I don't read a lot of horror, and if I do, I don't read (or like) gore. So I'm rating this as objectively as I can. If the question "What if the Handmaid's Tale cranked up the horror and gore?" ever came into your mind, then this novella is the answer. A fabulous horror read—fans of the genre would love it, but I decidedly didn't. It creeped me out (a lot), but ultimately lacked in depth. Haunting, poignant, atmospheric, claustrophobic. Paper thin in terms of plot and exposition, frankly, but at least it was addictive enough to read quickly. A 3/5 read for me, I've simply read too many dystopian novels to not see through every single trope here, but I do recommend this to people who want a hard-hitting, horror read, are missing bleak fictional dystopia, and are fans of the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review! The Unworthy is being published in the US on Mar 04, 2025.

Dear Author,

I was excited to get this e-arc, I adored Tender is the Flesh. I was not disappointed! This isn't your typical post-apocalyptical horror story. It pricked my imagination in ways I had not thought passible. I love the way you tell a story, they haunt me. I think about them for days and days afterwards. I will read this again.

Sincerely Yours,

J.D. McCoughtry

Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

From the very first sentence of The Unworthy, it was pretty clear that I was in for a prickly, grimy, purposefully unpleasant time! What I didn't quite expect was the thread of humanity and beauty hiding underneath. This author is so adept at creating memorable set pieces and imagery. I've read all of her English language releases and have always come away distressed and impressed. The structure of The Unworthy didn't always work for me, but I'm certainly glad I invested the time and attention because there isn't much out there like this novel.

4.5/5 stars

Depraved but touching, Bazterrica has rendered an addictive and isolating dystopia. In the aftershocks of a mysterious societal collapse, a religious cult clings to the last shreds of human life — but at what cost? Through disturbing rituals and questionable hierarchies of self mutilation, this cult shapes any last fragile sentiments of hope these women may have. When a woman from the “outside” arrives at the convent, our main character
begins to question the truth of the religious order — a begins to regain her own sense of life, humanity, and morality.

Sparse but beautifully written, Bazterrica crafts an addictive plot, despite the restrained world building. Our characters are mysterious but distinct, and the atrocities are balanced with subtly profound musings on humanity.

I rarely say this, but only wish it were a bit longer. I love a cliffhanger, and appreciate the unanswered questions and level of restraint the author shows — balancing the horror and gore with the implied atrocities. However, I would’ve loved just a bit more character building — how, exactly, was our main character convinced so deeply of this world in the first place, given that she seemed to be strongly independent in her flashbacks? I’d have loved a few more morsels to hang on too amidst all of the unanswered questions.

Overall, a stunning but bleak read. Highly recommend for fans of The Doloriad and other dystopian tales.

This dystopian book plunged me into a dark, oppressive world with themes of climate crisis, ideological extremism, and LGBTQ+ identity. Written in a journal entry format, it follows the protagonist as she uses any means, such as poisoned berries, even her own blood, to record her thoughts and memories. This act of writing becomes her lifeline, a way to preserve her sanity and identity amidst the suffocating control of the convent cult known as the House of the Sacred Sisterhood Superior Sisters. This points a finger at religion's power and the extreme control it can exert.

The cult's ruthless, dehumanizing rituals are designed to strip away individuality in the name of “purity”, promising safety from the ravaged world outside. This showcases the horrifying lengths one is willing to go for refuge in a contaminated world. Although there are references to climate change as a catalyst for the world's downfall, I felt this aspect of the narrative could have been an expanded upon some more.

While the story gripped me at the start and kept my interest, it ultimately left me wanting more. This story spirals rapidly toward a rushed conclusion, snuffing out any glimmer of hope just as quickly as it’s introduced. I had high expectations, especially as a fan of Tender Is The Flesh. This fell a bit short in comparison. Overall, I do consider it a compelling book and will continue to read more from Agustina Bazterrica.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Like Agustina Bazterrica‘s first novel, this one packs a punch that stays with you in the end. Set during an environmental apocalypse, our unnamed narrator is living in a convent run by tyrannical women and a higher power nobody has ever seen. She has begun to lose her sense of humanity. She writes on paper using stolen ink or her own blood to get her story down.

Like her last novel, this one was devastating. We are in the mind of a woman who once knew happiness and love and we see her lose and regain it. We see a journey through self discovery. The part with Circe had me tearing up a little. Same with the tarantula kids.

