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A review by bookswithlydscl
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dark, and uncompromisingly brutal literary, dystopian horror set in a closed religious order after the collapse of the civilised world.
This is not for the faint hearted, but the bare bones story telling, stark and minimalist world building punctuated with unflinching horror worked for me.
I’ve truly come to appreciate Bazterrica’s writing style and whilst I put my finger on why, I think those who loved Lucy Rose’s The Lamb will also like this (a feeling solidified by the fact that I discovered after finishing it that she has blurbed the book). Not everyone is going to love this one but it really worked for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for this digital review copy of "The Unworthy" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Notes:
Slow, stark, brutal and dark
Gothic dystopian horror set in a closed religious order/cult
Tells the story without telling the story
Broken and fragmented narrative
Barely there world building but what you get and what you witness through the diary entries is enough to envision it
Uncomfortable reading but for different reasons to Tender is the Flesh
Something about it reminded me of The Lamb by Lucy Rose and the fact I discovered after finishing that its blurbed by her just solidifies it in my mind
Won't work for everyone but really worked for me
This is not for the faint hearted, but the bare bones story telling, stark and minimalist world building punctuated with unflinching horror worked for me.
I’ve truly come to appreciate Bazterrica’s writing style and whilst I put my finger on why, I think those who loved Lucy Rose’s The Lamb will also like this (a feeling solidified by the fact that I discovered after finishing it that she has blurbed the book). Not everyone is going to love this one but it really worked for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for this digital review copy of "The Unworthy" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Notes:
Slow, stark, brutal and dark
Gothic dystopian horror set in a closed religious order/cult
Tells the story without telling the story
Broken and fragmented narrative
Barely there world building but what you get and what you witness through the diary entries is enough to envision it
Uncomfortable reading but for different reasons to Tender is the Flesh
Something about it reminded me of The Lamb by Lucy Rose and the fact I discovered after finishing that its blurbed by her just solidifies it in my mind
Won't work for everyone but really worked for me