Review by miosotis - Tender is the Flesh

miosotis 's review for:

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

4.75

dark reflective tense 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: Yes

Right from the cover, the reader is confronted with the question: "If everybody was eating human meat, would you?" The entire book revolves around this thought experiment, exploring how a society could come to accept the unacceptable. How do people justify it? How does the younger generation, born into this reality, perceive it?

This book is an unsettling exploration of moral deterioration and what it takes to normalize the unthinkable. It’s a great read for those interested in speculative fiction that delves into the human psyche. However, it can be deeply uncomfortable at times—definitely check the content warnings and read at your own pace. Personally, I alternated it with lighter books and only picked it back up when I felt ready to engage with its heavy themes.

Overall, my only wish was for a deeper exploration of the world itself, though I understand that wasn’t the book’s main focus.

Content Warnings