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Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

172 reviews

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

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dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated

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dark sad tense medium-paced

I’m going to be honest, I hated this book, which is rare for me. Came very close to DNF’ing this—I’ve never had to work so hard to push through a <200 page novella. 

I can respect the author’s writing skill, but this was very much Not For Me. It just felt like neverending misery/torture porn... it was nauseating at times.  While the prose style was unique, the post-apocalyptic setting and the underlying “mystery” felt like a retread of many books that have gone before—not much new to offer there. 

I truly don’t get the hype for this book. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Oh my GOSH. I don't know how she does it--Bazterrica is the queen of dark feminist tales. In this one, we read from the diary of one of the unworthy who lives in a convent, protected from the ravaged outside world. Within the convent, she and other unworthies try to become worthy by sabotaging others, self-flagellating, and praying. She shares with us just what happened before she stumbled upon the convent and how she passes her time. But everything changes when Lucia arrives from beyond the convent and proves herself to be holy and worthy.

What follows is a harrowing love story filled with secrets and hiding as they try to figure out just what is happening behind the scenes at the convent.

If you are squeamish, this might not be the book for you. On the first page, we're told of how our main character hides cockroaches in the pillows of another unworthy. Later, we see bodily mutilation, flagellation, and more. But god-dang if this isn't a totally incredible piece of literature that also puts a spin on religion, faith, and doubt as we know it.

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
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