Dystopian-dark religious horror- environmental hellscape-sapphic romance.
I’m not sure what lives in the mind of Bazterrica but I find it entertaining as hell. Her style is unique and niche, and probably not for everyone, but if you like her other works this is a must read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Agustina Bazterrica, I was so excited to read “The Unworthy”, and it did NOT disappoint! Unsettling and grotesque, it was an intriguing depiction of a twisted religious order set apart from the world. The story was unpredictable and made me unable to stop reading once I started. Highly recommend!

I have no idea what I read but I loved it? Bazterrica has a way of making me question everything. This was such a fascinating story to consume and I wouldn't have been mad if it was longer. Honestly my only complaint is that it was super confusing at first because I felt like I was just dropped into something without knowing anything. But I loved how this was a weird way of journal entrees that I've never read before.

Do you ever read a book and immediately after finishing question what you just read? Welcome to my experience after finishing The Unworthy.

Agustina Bazterrica is best known for her previous novel, Tender is the Flesh. If you're expecting something exactly in the same veins as Tender, I'm telling you now you aren't going to get it. The Unworthy felt more cerebral to me than its predecessor. I'm not trying to be mean to Tender is the Flesh because I loved it. The Unworthy is a dystopian book that I felt like I missed a lot on my initial reading. As I continued with the story I felt like there were subtle mentions in the story that became a bigger theme or points of intention the further I read along. I think I'd get more out of it on a second reading and more appreciation for it the more I read it. I'm not a very religious person so I know there are some things I missed for sure with a book that falls so heavily on trauma within religious sects. Although The Unworthy wasn't my favorite book, it will not hinder me from reading anything that Bazterrica writes in the future.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I cried about these lesbian nuns in a cult with all the violence and haunting a of climate change and religiosity. I cried about how much loss there was endured. I cried because we’re killing our planet. I cried because she got to know love. I cried because I read this the first 2 days of my period. Which is poetic in some way I think.

But also because I was so wrapped up in a story that is so layered and spellbinding and goddamn beautifully and interestingly written that I felt that rare feeling of sharing not unique human experiences but the universal ones.

Chaotic and melancholic and mournful and violent and horrific and honestly fucking beautiful.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I was excited to read this newest novel by Agustina. I wasn't in the mood, but it's not that long. It's so beautifully written. The words or pages that is the story that we are reading is a character in itself. It's definitely not "purple prose". It's lyrical, like a poem, that touches your soul. Even through the horrors, we are comforted by the perfect words. The pacing is great. I love the unfinished sections where to MC has to hide and hide the papers they are writing in order to survive. It's a lot of things, and horrific things take place, but I wasn't scared. It's a lot like Tender where you are just shocked these events are occurring. It's supposedly a dystopian world, but we don't know much except for a collapse of society. This fact is the scariest part, because we are only a few steps from chaos ourselves. Thank you to Netgalley for a free e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Unworthy read like diary entries of an isolation camp where power was distributed but no one really knew what the heck was going on. I devoured Tender is the Flesh and was hoping for more of the same style of writing. This was not it. The writing here was very imagery-driven (loved) but the plot was very much lost on me (did not love).

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy.

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica is an incredibly dark and tortuous look into a future where the world has been decimated by climate change and a group of survivors live in a convent called the Sacred Sisterhood. This convent is unlike others with the horrors that are done to individuals by its brutal leaders as they attempt to ascend its social hierarchy. It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did it didn’t let go. It has echoes of The Handmaid’s Tale but is also very unique. As a fan of Tender is the Flesh by the same author I was looking forward to reading this and not disappointed. Recommended to anyone who likes dark, dystopian fiction.

Thank you to Scriber and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Unworthy is a quick read, similar in length to one of the author's other titles - Tender is the Flesh. Here we find ourselves following an unnamed protagonist as she recounts in a secret diary - written in blood, ink, dirt, or whatever she can find - her story. Taking place an unspecified amount of time after an environmental crisis leaves the world and its inhabitants starving, infected and dying.

