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xeno_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Trafficking, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Excrement, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Pregnancy, Vomit, Ableism, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Animal death, Abandonment, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Infertility, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Child death, Body horror, Torture, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Slavery, Classism, and Sexual harassment
sdrouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Death, Genocide, Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Ableism
orlagal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal death, Grief, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Vomit, Blood, Cannibalism, Dementia, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, and Slavery
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Vomit, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Torture, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Trafficking, and Violence
niqhtparades's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Gore, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Blood, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Confinement, Pedophilia, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Slavery
Moderate: Racism, Classism, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Car accident, and Drug abuse
Minor: Mental illness, Child death, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Vomit, and Infidelity
simp4sneks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, Dementia, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Hate crime, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Vomit, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Sexism
buttercup06's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Animal cruelty, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Infidelity, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent and Adult/minor relationship
alsira98's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, and Rape
sdsmith80's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I don't know why I put this book off for so long, but I'm kicking myself for waiting.
Tender is the Flesh is a short, dystopian novel where there are no animals, and eating humans is now the norm. It is truly disturbing, not through anything gross, although there are graphic depictions of violence and death, but through the utter callousness that humans are capable of, and the mental gymnastics they'll go through in order to justify their behavior.
We follow Marcos through his daily life, and learn that after losing his baby to SIDS, he has become disillusioned about the state of the world and the practice of cannibalism. He continues to do his job at the processing plant that once belonged to his father, as the go-between for the new owner, with the clients and suppliers. Marcos sees death and horror every day, but is no longer as unfeeling about it all as he appears.
When he is gifted with a First Generation Pure female, it's a breaking point. He crosses boundaries with her and impregnates her. He's the only human she's known, other than the captors who raised her to be food. She's naive and trusting.
As disturbing as his actions with her are, I truly believed he was regaining some of his humanity. Maybe he would fake her death so they could live as close to happily ever after as there could be in a world like that. By the end though, his goal is clear. She has given him a child, and although he may have treated her somewhat more humanely than others, he has just used her body for his own means as well, and he discards of her easily.
I truly believe this is the most disturbing book I've ever read, but in the best way. No gross-out horror, just the true monsters, us.
If you're looking for bleak, dark, and utterly human horror, this is the book for you. I can't wait to read more from this author!
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Animal cruelty, Grief, Murder, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Ableism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Vomit, Rape, Excrement, and Sexual violence
kayforpay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Excrement, Ableism, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Slavery, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent and Dementia