Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me since I felt like I spent all my time reading just trying to get a grasp on the narrative. By the end I felt like I didn’t gain as much clarity as I hoped for and the ending left me unsatisfied. It had a strong beginning but overall, I just couldn’t connect to it. Not sure that fans of Tender is the Flesh would necessarily enjoy this one but maybe those that enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale narrative style?

I also feel like this didn’t have commentary on climate or religion like I assumed, even though it dealt with those themes. I don’t know. Honestly, I struggled to understand most of this book. It may have just completely went over my head.

Oh God was this book gory and gross and also amazing! I love a horror novel! I felt genuinely so disturbed by this book and the desolation all these characters feel.

The Unworthy is Agustina Bazterrica follow up novel to Tender is the Flesh. This is a dark tense sliver of a book, told in stolen moments by our narrator. She lives in the cloistered secretive, ultra-violent religious order as the rest of the world is in chaos due to climate crises. I found myself drawing comparisons to Margaret Atwood''s The Handmaid's Tale throughout, with similar themes of ideological extremism and the abuse of power. I would recommend this book for those wanting a dark horror novel for the twenty-first century.

Wow, a truly terrifying, engrossing, and rich nightmare of a post-apocalyptic world. Couldn't put it down!

Immaculate prose. Beautiful, mesmerizing sequence of events that leave a sense of melancholia and horror. I adored it. 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was super interesting! I loved the prose and premise of the book (weird nuns!!!) and as it explored deeper, I got really invested in the post apocalyptic setting. Very neat read!