Much of the story is left without full explanation. The reader is frequently partially in the dark. The writing will randomly break off mid-sentence or have words or phrases scratched out. The protagonist is writing her account in secret, with stolen writing implements, so the lack of complete narrative makes sense.

The women in this story, all living in a convent of sorts, are subjected to various tortures as they compete to advance the ranks of the Sisterhood worshipping an unnamed "He". While at times I found the story difficult to follow, it was also powerful.

The Unworthy publishing March 4, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

“Every morning I rise and seek her scent, a scent like a song, like a wildfire you long to burn in.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Augustina Bazterrica for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

An immersive, grotesque, and thrilling dystopian horror by the author of Tender is the Flesh. This entire novel felt so surreal, so enveloping, I simply blew through it when I had the time to sit down and read.

Basically “since the death of God, there’s been a vacancy open” and when society ends and the world is in shambles, what more is there to do besides start or join an obscure religion? That’s exactly what the Sacred Sisterhood is; a secluded religious organization not subscribed to the basic “God stuff” but they’re doing their own thing. And by their own thing, that means some seriously messed up activities towards each other in their hierarchical society and to themselves as sacrifice to Him and His teachings. Obviously, things get weird, stay weird, or get weirder and we as the readers, just have to see where that takes us.

This novel was engrossing to say the least and I am so very glad to have had the opportunity to read this. I just love daydreaming about the end times and fall of society and what extreme dichotomies that would reveal. Publishing 3/4/25 , be sure to pick up The Unworthy by Augustina Bazterrica for a new kind of religious trauma to worry about 💕

I just couldn't get into this novel. I didn't care for the writing style. I know this author is very beloved, but I don't think her books are for me. The synopsis sounded more intriguing than the actual novel. I like dark and depressing stories, but "The Unworthy" just didn't deliver for me. The story was convoluted and murky. I didn't like any of the characters and the ending was silly. The only positive is the length. This is a quick read. The cover art is stunning though.

Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Agustina Bazterrica’s new book The Unworthy. I was drawn to the nun on the cover and the story about a mysterious convent called the Sacred Sisterhood that borders on a cult. I was also curious about this book due to Bazterrica’s popularity from her book Tender is the Flesh. Although I haven’t read that book, I know that the book was widely popular especially during the early days of the pandemic. I was a little intimidate by the topic of cannibalism, but this book about fanaticism, religion, and cults seemed more up my alley. The first half of the book doesn’t disappoint either. The narrator is surreptitiously writing in her journal at night, detailing the arduous and tedious events of life in this mysterious convent. These early sections detailing the challenges she faces in trying to document the austerity and brutality of the convent are enthralling, but also hard to read. Along with translator Sarah Moses’s artful and descriptive language, Bazterrica creates a terrifying and gruesome world that seemed to exist in some medieval nightmare realm where madness, depravity and cruelty ruled people’s lives without much explanation or hope. I found the different levels of devotion fascinating as well—some members who seem to be pure and untouched are thoroughly mutilated, having their eardrums ruptured or their eyes shown shut to further feel the sacred and beatific emotions of the true god. These moments and their descriptions are brutal and horrific, and I was really amazed at the various methods that Bazterrica developed to further torture the members of the sect. I wondered whether these were invented or if they were based on research. Furthermore, the narrator describes the different areas in and around the Convent, and the mysteries they hold. Interestingly, she often crosses out words and phrases in the book, and I wasn’t completely sure why, especially if this journal is hidden from others, with no real hope of anyone reading it. This choice does create a sense of mystery, and I have my theories based on later events in the book. However, Bazterrica also creates a sense of both mystery and dread about the different areas in the convent, and we learn that she entered the convent, like many other women, as a wanderer. These are often strangers who have made it through the ravaged, apocalyptic landscape to this seeming refuge where there is shelter and seemingly those who could help. However, due to a kind of virus or plague, those wanderers often have to spend some time in the Cloister of Purification, where the members can see if these wanderers are carrying the plague. Other areas like the Creek of Madness or the Tower of Silence also offer some ominous warnings based on their names, and I loved how mysterious and dreadful these places seemed.
Yet, all is not as it seems, and the narrator also describes the kind of jealousy and tribalism that slowly boils within the confines of the convent. In particular, a new wanderer who arrives arouses something in the narrator, eventually forcing her to unearth her long-buried memories of her life before the Convent. While this second half of the book was compelling and created a kind of twist I didn’t expect, I also felt like it wasn’t as descriptive and developed as the kind of world building she did for the establishing the kind of frozen world of the Convent and the brutality that the initiates faced from the Superior Sister. I won’t detail the twists, but it was surprising and it did hold my attention. If anything, I think this book offers a powerful lesson for how we respond to both tragedies (or catastrophes) and authority, and sadly how these two things are often linked in our society. I also think that The Unworthy is a powerful reminder of how we often lose our freedom and sometimes even our will when catastrophic or tragic events occur. Whether we look for meaning and leadership or whether we retreat in fear and sorrow, the book is an important reminder of the need to persist. I also think there is an important message of love and connection, and how we need to maintain these kinds of relationships in these challenging and often brutal times. Reading and stories also play an important part in sustaining the narrator. She seems to feel a sense of relief in sharing her story, and when she recounts her past life before the convent, she shares how important other stories are to her and those she loves. I also really loved this aspect of the story, and how when we face tragedies, challenges, or catastrophes, we can find some solace in reading and writing. I know that this book is not for everyone, and in looking at reviews, I can see that the book is somewhat divisive. However, I appreciated the book, and I thought it was a compelling read. With the brutality and drudgery of the narrator’s life, it’s hard to say that the book was enjoyable, but I did engage with the book and found her story enthralling. Reading this book reminded me of the kind of brutal world that Ottessa Moshfegh created in Lapvona, where elements of folk horror are mixed with a cruel society and leadership that relies on brutality and fear.

