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You might be asking, “What possessed you to pick up a book about a plague, Amanda? Haven’t you seen enough of that in the last five years?” Fair question. When I saw Pink Slime on NetGalley, the description there led me to believe the focus wasn’t so much on the plague, but rather on the pink slime—something in the vein of Soylent Green. If you’re not familiar, the horror in Soylent Green centers on a disturbing twist about what people are unknowingly consuming. That’s the kind of dystopian horror I could be in the mood for.

Alas, Pink Slime isn’t really about the pink slime at all. It’s more about environmental collapse and the slow unraveling of society due to a strange, algae-driven plague.

I appreciated the way the main character’s life is quiet but emotionally complex. She still feels responsible for her recently ex-husband, who’s now in a clinic suffering from a chronic form of the plague that usually kills its victims. She visits him, possibly because she still loves him, at least a little. Her mother lives nearby in the same unnamed coastal South American city and demands occasional visits. And most pressingly, she periodically cares for a young boy with Prader-Willi Syndrome, whose wealthy parents provide food allotments but largely leave him in her care.

Her relationships with all three are emotionally layered—she provides meals, bathes, and protects them, yet often feels completely alone. It’s a quiet reminder of how caregiving can be both deeply intimate and deeply isolating. (If you’re interested in another take on post-apocalyptic isolation—this time with zombies—check out my own novel, Waiting for Daybreak, where a woman navigates survival and mental health in the midst of a very different kind of plague.)

I also found the plague itself intriguing. While the government claims it’s contagious, most cases appear to stem from exposure to toxic algae blooms, blown in by ocean winds. Residents are alerted by alarms to rush indoors and seal their windows. This unique concept allowed me to read the story from a dystopian distance rather than sending me back into pandemic fatigue.

That said, the novel’s language and structure make it a challenging read. Each chapter begins with a poem. The prose is often flowery and nonlinear, with frequent shifts in time and tense. While this might feel beautifully disorienting for some, for me it made the already slow, quiet apocalypse feel even slower. I suspect the translation was a difficult task. Though well-crafted, I imagine this book reads more naturally in its original Spanish. And while I’d love to do a comparison, my Spanish isn’t up to the task—so I’ll have to leave it to bilingual readers to weigh in. Readers more familiar with Uruguayan culture or more comfortable with poetic, nonlinear narratives may connect more deeply with the text than I did.

Diversity in the book is limited. No characters’ races are clearly described, and there are no overt LGBTQIA+ identities represented. The child with Prader-Willi Syndrome adds some disability representation, which I found compelling. It’s rare to see this condition, in which children lack a full signal and thus feel hungry all the time, represented in fiction. The narrator clearly loves and cares for the child, even while grappling with the challenges of caregiving. Readers should be aware, however, that some descriptions veer into fatphobic or ableist territory. Still, the overall portrayal felt realistic in terms of how society often responds to visible disabilities.

Overall, this is a quiet dystopian novel that offers a unique perspective on care, collapse, and isolation. It’s a challenging read on multiple levels: structurally, linguistically, and emotionally. But for readers curious about contemporary Latin American literature, especially from Uruguay, it offers insight into a distinct literary voice. Just don’t go into it expecting Soylent Green.

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📖 ARC Review: Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías (tr. Heather Cleary)

This quiet, poetic dystopia wasn’t what I expected—but it lingered long after the last page. Set in a collapsing coastal city, Pink Slime explores caregiving, isolation, and slow environmental ruin through one woman’s determined routines.

It’s literary, lyrical, and steeped in emotion. A powerful debut in English from Uruguay that reminds us: sometimes the apocalypse isn’t loud—it’s personal.

Interesting book and I can see why it is getting attention. I will recommend this title but it wasn’t for me. Thank you to the publisher for a copy.

It was fine. I don't know. I didn't really care one way or another, but I have to say something so I will say it's fine.

This book was unfortunately not for me. I tried really hard to get into it as it sounded like a fascinating premise, but was kind of boring. The writing and translation on the other hand was great, but it just didn’t keep in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Pink Slime by Fenanda Trias!

One of my favorite takes on the climate crisis. “Pink Slime” is an atmospheric dystopian that touches on loss, loneliness, and interpersonal relationships in the midst of an environmental catastrophe. The writing strikes a delicate balance — slow, quiet, and mundane, yet undeniably gripping and addictive. It’s a strange, bleak little book that won’t be leaving my mind anytime soon.

This was such a clean, clear translation. In a world where the breeze now brings with it a mysterious plague, the narrator is left to grapple with her few remaining relationships: her mother, her ex-husband and the young boy that she nannies. An exploration of what it means to be stuck in place and left behind, Pink Slime is a beautiful rumination on the danger we find ourselves in now and what we lose in a polluted world.

Set in a coastal town ravaged by a mysterious plague, our unnamed narrator is struggling with her new reality. The algae is toxic, the winds are deadly, and the only food people can afford is an imitation meat that looks like pink slime. Our narrator is balancing the worry she has for her vulnerable mother and the feelings she still has for her ex-husband who is in a hospital for the infected, and she is the nanny for a boy with a rare genetic disorder. Instead of the thrills and high-stakes we have come to expect from “end of world” novel, Pink Slime forces you to sit in the melancholy that is the end of the world. It is quiet, reflective, and harrowing. I would definitely recommend. Thank you so much to Scribner for approving me on NetGalley for an advance reader copy and for sending me a finished physical copy.

I enjoyed this unsettling dystopian story about a woman who is a caretaker for a boy with a strange medical disorder. I loved the eco horror aspect of this and look forward to reading more of this genre. It also included an element that called to mind Tender is the Flesh but no spoilers. This is my favorite type of dystopian novel, also exploring themes of unhealthy relationships, family, and motherhood/caretaking. There was more to this than I anticipated in terms of depth and I was pleasantly surprised. It does require a bit more attention to fully appreciate, perhaps due to the translation but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

I loved Pink Slime. I have recommended this book to those on bookstagram. Although slower paced, it is gripping, dystopian and moving,
I cannot stop a future that has already arrived,

I wanted to love this one, some of the points it made were interesting. But I wanted the plot to be going somewhere and some of the elements connecting more. It’s still an interesting look at potential weird pandemics and how people react.

As a dystopia, I didn't feel this covered enough new ground. The setting is a coastal city semi-abandoned because of a poisonous red fog blowing in from the sea.

Our main is a woman who has chosen not to leave the infected city, in order to be able to continue visiting her sick ex-husband in the hospital as well as take care of a handicapped boy. Her mother however has moved away to a safer town and keeps insisting she leaves as soon as she can.

The novel does a little bit of everything and as a result none of these storylines really become central, which made it difficult for me to really engage or care... It's by no means a bad book though.

*Pink Slime* by Fernanda Trias is an evocative and haunting exploration of resilience in the face of despair. Set in a city grappling with a mysterious plague and poisoned air, the narrator’s struggle to maintain her connections with her mother, her ex-husband, and a boy she nannies becomes a poignant reflection of love and responsibility amid chaos. The unsettling imagery of a revolting pink paste serves as a stark metaphor for the lengths to which people will go to survive when faced with overwhelming adversity.

What struck me personally about this novel was the depth of the narrator's relationships, particularly with her mother. It reminded me of my own familial complexities and the emotional burdens we carry for those we love. Trias’s blend of dark humor with an underlying sense of urgency kept me engaged, as I rooted for the narrator’s determination to remain in a world that seemed to be crumbling around her.

*Pink Slime* is more than just a commentary on environmental degradation; it’s a moving elegy for the world we once knew, highlighting the fragile balance between self-preservation and the desire to stay connected. This vivid and unforgettable novel lingers in the mind long after the final page, prompting reflections on what we are willing to endure for love and belonging.

Pink Slime did some interesting things. In the face of a pandemic, a woman finds she still has to live her life, which includes taking care of a young boy with an insatiable hunger, visiting her ex who has been affected by a disease, and going home to visit her mother. For me- this was more literary and quiet than I prefer, and I wanted to know more about the pink slime. I'm not mad I read it though!

This is soooo my type of book! A perfect blend of eco-fiction, dystopian and family dynamics. I love that Trías is able to expose the reader to this world and dilemma so quickly while also doing a deep dive into the emotional state of our main character.

