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.

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.