Unique story of devotion, fanaticism, antipathy, and empathy.
That first quarter was rough, had me feeling really in the dark with all the religious cult-y jargon. I was beginning to think maybe I don’t enjoy cult horror as much as I thought. But this book is short, and the pay off was considerable. Around the middle this story and the main character shifted in a way I didn’t see coming and enjoyed. This is one of those times where I think I enjoyed the thoughts and questions the book left me with more than the book itself. Which has left me confused on how to rate it. I’m settling on a 3.5 for now.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
There are two inevitable truths to the work of Agustina Bazterrica, beauty and pain. With prose that can be classified as nothing short of gorgeous, the author of Tender is the Flesh is back with a new novel, a story about faith, hope, devotion, and sacrifice. The Unworthy is a rather harsh, unrelenting tale made possible through luxurious narration and devoted characters, women to be specific, who live within the confines of a convent at the world’s (seeming) end. The lives of these women read as peculiar with their entire being centered around their faith and its classification system. While most are characterized as unworthy, each woman yearns to achieve the status of Enlightened within the sisterhood, a constant, familiar goal until one newcomer changes everything.
Surprising to absolutely no one, Bazterrica gives readers much to ponder with this novel, one that seems like a cult/post-apocalyptical story on the surface but is operating on much more complex levels deep within. There’s no one way to read a story like The Unworthy, rather it is more akin to an experience. Our perspective of this strange landscape is that of a woman within the Sacred Sisterhood, a woman who is currently deemed unworthy but wishes to attain higher status or rank. Yet, we are made privy to the treatment of the Enlightened through bizarre rituals and the treatment of other women. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that everything about these women’s lifestyle reads as cruel. Enter a new-comer and even harsher truths are revealed. Bazterrica’s choice to tell this story from this perspective, a suffering woman surrounded by suffering women, feels incredibly pointed as we slowly learn the brutal truths of the world these women find themselves living in. Is the convent, cruel? Undoubtedly. But so is everywhere else.
Humanity’s relationship with devotion is called into question with The Unworthy, asking just how far one will give their life to a communal cause. More pointedly, how far will women give themselves to man under the guise of a greater good. And at what point do you stop, if ever, to ask why this is? This is a story that hurts, and for very good reason. We are sternly reminded of the cruelty of man, the endless suffering we will endure to achieve an accepted, revered state, and the sharpness of our world’s teeth. This is not a story you walk away from feeling in any way shape or form good about. No, you walk away feeling a bit worse for wear, a bit damaged, and wondering what all that suffering was for.
And the answer to that question isn’t a simple one. Stories like these remind us of the harm we do to one another, the harsh, organized patterns humans so easily fall into under distress and persuasion. We’ve read these stories time and time again to the point where they no longer feel like reminders, rather, they are facts. The Unworthy is commendable for its gorgeous style and gutting direction, make no mistake. Yet, I still sit and wonder what some of this pain means beyond the reminder of our own cruelty or the diabolical ways we can inflict suffering amongst those who look just like us.
An echoing shout into the bleakest void, The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica will undeniably usher thoughts of cruelty dispensed from our own hands, of the trajectory of a world hellbent on burning itself.

“The Unworthy” takes us behind the walls of a religious order surviving an apocalypse. With undertones of violence, suspense, and even sexual tension, the narrator leads readers through the grueling days and nights as she seeks to be promoted from Unworthy to Enlightend. While an interesting plot, it does move slowly and the ending left me wanting more.

Agustina Bazterrica's The Unworthy is a haunting and provocative exploration of faith, control, and the human spirit's resilience amidst societal collapse. Set in a dystopian future where environmental catastrophes have ravaged the world, the novel delves into the life of a nameless narrator confined within the oppressive walls of the Sacred Sisterhood convent.

From her cell, the protagonist chronicles her existence using any means available—discarded ink, dirt, even her own blood. As an "unworthy," she aspires to ascend to the ranks of the Enlightened, seeking approval from the formidable Superior Sister. The convent offers a semblance of safety from the chaos outside, where cities are submerged, technology has failed, and survival is a daily battle. However, this sanctuary comes at the cost of personal freedom and autonomy.

The arrival of a new member disrupts the convent's rigid hierarchy, prompting the narrator to confront her suppressed memories and question the true nature of the Enlightened. Their growing bond serves as a catalyst for introspection, challenging the established norms and igniting a desire for change.

Bazterrica's narrative is both stark and poetic, capturing the bleakness of a world in decline while highlighting the enduring strength of human connection. The novel's structure, presented as a personal journal, offers an intimate glimpse into the protagonist's psyche, making her struggles and revelations profoundly tangible.

While the story's deliberate pacing may not appeal to all readers, it effectively builds an atmosphere of tension and introspection. Themes of indoctrination, the subjugation of women, and the quest for identity are explored with unflinching honesty, prompting readers to reflect on the parallels within our own society.

The Unworthy is a compelling addition to dystopian literature, showcasing Bazterrica's talent for crafting thought-provoking narratives that linger long after the final page. It's a testament to the power of storytelling in illuminating the darkest corners of human experience.

Goodreads review: Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the eArc! Truly the vibey novel to read when you want an apocalyptic violent cult with a side of lesbianism.
Review on my Substack (link posted below)
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner I was able to read the eArc of The Unworthy by Augustina Bazterrica. Set to be published in English on March 4, 2025, Bazterria, an Argentine writer, outdoes herself with this atmospheric prose of a hypothetical near future apocalypse.

Warnings ahead that this novel contains cults, abuse, torture, whipping, self-harm, sexual violence, and implied sexual assault.
This is my first exposure to Bazterria’s works, and it was not a disappointment. With the worldwide success of Tender is the Flesh, I had some expectation that she might blow me away.
We follow one of the Unworthy of the Sacred Sisterhood in her diaries, telling her tale of life within the cult and the events that spiral after finding another woman who joins the Unworthy ranks. With how short the novel is, at only 200 pages, I will not delve deep into the plot of The Unworthy and remain as vague as possible because this is truly a novel one must experience for themself. Bazterria uses her words to their fullest potential and makes our protagonist a lyrical, almost borderline delirious, writer who captivates the audience of her forbidden pages in her descriptions of the world around her. Overall, this is a dark tale of the consequences of the climate crisis, ideological violent extremism, and submissiveness in exchange for shelter. The lowest class being the servant who show signs of contamination on their bodies, not deemed worthy enough of the chance to ascend.
I do not prefer stories told in journals or diaries because they tend to not be as entertaining to me with how the narrator often talks to themselves, but Bazterria makes it work. We get glimpses of our protagonist’s more ‘rebellious’ side by the words she (crosses out) replaced with a more unworthy-like mindset. The slow unraveling of our main character out of the violent extremist mindset cultured in the sisterhood made me feel as the reader a sense of accomplishment cheering for her to not conform. It is clear from the first line that this ‘little paradise’ is not a paradise at all, and with how long our protagonist has been in the cult, to see her point out the atrocities without her own sadistic relishing, the reader could see it as regaining her morality, or as she describes it, mercy. It is not as if she was originally this sadistic unworthy sister from the beginning, it is clear all these women who have found themselves in the Sacred Sisterhood was not raised there, but came from the apocalyptic world outside its gates.
Our protagonist may be knee deep into this violent cult, but it has not fully broken her spirit. This is made apparent with how hypocritical the act of writing shows her not being completely indoctrinated. Over the course of the novel, as events occur, she allows herself to stew and write about the time before she found the Sacred Sisterhood. When she allows herself to think of the past, we get to learn that climate change is the driving fact that has destroyed the earth taken from the actions we are doing in the modern day. The water wars, the final and great blackout, a certain hysteria for salvation through AI, particularly noteworthy with how it sparks controversy today.
I had a morbid fascination in the types of Chosen of the Sacred Sisterhood. These sisters are altered in some way to communicate with their god. On the first few pages we are introduced to the Minor Saints whose eyelids are sewn together to help them communicate with their god better by taking out , they sing Hymns in praise lead to where they need to go. Our main character does not look at these figures as those who are suffering and sees them as transcendent having ascended to those worthy of their god. With the way our protagonist describes these women they no longer feel human but creatures. It brought me a morbid fascination of detached curiosity as one would flick through an artbook of horror video game enemies character designs. These Chosen and Enlightened are tasked with protecting this sanctuary from the contamination of the world. How ‘the Enlightened’ were the only ones who remained unmutilated in their ascent but never seen by the Unworthy. The Enlightened mystical powers protect the Sacred Sisterhood from the ‘contamination’. The Chosen listen to the god and the earth for when certain weather patterns would come. Are they basically religious weather broadcasters? Don’t think of it that way.
It should also be noted for a story where majority of the characters are woman the suppressive air of misogyny permeates this Sisterhood. The vitriolic preaching spewed by Him, the singular male figure of this cult pits these women against each other for the sake of becoming either Chosen or Enlightened. He would not have this power over these women without the overbearing Superior Sister that keeps them in check. This hierarchy breeds keeping others subordinate and sabotages others’ chances to be higher than the other. The Unworthy are not the lowest class of the Sacred Sisterhood, no that title belongs to the servants who are made to serve the Unworthy and everyone above their rank. Unlike the Unworthy that can climb the pyramid and being chosen as worthy, the servants are stained with physical evidence of contamination from the outside world. Unable to ascend and can be used for whatever the Unworthy want them to do. The resentment the servants have for our protagonist and her class, leading them to act as the Superior Sister’s spies to punish the Unworthy. How in an environment full of violence it breeds violent thoughts and actions towards others. The hostility in the sanctum is suffocating.
How did I feel about the book? The Unworthy is very much an atmospheric ‘vibes’ novel that follows a character more than a plot, but with the prose and morsels of world building being fed to me along the way I never felt bored. Our protagonist herself is an interesting character in her own right, with a voice that makes you want to read what she feels like writing next. For a place that claims to be full of saints, everyone is contaminated in one way or another. Learning of the protagonist’s past was disheartening and truly shows what evil humanity can do when there is no society. It makes sense why our protagonist would stay in this violent cult that has structure when the outside world seems so hopeless and uncertain. Where my gripe of this novel will be is the latter half of the novel. Things happen and plot moves along, but our protagonist changes in a way that kind of doesn’t make sense unless you think of the other woman as a catalyst for our protagonist’s complete 180 turnaround about everything. Speaking of this part, it feels strangely rushed in a way where the earlier part of the novel was going at a perfect pace. This might be because we are not going in a linear timeline and are getting flashbacks to our protagonist’s past, but ??? The reveal at the end was extremely unsurprising especially if this has been advertised to you as feminist horror, and the religious shock held no weight when our protagonist is not such a zealous devote follower.
Overall, a neat literary horror novel that knew what it wanted to accomplish. I will read Augustine Bezterria’s works in the future

This one started out a little slow for me, but wow, the second half slapped! Oh, and it is delightfully messed up, too, from start to finish, so that's fun. Now, I will tell you my biggest qualm with The Unworthy, and that is that I do not know all the things about the world. And I wanted to, because that is who I am as a person. You may not be so concerned, because the story will suck you in. Be patient in getting there, and you will not regret it!

As the story starts, we're thrown right into this... Idk what to call it. Convent-turned-Apocalypse Cult? That is basically what it is- an old monastery taken over by some creepy cult leaders who use the guise of religion to do terrible, unspeakable things and pretend they "have to" in order to survive. So, we see some of these things, but can't quite wrap our heads around the why- and neither can our narrator, but she does what she must to survive, too.

The story starts to really pick up when we get a little more backstory about the narrator's life, and can truly appreciate her as a character. I could not put the book down once it picked up, and I felt a bittersweet hopefulness at the end. My initial gripe about not knowing more about the world still stands, but the rest of the book had me captivated enough that I can't be too mad.

Bottom Line: Messed up and violent, but still very emotional and character driven, I want more worldbuilding but I can be at peace with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC!

I was a huge fan of Agustina’s other works, so I was excited to read The Unworthy. It took me a while to get into the story (about 40%) and the writing style. I thought the plot was unique, but could have been presented differently. I did like our unnamed narrator as well as Lucia and their relationship.

I’m giving The Unworthy 3 stars because I felt it was lacking in some elements. I would have liked more information about the Sacred Sisterhood and our narrators backstory.

I have, at long last, escaped the dread reading slump, curtesy of this phenomenal ARC.
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley, and here is my honest review.
I adored everything about this book. I read it in basically two sittings, and it enthralled me the whole way through.
This book consists diary entries written by a woman who is a member of a monastery of sorts that formed in the aftermath of a climate disaster and the collapse of the internet.
As can only be expected from this author, the prose is stunning, rich and detailed and heartwrenching. The style of the book is probably going to be very controversial, as it is slow, very internal, and you get backstory when the author decides you do, not always when you want to, but I personally adored it.
For a character who I don’t think is ever given a name, the main character has such depth of personality, and her fight throughout the book to resist the indoctrination of the leadership of the monastery and to remember her life before entering the cloister.
I went in a little cautious as to how religious life would be handled, but I shouldn’t have doubted. The structure is, of course, very different, because it’s a cult centered around a man who stays behind the cloister screens, but the core concepts and feelings of religious life are there and handled very well. In an interesting twist that I didn’t anticipate but really enjoyed, the leadership of the cloister is openly anti-Christian so that the leader can blame Christianity for the current state of the world as well as do and say whatever he wants to. The use of body mutilation as part of the steps of formation is perfect and unsettling.
The beauty of the book, comes from our main character’s three lives- each very different, but incredibly tender- a group of street children she lived with and who protected her when she was younger, a cat of some sort who she named Circe and speaks of with heartbreakingly tender reverence (and who is killed defending our main character) and lastly, Lucia, a member of the cloister with whom a soft but fierce romance develops. The rest of the book is structured around these loves.