This book was a wild ride. I heard the hype about Tender is the Flesh and decided I'd take a chance on this book. It's horror, but not in the way I imagined. Pretty much every story grapples with the darkness of humanity, from a man assaulting a child to a person purposefully committing suicide by falling onto a specific person's patio. It's been a couple days since I finished this book, and I still don't fully know what I want to write about it. It's interesting and will definitely be a hit with people looking for realistic horror with some fantasy aspects weaved throughout it (like the bunny growing between the girl's legs. Which I'll be honest, I loved the end of that short story a lot.).

I enjoyed that there was a cast of narrators, so each story was paired with a narrator that fit that story's main character. Some of these stories wouldn't have been so captivating if the male narrator was telling the stories with little girls as MCs.

I'm stuck between 3 stars and 4 stars, because this book was nothing like I expected. But it was well written and it's really just the boundaries of my brain that's making it not a higher rating for me. So for now, I'll give it 4 stars. This might change after my brain has had more time to wrap itself around this book.

Thank you to Agustina Bazterrica and Scribner for the e-arc.

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

I loved Tender is the Flesh so I was super excited when I picked up this book however, i didn’t enjoy it as much, I think I’m just not really a fan of short stories?

Thank you for the opportunity to review this advanced reader's edition. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give it the time required to write a thorough review and will be unable to read it for this purpose.

This collection of short stories was really hit or miss for me. There are some stories I’m still thinking about, but many just fell flat for me. Highlights include “A Light, Swift, and Monstrous Sound,” “Candy Pink,” “The Dead,” and “Mary Carminum.”

Even in the stories I didn’t love as much I was impressed by Bazterrica’s imagination and writing style. I’m even more motivated to read Tender is the Flesh now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for a review copy.

Absolutely gorgeous, eerie collection of short horror tinged stories from Bazterrica. I get the sense that some folks are disappointed it's not a new novel, but honestly, even these little gems are enough for me. Definitely pick it up if you see it.

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird was my first Agustina Bazterrica book, and I loved it. The stories were inventive and unsettling, and I will definitely be recommending them to others.

I was not a fan of the pacing and that really makes or breaks a book for me. I might give this a chance another time but this wasn’t the read for me right now.

A nice collection of dark short stories, If you read from this author in the past you know to expect a haunting tale, and this collection delivered. As is the case with all short story collections I enjoyed some more than others, but overall enjoyable.

I really didn't enjoy any of the short stories featured in this collection except for one. Most of them were completely over my head.

dark and dreary like her other work! i love short stories and think the brevity of these worked in this writers favor. surprisingly funny at times. a few shock tactics in the writing like her novel. this seems to sell well and the cover is really working!

Very interesting and compelling. The cover is gorgeous and what originally drew me in. The writing was haunting and uncomfortable at times, but a fun read.

i just did not enjoy most of these stories… they either just felt icky(not in a good way) or poorly written….

This author is a favorite and her book of short stories was amazing. I found each to have a different and unique voice, some creepy, some disgusting, others completely atmospheric. Not a favorite among my peers, but I honestly loved it. She is an automatic author for me.

I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

I read Tender is the Flesh a couple of years ago and when I found out there was a short story collection by the same author coming out, I immediately had to read it!

I have said this a few times, but Latina women write the absolute best horror! Not only are these stories terrifying, but they are so real, and comment so much on the violence against women, relationships, alienation, and the dystopia we are currently living in.

A wonderful collection!

I loved Bazterrica's debut novella, TENDER IS THE FLESH, so I had high hopes going into this collection of her short stories. I also love any opportunity to support fellow Argentinian authors, so this was really up there on my list of recent releases this year!!

This was a pretty varied collection length and subject matter-wise, with some of the 19 stories spanning several pages, and others lasting only a few paragraphs. I love that these stories have the same distinct voice that the author's debut had, and will say that this collection is just as grim and dark as that book was.

A lot of the collections focus on abuse, especially of a sexual nature, so I think some folks might want to check into content warnings if they know those topics are difficult for them. That said, despite how dark this was, I also found a lot of things that were beautifully written and relatable.

Some of these also gave me a bit of a Black Mirror vibe, which I always love in short story collections!

Overall, this is a great collection if you don't mind the often uncomfortable subject matter - I loved it.

NINETEEN CLAWS AND A BLACKBIRD by @agustinabazterrica is a creepy little book of 19 dark and deadly short stories. Thank you to the author, @netgalley the publisher @scribnerbooks .

This was an interesting group of stories, some that seemed to be intertwined while others were way out there. I particularly love a super short story that packs a big punch and there were certainly a few of those here.

My favorite part of Bazterrica's writing is that there always seems to be an uncanny, absurd amount of dark humor attached to even her scariest of stories which I totally love.

A LIGHT, SWIFT AND MONSTROUS SOUND as well as CANDY PINK were two of my faves in this collection. As a confession, I have still not read TENDER IS THE FLESH by this author and need to get to it here soon! Have you had the pleasure of an introduction to this Argentinian author?

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. The downfall was that I requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before the book was archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Okay, so first things first – Tender is the Flesh is basically one of my favorite books. Now, grabbing Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird? Total excitement overload. This collection is a mixtape of stories – some quick bites, others more like a slow burn. It's this crazy blend of vivid, impactful tales that hang out somewhere between supernatural and deranged. And the best part? These stories dive deep into people dealing with seriously bizarre situations, making choices that'll make your brain do a little somersault. Get ready for a ride through the weird and unique style of this author!