You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
libraryofavirgo's reviews
144 reviews
This one was a long haul for me, particularly because of how raw this is. This is the perfect slice of life if I have ever read one, and I love the modern-day setting, especially in a post-COVID world. Rediscovering yourself after setbacks in your adulthood is such a humbling and hard experience. Chong perfectly captured this, from feelings of anger, pity, and resentment to finally acceptance and a new form of happiness.
medium-paced
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to love this, the premise is so good, but unfortunately this book just did not work for me.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has been on my tbr since the translation was first announced, I cannot explain how ecstatic I was when I got the notification of being approved for this arc. Agustina Bazterrica is one of those authors who just never fails to deliver exactly what she sets out for in a book; The Unworthy being no exception.
Continuing to probe at the intersections of power, body autonomy, and ethics, Bazterrica now takes us into a religious convent of women set in an apocalyptic world. The Unworthy is a true look into the nature of what it means to be a woman in faith; where our bodies become the target of ideology and control, where complete and total submission is not only expected but required and enforced by all means necessary. Bazterrica’s writing style is one of my favorites; the way she can so effortlessly encapsulate the reader into the novel as if we are sitting alongside the narrator ourselves. This novel invoked a sense of unease that feels less like fiction and more like a reality.
The Unworthy is a true masterpiece and something that will linger in my mind for the foreseeable future. I cannot recommend this or any of Bazterrica’s other works enough. As always with horror novels, please check trigger warnings and read at your own discretion.
Thank you Scribner, Simon and Schuster, and Agustina Bazterrica for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual assault, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“This is who I am now. A pet. A shape carved by someone else’s hands, a thing devoured piece by piece, until there is nothing left but obedience, the quiet, and the hurt. Until hurt is all that remains.”
It is not often that a book leaves me completely speechless and boy oh boy is this a wild ride. I absolutely devoured this (much like our main character Gia 😉). Beautiful, cruel, unexpected, imaginative, and gruesome; this is a story unlike any other. Literary fiction meets horror, this story perfectly captures what it means to be a woman reclaiming herself through any means necessary.
I cannot recommend this book enough for those who enjoy something weird. If you are a fan of Bunny, Tender is the Flesh, A Certain Hunger, or The Vegetarian; this is a must-read. Please, please, please be advised of trigger warnings. This is not a light story, this is incredibly heavy, dark, and gruesome. Some of the trigger warnings include graphic depictions of gore, psychological manipulation, kidnapping, and body horror. Read at your own discretion.
Thank you to Galaxy Press and Mia Ballard for the opportunity to read and review this book.
It is not often that a book leaves me completely speechless and boy oh boy is this a wild ride. I absolutely devoured this (much like our main character Gia 😉). Beautiful, cruel, unexpected, imaginative, and gruesome; this is a story unlike any other. Literary fiction meets horror, this story perfectly captures what it means to be a woman reclaiming herself through any means necessary.
I cannot recommend this book enough for those who enjoy something weird. If you are a fan of Bunny, Tender is the Flesh, A Certain Hunger, or The Vegetarian; this is a must-read. Please, please, please be advised of trigger warnings. This is not a light story, this is incredibly heavy, dark, and gruesome. Some of the trigger warnings include graphic depictions of gore, psychological manipulation, kidnapping, and body horror. Read at your own discretion.
Thank you to Galaxy Press and Mia Ballard for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
informative
reflective