Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: Book Review

October is definitely the time to read spooky books, this is obvious. Atmospheric and creepy books that give you chills are the best this time of year. Nothing beats cozying up to a book like this. But have you ever read a book so disturbing and horrifying that you don’t know whether to rate it 5 stars or 1 star? That is exactly how I felt after reading Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica.

I am a fan of horror. I watch horror films all year long and only recently started diving into horror novels. So I would say that not a lot phases me when it comes to graphic or creepy detail. Usually, I just assume that I can pick up any book and be totally fine with the content. I mean, being a zillennial (a millennial and generation z mix), I am pretty desensitized to most everything. I’ve seen it all.

So, when the content of this book actually shocked me, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I started reading Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and I had no concept or idea of what this book was about. I do that with most books I read so I thought I was safe. Clearly, I was wrong. This book took me, chewed me up, and spit me back out. I was not expecting anything about this book, it was so successful at shocking and surprising me.

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. I make a small commission from every purchase made through these links, with no impact on your purchase. For more information, click here.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Content Warning: Rape, cannibalism, gore

I was baffled trying to decide what star rating I would give this book. This was a really good book… and I absolutely hated it. Do you know what I mean? Like, everything about this book made me wish I never knew this book existed, but Agustina Basterrica is a brilliant storyteller.

First of all, what is this book about? This story is set in a dystopian future, where all animals have been infected with a disease, so they are no longer edible. So, instead of doing the rational and completely logical thing of everyone becoming vegetarian, this dystopian world decided to eat actual people. But they didn’t just eat people. They raised them for slaughter. They raised people to be eaten… on a farm…

This has to be the most disturbing book plot in existence. Books rarely have an impact on my emotions. I have never cried because of a book, and laughter is very rare. But reading Tender is the Flesh, my jaw was physically on the ground. My hand slapped over my mouth multiple times throughout the story, at the absolutely bizarre and disgusting things that this book contained.

So when I say this was my least favorite book, I mean it. And I also mean it was a five-star book. It was a study in shock. The author put as much shocking and graphic imagery into such a short, 200-page book. Bazterric wanted to see how much they could include in a book before it became too much. They definitely crossed that line.

I finished this book about a month ago, and it has been sitting with me ever since. Most of the time, I read a book, put it down, and forget all about it. Not this one. As a result, after reading this book, I started analyzed how society treats people and animals. Could we ever get to a point where this plotline was possible? With the mass consumerism and little care for others around us, I feel like it might. The author’s message was loud and clear, and they displayed it with a level of shock and gore that was successful in getting readers’ attention. It certainly got mine.

Make sure to check for an extensive list of trigger warnings before reading this book. You can click here to see the full list.

This story is not to be taken lightly. Although I hated this book so much, it is definitely of the best books I read this year. I think this story is great for some Halloween reading. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica is the definition of horror.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any other horror recommendations for me. Anything that will impact me the same way this one did. I want my jaw on the floor!

Thanks for reading!