⭐️ 3.25/5

Short story about a woman living at a covenant in a post-apocalyptic world.

This one was interesting to some extent but then got repetitive and nothing really gets answered. How did this covenant come to be, who are these people, what actually happened to the outside world (we get a peek into this but nothing concrete).

3.25 stars to the ending which I liked and to our main character, a heroine who regains her empathy over the course of the book and breaks the rules to tell her story and document the lives of others so they’re not forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC!

3.5 stars, rounded down

Though many will start with Agustina Bazterrica's Tender is the Flesh, The Unworthy was my first foray into her writing. I went in with no real expectations but was still shocked by the writing style and graphic nature of the book. I think this novel will appeal to a very specific set of readers, and I'm not sure if I am in that group.

Told through a series of diary entries, The Unworthy follows an unnamed member of a religious group known as the House of the Sacred Sisterhood. This commune composed entirely of women worship Him, the one true God, and cast out all previous belief systems when they arrive - by force. The Superior Sister rules with a violent hand and doles out punishments for even the smallest infractions in the House's code of conduct. As time passes, the reader gets to learn more about the House of the Sacred Sisterhood through the eyes of the narrator and begins to question the laws that keep this organization running.

This idea for this book is cool as hell. After some unnamed apocalypse, women seek shelter in this commune of religious extremism. Apparently, whatever happened on the outside was bad enough for them to opt for beatings and brutality rather than return to the world outside. Personally, I like a bit more explanation into a story and found myself a bit frustrated by the writing at times. Everything the reader sees comes from the narrator, so we are completely at her mercy in terms of world-building, which she doesn't seen particularly eager to share.

In the House, we learn that there are servants, Unworthy, Enlightened, and several other smaller subcategories of women in the convent. Each group has a different mutilation - tongues removed, eardrums shattered - to bring them closer to their God. Though the narrator does explain in part why these groups are so important, we never really learn why there are so many and how, exactly, new ones are chosen.

While the narrator's voice - which becomes increasingly insane as you move through her journal - is truly unique in a horror novel, I found that the general lack of character development or narrative really left me asking, "What was the point of this?" by the end. If you have read Tender is the Flesh and enjoyed it, you will probably also enjoy this new work. This one simply was not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a DRC of this title.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to ARC read this novel.
If you know me at all, you know that Tender is the Flesh is my Roman Empire novel. It is my go to recommendation and I have read it at LEAST 10 times. When I received the ARC for Augustina Bazterrica’s newest novel, I literally almost cried!!

Augustina Bazterrica is a mastermind when it comes to dystopian fiction. Chilling and wicked, this novel tells the story of a woman’s life in the midst of the world’s demise. How she came to be under the roof and control of a horrific religious cult for survival. This novel is written as “journal entries” and you feel like you’re living in the exact moments with her- I.e. sometimes sentences are crossed out or they’re ended without being finished.

Was it as good as Tender is the Flesh? No.
Is this novel for everyone? No.

But I loved it. And I adore the way she writes and the imagery she’s able to invoke. Her novels live rent free in brain.

The premise of this book was fascinating, but I do feel like there was something missing. We were kept in the dark about what was really going on and I wish we were given just a little more context to ground ourselves in this world.

Wowowowowow. After reading Tender Is The Flesh I was unsure if I would read anything from this author again, honestly. When I was approved for this arc I was excited but mostly apprehensive and I definitely took my time getting to it, but my god I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long!

We’re reading the secret diary of a woman in The Sacred Sisterhood, a convent kept (mostly) safe from the outside world, a world ravaged with devastation. The Sacred Sisterhood is kept safe from the world within their walls thanks to their devotion to faith & their sacrifices. These women are punished, tortured, pitted against each other, and so much more all because they have been given this idea of safety with their new god.

An Incredibly poignant, unsettling, and heartbreaking story written in a “found footage” style (as another reviewer mentioned) that I absolutely loved.
We are being shown what the future may hold for us due to climate crisis, selfish human condition, war and famine, and even Artificial Intelligence. The glimpses into our MC’s previous life were so gut wrenching and intriguing. It became almost easy to put myself in her shoes; to imagine what life would be like once the (inevitable) end comes. What will that look like? What would I do to survive? Will I have faith?

Overall I really enjoyed this. The vibes and themes were so dark and disturbing but all very atmospheric. I will absolutely be reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publishers for this arc :)

This short novel suffused my thoughts with agony of what our world could become. Implications of climate crisis, ideological warfare and oppression run heavy through the pages. Think the Handmaid’s Tale, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451. Grotesque, disturbing and corrupt.

The prose is incredible- devoid of logic and uncouth. Until descriptions of the “other” world (pre apocalyptic) begin. Words come alive as the narrator experiences forbidden nature, animals and even love.

But this novel is unpalatable unless you are prepared. Unfortunately, I do not think I was in the right headspace to read this book currently, as I normally am drawn to bizarre reads. The ending was also unfortunately very predictable and disappointing. There was a lot of promise with where it was heading, and it just wasn’t developed as I had hoped.

That being said, this is still a magnificent instructive read. If you enjoy Bazterrica’s other work, Moshfegh, Atwood, Murata- you will enjoy.

The beginning of this book got me hooked. The concept pulled me in immediately, as I love any type of dystopian world and it half the fun was trying to figure out how the main character came to be in the convent and how the world became to desolate. The second half fell a little flat for me. Overall, Bazterrica has a beautiful writing style, and the climate change and feminism type themes of The Unworthy made for an interesting read.

We find ourselves in an apocalyptic world where water is impossible to find, the world has gone into chaos and our main character is stuck with creepy, culty nuns. It seems to be the only place that has any semblance of resources to feed people and even then that’s a stretch. The world as we know it now is a thing of the past and all that we know and can see if fear and pain. The human race has become this debased version of themselves and only the most perverse survive. This is the first book I’ve read by Agustina Bazterrica and I feel it’s time to change that and even try to read the original version in its original language. Hearing the story and Circe and their journey together and how it ended made me sick. Most of this book is read with horror at the situation that’s occurring as well as the sad reality that it’s going to get worse. She went through so much and lost so many people, and the ending was heartbreaking.

You know that I wanted to love this, because <I>Tender is the Flesh</I> is one of my favorites and I like the environmental dystopia vibe that Agustina Bazterrica does so well. The plausibility really effectuates the horror. But, I never felt really attached to this story and it didn't hit the level of horror of TITF.

Agustina Bazterrica continues to find ways to charm and terrify. This was a fantastic read. 4.5 stars.

Our narrator writes the story of her life on hidden paper, detailing both her current circumstances in the current decidedly creepy convent she has joined, and her past, as it comes up in bits and pieces at exactly the right moments. The Sacred Sisterhood, run by the Superior Sister and Him, a man we never see despite having a larger-than-life presence, is clearly not a happy sunny place to live, right from the start. Our narrator is smart, and witty, and also somehow so blind to her emotions. Her growth throughout is a highlight.

I read Tender Is the Flesh at the start of 2024, and while I do think that work is stronger, The Unworthy is a fantastic book. It feels designed to prompt a discussion about how the cult of modern-day religion swoops in at times of major moral or ethical crisis in our world, without us - the common everyday people - thinking about the organizational motivation behind it. Although there is much aside from religion to think about here: misogyny, climate change, queer love and acceptance.

I did find it a little harder to get into this one than TISTF, or her short story collection. But once I did, wow. She really never misses. So so grateful for the chance to read this early.

Thank you to Scribner & Netgalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review to be posted on socials closer to release.

It was pretty interesting in the beginning especially the descriptions of the the women in the convent. However it did seem to lag towards the middle. It all felt to repetitive for me and it was that that made me feel like I’m reading the same page over and over again.

The Unworthy follows our main character in a post-apocalyptic world, as she writes about her days living within the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, and later of her life before. I felt that I was very confused until around just before the halfway mark, but afterwards became hooked on the story. Though this book is short, the writing was “flowery,” making it so reading it took longer than expected.

I wanted more from the story, more answers, more explanations, though I suppose the point was to leave some things up to the interpretation of the reader.

No one, and I mean NO ONE creates a vibe like Agustina Bazterrica. I felt like I was physically at the dirty, creepy convent while reading this. I was immediately hooked into this bizarre dystopian world and extremely curious about our narrator. I was very invested the entire time in part due to the insane characters and the bleak atmosphere. While other reviewers disliked the vagueness, I liked the mystery and had no problem feeling entangled in the story. Highly recommend this one for my horror and dystopian fans!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I read by this author. I love her writing style. The pacing keeps me focused and immersed. Characters are interesting, human and the MC was courageous and embodied what many women wanted to do when they felt persecuted.

A feminist read that the reader will be satisfied with in the end. My only gripe is I wish there was more back story/information about He, the Superior Sister, occult etc.. a little knowledge would’ve made the story more cohesive.

I did enjoy the mini love story within the story. Inspiring and heart wrenching to say the least.

I’d recommend for those who like cults, religious horror and the like.

This was a great reminder of Bazterrica’s ability to develop the spine-chilling horror of world where the greatest evils are not only acceptable but part of the fabric of society. This climate dystopia feels awfully relevant with each passing day, and this take on the post apocalyptic cult drama still felt fresh. The given structure of the religious order felt like it was explained naturally through the narrator, but I often forgot what each role’s purpose was. Overall, the belief system was a little muddy and perhaps could’ve been exposed more through sermon, as we mostly received information from the Enlightened and Him via announcement rather than services. The reveal at the end was not surprising to me, but I think that was the intended purpose. This short novel focused on the violence women inflict on each other, and the grace they also give to one another in the face of violence from men. Religious sadism seeps through every page, but surprisingly we end on a hopeful note. Rebirth and rebuilding in the face of climate disaster is on many minds right now, and perhaps most of all is the thread of hope we all need.

Review to be posted and linked 2 weeks ahead of publishing date as requested

A huge thank you @Netgalley and to @pushkin_press for sending me this ARC of @agustinabazterrica upcoming book
“The Unworthy”
What a disturbing and devastating novel which disgusts you and then makes you want to cry all at the same time.
Sometimes the world really fucking sucks when you're reading a book and you just need a glorious fever dream of a nightmare with nuns, lesbians, possible post climate apocalypse, religious ecstasy with a side of sadism, and glorification through absolute mortification. It’s deeply atmospheric, to the point where it could easily be adapted into a silent horror film.
A bold and unflinching take on the cult trope, at first subtle and then all at once completely overwhelming, this was a claustrophobic and sinister read, themes of religious extremism, feminism, abuse of power and sisterhood, this author excels at atmosphere. This book was bleak and depressing, exploring the fragility of identity; however there is the tenderest vein of hope throughout, Bazterrica's writing is beautiful, yet brutal and guts the reader leaving them hollow afterwards.

They had me at nuns. This was visceral and atmospheric, and I found the sisterhood to be very compelling. I think it misses the mark a bit in delivering it's message, where Tender is the Flesh is quite clear The Unworthy is slightly muddied in what it's trying to get across.

Haunting, visceral, and unique! Bazterrica’s writing never disappoints and this is no exception. I couldn’t put the book down and felt consumed by the world. I like being thrown into a dystopian universe without too much explanation. Discovering things as you go along.

The weakness in this book for me was the character building. I didn’t have much sympathy or connection with even the main character. Circe was the only one who made my heart hurt for a moment. I think the ending would have been a lot more shocking and upsetting if I felt concern or worry for the characters.

Overall, I will always remember this book and be consumed by some of the visuals. It’s one I would love to discuss as I really appreciate some of the layers and symbolism.

This was my first Bazterrica book, despite having Tender is the Flesh on my shelf for the past year and I am BEYOND IMPRESSED. The pacing was perfect and the book felt like it included just the right amount of story to leave the reader both satisfied and wanting more while still feeling complete. So hard to do! A great addition to the dystopian horror genre and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Last year I read Tender is the Flesh and instantly became a fan of Bazterrica - the story was graphic and haunting but so poignant in its meaning. When I saw this was on Netgally I knew I had to request an ARC, and I was so excited when I saw I was approved. I can definitely say that I was not disappointed. The cult of the Sacred Sisterhood was powerfully cryptic and sinister, and I was quickly drawn in by the quiet, secret language the unworthy shared with one another in order to compete and survive. The dark plotting behind the Sacred Sister's actions was an excellent motivation to keep the story moving, but even beyond that was the backdrop of the environment that had driven so many people to seek refuge in such a strict, unforgiving place. It felt close to home to hear all of the disasters that hit society, from the climate effects to the technological blackout, hitting on a lot of modern day concerns and presenting a possible outcome. I was invested in the events that led to the narrator's arrival at the facility as well as what was going to happen to her and Lucia next. My only detractor from this book was that I didn't feel the meaning as strongly as I did with Tender Is the Flesh, and I've been sitting with it trying to pin down my thoughts, but I still feel a bit scattered about it. Even so, the story was phenomenal and I'm looking forward to reading more of Bazterrica's work in the future.