Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Tender Is the Flesh

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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

2415 reviews

sarahchampion's review against another edition

3.75

dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

skaydo's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional 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

Content Warnings

opheliakunt's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Won’t spoil anything, but the ending was crazy, but appropriate. Sick and twisted. But such a good read! I still can’t believe it ended the way the it ended, I wanted to think Marcos was a good guy.

Content Warnings

nochilarybanks's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I rarely leave reviews and when I do, I don't leave long ones, but I know one day, I'm gonna look back at my read books and think "why did I give it that many stars again?" so this is mostly written for my future self.

I don't like to rate books based solely on whether I enjoyed them or not; I also like to factor in how well I think the author did in achieving a particular goal. (this part is NOT for my future self, obvi.)

With that said, I did not like reading this book... but almost every complaint I had about it could be answered with "that's the point."

"It's so fucking bleak." That's the point. "There are parts that are mind-numbingly mundane." That's the point. "I hated the protagonist." That's the point. "It's really, really, really gross." Girl DUH, you knew what the book was about! THAT'S. THE. POINT.

I tend to read dark fiction, so it's not like I didn't know what I was signing up for. However, even books I could also describe as bleak, books that normalize the horrific to make a statement, books with evil protagonists have done more for me engagement/entertainment-wise than this.

Tbh it gave me the same kind of feeling I got reading The Martian by Andy Weir: it's a logistical take on the fantastical. It felt like an exploration of a hypothetical for a mind that works differently than mine does, so while effective and very well-written/thought out, it just give for me what I was hoping would be gave.

Content Warnings

adequate_squatch's review against another edition

4.0

dark sad 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: Yes

Great execution of an unrelentingly bleak slice of life tale set in a harrowing world where morality is unrecognizable. I wanted it to stop, but also couldn't put it down. Biggest gripe was that the main character's name is rarely used--he's almost always just referred to as "he" which got confusing during some scenes, especially in the audiobook. Not sure I would read this again, but I'm glad I gave it a go once.

Content Warnings

defygravity_88's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Please take care of your mental health and do not read this book if you cannot handle the associated trigger warnings. Every topic covered comes with warnings described in vivid, dark, and disturbing detail. This book is a dark dystopian horror story filled with unimaginable atrocities. There is no happy ending, no solace, or comfort to be found. You may lose your appetite several times while reading and could question everything you believe. I would venture to say that if someone is on the path to veganism or vegetarianism, this book might push them over the edge.

Again, the trigger warnings associated with this book are not mere suggestions; they are serious and should be treated as such. This is the first book I have read that turns trigger warnings upside down—they feel more like threats than warnings. Please read the warnings thoroughly before you begin. I’m going to need pixie dust and all the happy thoughts after reading this one. I can't use the word "happy" to describe my experience; I think the author perfectly depicts humanity's inhumane treatment of fellow human beings. The passages detailing feelings of grief were extremely accurate and on target.

The descriptions of personal relationships, work dynamics, marriage hardships, and conflicts between characters were spot on. This book is like watching a movie about something horrible that has happened in history; even if it's fictional, it leaves a lasting impact. You don’t eat the popcorn you bought or drink your cherry limeade slush—you just sit there, horrified, with your eyes glued to the screen. When the movie is over, you remain still, trying to breathe—not too fast, not too slow, not too deep, and not too shallow. When you go out into the theater lobby and see people coming out from watching the newest Minions movie, laughing and carefree, unaware of what you have just seen, you think, “Did I really just see that?” That is this book.

Content Warnings