Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías, Translated by Heather Cleary

For fans of quietly haunting, atmospheric stories.

Synopsis: As toxic algae spreads from the river of a port city, residents face a choice: flee or die. While the wealthy move inland, safeguarding themselves behind mansion walls stocked with food and supplies, those who remain battle heavy fog and famine, drought, deadly winds, and dangerous people.

Our unnamed narrator is determined to stay behind and care for those in her small circle. But between her narcissistic mother, her self-centered ex-husband, and a child with special needs, expending all her energy, time, and resources on others may kill her faster than the noxious air…

On the surface, Pink Slime is about humanity’s toxic indifference toward climate change and how, even in the face of ecological catastrophe, we put our wants and needs over those of the earth.

At its core, this novel is about relationships, marriage, motherhood, and how much of ourselves we are willing to sacrifice for others.

Surprisingly tender, ominous, and suffocating. This is slow-burn, dystopian horror at its best.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this e-arc. Pink Slime hits U.S. shelves in July.

It's wildly impressive that a piece of speculative fiction that seems so clearly influenced by COVID can manage to feel timeless and otherworldly in this way. It takes a surrealistic weird fiction approach to the genre, the details of their own pandemic seemingly designed to be allegorical and moody, a wisp of feeling rather than something directly explainable. Each element feels equally weighed between dread and beauty, down to the fog of algae itself and the events connected to its arrival: thousands of fish washing up on the shore, birds disappearing forever. Even the symptoms of disease, of skin separating from body, carry some sort of macabre beauty, perhaps because we're largely spared the gruesome details and are only served with the theory of the thing.

At its core, this novel is perhaps made up of the intimacies of the relationships the main character has, with her infected ex-husband, who she visits at the hospital; with the little boy who she's being paid to accompany in some strange arrangement; with her mother, who one day stops answering the phone; with people from her past who no longer exist in her present. It's through these relationships that we can measure the bleakness of the circumstances, the collection of moments that progressively isolate the woman.

I felt traces of A Cure for Suicide, The Memory Police, and Fever Dream in this, all works I love.

“What color is silence? I could ask the pundits on television. White, they'd say, as if your head were wrapped in cotton. Black, they'd say, like death itself. But there's nothing especially dramatic about silence. If it were a color it would be gray like the fog, which is neither solid nor liquid, neither opaque nor transparent, but still manages to wipe out everything in its path.And Mauro is red. A red splotch in a garden. An interior landscape.”

This was beautifully written. I enjoyed the story but was not as invested or as engaged as I hoped to be. There was a real sense of foreboding and it felt very true.

Thank you for the arc, NetGalley and Scribmer.

Wow this was a really incredible read. I'm not a big horror fan, but the premise of a city plagued by a mysterious algae really caught my attention. This entire book really reminded me of the early dark times of 2020 as we were all placed in lockdown. This was a very captivating read, and has stuck with me ever since I finished reading it. Throughout the book, I felt claustrophobic, anxious, and tense, all in the best ways possible. Highly recommend! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!!

This was such a great concept, I don't read dystopian novels to often and I find it funny when I do read them, they are ones that I feel can hit close to home a bit. The red wind and algae described in this novel reminds me of the red tide here in Florida. Which added a captivating tense-feeling while reading this book.

The writing style felt comfortable and easy to read, keeping me entertained with the story and learning more about each character. I loved getting to know a little back story, and their quirks, and what is going on present day. It was really interesting reading how their day to day looked in this new life reality and the troubles they faced and how everyone adjusted to it.

Very interesting book, definitely recommend!

This is a hard story. One of love and loss with a backdrop of a climate catastrophe.

I just reviewed Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías. #NetGalley

3.5 I think

Okay. So. I think this book will appeal to some people and that people isn't reallllly me. Unfortunately, I wasn't particularly interested in the main character's aloof attitude--this is really a character-driven story exploring her experience with this bizarre plague thing and the impact of her closest relationships.

The descriptions of the toxic and mysterious fog in conjunction with its' stomach churning symptoms it produces on the human body are fucking fantastic though. Like skin falling off...so gnarly, and I wanted more of that. But then again, that's all a personal preference kinda thing.

However, if the premise is off any interest to you at all, then absolutely still check this out. I can't deny the genius and beautiful writing but I'm afraid it just wasn't exactly for me.

I thought the use of a mysterious plague worked well with the story being told. The characters were great and worked with the other elements of this book. I was engaged with the story and how it was written and enjoyed what I read. Fernanda Trías does a great job in writing this and keeping me invested.