I would have liked to see more of this apocalypse and how it was effecting some people and not others. Why did it seem like it was adults going against children? I think I got a good idea about the ending but I’m jot 100% sure. I also really liked the narrator’s relationship with Lucia. And how the relationships with Helena, Circe, and the other women in the convent affected her.

This felt like a tale about power and what could happen if certain people got all the power in a situation and had others follow them blindly. This was heartbreaking and devastating yet very hopeful.

Nun horror is sure having a moment! Can it continue into 2025...I guess we'll see!
This was a very fast read. I really liked the writing style (the translator did a wonderful job) and thought the story was compelling. I usually shy away from post-apocalyptic stories, but this novel didn't focus on the events but rather the survivors in the aftermath. I would recommend this book to people who like dark literary fiction.

IDk what I read, iv'e been thinking about it for a week and I just don't know what to say. I loved it. I like that the world building is a bit vague, it leaves room to imagine. overall I felt this was a little more abstract than I expected, and the journal style definitely assisted with that, but in a really really good way.

I’m not sure what to say about this novel. I have such mixed feelings. It’s well-written. It’s well-structured; the story unfolds in a compelling way. I have no criticism at all of the narrative or writing itself. It is very well done and very impactful. But it is one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. It is extremely violent and also very descriptive of such violence. The violence has a point (to show the horrors of the bizarre cult at the center of the story) but that didn’t make it any easier to read. Overall, this is an impressive book but the subject matter was incredibly disturbing and not something I want to revisit.

honestly, this made me think of a mix of Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz and Hermann the Recluse. incredibly well done work by an awesome author. 5 stars. tysm for the arc

I was thrilled to get an early copy of Agustina Bazterrica's new novel THE UNWORTHY in time for a spooky October read. TENDER IS THE FLESH is one of those books that has stayed with me and I couldn't wait to see what else she had up her sleeve.

Unfortunately, THE UNWORTHY is not quite the worthy (pun!) successor to that banger of a debut. This one is also dystopic, but a lot more claustrophobic, eerie, and often hard to follow. A mysterious woman writes the book as we are reading it, using blood, dirt, and old ink while stuck in a cell within a strange convent of an unnamed religion. She stops and starts, as the story unfolds, and we begin to learn that the world as we know it has drastically changed and her only way of survival is to climb the ranks of this "sisterhood" - from an unworthy to an enlightened.

The book is short, so I breezed through it, but I didn't really enjoy it and didn't leave me with the thrill TENDER IS THE FLESH did. It's dark and depressing and highlights the agonizing cult of religion in Bazterrica's unique voice. Perhaps the book would have been better served it was longer? I wanted to know more about the world and these scary nuns. Regardless, there is no one quite like her writing today and can't wait to see what's next.

*3.5⭐️ - I feel like this story could be so much more if it was fleshed out more. It was still an enjoyable read but I felt like it was just a little too short. I wanted more background on what happened to the world outside the walls of this compound as you could call it and more about the “cult”. Overall, still a disturbing read from the author that brought us Tender Is The Flesh.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Unworthy.

I was looking forward to The Unworthy since Tender In the Flesh was creepy and disturbing.

I'm not a fan of narratives focused on cults but considering the author, I hoped to be shocked or, at least, amused in a macabre way.

Sadly, I was none of those things except annoyed. And confused.

Climate change has nearly killed the entire population. The main character is a lowly member of a religious cult that uses torture, intimidation and cruelty to escape the ravages of the world.

We know nothing of the main character's life before she joined the cult, which is the most interesting part of her life but is rarely delved upon.

There is no world building on how we ruined the world.

Everything we know comes from the main character, so we're stuck in her head. And her head is a mess.

The narrative is filled with torture porn, humiliation, blood, suffering, degradation, and may be potential triggers for some readers.

I just didn't care about anyone or what was happening; the writing style may have something to do with that.

It was very wordy with long paragraphs and few breaks in between.

I didn't mind the ending, considering the narrative, there was only one way it could have ended and that was it.

Our unnamed protagonist is an unworthy; a member of the Sacred Sisterhood. We see her life written out for us in letters made with whatever she can find, which sometimes requires her blood. In that place, blood runs freely and the sounds of screams are a daily occurrence. But when the world around you has completely collapsed, which dangers can you live with?

