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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
tense
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
Tender is the Flesh bleakly and skillfully conveys the corruptive powers of living in a fascist system. The universe it’s set in is so depraved it made me feel physically ill, and while we hope the main character will grow into a hero, he ultimately disappoints us by conforming to his surroundings. The story conveys how language and socialization can be used to distance us from our humanity and moral compass. I was unsettled when I realized that by the end, it was easier for me to disconnect from the horrible things I was reading about - was there something of these sadistic villains in me? I think the author’s point is that most people can be influenced by prolonged exposure to fascism, and that even children are wildly distorted by its corruptive influence.
I was extremely moved by the chapters that talk about the protagonist’s relationship to his dad. It was the main moral anchor in the story, and I think the tenderness of those sections made me hope Marcos would rise above his surroundings and be better. This book also made me think a lot about my relationship to meat/dairy and factory farming.
My main gripe with this book is that by the end, the format of Marcos touring a different human trafficking industry and taking stock of its cruelties feels a little tired. Instead of continuing to provide world building exposition, this time could have been used building more depth into the characters or settings we had already been introduced to.
I was extremely moved by the chapters that talk about the protagonist’s relationship to his dad. It was the main moral anchor in the story, and I think the tenderness of those sections made me hope Marcos would rise above his surroundings and be better. This book also made me think a lot about my relationship to meat/dairy and factory farming.
My main gripe with this book is that by the end, the format of Marcos touring a different human trafficking industry and taking stock of its cruelties feels a little tired. Instead of continuing to provide world building exposition, this time could have been used building more depth into the characters or settings we had already been introduced to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Trafficking
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
so dark
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t expect this book to be as sad as it was. Gruelingly existential and nihilistic even at times, Bazterrica paints a bleak world post-animal killing virus in which there is a meat market for humans. There are so many other layers to this story and its characters that added to my disgust. I think the ending is intentionally shocking, but I still didn’t love that our character who had been very conscious in not “drinking the Kool Aid” of this world had the turn that he did. Overall, I think if it were longer, the setting and societal circumstances could have been better explored. For something so short, it reads like a short story on the experience of an individual living in this world. I would love to read a prequel that details the time the outbreak began/society collapsed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Blood, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, Car accident, Death of parent