I’m not sure what to say about this book other than I love it. It is such a quiet, slow moving story where nothing much happens. At the same time, you don’t quite know what is going on and keep getting bits and pieces of information that allows the story to unfold and there are so many complex themes running through it. The dystopian world Trias created is a bleak vision of what a future impacted by climate change or some other environmental disaster might look like. Especially one where the systems of power and government respond (or don’t respond) and are complicit in the crisis. It is also a story of love and loss. I love the complex parent/child and partner relationships Trias created, ones that keep pulling someone in like a rubber band and the challenges of experiencing abandonment and loss. I also loved how she portrayed the complexities of how we might navigate a situation like this, the thought that one might escape the disaster and also acceptance for what is. This is a well done portrayal of a not impossible future that I will continue to think about and hope we never see. Thank you @scribner and @netgalley for the eARC!

synopsis: an unnamed narrator lives in a coastal South American city during a major climate crisis. the waters are infested with a toxic form of algae, there are deadly red winds that infect humans with a contagious illness, and city inhabitants are forced to survive off of a meat processing by-product called ‘Meatrite’. with a sick ex-husband, estranged mother, and sickly boy the narrator nannies, our main character is left to fend for herself throughout this crisis. we follow her through the day-to-day and get glimpses of a time before in this poetic and gripping near-future novel.

my thoughts: ‘Pink Slime’, which is translated from ‘Mugre Rosa’ meaning Pink Dirt, immediately caught my attention from the title alone. in my first post-collegiate job, i was placed on a consulting project working with a major beef processor in the midst of the “pink slime” controversy. ABC news put out a special report on the subject and there was a lot of backlash within the industry; TLDR meat processors use a meat filler in a lot of ground and processed meats (think hot dogs, ground beef, etc.) that is a byproduct of meat processing. not knowing anything about the book, i was immediately connected to the many descriptions of meat processing throughout.

this book is not about the ins and outs of meat processing, however. it is a beautifully written and damning take on how to create normalcy and routine amongst collective chaos. though written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot of parallels that a reader can make between themselves and the narrator in terms navigating a global crisis. the prose was often poetic in nature and made even the most mundane tasks seem worth peering into. there were also some interesting themes around statehood and political apathy during a time of environmental crisis that made me sit with the discomfort of individual helplessness in the hands of political powers. though this book is not written to be particularly exciting, i think the melancholic tone and hauntingly accurate portrayal of disaster payed off well in terms of driving home the idea that life continues even in an apocalypse.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book.

I loved this cover so I was so excited to read it but I had to DNG it. I might try again later.

A bit over my head for some reason. I love the title and the idea of this book but the story didn't do much for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I might have to try this again at another point. Three stars.

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Pink Slime" by Fernanda Trías, an award-winning Latin American author making her US debut, is a novel that masterfully intertwines the intimate with the apocalyptic, presenting a harrowing yet deeply human story set against an ecologically devastated backdrop. This book is an eloquent exploration of resilience and the complexities of human relationships in a world teetering on the brink of collapse.

The narrative follows an unnamed protagonist in a city ravaged by a mysterious plague and ecological disaster. The city's air is poisoned by an algae bloom, and its inhabitants are left to subsist on a grotesque pink paste produced by a secretive corporation. Trías' storytelling is hauntingly beautiful, capturing the suffocating atmosphere of a dying city and the desperate struggle for survival. The protagonist's relationships—with her vulnerable mother, her ex-husband, and the boy she nannies—are depicted with raw honesty and depth, revealing the myriad ways in which people cling to each other in times of crisis.

The novel's strength lies in its ability to balance the bleakness of its setting with moments of humor and beauty. The narrator's resilience and commitment to her loved ones provide a glimmer of hope in an otherwise desolate landscape. Trías' prose is both powerful and lyrical, making the reading experience immersive and emotionally impactful.

However, the novel's intense focus on its protagonist's internal journey and relationships might not satisfy readers looking for a more plot-driven or action-packed story. "Pink Slime" is more a character study and a meditation on human resilience and the environment than a traditional narrative, which might limit its appeal to a specific audience.

Content warnings for themes of ecological disaster and survival might be necessary, and the book will likely resonate most with readers interested in literary fiction, ecological themes, and character-driven narratives.

In summary, Fernanda Trías' "Pink Slime" is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that offers a poignant look at human relationships and survival in a world on the edge of ruin. It is a significant addition to the genre of eco-fiction and a compelling read for those who appreciate introspective, character-focused stories.

I think this book fell short because it def didn't keep my attention and at time i found it boring.

It kinda gave me a zombie vibe with the young boy and his genetic condition that kept him wanting food. It didn't seem to engage and the current state when you read the book. The character development fell flat.

Was just ok for me not sure i would read more from this author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Pink Slime is not an action packed read, in fact at times it's quite meditative. Our narrator is attempting to navigate her life in the thick of a pandemic that has destroyed the world's food supply while taking care of a young boy that has a genetic condition which keeps him ravenous. She navigates her relationship with her estranged mother, with her terminal ex husband, with herself. We don't hear much about the early days of this pandemic, nor do we dive deep into the logistics on how the world functions in its current state. What we do get is a lot of self reflection from our unnamed character.