A review by michelles_book_nook
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

⚠️ CW: graphic content, cannibalism, child death, rape, infertility, sexual assault, animal cruelty and brief mentions of suicide and paedophilia ⚠️ Wow this one is not for the easily grossed out but as a horror fan I loved it! 😳 This book follows Marcos who works at a local processing plant in the business of slaughtering humans for meat. His wife has left him, his father is sinking into Dementia and he tries to not think too hard about how he makes a living in this new world since the GGB virus. First, it was reported that an infectious virus had made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then the government initiated 'the transition' and now eating 'special meat' aka human meat is legal. But as Marcos struggles with his role in this new food chain he sticks to the industry approved terms of numbers, consignments and processing. Until one day he is given a live specimen of the highest quality as a gift and despite the fact that he knows any form of personal contact is forbidden, he just can't help himself to slowly start treating her like a human being again. And soon he becomes tortured by what has been lost and what might still be saved. This book had me in a chokehold from start to finish and even though it is so disturbing I just couldn't stop reading! It is so well written, thought provoking and addictive that it's truly scary because even though the dystopian plot is so far fetched, considering everything that has happened in the world over the last few years it felt like it could be strangely believable. Overall, if you're into horror and dystopian fiction then this one is definitely for you but please make sure to check out all of the CW's because there are so many more than I've been able to add.
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