Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

2412 reviews

jenzyrichards's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Pandemic/Epidemic

mikaylact's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Dementia, Death of parent

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism

harmsyreads's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent

emilymay_reads's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is genuinely like nothing I have ever read before. We follow the protagonist, Marcos Tejo, throughout his day-to-day work schedule, overseeing the breeding, killing and packaging of human meat. There is something quite horrific about the mundanity of his duties in juxtaposition to the atrocities we bear witness to. However, I also found his resignation and stoicism towards the situation deeply tragic. We find Tejo in the grips of mourning for his infant son and dealing with the breakdown of his marriage; it is as if there is nothing he could possibly see in the slaughterhouse which could destroy him as much as losing his family. There were moments of real tenderness which served to prove that, even though what he does for a living is barbaric, Tejo is just another person trying to get through life. Bazterrica vividly depicts our morbid fascination with the way humans take advantage of other humans, but perhaps what is most terrifying is that there are no consequences to this behaviour. It is a cutting depiction of the horrors of humanity and the brutality of power.

Rating: ★★★★½

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Gore

Minor: Violence, Vomit

lividd's review against another edition

4.75

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Holy hell yall, buckle UP! I’m disgusted, saddened, angry and traumatized all at once. Took me forever to finish this one due to its contents. But boy!!!!!!!! If you can get through it, read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism

wadingsapphire's review against another edition

1.75

dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Starts slow, the middle is the most interesting portion, the end was boring

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility, Pedophilia, Excrement, Dementia

mpotato_77's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

bespokecompost's review against another edition

2.5

dark

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

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This was fucking bleak man, i know that’s the point and all but it got to be kind of a slog by the end. I think it was well written, but i also think a lot of interesting plot points and potential messages were set aside for more graphic descriptions of human slaughterhouses and various atrocities. Idk I’m probably not gonna read it again so my thoughts about it aren’t that fleshed (haha) out, i just got tired of hanging out in Marcos’ head and also the many mentions of horrific violence towards women and young girls specifically. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Cannibalism

Moderate: Child death, Dementia, Pregnancy

misakicherry's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Slavery, Torture, Cannibalism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Rape

hannahbean's review against another edition

2.0

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I don't think this book was necessary.

I went into this knowing the general premise, and based on what I heard from various people, I knew to expect graphic scenes and disturbing content. I did not, however, expect for that to be pretty much all the book had to offer.

I understand the intended message on the ethics of meat consumption: 
- At what point do you recognize sentience and value a life?
- Who are we, as humans, to determine who gets to live and who gets to suffer for other's pleasures?
- How is the mass killing and consumption of animals morally above the hypothetical equivalent of humans?

All that being said, I don't think this story was new or even necessary. I think the use of shock value to elicit disgust around this topic doesn't really land when the story takes it much further. The rape of a 14 year old girl cannot be compared to the killing of animals for food. I am not against the message, I just think the book was more shock value than anything.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cannibalism