Thanks to Simon&Schuster/NetGalley for this eARC.
I unfortunately think this author is just not for me.
I liked 1/19 of these stories…. I’m not sure if I’m just not “smart” enough to understand her writing style or if her writing style is just that ridiculous and hard to grasp. Some stories were straight up stupid, to me, and some, to me, made zero sense.

I liked Tender is the Flesh more than this collection... I found some stories to be very strong but others struggled to catch my interest. I am still a big fan of Agustina Bazterrica and look forward to her newest novel translated in English!

Terrifying and kept me on my toes! Each story is wonderfully written and leaves an lasting impact with each word

New staff pick!
Collection of nineteen dark, wildly imaginative short stories by Argentinian author of Tender is the Flesh (hugely viral on TikTok, incredible indie sales); no stories have been published in English before; for readers of horror stories, dystopia, and feminist fiction.

Sometimes we need to escape into the darkness to remain in the light.

How did the book make me feel/think?

Come with me. In here, down this dark tunnel.

I’m scared. No, I’m not. I’m worried about myself.

Why?

I love Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird.

Am I going to be okay?

My stomach churns.

At first, I think ‘Roberto’ is a young boy. And then, I read the description, ‘Roberto’ is female; where is my comprehension—what tricks have my mind played on me?

Another rumble. Every story is fresh. Served on an unsettling skewer.

What’s life about?

Darkness?

Today the answer would be YES, a loud YES—that’s the reason for ALLCAPS.

Are these thoughts about Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird?

Probably not. It’s hard to tell; I’m now a circle with arms; I need to eat, but my damn arms won’t allow me to roll over and get to the food. Darn. Splat. A jumper.

Why am I laughing?

Because.

That will have to do—this is an all-time fave.

Sometimes we need to escape into the darkness to remain in the light.

WRITTEN: 1 April 2023

Thank you to the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy of Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustin’s Bazterrica. Pub date past : June 20 2023.

Essay collections are a new genre for me. I’ve recently embarked on more of a literary journey and after reading some other Lit, spooky, strange reads this sounded right up my alley.

My review is mixed - maybe that’s the standard for a collection? A few of the stories I loved, a few I just liked and some I thought what the actual f. Which … is probably what the author was trying to do. There’s also often nuances that go over my head and probably hit just right for other folks. For this reason I feel like a star rating is really hard. Like a few of the short stories - for sure 5 stars.. some 1 stars a lot right in the middle.

This did make me want to read Tender is the Flesh. Because I do like some of the wtf moments..

I read all stories and disliked every single one of them. I know I'm in the minority but I felt like none of the stories really made sense and were gore for gore's sake.

This short story collection was like many others that I have read in that the quality/my enjoyment of the stories varied quite wildly. However, with it being all the same author and genre, I enjoyed how this collection had very strong theming and atmosphere across the whole collection. While I don't think any of these stories reach the level of "Tender is the Flesh", which I highly enjoyed, they are all good-to-great examples of body horror and magical realism. I'm excited to see more of this author's works in English and can't wait to see another full length novel from them as I feel that that is where they really shine. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!

Maybe 2.5-3 stars

I enjoyed this short story collection more than other short story collections i've tried to read in the past, and I think it's because it's a single author collection... it's pretty consistent and predictable in style and structure. However, I still don't love short story collections in general which isn't the author's fault at all. I do feel like I wasn't wowed by any of the stories and the content was not gripping like I know this author has gripped me before in tender is the flesh. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this because I just don't think any singular story held that much depth. Still want to read more novella or novel length works from this author though, I love the author's mind and her representation of children, women, and animals in her writing.

Random thoughts I had in each story I read (SOME MIGHT BE SPOILERY, all might be dumb):
1) Naur. Neighbour jumping off his terrace onto woman's patio. Too cerebral and too much repetition. No point.
2) Honestly liked it. Very short and gruesome, whimsical and slimy.
3) Weeeeeeeird. Bonni and Clyde. Crazy narrator.
4) I really like the poetic language and structure of that piece. A woman in love, grieving, lost her lover or never had him in the first place, another woman who should have been her, a man she kills herself over.
5) I found myself relating to Anita in a weird way. Just a weird extra terrestrial bitch confirming the uselessness of the human race lol.
6) Imagination on steroids. Beautiful and jarring and confusing.
7) So sad and feels so close to the speaker of the story, the daughter. It's interesting how all main players of the story are made out to be the villain by each other, but the reader can kind of see how everyone and no one is the bad guy.
8) ??????? I almost fell asleep but it wasn't boring, i'm just tired.
9) My favourite so far. Poetic. The wolf metaphor, it being sharp and soft at the same time is really interesting.
10) Perhaps I am too stupid for this one, even though I have an English degree.
11) Another favourite. I love when the author writes from a younger, childish perspective, I find the language way more accessible and the darkness and emotions more raw and uncovered.
12) The exaggeration and existentialism in this one are fun.
13) Very frenetic and feels both dangerous and languid. I love the yearning between the woman on the bench and the woman on the boat in the painting, but the sentences do be SO choppy.
14) Really liked interrupting the story of grief in this story and the euphoria of breaking down and being allowed to feel and witness pain.
15) The language is interesting but the story is so stupid.
16-19) NO THOUGHTS, HEAD EMPTY

This review is based off an e-arc provided by netgalley.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a captivating collection of short stories that will shock, amaze, and even disgust readers. The stories are well crafted with well-drawn characters and unexpected twists, making for a memorable read.

Many of the stories in Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird are not for the faint of heart, as they deal with dark and unsettling subject matter and that will have readers cringing in terror. I have to say that some stories bored me but the excellent ones worth the read.

Overall, it's perfect for fans of horror and dark fiction . Whether you are a fan of the genre or just looking for a good read, this book is well worth your time. Just be sure to read Tender is the Flesh before diving in so you can prepare yourself for what's to come.

I was expecting to really love this collection of short stories, I read Tender Is The Flesh in 2022 and it was one of my favourite reads of that year but unfortunately I had to DNF Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird about half way through.

The stories just didn't do it for me, some felt unfinished, some left me confused, and others didn't seem to go anywhere. Some of the stories had potential, where I felt like maybe this one's it, but then the story abruptly ended.

I wanted to love this book but I just couldnt, I had to dnf it and move on. I will definitely be on the look out for Agustinas future books though.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for sharing a digital reviewer copy in exchange for an authentic review.

I had high expectations for this collection because I loved (and was shocked, stunned and taken aback by) Tender Is The Flesh. I thought: bring on the horror short stories by Bazterrica! I’m ready! I braced myself…and…

It was a very uneven book for me. It's a fairly quick read, and there was a good amount of death, horror imagery, and weird ideas that took flesh, but I was underwhelmed. I don’t think this necessarily had to do with my high expectations, because I could see the fascinating themes, I just felt that Bazterrica’s storytelling didn’t bring the ideas to full fruition.

There are amazing kernels of brilliance. In at least two of the pieces, Mary Carminum and The Solitary Ones, I savoured the slow build of tension, the gradual realisation that something is terribly wrong, that it cannot end well. A feeling of terrible trapped-ness. But though they gave me an icky feeling, I didn’t feel invested. Her writing had a superficial quality, scratching the surface of events rather than plumbing their depths.

Thus, the most successful stories for me have her describing a horrible event in exquisite detail without much story, a sort of poem in prose type of thing. A woman observes a wolf in an enclosure behind glass and has frightening thoughts in The Wolf’s Breath: “You don’t want to bear witness to the fragility of a moment, the tepidness of life, the lightness of a body. You don’t want to be part of a savage banquet.” In Perfect Symmetry, a man prepares his own last meal in all its sensual beauty.

While reading, I wondered if these stories had been written earlier in her writing career, and indeed, the author notes state that some of them date from 2004/05. This may account for the difference in skill I see as compared to Tender Is The Flesh. Of course, different writing styles appeal to different folks, and this book is getting great reviews overall, so I’m an outlier. I think it's worth a look, even if just for a few of the better stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for my review!

