Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

338 reviews

natalie_dawn's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture

Moderate: Animal death, Rape

emelynreads's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious medium-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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Experimental in a way that worked for me! The invented terms, gothic and bleak descriptions for everything, and vague horror without being graphic worked to create a haunting and uneasy atmosphere / reading experience

I was uncomfy and I liked it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood

Minor: Animal death, Rape

bongiornoo's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

klosterphobia's review against another edition

3.0

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

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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.

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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

crisscrossedshelves's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual violence

cadimy's review against another edition

5.0

dark sad tense fast-paced

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Holy shit this was good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Pregnancy

cherricherrain's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Murder

Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy

breadpann's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad tense medium-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: Complicated

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Fair warning, there is an off screen graphic killing of a pet about 75% in when she’s talking about her being a kid wandering with a companion. It absolutely broke me, one of the most lucid moments in the story. 
Not a five star read, it was close! SO many gut punches in such a short book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Torture, Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma

krisduhh's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book will stay with me for a long time. 🐈

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death

khrysteinah's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy