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dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an excellent novel. Points deducted for the predicability of the banalities of evil and horrors of religious cults.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, War
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
Agustina Bazterrica is the moment - what a book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, War
dark
fast-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:
No
Having read Tender Is the Flesh, I came into The Unworthy prepared for graphic content.. but this was something else entirely. For me, it veered beyond disturbing into territory that felt genuinely traumatic. It wasn’t just depictions of abuse; it was torture, described in graphic detail. That left such a strong negative impression that I needed to get it out of the way first, just to begin thinking about the book more critically.
Like many authors who experience a breakout debut, Agustina Bazterrica seems to have felt emboldened to take bigger literary risks here. Some work, some don’t. The diary format is one that mostly lands, but occasionally strains believability particularly when you consider the character writing it (A girl raised in isolation, with no formal education beyond what her mother gave her before dying young, is somehow writing by candlelight, in her own blood, using words like avarice and irascible?
That said, the word choice throughout is fascinating, especially knowing the book was translated. I found myself wondering if the original Spanish was equally esoteric, or if some of the vocabulary choices were shaped by the translator.
The plot itself left me wanting more in terms of substance. The ending felt half baked, and the central question: why is this happening? never gets a satisfying answer. The love interest also falls flat: they’re idealized to the point of being one dimensional, with no real backstory or flaws.
One major issue I had was the portrayal of the cult. It’s all negatives, all horror, all control—without the balancing warmth or sense of belonging that usually makes cults believable and dangerously seductive. Without that, the structure doesn’t feel like it could have ever worked. I wanted more insight into the religion itself, more depth into what made people stay, and I didn’t get it.
Ultimately, this reads like trauma porn disguised as something profound. There are moments of insight- particularly the depiction of a slow environmental and societal collapse, which felt eerily realistic. But, I often felt that the vagueness was intentional in a frustrating way. There were points where the narrative seemed to be trying to confuse the reader on purpose, and I found myself rereading passages just to make sure I’d understood them correctly.
To its credit, the book is engaging. I finished it in a single day, and it absolutely held my curiosity. I just wish the payoff had been stronger, and that the gore had served more purpose beyond shock value.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story began with me in a similar headspace as the one I found myself in for Tender is the Flesh, only feeling more prepared for the despair and agony Bazeterrica had to offer since we’ve met in some way before. There’s a high degree of that at times, but I also shockingly found myself hopeful at the end. Enraged still yes, but not so much enraged in a nauseating way but productively enraged. In this novel this there is violent honesty, unobtrusive understanding, and tender hope born from love. A S.C.U.M. crafted narrative that rejects all potential false compassion mistakenly directed at those who most brutalize society. What Bazeterrica did here reminded me that we are all capable of harm, we are all to some degree motivated to avoid and subsequently instigate harm, but the powers pushing us to those places all share something irrefutable in common that only really AFAB/ queer/ transgender/ effeminate readers can accept unflinchingly as the truth. A good omen to reflect on during the current state of affairs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Murder
Minor: Religious bigotry, War
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Beautifully written, beautiful translation
Interesting and engaging vocabulary choices
Mid-apocalyptic plot, focuses on human survival of the spirit; I sometimes wanted more flashbacks to "before" but the ones written are chilling
Interesting and engaging vocabulary choices
Mid-apocalyptic plot, focuses on human survival of the spirit; I sometimes wanted more flashbacks to "before" but the ones written are chilling
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Religious bigotry, War
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Agustin Bazterrica's The Unworthy can't compete with the strength of her debut novel, and its plotline feels familiar with the sheltered follower becoming more exposed to the reality outside of her little secluded world or sisterhood. However, Bazterrca's writing reinvigorates this sisterhood member's perspective as she tolerates the strict insanity of the Sacred Sisterhood. It's about how she is staying with this dictatorial congregation that has housed our protagonist and given her a sort of purpose for her existence while she remembers her past as a former "Tarturala Kid." In the present, we're made aware of how the sisterhood has radicalized her through their twisted and self-serving religious idealism in how the sisterhood defines "enlightened" or "sacrifice, which she follows as she has nobody else to rely on or even love. That's until Lucia arrives and can satisfy not only the need for someone to love but also someone to connect with through compassion, as she's trapped in a world almost devoid of life and kindness. It's about our named protagonist finding that slight speck of clemency within a world that she struggles to stand upon other than the faith instilled by the sisterhood that burdens her.
A common trope of Bazterrica's stories that could detract readers from reading her next book is the scenes of animal abuse or insect abuse, as the latter is most prevalent throughout the narrative. The most disturbing could be Circe's death, but the cat's death could be more saddening as we take note of the unnamed protagonist losing another reason for love. There are also the repulsive actions of the sisterhood religious indoctrination involving humiliation, flagellation and burning. Still, if a scene stood out to me because of Baztrerrica's writing, it is where our protagonist and Circe encounter the rat feasting on the woman in the rocking chair. I may be in the minority, but I believe the description of the rat being this monstrous creature while showing how the woman has given herself up to the horrors of the world symbolizes how the world has been overcome by its rabid nature.
A common trope of Bazterrica's stories that could detract readers from reading her next book is the scenes of animal abuse or insect abuse, as the latter is most prevalent throughout the narrative. The most disturbing could be Circe's death, but the cat's death could be more saddening as we take note of the unnamed protagonist losing another reason for love. There are also the repulsive actions of the sisterhood religious indoctrination involving humiliation, flagellation and burning. Still, if a scene stood out to me because of Baztrerrica's writing, it is where our protagonist and Circe encounter the rat feasting on the woman in the rocking chair. I may be in the minority, but I believe the description of the rat being this monstrous creature while showing how the woman has given herself up to the horrors of the world symbolizes how the world has been overcome by its rabid nature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, War
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Death of parent, War
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, War
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Devastating sad and beautiful, a dark and depressing examination of human nature in crisis without being misanthropic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Torture, War
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
gurl miss agustina ate this sapphic religious trauma up!!! absolutely LOVED this book and the world that agustina built. shockingly, i feel like the way she worked in that brief discussion about artificial intelligence was done well. HOWEVER, i was so looking forward to finding out what the world outside the walls was like , and the fact that i was ROBBED of that knowledge is upsetting so i did have to dock some points for that. other than that this was perfect. loved the lesbian pining <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Murder, War