It is utterly bleak. If you loved “Tender is the Flesh” then you’ll be pleased to see that this world is just as ominous. Bazterrica is able to conjure beautiful prose that spells out horrific scenarios, a style that makes you want to read again and again to find what you missed. This author creates such a potent work in just a few short pages, it’s another novella you shouldn’t miss.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Scribner for the ARC. I was so excited to read another work from Bazterrica.

Bazterrica is a true talent. I've read other books by her and this was is another amazing addition to her collection. The writing is impactful and the characters are engaging. Two things that when combined create a wonderful story and this is it. Bazterrica is one of my favorite authors and that says something because this is usually a genre I don't read but anything with her name on it I have to read and it never disappoints

oof okay! this one was quite a rollercoaster for me - I had super high hopes when I first saw this arc, was stoked to get approved, downloaded to read it immediately, started reading it and was like uhhh hmm maybe not for a solid 10%, and then just as quickly got sucked right tf in and couldn't put it down until I finished it. similar to my experience with tender is flesh - bazterrica just knows how to hook me I guess!

I thought this was incredibly unsettling with vivid, horrific imagery. I loved the post-apocalyptic setting, how dark and gothic and creepy and tense it all felt. just truly a frickin time.

somewhere between 4-4.5 stars for me!

3.75 stars, maybe?

This started out really strong. I love reading about cults, whether fictional or real. Add in religion that severely restricts its followers' actions, and you have me seated and binging. I have to say though, I wish this had a proper ending that didn't feel so rushed.

The creepy, suffocating vibes are on point. You barely know anything that's going on, or why, in the first paragraph, the MC's obsessed with torturing cockroaches, and then torturing Lourdes with live cockroaches. (Cockroaches are heavily featured in this little novel. And crickets too. But as a food source.)

This book really leans in on religious abuse and social control. The cult speaks their own language and shuns members who don't adhere to this rule. Different orders either have their eyes sewn shut, their eardrums ruptured, or their tongues cut out. This is a brutal world, and the author reminds you of this quite often.

While I loved the dark and depressing atmosphere, and the pieces of hope that the MC finds along the way, including the MC's acts of rebellion (writing her experiences down on paper, falling in love, etc.), I really wished the author took her time to draw out an ending that wasn't so rushed.

I wanted a lot more out of the climax and the ending. A couple of big events happen that really set things in motion, but it felt like they happened so suddenly and without enough buildup. The author took her time to create this small world, and then decided to just finish it. I wanted more oomph from the creepy revelations near the end, and reflections from the MC on those revelations.

Instead, the story just ended.

Oh well. I had a great time, nonetheless. So I'll take what I can get.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for this arc.

I’ve cried so much it feels like my eyes are bleeding. This is horrifically dark and extremely brutal, interspersed with moments of tenderness and hope.

This is my first Bazterrica, I know everyone dug Tender is the Flesh but it never appealed to me. Anyway all that to say I’m late to the party yet again 🙄

You might like this if you’re into apocalyptic stories and terrifying nuns.

One star off for the death of Circe. I’m fed up with reading about cat death.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is WILD.
I was so so excited to get my hands on this. It did not disappoint. I was prepared for something fairly unhinged and that is exactly what I got. There's commentary on climate crisis and religious extremists and it was very hard to put down. This book also nearly had me crying in the break room at work at one point, so there's that.
Tender Is the Flesh was fantastic as well and I absolutely think that everyone who liked that will like this.

4.5 stars

This was a crazy ride. The first page made me question whether or not I wanted to continue reading. It’s incredibly disturbing and oftentimes I found it to be absolutely revolting.

This book takes place in a convent set during a dystopian future. The earth has succumbed to devastation. All technology has been taken out and the world is overrun with natural disasters. The Sacred Sisterhood is a safe haven for women. It’s run by Sister Superior and a mysterious “He”. Sister Superior runs the place with an iron fist and punishes or kills anyone who disobeys. The story follows one of the unworthy as she secretly writes about her life in a diary. One day she discovers someone new. Someone that will force her to think and feel things like never before.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It’s amazing how a story can make you feel so many emotions. In the beginning you’re a little confused about what’s going on, but the more you find out, the more disturbed and concerned you become. During the last third of the book, I had a sense of dread that just would not go away. This book left me angry and heartbroken. I know It’ll stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!