Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

1984 reviews

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is only good if you think about it critically, otherwise it’s just horrifying- needs every trigger warning. That being said, it’s incredibly intelligently written. The prose is so layered with meaning, conveying many themes including exploitation, consumption, and discrimination of all kinds. Through graphic, exaggerated metaphors, it reveals all the ways we humans do harm and the ways we tell ourselves it’s okay. I love it, and I’m disgusted. Read it, if you have the stomach for it

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Tender Is the Flesh is a haunting exploration of morality and societal collapse, driven by a unique and thought-provoking premise. The medium-paced plot develops effectively, culminating in an unexpected and impactful ending that stays with the reader. While the characters are compelling, their motivations can feel confusing at times, which slightly detracts from the narrative's emotional depth. The writing style effectively complements the story's dark tone, though occasional pronoun usage can be confusing. The themes, an obvious allegory for factory farming, are powerful and well-executed, even if they lack subtlety. Despite its unsettling nature, the book is deeply memorable, leaving a lasting impression that makes it easy to recommend. Final Rating: 4.0/5.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I thought this book was a true horror story. Beautifully written; near prose from start to finish. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Really well written, very unique idea, terribly graphic, unlikeable main character (although sort of sympathetic), with a kind of abrupt and strange ending

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional reflective
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

If you can stomach it, read this book. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

This book is very disturbing and not for the faint-stomached at all, but it is also oddly intriguing because of how messed up it is 😅🥴

The premise of the story is utterly horrifying, especially when you could easily see this becoming a thing in the future! The whole book was weird and disgusting, but I was surprised by the ending and did not see it turning out that way beforehand. Although in hindsight, I suppose it was kind of obvious that would happen!

It’s odd because none of the characters are likeable, but I found the MC hard to read at times. Sometimes he has traces of compassion glinting through, then others he doesn’t. You can’t really tell what his true thoughts actually are.

Sometimes I found the writing was confusing as the author refers to the MC as “he” a lot, so sometimes, like in scenes with other males, it’s not always absolutely obvious whether “he” means the MC or the other male figure in the scene, and sometimes it takes another sentence or two before you click which “he” the author means.

There were some really strange metaphors too that didn’t really make sense to me, for instance, “His sister’s words are like boxes filled with blank paper”, and “His sister’s words are like dried leaves piled up in a corner, rotting”. What does that even really mean?! It added to the weirdness of the book, for sure.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings