The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica; not at all what I was expecting, and I didn't really jive with what it actually was.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
192 pages

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵? 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭; 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵, 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.”

read this in one sitting and continuously found myself holding my breath. i was so wrapped up in the main character’s experience that i almost couldn’t handle the ending. I won’t share too much about how i felt so i don’t give away any spoilers, but if you read this one and loved it, message me because omg!! 😳😳

this is a truly interesting take on what happened in a cataclysmic world that’s felt the horror of climate change. this begs the reader to ask themselves, what happens when you lose hope in humanity? what would you do when you find out the truth in a secretive society that won’t let you leave?

I really enjoyed the short stories in Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird, but I had a little trouble connecting to this one - I have friends with more religious trauma who loved this story much more. I thought there could have been more grounding and reveals sooner for where the characters were and the context of what was happening, other than generic dystopian world.

Wow, another hit from Agustina Bazterrica. This ambiguous tale of deception and secrecy in the midst of a religious order is right up my alley. The prose is masterful and evocative while also leaving the reader guessing about what is yet to come. It is best to go into this novel with little background knowledge. Give it a chance!

Big thanks to Scribner and to NetGalley for the ARC!

I'll read anything this author writes, they are just incredible. I know a lot of people didn't like this one as much as her other work but I actually really did. I loved the world-building, the ambiguity, the way it was told, really I loved everything about it. I only wish it was longer because I didn't want it to be over. I'd love to spend more time in this world and with these characters. Highly recommend! A must-read for horror lovers. It was absolutely fantastic and lived up to everything I wanted it to be!

Descriptors: religious cults, climate crisis, sapphic yearning, hierarchy and oppression, devastation, mutilation, bizarre and terrifying, ritual sacrifice, obscure and ambiguous, misery and torment, hope for humanity

This is my first book by the author even though I have been meaning to read tender is the flesh for a while now. When I read the blurb for this one I thought it would be even more up my alley than tender is the flesh because I have always liked stories that revolve around Any type of clergy: priest, nuns bishops, Popes, Cardinals, churches etc. etc. But I wound up being somewhat disappointed with this. The writing is the best part, as the author is certainly talented and an above average technical writer but the story and plot felt a little fragmented and disjointed and just didn’t feel like a cohesive storyline.

I do think the book what happens served had it been a little bit longer so that the author could expand in certain areas and make it more accessible and palatable for the average reader. Stylistically just wasn’t my overall cup of tea and I never ended up feeling like I got the big dose of churchy vibes that I was expecting and wanted.

We’re all I would still put this on a mid range book and reading experience, nothing to out of control that was wrong with it but also nothing truly exceptional either. I did find it engaging for the most part but the clunky style did it a service and bumped it from what might’ve been a four star to a three star.

The Unworthy is a dystopian novel that takes place basically after the world has ended.

We follow our unnamed narrator through her new life as an “unworthy”, which is a rank above servant. She writes her story basically illegally - if found, she faces brutal punishment or even death from the Superior Sister.

I thought this story was entertaining, brutal and fast-paced. I liked the religious juxtaposition of certain aspects, like the narrator being in a convent but the convent being filled with horror and religion being a tyrannical and judging force.

I think though ultimately it was too short. I wanted more - I wanted to know more about the characters, what happened that they had to live this way, what else is out there, etc.

I enjoyed Tender Is the Flesh a bit more, but this book is a great short dystopian horror.

Thank you to @scribnerbooks and @netgalley for my ARC!

Having thoroughly enjoyed Tender is the Flesh, I was eagerly anticipating Mariana Enriquez Bazterrica’s newest release, especially considering it falls within the religious horror genre. Sadly, while the novel certainly holds the dark, disturbing elements I expected, it didn’t quite meet the mark in terms of pacing and clarity.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Having read Tender is the Flesh and enjoyed Bazterrica's disturbing yet oddly beautiful writing style, I was very excited to read her newest novel, ESPECIALLY given that it is religious horror.

Bazterrica did NOT disappoint. I love this dark little novel. It eclipses Tender is the Flesh by leaps and bounds. It is a strange blend of dystopia, religious horror, feminist literature, and literary fiction, and contains moments beautiful, heartbreaking, and disgusting in turn.

Make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading because there are plenty of sensitive topics here.

The New York Times review wrote a fantastic article and review about this book, which made me so excited to read it! I have to say, in my opinion it is unworthy of reading. I hated it, and I always give great reviews! This book, for me, was way too depressing, too dystopian and to evil....yes not even horror book Stephen King, Chuck Wendig evil, but pure unmitigated evil! I hated the topic and I hated the torture! Don't bother! Its 177 pages took me days to get through...I had to force myself to finish! All I give to this horrible story is one word...BLECH!

I loved this book, I ended up buying it as soon as it was released. It was dark and suspenseful but also very engaging. I would suggest it to anyone who likes her writing or what’s to have a taste of her style.

I went into this with low expectations because of the mixed reviews I’ve seen, but I came out of this pleasantly surprised.

Through forbidden diary entries, we follow a woman who has escaped a ravaged world and joined a covenant called the Sacred Sisterhood. This group of women is forced to eat nothing but crickets and serve Him and the Superior Sister who decide who’s worthy of becoming “enlightened”. These women, also known as the unworthy, will stop at nothing to become one of the enlightened. Even if that means being mutilated and tortured.

When a new woman joins, our main character begins wondering about life outside the walls and questions the intentions of the covenant. How far will she go to protect herself and the ones she cares about?

Although this didn’t reinvent the wheel, I still found it to be a satisfying, bleak, visceral and endearing dystopian. I enjoy anything that highlights the power dynamics in religion and the importance of human connection, and I was drawn to the story from to start to finish. I really wish I could read the Spanish version because some of this read a little clunky which may have been a translation thing. Overall not too shabby!!

