Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

2417 reviews

allisonchin's review against another edition

4.25

dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

krumpcakes's review against another edition

4.25

dark reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Murder

Moderate: Rape

ellolove67's review against another edition

3.0

dark medium-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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Cannibalism

cheflin11's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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Bone chilling. Made me physically nauseous, but it is a very interesting commentary, and the writer is talented. 

The concept is dark and you’d like to think “oh humans wouldn’t do that” but the reality is that we already have. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Dementia, Cannibalism, Classism

Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Death of parent

tigerhrz's review against another edition

5.0

dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death

There was a scene involving puppies that was really hard to get through.

breadknives's review against another edition

3.0

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Cannibalism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence

emmymarie2's review against another edition

2.5

dark 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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It is a very dark and heavy book, I would not recommend it if you have a weak stomach or scare easily. It deals with so many intense themes, it is a very uncomfortable read and highlights the dark sides of humanity. I had some problems with the world-building and society that the author was trying to create. It was a bit far-fetched, and you just had to buy into the world and not question anything to make it work and make sense. There are some gaps in the logic, unanswered questions, and lack of explanation that make it hard to fully buy into this dystopian society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic

persadphones's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica (3.5/5) 

Marcos works for a slaughterhouse. A human slaughterhouse in a what-if scenario. What happens when we have no plants and animals to consume? Well, cannibalism, of course!

Tender is the Flesh deals with a myriad of social themes and commentaries with an interesting and abnormal approach, which I actually “enjoy”! For example, it discusses the brutality in the animal/industry, climate change, environmental destruction, government control (1984-elon-musk intefering-esque fashion), propaganda, censorship, consent, surrogacy, class, and so much more. However, despite having multiple themes to talk about, it remains just that. Talks. It fails to explore its dynamics intersectionally or meaningfully. It felt as if the author was trying to put out the horror of the current state of the world in an allegorical way and make her point with brutality, but it remains just like that. It fails to come up with a single, concise, succinct point to link all her commentaries. Because of this, my only takeaway from the book is its brutality and its separate commentaries. What was the author's point? What's the lesson from this? What does it break down and examine? Don’t get me wrong, you can absolutely analyze its intersectionality, however, its convergence is weak when combined together - hence the problem. 
 

Despite it all, I enjoyed and appreciated it. Not through its body horror and vivid descriptions of gore (the author certainly did not shy from it), but through the ambitiousness of the topics as well as the not-so-subtle hints of who the main character is. Spoilers! Throughout the book, especially in the beginning, you can see through the character’s attempts at convincing you that he is #notlikeothers and that he is #woke and claims that he is doing what he is doing because he needs to support his family and his dad. However, he always fails to stand up for what he “thinks”. He benefits from his prestigious position in his workplace, proving that he is just the same as others, and is even worse because he believes he is #good and #different. Thus, the ending did not surprise me. What I’m trying to say is, I am a fan of these kinds of narration, because you really can pick apart and understand the character's true intentions amidst all the lies. And also because a lot of people are like him in general. Do better! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic

manemischief90's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is art. It is dark, repulsive, attrocious, but it forces you to think. To look. To consider. What if? This is a true dystopian. I felt anxious the entire book but i could not out it down. I am in awe of what this book contains. It's like a train wreck, you want to look away but you just can't. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Infertility, Rape, Sexual content, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy

alisonjbriggs's review against another edition

2.0

dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Dementia, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic