Thank you NetGalley and Scribner!
This is the third book by Agustina Bazterrica that I’ve read but this book was not my favorite. It was interesting and thought provoking but I was left wanting more detail of the world. I needed more explanations but I loved the writing.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was interesting. I found it a little slow going and the religious aspects of it were a bit much for me (religious trauma), but overall, it was a good read.

I am not familiar with the author's prior work but know that it is beloved by many in the speculative/horror world. The Unworthy intrigued me as a former Catholic with a love for climate fiction. This book follows a woman who seeks refuge in a convent of a religion that is the opposite of Christianity. This convent provides safety in a world that is full of climate disaster but the world is not as it seems. The women in this convent seek to be enlightened and many of the actions include body mutilation, starvation and abuse. The triggers abound in this. I felt like most of the time I had no idea what was happening, but I loved the writing and was quickly flipping the pages to try to understand what was occurring. The ending is chef's kiss and worth the wild ride that this book was.

Real Rating: 3.75* of five
Seemingly alone among readers, I did not like <i>Tender Is the Flesh</i> because its conceit was simply too absurd for me. I was unable take it seriously enough to get into the real story. Not at all the issue with this top-flight idea. "The Enlightened" are so very of the moment, and so perfectly limned as the abuser tech bros and Aynholes they're...parodying? illuminating in 3D, certainly. By gender-flipping the baddies, Author Bazterrica bypasses facile dismissive male critics' inevitable sexist takedowns of the story's, um, Gothic excesses. She's also thereby making a powerful point about women and their missing solidarity. The (female) abusers rise to the top, thereby to use their power in pointlessly sadistic rituals of pain and humiliation.

Hence my lower-than-expected rating. I do not wish to examine women in any remotely sexual light. It's metaphorical here, granted; I still do not enjoy it; so not-quite-four is my rating of a solid five-star story. YMMV, of course, and I very much hope it will.

"The Unworthy" by Agustina Bazterrica is a dystopian novel set in a world devastated by environmental catastrophes, where society has collapsed and survivors struggle in a barren landscape. The story centers on a nameless woman confined within the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, a secretive and oppressive religious order. Designated as one of the "unworthy," she endures harsh treatment under the authoritarian rule of the Superior Sister, aspiring to ascend to the rank of the "Enlightened."

I'm a fan of the author's last book, so I was excited to read her newest work. At first, I was confused but intrigued by everything that was happening and by how horrendous the events were. However, many new terms and concepts were introduced without much context, making it difficult to fully grasp the world until about a third of the way through the book. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to hold my interest, and I ended up stopping at 46%.

The Unworthy sets a mood so dark and unsettling which is what I have come to expect from Agustina Bazterrica. Set in a future where the world is dying, religion and patriarchy still have a foothold. The young woman narrating the novel is living at the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, a fundamentalist order of women ruled by a mysterious man. This is a survival story written at times in the narrator's blood, interrupted by violence and unnerving in the realities of this world. Despite the darkness, there was something affecting in reading from the perspective of a lonely young woman seeking connection in a world of isolated survivors. It is in these moments of connection that there sits a reminder of what we stand to lose in the face of violence, climate change, and oppressive symptoms and the horror of not investing and imagining a world different than this.

A nameless narrator, main character, tells of struggle, sacrifice, heartache. I feel as though remains nameless because her story is everyone’s, she is us and we are her. Everyone has trials and tribulations, but it’s when you maintain your humanity and mercy do you overcome. Don’t lose yourself to the pain. It was well done and while it is tough to get through, it is well worth it.

This is the third book that I've read by this author. This was a great dystopian/horror read, and I agree with other reviewers that compared it to I Who Have Never Known Men and The Road. I liked it better than both of those books because I found them both to be too monotonous. This book, however, had a lot more going on, including an unexpected love story. There are some graphic depictions of violence that some people might not like. The main character goes back and forth between the current storyline and a past one, which depicts her life trying to survive when civilization has collapsed. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy!

The Unworthy is a lyrical fever dream that I couldn’t put down.

If you’re expecting another *Tender Is the Flesh*, go ahead and tuck that thought away because the writing and atmosphere here are completely different. I’m so excited to experience another side of Bazterrica—this book isn’t just a dystopian, end-of-the-world, climate-disaster story teetering on the edge of horror. It’s also a deeply moving, melodic prose experience that encourages you to savor every moment.

I know this won’t be for everyone, but it resonated with me. I tend to love meandering plots paired with heavy-handed prose, and *The Unworthy* delivers both beautifully. It’s easily a favorite of the year, and I’ll be yearning for a physical copy.

I only wish I could read it in the original language! I’m so grateful to live in a world where Bazterrica’s work is translated.

There is something special about Bazterrica. This new novel definitely shows that 'Tender' wasn't just a piece of random luck, but that she clearly has the chops for a long career. I think between the sheer creativity of voice in these two books, that the next book Bazterrica I hear of will immediately jump to the top of my tbr list.