P.S. I still haven’t read Tender is the Flesh.

listen I love a vague "figure it out yourself" type of literary dystopian and seeing as a couple of people compared this to "I who have never known men" I was excited. however I should have known that Bazterrica wouldn't step up to the challenge, I ran into the same problem I have with her other works...this felt unfinished -- almost like a draft.

the majority of the novel leaves the reader in the dark as to what happened for the world end, we get some clues and we gradually get to understand that it was due to a climate crisis. we never get much explained about our mc either, the only thing we know in detail is the violent punishments that are doled out everyday in the strange church our mc gets wrapped up.

this should have been more exciting but for such a short read I was bored throughout much of this

As horrifying as it was, I enjoyed Tender is the Flesh so definitely wanted to read this author’s newest book, The Unworthy.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this story is told by a woman living in a very bizarre religious cult-like convent. What was being done to the women, the punishments, their beliefs, etc., was so very dark and disturbing.

It took me several tries to get into this story. The first half was very confusing, and I felt like I had no idea of what was going on. Somewhere around the middle of the story, the woman has flashbacks, and I finally began to understand this world and how she ended up in the convent.

If you’re looking for a dark disturbing story, read The Unworthy. I enjoy dystopian, apocalyptic, and post apocalyptic books, but this one was too disturbing even for me. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style as it just felt like a jumbled mess and was hard to decipher.

*Thanks to Scribner and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*

I liked The Unworthy — it was a good read overall — but I couldn’t quite get that same visceral feeling of dread and repulsion that Tender is the Flesh left me with. The world-building was bleak and unsettling, but a lot of it was hard to follow. I’m still not entirely sure what Circe even was — a deer? A cat? A dog?? At one point someone suggested a feral child and honestly, who knows. The pacing dragged a bit in places, and while the writing was sharp, I just didn’t connect with the main character as much as I wanted to. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Bazterrica, but for me, it didn’t quite hit the same.

Thank you, netgalley for this free ebook.

Rating: 4.5/5
[Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]
TW: SA, Murder, Violence, Insects, Body Horror, Food Horror, Gaslighting

The Unworthy spills out as an unnamed nun writes out her experiences in a horrific cult after the end of the world. Life within the Sacred Sisterhood is not for the faint of heart. Multiations, punishments, hauntings, starvation and cruelty are facts of life. But in a world where the end of times has come and settled in nicely, our narrator prefers the chance of faith over the known horror of the outside. When a stranger manages to slip in, our narrator begins to unravel not only the steps that brought her to the Sisterhood but the truth behind the life she’s living.

Certainly not a read for the faint, The Unworthy really landed for me with its delicious religious horror and existential dread. The story, and our conflicted narrator, did an excellent job giving us just enough to grasp what might really be happening. The ending was mildly satisfying, though in a story light on plot any ending is going to have mixed reactions, but I found that given the sheer level of horror throughout the text some of the more dramatic reveals fell flat for me. That said, if you are craving a religious apocalyptic tale of lesbian hate and desire this is most certainly the read for you.

Bazterrica’s The Unworthy was so hard to put down. When we meet the nameless main character, we find her in some sort of religious order not quite sure how she got there or why she remains. The rest of the book uncovers bits of her past while you accompany her in the present and watch her evolution with the introduction of a new “unworthy”: Lucía. The book is tough at times, definitely dark in others, but it’s also sweet and hopeful. Highly recommend.

Solid 4.5 ⭐️

I am not sure if I enjoyed The Unworthy. It was a bit meandering, I couldn't quite tell if it was a cult novel, a religious seclusion novel, or a post-apocalyptic novel. The audio was average.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this novel!

I thought the translation was well done -- the writing was very evocative of this harrowing, dystopian climate that the main character writes of in her diary. It's bleak and violent and a chilling reminder of the future we possibly face if we don't enact any changes to curb climate change.

The Sisterhood is interesting -- we have a cast of characters and a structure that, if you're familiar with religion and religious institutions (specifically Catholicism), is quite fascinating in its depiction. We have martyrs and saints and a collage of women hoping to become divine, to remove themselves of impurities and filth, all beneath some unseen and unknown He -- a man who dictates who they are and what they can do, with the help of his right hand nun, the Superior Sister.

Combining this apocalyptic world with this fanatic religions structure is compelling, and I think, seeing the collapse of everything we know, is all too realistic. I can see people taking advantage of the collapse of civilization in this way -- because that's always the way it's been, religions taking advantage of people who are afraid and alone and looking for solace or connection or the divine. An answer to the violence and the terror.

So, I can appreciate what Bazterrica is doing, and I think she depicts it realistically and well. There's a hazy quality to the writing that is also interesting.

I do wish we had gotten more from the narrative, though. I can answer away the main character not knowing what happened to her through the trauma of what she went through, that makes sense, even though it felt a bit out of place given all of the recollecting she does. I do, however, wish there had been stronger moments between our MC and Lucia that made their connection make sense to me. I wanted more depth or even just an explanation as to what drew them together. Obviously, this is a one sided narrative, especially because it's an epistolary, but I never really understood their relationship. Again, obviously, because this an epistolary story, it's all tell no show, and I just struggle with that often because we don't get to see the world with as much depth and characterization as we would otherwise -- and I think it does this novel a disservice, in a way.

This was one of my most anticipated for 2025, but unfortunately it didn't deliver. I just didn't find myself invested in the story or drawn to picking the book back up, despite the short length. At under 200 pages, it somehow felt plodding and tedious for most of the book, and might have been better as a short story.

Redeeming factors are that I always love a post-climate apocalypse setting and culty vibes. Will 100% still be checking out the next Agustina Bazterrica translations.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!