A review by maggie_gaca
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark sad 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

2.5

I am not a queasy reader, but I found this book disturbing. The concept is intriguing and it is written at an easy-to-consume pace, but there is just not enough balance between the brutality and the message the author is trying to portray-- leaving an unnecessarily graphic piece. 

There are moments where I really saw what the author was getting at. Bazterrica briefly touches on racism, classism, sexism, animal abuse in research/livestock industries, government control, and human trafficking. The biggest theme the reader was meant to grapple with is capitalist overconsumption and the general cruelty of human nature. However, it never reaches that poignancy to really make me sit back and reflect. I personally came out of this book with nothing new (except for some gross images), but it was almost there. 

I feeI Iike I can't either recommend or not recommend this book, but it may hit others differently!
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