I found the I empathized with all of the characters, even if they all have some quality that makes them frustrating or hard to deal with. I think those flaws made the whole work seem more believable, even in a relatively unimaginable climate disaster. And how did I never know that pink slime was actually a thing... I knew hot dogs were gross but I never thought further about animal byproducts.

I very much recommend this dirty, gross and unsettling look at the lives of folks in the wake of a disaster that is somehow slow and then all at once. And that doesn't just go for the environmental factors.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC.

What a terrifying and thought provoking novel. I tend to shy away from dystopian fiction due to…well the state of the world today. I took a chance on this book and it paid off. The themes of the destruction and decay of the environment were well written and felt too real. The pollution, slime, and “food” painted a realistic picture. While the book felt slow at times, that almost made it feel like the read was stuck in this awful climate and relationship with her

First written in 2017 and recently translated to English, Pink Slime's combination of eco-horror and invisible plague seems almost prescient in 2024. Fernanda Trias' novel is set in a coastal city poisoned with toxic algae. As people flee this epidemic-stricken city, Pink Slime's nameless protagonist remains as a caretaker for a disabled boy suffering from a rare medical condition that induces insatiable hunger. The narrator continues long-standing arguments with her mother over the phone and reflects back on her conflicted history with her ex-husband. Interpersonal frictions persist even in the face of dystopia.

Vibes definitely trump plot in this novel; however, Trias paints a bewitchingly sinister portrait of a woman at the end of the world as she knows it. I mostly listened to Pink Slime on audiobook, and it was incredibly atmospheric experience. Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an interesting yet overdone story of the plague and pandemic. I feel as there there was so much going on, it felt like nothing was completed.

I have had a hard time reading this one. Tried it on ebook, hardcopy, audio, it just didn't click. I think I think found a hard time finding more of a plot outside the epidemic. I needed more of a subplot or strong character development early on to really tie me in.

<b>TW/CW: Language, toxic family relationships, dog death (implied), murder, fat shaming</b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b> In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. An algae bloom has poisoned the previously pristine air that blows in from the sea. Inland, a secretive corporation churns out the only food anyone can afford—a revolting pink paste, made of an unknown substance. In the short, desperate breaks between deadly windstorms, our narrator stubbornly tends to her few remaining with her difficult but vulnerable mother; with the ex-husband for whom she still harbors feelings; with the boy she nannies, whose parents sent him away even as terrible threats loomed. Yet as conditions outside deteriorate further, her commitment to remaining in place only grows—even if staying means being left behind.
<b>Release Date:</b>
<b>Genre:</b> Horror
<b>Pages:</b> 240
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐ ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. Loved the writing
2. Tone of book was so good

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Forgettable
2. Boring
3. Halfway through nothing happens

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
<b><i><small>{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}</small></i></b>

I wish more things were explained like about the groceries. How is she still getting milk when things are contaminated? Or fruits/veggies?

She decides to leave Mauro when he's already had issues with choking on random items and she knows that he can not stop eating even if it's things that are unedible.

Why doesn't she just live with her mother since she seems to go visit her all the time? I know that she said that it had a higher contamination where her mother was staying, but wouldn't she be picking up some of that every time she goes and sees her? I swear she goes to see her at least three times a week that's got to do something to her system. Plus she's eating the food that her mother is growing in the garden aren't those contaminated? So many questions.

Ends on this rambling mess. Not sure what any of that means.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
When I first started this book I really loved how it was written and the tone of it, but as I progressed through the book I found it becoming more and more mundane. Nothing really happens. I love apocalyptic/ dystopian books so I was very excited to read this book, but like I said you're waiting and waiting for something more to happen and it just peters through the story. She goes to her morning routine, she gets a cab, she sees her mom, she takes care of Mauro, she goes and sees Max and repeat we keep going over and over everything that's already happened.

I know in books like this they don't really answer a lot of questions it's just that I had so many of them. I wanted to know how they didn't have enough food but everybody still had TV to watch. I wanted to know how money was still working in a life like this when the whole world was falling apart. There are so many questions - not enough answers and just a slow boring story by the end.

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<b><small>Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.