Agustina Bazterrica is an auto buy author for me. The tone she's able to carry throughout a story is mesmerizing, painting pictures in my mind that stick long after I've put the book down.
19 Claws contains 19 unique short stories that range thematically, but remain tied together by Bazterrica's sharp prose. There's an urgency that flows throughout the anthology that made it hard for me to put down, contrasting the thematic elements that made me want to slow my pace and take it all in. While most all of the stories are memorable in their own rite, my favorites are Candy Pink, Hell, The Continuous Equality of a Circumference, Teicher vs.
Nietzsche, and Mary Carminum.
I read this prior to women in translation month but, if you're looking for bizarre short fiction you'll be thinking about later to read in August, I highly recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. After Tender is the Flesh, I knew I had to request this one and try it out. I enjoyed this collection and recommend checking this one out.

A collection of short stories. Some were really good and individually five stars but most of them were subpar and repetitive.

This collection of short stories from the author of Tender is the Flesh is just as creepy and disconcerting as the novel that preceded it. I really enjoyed how many of the stories were in second person, but some of the stories did feel disturbing just for disturbing's sake.

4⭐️

This book of short stories is dark, twisted, and weird. Some of the stories had me wanting to turn away and made me want to jump out of my skin, and others kept me interested and desperate to see what happens next. This book does contain multiple references and depictions of suicide, so proceed with caution. Overall, this is a great collection of horror short stories.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for an arc. I think this book is perfect for spooky season! I'll admit some short stories I did not care for and others I enjoyed. A solid 4/5 stars.

Mixed feelings. Some stories are great and some fell flat for me. It's worth checking out if you love the author's writing, but maybe skip if the overview isn't your thing.

Perfect for spooky season. I have been eagerly anticipating Bazterrica's follow up after reading Tender is the Flesh years ago, and it did not disappoint! The first half of the collection was my favorite; brutal and dynamic stories that reward multiple reads.

What a wild ride this one was. Some stories stick out more than others, but as whole it's a great collection.

I didn't know what to expect going into this short story collection, but I was not disappointed. I think there is a story for all horror lovers. I wish some of the stories were longer, so I could get into them more. I cannot wait to read more by this author in the future.

I have mixed feelings about this. A few of the stories I really enjoyed and others fell flat. Overall, this was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of their first work, so this may be the last book I read by them.

While not all the stories here were hits, the best ones were excellent. I feel like short story collections can be so up and down, and while this one wasn't necessarily an exception to that rule, I definitely found this better than most. Very dark and mind melting.

Did not read as book was archived before I was able to download on NetGalley. Look forward to reading Nineteen Claws in another fashion in the future.

While I definitely recommend this for fans of 'Tender is the Flesh', I had to DNF it at 66%. Bazterrica is talented, and I think this will land for a lot of people. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for something this unrelentingly dark. But her short stories have a meanness, or cruelty to them that just wasn't working for me, as much as I love horror.

But! That said ultimately I'd still recommend this to readers looking for that feeling.

3.75 ⭐
A DENSE collection of surreal horror stories. Of course I liked some better than others, but you really had to focus while reading. I think a reread or audio book would be nice in a few months to get a better sense of it.

Nineteen Claws and A Black Bird Review!!

Thank you so much Scribner and NetGalley for this gifted e-read, in exchange for an honest review!! This one is out now!

I immediately requested this one when I saw it on Netgalley! Ever since Tender is the Flesh I have been searching for something similar. Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird was a 1.75/5 ⭐️ for me. There were 19 stories in this one and I really only enjoyed 1 of them and that was The Continuous Equality of the Circumference. This just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m not sure if it was because the stories were so short and I didn’t get any build of up the setting, character, or plot. Just not a fan. If you like weird horror though, I think you should give it a try still!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the eARC.

Agustina Bazterrica is a force. Her stories are...... unique and eye opening and raw and stick with you far beyond your time with them. This collection really has not left my mind since I finished it. Haunting.

I recently read Tender is the Flesh by this author so I was excited to read this as well!
I got exactly what I was expecting going into this. Short stories that make you think "what". Some stories were better than others. My favorites were "Candy Pink" & No Tears". What I enjoyed most about this book was that you could never tell how the story would end. No matter how many times I thought I knew, I didn't.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy!

FINALLY A BOOK OF SHORT STORIES THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH.

I've found myself struggling with short story collections this year. I don't know what the deal is. But Bazterrica just broke that curse. This was short, sweet, and IMPACTFUL. Seriously. This does warrant all the trigger warnings, though. I found Moshfeghian vibes in so many of the stories, which is my absolute jam. There were one or two that I didn't find as expertly crafted as the majority, but I don't really care. 4 stars

Thank you NetGalley.
This was such an enjoyable collection of short stories. I definitely want to check out the author's other books.