy, I was left feeling underwhelmed and completely disjointed.

It is an understatement to say that Augustina Bazterrica is talented. She is so far beyond it; however, this story did not work for me. One of the biggest reasons I was left feeling like this was its pacing. Sure, for me it is disjointed, BUT it feels as if there is too much going on at once that its convoluted. I wanted to love this, the way I had her prior works, yet this was not for me despite being a recipe for a home run,

A few years ago I read Bazterrica’s popular novel, Tender is the Flesh. And while I remember thinking it was just “okay” when I was reading it and when I finished it, it has lived in my brain, returning to me regularly. I’m still not sure I would give it five stars, but it’s stuck around, and that’s saying something. This book almost feels like an extension of Tender, or at least set in the same world, after it, perhaps? It’s implied that animals are not good to eat anymore (same as Tender), but there has also been some sort of climate and societal collapse. This book is brutal. There is torture, there is body modification, there is religious bigotry (it isn’t a convent, and she isn’t a nun, but she’s sort of a nun at a sort of convent), there is death and murder … it isn’t exactly a pleasant read. I was reminded at various times of The Doloriad (for the body gore), Her Fearful Symmetry (for the strange, ominous vibes), and Fever Dream (for the “is this a metaphor?” component) — none of these are a perfect match, but popped into my head for different reasons while reading. I don’t know if this one will stay with me as long as Tender has, but it certainly made me think about what people do to stay alive (or do to avoid pain). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/4.5 ⭐️

Sadistic, bleak, and savage. This was a brutal book.
Was it material that I loved to read about? No. Did I keep reading it while being truly fascinated? Yes.
It reveals how disgusting and predatory humans can be. There is a lot of torture and cruelty. It is extremely dark.

The book is set in an unknown future. The unnamed main character's great great grandparents were the last generation to know the internet, cell phones, and electricity. The Earth is toxic and barren. Parts of the world are completely submerged in water. The remaining population tries to survive on what resources are left. Wildlife to hunt is scarce (household pets have already been eaten). Climate aliments such a haze that damages the skin and body, and acid rain are threats. Most plant-life, bodies of water, and other living creatures are contaminated. Humans and animals are dehydrated and starving and easily turn against each other for both sick pleasure and survival.

The female MC writes secret journal entries from her cell in an old monastery that now holds "The Sacred Sisterhood." She doesn't remember her life before the convent. The convent is blocked off from the contaminated and only uninfected women are allowed to join the sisterhood. The convent is very strictly run by a woman called, "The Superior Sister" and "Him/He" a man that the women only see in shadow. The sisterhood is made up of a hierarchy: the "Enlightened," the "Full Auras," the "Diaphanous Spirits," the "Minor Saints," the "Unworthy," and the "servants." The unworthy are forced to provide "sacrifices" by torturing themselves and fasting. The women "chosen" have their eyes sewn shut (Minor Saints), their tongues cut out (Diaphanous Spirits), and eardrums punctured (Full Auras) and are kept locked behind a black door in the convent. The chosen relay messages from the true god (not "the erroneous god, false son, and the negative mother"). The unworthy must atone with their blood and be pure. The unworthy desperately want to ascend and be chosen.
If the women break a rule or do something to offend the Superior Sister, they are severely tortured.
One day, the MC stumbles upon a woman who has dug her way under one of the stone walls surrounding the convent and perspective changes for the MC.

My opinions:

I enjoyed this book. It was a tough read though. It was beautifully written, but it wasn't a fast/easy read for me. It held my interest and grabbed my attention from the start. It was very sad and very violent. I hate to think about how realistic the brutality was with "The Adults" and "Him," as some humans are disgusting and may take advantage of the weak, especially in a dystopian world. The ending killed me and I hope the MC changed her mind, as much as she had fought to survive until that point.

This is my first book by the author, as I have feared reading, "Tender Is the Flesh," but I MUST now!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to the ARC of this book! I truly appreciate the opportunity!

Thank you NetGalley/Scribner for an early copy

3 ✨ Once I heard this was a post apocalyptic religious cult story, I knew I had to read this. I loved the concept of reading this story through a diary format from our MC. While I did love that concept, parts of the story were missing which I had a hard time putting certain things together. The imagery was fantastic. Although gross, the cockroach scenes were so well done. Overall it was a good fast read but one that left me wanting more.

I enjoyed this much more than Tender is the Flesh. This books gives me great confidence that Bazterrica is an author to continue looking out for in the future.