Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

117 reviews

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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challenging dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

The Unworthy drops you into a dystopian, cult-like world that’s both fascinating and horrifying. I loved the eerie setting of the creepy religious convent, the sense of isolation, and the way the story slowly unraveled through the unnamed narrator’s diary. 

That said, I really wanted more world-building, like Tender is the Flesh. Especially around the different “types” of women—diaphanous spirits, the enlightened, the worthy. I kept waiting for deeper explanations that never fully came, which left me a little unsatisfied. Still, this is a chilling, unsettling read. Not for the squeamish, but definitely for those who like dark and twisted quick reads. 

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

A dark, eerie read that plops you into the middle of this dystopian world, where we get glimpses of the main character's past and present through brief journal entries. It had me in the first few minutes with the unsettling scene of the main character sewing cockroaches into another individual's pillow (guaranteed to make you squirm!). Bazterrica has written a slow-burning exploration of an individual attempting to survive in this controlling cult setting as the crumbling world outside continues to fall. Perfect pick for fans of literary horror or pieces with unique narrative styles!

I recommend the audiobook version as well! (shout out libro.fm!)    


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challenging dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A dark, dangerous, post-apocalyptic story with themes of trauma and redemption.

It's couched in a horrifying reflection of religious zealotry and the corrupting influence of patriarchy.

The structure is written as scattered journal entries from the protagonist's point of view. The unstructured inner thoughts of this unreliable narrator keeps the plot mysterious and intense with incomplete lore, time gaps, missing information, and vivid descriptions of the horrors surrounding her.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No

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dark fast-paced

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