An unsettling and morbid collection of creepy little stories. These little slices of life take turns for the surreal, playing with magical realism and body horror. I had so much fun reading this - so many stories took twists that I didn't expect or didn't dare believe would go in that direction. Some of the shorter entries are the ones that stuck with me the most - punchy little tales that get right to the point and leave plenty of room for the imagination.
A masterwork in modern horror, I highly recommend this collection.

I was a little apprehensive going into this one because my love for Tender is the Flesh is so big, but this collection did not disappoint. I am a BIG fan of Agustina Bazterrica’s work.

This collection has some really incredible short stories. There were a few I could have done without, but for the most part I loved it.

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird had a bit of everything with the focus being our deepest fears and desires. The stories were, unique, dark, shocking, witty (I love me some dark humour), and horrific.

Mixed feelings about this book. It's a collection of short stories and I'd say I liked about half of them. They all share a general feel, a creepy and forboding sense, but most are more about that feel than about any story.

The first couple stories were good but not great and I was a little worried about the book until I read Candy Pink, about a woman who doesn't take a breakup very well. That was the first of a few real excellent short stories. Crucially for me, it's one that had plot. The story moved from one place to another. Even in a short story I feel it's important for something to happen, but many stories rely on the vibes alone.

Anita and Happiness was another one I enjoyed. It was one of the lighter stories, one about a man who is convinced his girlfriend is an alien. It had a cute little ending. Perfect Symmetry about a prison baker was also great.

Overall though, I feel like the book never really pulled me in. It took me a month and half to get through it's hundred or so pages because I never felt like picking it up. I enjoyed it when I read it but it almost felt like a chore sometimes, getting through the lesser stories. It reminded me of Eric Larocca, whose stories rely more an creepy imagery to create horror. Not a big fan of his either, but I know he has a lot of fans.

The writing was immaculate. It was dark, but beautiful and since it is a translation it had me wondering if the original version is even more beautiful, so I might give this a try in Spanish. The book consists of a collection of 20 horror-ish and very oddd (in the best way) short stories. As for the stories themselves, they were original, dark and bizarre, which I really enjoyed at the beginning. However, at about 60% of the book i decided to take a little break because I simply never felt like picking this read up. The stories are beautifully written, but the ideas behind them seemed incomplete to me and there was rarely an explanation for anything, which might work for some people, but it just didn't do it for me. The stories seemed beautifully written, but plotless, and I need a plot. This may not have worked for me, but I still praise the author's originality and odd but beautiful writing style.

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a translated collection of cruel and shocking short stories laced with dark humour.

After being equally repulsed and captivated by Tender is the Flesh, I requested this short story collection as soon as I saw it. I rarely read short story collections because I prefer to spend more time with characters. But I had high hopes that this would be a fascinating read, and it certainly was.

The stories themselves are fairly short, ranging from one to no more than ten pages. Except for one, I gave them all three to five stars, averaging four stars. Overall, the stories are quite memorable. In one, a woman wants to become a circle and will literally do whatever it takes to achieve her desired shape. Cue lots of blood and the eating of round-shaped foods. In another, a man suspects his girlfriend is an alien, and he’s okay with that.

The stories deal with shocking, bloody, and dark themes.

If you haven’t yet read Tender is the Flesh, this will give you a taste of what the author’s writing is like. I don’t reread much, but I’d definitely consider rereading these twisted stories.

Thank you to Scribner for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

Augustina Bazterrica does it again with another jaw dropping book! This collection is dark, gruesome and macabre. Tense and shocking each story has the reader holding their breath in anticipation impossible to predict what’s going to happen. Bazterrica’s writing is razor sharp. Each story packs a strong punch. Can’t wait to read more of her work in the future. Easily earned a spot as one of my auto-buy authors!

There is something of an ethereal and atmospheric quality to most of the stories in this collection. Some of the stories I wanted more from, some I didn't really get and some were really outstanding. All of this to say that there is a pretty good variety of themes in there and at under 200 pages it's a pretty quick read.

That being said the tone remained pretty steady throughout the book and I could definitely tell it was the same authorial voice as the one behind Tender Is the Flesh. Bazterrica absolutely came through with her signature discomfort inducing style and ability to perceive the horror in the mundane and ordinary.