Honestly if you read the official blurb and it caught your eye then you don't need to know more than that of the plot Just let her voice and narrative do its work. this is terrific dystopian horror and I actually imagine her clear harsh images would translate wonderfully to the big screen.

and oh how my heart aches for Circe.

highly recommend.

I read this in one sitting and it absolutely eviscerated me....will be thinking about it for a long time. Thank you for the ARC--will absolutely be recommending!

Set in a world ravaged by environmental collapse, the story follows a woman trapped in the brutal hierarchy of the Sacred Sisterhood, a secretive religious cult.

Very eerie and chilling story, with dark setting that leaves you hooked from the first page. Loved the dystopian horror vibes!

I would’ve loved to get better characters descriptions and more of a back story but for under 200 pages, this book truly delivered.

The writing was done well, I just felt it was a little disconnected or did not have a defined plot. The pacing was slower. After reading Tender is the Flesh and seeing the hype for this book, it was a tad disappointing. It did pick up towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Unworthy has a lot of my favorite things: sapphic romance, weird cult stuff, and journal entry style chapters. Unfortunately, it ended up falling flat for me. If this wasn’t an arc, I probably would have dnfed it around 30% of the way in because I was just never particularly interested in anything that was happening. I also feel like a lot of the horror tapered off towards the end. Without any spoilers, there were some dark themes later on in the book, but I never felt like they were given the time or weight to feel consequential.

Tender is the Flesh was amazing but unfortunately this one disappointed me. For being on the shorter side, this took me forever to get through. I didn't love the writing or format (written as journal entries) and I thought a lot of it was vague.

Thank you netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Scribner, and Agustina Bazterrica for allowing me to read “The Unworthy”.
As soon as I heard that Agustina Bazterrica has a new book out it immediately went to the top of my TBR list. As someone who read Tender Is the Flesh years ago, I knew that whatever this new book was about it would entertain me, disturb me, and probably break something deep in my brain, and overall, it succeeded.

The Unworthy is set in a post-apocalyptic world in a mysterious convent, ok say less I am already hooked. Two of my favorite thing’s apocalypses and religious extremism (in fiction…not real life)
The story is told through the writings of one of the members of the convnet as she is determined to write her story down, even if it is never read by anyone else. While most of the story is what is presently going on in her life there are flashes back to when she was younger and how she got to where she currently is. Those parts were some of the harder sections to get through. Don’t get me wrong, this was by far easier to digest than her previous novel (pun intended), but even so there are quite a few graphic depictions.

The reader, meaning me, is only getting bits and pieces of the story and that is being filtered through by the narrator, which gives the lovely unreliable narrator’s vibe, yet I ended up believing everything she wrote down. I witnessed the birth of her disillusionment towards the cult she was a part of, which was interesting.

The only complaint I have is that I wish that it was longer and that there was a more in-depth look at the convent and maybe what had happened in the world to cause women to willingly join it. I neeeeeed for Agustina Bazterrica to write a horror series so that her plots can get fleshed out because I am obsessed with the bits and pieces of these worlds that she gives us.

In a post-apocalyptic world after climate change destroys civilization, a woman keeps a secret journal in the mysterious and brutal Sacred Sisterhood.

The writing is brutally evocative of the end of the world. The horror and narrators rushed secrecy permeate every line. It was an unsettling read that will stick with me.

This is my 3rd book written by this author and it did not disappoint. I was left speechless and couldn’t put it down. This was very interesting and impactful. Thankyou for the arc i had to preorder immediately

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“Without faith, there is no refuge.”
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“Words that are forbidden. Words with sharp edges. Words of fire.”
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Sharing with you some thoughts on 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 by @agustinabazterrica
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This story is told in an epistolary format, weaving together scattered memories and clandestine experiences from the POV of an unnamed novice living in a religious order in a post-apocalyptic world devastated by ecological collapse. A new member’s arrival prompts the MC to reflect on faith, doubt, and disillusionment within the sanctum.
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I needed to take a couple days after finishing to realign my expectations for this one, I’d advise NOT anticipating the same shock value as Tender. Bazterrica’s prose is still strikingly powerful, functioning as both testimony and confession. Through fragmented, visceral, staccato-like sentences, she captures the MC’s shattered memories, fractured identity, and the urgency of a secretive diary-style format. This style mirrors the dehumanizing and oppressive world she inhibits, while hauntingly poetic and atmospheric moments provide a stark contrast to the brutality, illustrating fleeting hope and the indomitable spirit of survival.
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Like Tender, Bazterrica once again delves into the darker corners of human behavior set in a bleak, dystopian world, offering a sharp critique of power structures and societal complicity. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 delivers a thought-provoking exploration of humanity’s capacity for both cruelty and resilience. Thank you @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
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“The truth is changeable, it contracts, implodes, it’s powerful like a bullet. And it can be lethal.”
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Included in monthly horror round-up at BookTrib: https://booktrib.com/2025/03/13/the-chill-quill-march-belongs-to-women-with-these-gripping-new-reads/