Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

37 reviews

lokes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Excrement, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism

morganpearcy's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

5.0

This is my third read through and first review of Tender is the Flesh. I absolutely love this book. There are a lot of dark topics - awareness of the CW beforehand is advisable - this won’t be for everyone.

What I love so much about this book is hard to put into words. At its core, Tender is the Flesh explores how systems of oppression strip us of our humanity, normalize violence and turn human beings into another consumable, another form of capital. I could easily write an entire essay using this story as an allegory for modern Capitalism.

Augustina Bazterrica does a splendid job of building tension throughout the book, leading to a surprise ending that will make the reader’s head explode a wee bit. In total, this book will make you think. The main character is relatable. The other characters and their interactions with the main character offer insights into our own complacencies. Be prepared for a rollercoaster: being grossed out, angry, turned on, disgusted, and - in the end, introspective. I definitely recommend this to anyone who can stomach the content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Slavery, Suicide, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Trafficking

dustghosts's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

2.0

+ the writing style itself is objectively beautiful; the narration serves the story and the author’s intent to capture the banality of evil. could probably read this author write about just about anything else but—

- least sympathetic MC of all time

to the extent that I’m frankly kind of shocked to read other reviews where people were surprised at the twist.

- the author says that she doesn’t write for audience reactions (ie: to shock the reader) OR to advance a political agenda, and i think the refusal to commit to either of these things is what solidifies my Biggest Feeling: that horrors that have been historically and are currently enacted against marginalized groups of real people are here played as fiction that mostly serves as imagery or shock value (whether intentional or not).

passing mentions of slavery and “hunting african people” or “wanting black skins,” allusions to Colleen Stan, snappy commentary about human trafficking— this isn’t a book that treads lightly on gruesome imagery or laborious scenes of violence, but these references feel shallow and ill-addressed when compared to the writer’s imagined terrors and sequences. Ultimately, feels dismissive of an actual past/present in favor of an imagined possible future. I think the author recognizes that these are real things that happened, but playing them off as small portions of an even worse possible future feels diminishing of the things the book is supposedly trying to make us aware of, obfuscates reality in favor of hyperbole.

- i thought that some of the scenes and narration might have been hinting at how people, especially the privileged, value animal (as in pets, specifically) life over humans’ (and the atrocities committed in the name of capitalism, racism, sexism, the intersections) but after reading some interviews I think this may be a viewpoint the writer… holds… rather than is criticizing
- bizarre amount of vitriol and misogyny against every female character in this book— can’t trust whether this is a feature or a flaw but it was absolutely wretched to listen to the mc degrade every woman he encountered even more than the objectively worse and more powerful men that he spent more time with. may be purposeful but didnt make for an enjoyable or surprising read
- edit: I’m also still struggling with the general conceit of the book. that the government would employ egregious propaganda as a means of population control (mentally and literally)? sure. that the world-at-large would accept cannibalism as a solution to lost animal protein rather than adapting and inventing new forms of protein, less so. but here’s where I DO think the author is trying to make a political statement (about our attachment to the meat industry and the “need” to eat meat), and working from a very specific cultural touchstone, so it’s not a major gripe. 

overall had a bad time this is my 2022-reading-experience hereditary (derogatory). glad there are people enjoying it but this was the worst and not even scary

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Slavery

Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Excrement, Homophobia, and Kidnapping

akalavander's review

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An absolutely horrifying book that I read in one sitting. It felt impossible to put down. I agree with another review I saw saying that you had to suspend some disbelief about the world building. Some of the plot elements like the Scavengers and the widespread conformity felt unrealistic, but other parts, like how different generations would react to this new world, felt very real. Many parts of this book, including the ending, absolutely broke my heart. You kind of feel for Marcos but also know he's 100% a villain in this world too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Genocide, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Abortion, Animal death, Body horror, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug use, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Infertility, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

wearyreader's review

dark reflective tense slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Blood, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Classism, Dementia, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Gore, Murder, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death, Infertility, Child death, Suicide, Violence, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Rape, Slavery, Chronic illness, and Infidelity

Minor: Confinement, Drug use, and Adult/minor relationship

rkorevenge's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This made me queasy and the ending is horrific. Not for the faint of heart. Seriously, check trigger warnings. This was the most vicious storytelling I’ve ever encountered and it just doesn’t stop. It’s just absolutely brutal from the first page to the last. The ending literally made me throw the book across the room in anger. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a book. It’s a good book but I will never read it again. I don’t have to read it again honestly because the last line will haunt me for the rest of my life. This is a truly horrific imaging of atrocities that our infrastructures, languages, cultures, and governments are capable of implementing and justifying- and how quickly we would allow it to happen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Infertility, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, and War

rhianonw's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Infertility, Gore, Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Dementia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Self harm, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Excrement, and Drug use

Minor: Alcohol, Slavery, Abortion, Confinement, Suicide, and Infidelity

hannibanani29's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Murder, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, Classism, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Infertility, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Excrement, Sexual violence, Slavery, Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Cursing, Dementia, and Sexual content

Minor: Addiction, Car accident, and Alcohol

pan_to_ffel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

This is a slice of life story in a dystopian world, where cannibalism is the norm. Trigger warning? You name it, it has it... Probably.
I'm not sorry I read the book, the style was flowing nicely, it's very slow paced. It was horrifyingly fascinating to see how a world of cannibalism would work, how a society would work and what mechanisms might develop in this scenario. 
The character isn't the most likeable but he's also not not likeable, if you know what I mean. He's describing his life in such a detached way - being part of the machinery, not really willing or able to change anything but not happy either way. It's an intriguing mix and probably true for many situations and people. Which is probably the reason I'm not a fan of the book - too much truth, not enough fairy tale rebellion :) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Blood, Classism, Death, Excrement, Gore, Child death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Grief, Cannibalism, Body horror, Violence, Animal death, and Dementia

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit, Addiction, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Trafficking

siera11's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It was so revolting but I also couldn’t bear to put it down. So incredibly insightful while also being one of the most disgusting books I’ve ever touched. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Dementia, Death of parent, Drug use, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence