A review by cozeebee
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


 What a hard read to get get through. The factor that kept me going was the MC (IN THE BEGINNING). I felt so much empathy for his situation. Near the halfway point, my empathy began to waver. Who once seemed good, I could suddenly see a darkness in him, not the darkness of sadness but the darkness of malice. By the end, he was just a horrible monster. I heard multiple times that the last line of the book is shocking but I wasn't expecting that. 

The book had so many oddly ironic moments. I wouldn't say it was comedic in any way, but because the irony caught me off guard I often let out a laugh of disbelief. Particulary how they celebrate a new born. 

Overall, I loved the writing. If you could stomach the harsh topics of this read, I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to read a gory psychological horror. Not much plot, just world building and character development(?).
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