Hi Bookworms!

No personal tidbits to make note of on my end, so let’s just jump into things!

Today I’m sharing my review of Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica.

I actually picked up a physical copy of this book while I was out on my last writer’s retreat. I’d heard a ton about this book from friends, so I couldn’t wait to see if the hype was real or not for me.

Let’s get started!

Blurb

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans—though no one calls them that anymore.

His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.

Then one day he’s given a a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.

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I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate and earn a small commission for purchases made through the links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

This book was brutal. I feel like my heart’s been drop kicked, but in an interesting and strangely fulfilling way?

This story centers around Marcos. He lives in a terrifying reality where animals can no longer be eaten and an industry of cannibalism has taken its place. Marcos works at a “special meat” plant and uses his success to support his ailing father and estranged wife. But when a mysterious gift is dropped on his doorstep, it makes him question everything he thinks he knows.

This book is a tragic tale warning of the consequences of greed, selfishness, and crossing lines that shouldn’t be crossed. The world Bazterrica created is cruel, cold, and hopeless, so much so that after a while it really saddened me.

There are other dark concepts explored like cannibalism, brief animal torture, and dark psychological ideologies, so if you are faint of heart you may want to skip this read.

Marcos was an enigma to me. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the new rules of the world and how he feels. It made each chapter interesting and unpredictable. Even his interactions with other people and the varying degrees with which they’ve accepted the new world order were captivating.

I wasn’t expecting the plot to be so intriguing. There’s a lot of messed up situations left and right, and Marcos struggles with each interaction in a way that made him feel real. I was constantly surprised by the actions taken in this novel, and though my heart hurts from reading this, sometimes it’s good to push yourself if the message is raw and earnest. Highly recommend if you can stomach the subject matter!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. Like what you see? Leave a tip!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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