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wyrdwit 's review for:
The Unworthy
by Agustina Bazterrica
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I’ll start off by saying I LOVE Agustina Bazterrica—“Tender is the Flesh” and “Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird” are some of my favorite reads, and her version of dystopian horror holds a special place in my cold, dark heart.
Weirdly though, I was a little thrown off by “The Unworthy”. The vibes are dark, but not what I was expecting. The writing style doesn’t scream Bazterrica to me, so much so that I had to check whether she used a different translator for this book (she didn’t). It kind of distracted me from the story, and I feel like I might enjoy it more if I approached a second read without expectations for it to be completely on brand with her other writing.
My not-so-favorite part: The backstory for the apocalypse.
There was so much left unexplored. You know there was a climate crisis, but it almost doesn’t feel crucial to the story—like you could use any number of reasons for why these women are isolated and don’t leave their religious cult and convent. Maybe that’s the nature of a sub-200 page novel, but it felt underdeveloped to me.
My favorite part: The characters.
They are brilliant. They are devious. They are cruel (oh, the CRUELTY). But even with violent competition and sabotage dominating their world, companionship and love still somehow manage to survive. You’re awarded these beautiful glimpses into the narrator’s past—precious moments in time spent with her mother before the planet completely fell apart—and the stranger brings with her fragments of hope for the narrator’s future.
Definitely read this. Just be warned you may not get the same flavor of fleshy, body gore as you did with the processing of special meat or the attempt to be perfectly circular.
Weirdly though, I was a little thrown off by “The Unworthy”. The vibes are dark, but not what I was expecting. The writing style doesn’t scream Bazterrica to me, so much so that I had to check whether she used a different translator for this book (she didn’t). It kind of distracted me from the story, and I feel like I might enjoy it more if I approached a second read without expectations for it to be completely on brand with her other writing.
My not-so-favorite part: The backstory for the apocalypse.
There was so much left unexplored. You know there was a climate crisis, but it almost doesn’t feel crucial to the story—like you could use any number of reasons for why these women are isolated and don’t leave their religious cult and convent. Maybe that’s the nature of a sub-200 page novel, but it felt underdeveloped to me.
My favorite part: The characters.
They are brilliant. They are devious. They are cruel (oh, the CRUELTY). But even with violent competition and sabotage dominating their world, companionship and love still somehow manage to survive. You’re awarded these beautiful glimpses into the narrator’s past—precious moments in time spent with her mother before the planet completely fell apart—and the stranger brings with her fragments of hope for the narrator’s future.
Definitely read this. Just be warned you may not get the same flavor of fleshy, body gore as you did with the processing of special meat or the attempt to be perfectly circular.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Self harm, Torture
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Abortion, Pregnancy