Tender Is the Flesh

I've never been able to sit down and read an actual book for years because of my adhd. I turned to reading manga but I still wasn't satisfied. I heard about extreme horror from a friend and thought that maybe it'd help keep my eyes on the paper and stop my mind from wondering. It worked. I started my extreme horror journey with a book called COWS by Matthew Stokoe. I wrote a review on it as well—a review that was mostly negative. The book was definitely disturbing and disgusting but that's.. all it was. It was a nonstop carnival ride of gross scenes with no meaningful substance that made me start to hate the genre as a whole. It definitely kept my eyes on the paper, but not for any good reasons. Then I saw this book on instagram. I heard a description and thought, "a dystopia about cannibalism being the norm where the main character falls in love with his dinner? I'm sold." I started reading and needless to say I was hooked. ⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️ (I assume you already knew this though because you decided to read this review and well I have to talk about the plot to do so) (Premise) The author tells us we've been driven to cannibalism because of a disease that makes animals inedible to humans—BUT it's heavily implied that the whole thing could be a hoax made up by the government to combat overpopulation. I love how the author left it up for the reader to decide which one is true. (Plot) The plot is interesting. You'd think It'd just be a story about crazy cannibals but actually has a lot of substance compared to other works. The main character is actually a decent guy who recently lost his kid and wife. He ends up receiving a gift of a female that was supposed to be slaughtered and eaten. He instead falls in love with her and she ends up pregnant. He wants to make sure he doesn't lose his kid again—despite it being very illegal to sleep with a human who's meant to be slaughtered. (Characters) The main character is deep and complex and not a trope. If there's one thing I hate about reading is seeing trope characters. The main character feels like an actual person. He's angry, he's protective of what he loves, fragmented, burdened with grief, and detached. In one of the first few scenes of the book the author even hints at him disassociating while hearing his boss talk about the process of skinning humans and turning them into leather. I like that he isn't just a gross, weird, vulgar wannabe badass like many authors try to make their main characters in urban decay settings. (Themes) The book has themes of grief, disconnection, and powerlessness. The main character struggles with the death of his son, and his father later in the book. He even feels sour towards his sister for not caring about his father like he did. The kind of powerlessness he feels being surrounded by slaughter everyday with nothing he can do, all the while thinking that it all might not even be justified because the disease may not exist is frightening. (My favorite scene) The main character often visits an old abandoned zoo throughout the story. Since the "outbreak" happened people have been scared and kill any animal they see, so naturally zoos were shut down. The first time we see him go to this zoo, he makes his way to where the birds were kept. When he's there, he reflects on how his dad used to take him there as a kid to see the birds, and wishes he could've been able to take his son there to do the same. This scene was amazing, definitely punched me in the gut. I would add more detail but I realize it's something you should read yourself. (Conclusion) If you hate feel-good stories, can handle the grotesque, and want to read something that will have you glued until you reach the ending, then I highly recommend Tender is the Flesh.

This book was uncomfortable to read. The societal norms of this seemingly post-apocalyptic world were deeply disturbing. What's worse is that it was believable. Given the right variables or wield could easily be swayed into something like this, maybe not as macabre but something similarly disturbing on a grand scale. As far as books go, this one was a good read. It's recommend it to someone with an open mind and with an understanding that it's purely fiction. I read the last hundred or so pages in one sitting.

This book will ruin your day, but it's an excellent read. The author writes very well and while the content is shocking, it doesn't feel like it's shocking for shock's sake. There's a real story here, and it's pretty compelling. I, like some of the other readers, have some trouble with a few things like 1. Even with all the measures they take in the novel, eating people would still come with severe side effects especially when done so frequently. (Kuru, for example) 2. They never really get into why veggies aren't an option - only vaguely saying that "scientists say there isn't enough protein" 3. I want to know more about the government depopulation conspiracies the transition stuff - that would have made the book a lot longer though, so I can see why he left it out. That being said - really great writing with a sad and disturbing ending. I really had hopes for Marco bringing about some kind of change but. ****SPOILER WARNING**** he just decides to use Jasmin as a personal breeder. Totally ruined my day haha.

Written like a true Argentine, Sick and twisted from start to finish. I’ve never Read a book that I found myself not wanting to know what happens next but unable to stop reading. I took a long shower after reading like WTF! lol. Intrigued in more of the authors works.

This novel is CHILLING. The only reason I can’t give it 5 stars is because this book has me mentally writhing, questioning the basis of my own morality . The staccato method of writing and of text makes this absolute horror a deeply thought provoking novel. It’s deeply disturbing - and I couldn’t put it down.

The most disturbing aspect of Tender is the Flesh is how plausible it feels. Bazterrica doesn’t write monsters; she writes ordinary people doing monstrous things, numbed by routine and desensitized by survival. The result is a powerful critique of violence, consumerism, and the human capacity for moral compromise. Though brief, the novel’s impact is long-lasting. Its ending is a gut-punch, masterfully delivered, and sure to spark debate. This is not a book for the faint-hearted, but for those who can stomach its darkness, Tender is the Flesh is an unflinching examination of humanity’s most terrifying tendencies and a dystopia that mirrors our own world more closely than we’d like to admit. Set in a world where a virus has made animal meat poisonous to humans, society turns to a chilling solution: legalized, industrialized cannibalism. The story follows Marcos, a worker in a “special meat” processing plant, as he navigates the horrors of this new world while silently battling his own conscience. Her prose—terse, sharp, and deliberately clinical—mirrors the dehumanized society she depicts. The novel doesn’t flinch from graphic detail, exposing the brutality of commodifying human life under capitalism. Yet the horror is not in gore alone; it lies in the normalization of the unthinkable. Language becomes complicit—humans bred for meat are called “heads” or “product”—and the lines between what is human and what is not are expertly blurred.

Tender is the Flesh was recommended to me by a friend who knows I like dark books/movies. I could not put this book down. I was intrigued by this dystopian world of cannibalism, sadness, and grief. If you’re looking for something different, dark, and gruesome, I would highly recommend this novel. I will be ordering more from Augustina in the future.

I went into this blind, and holy hell. The legalization of cannibalism and processing humans for meat after the mass extermination of animals is an insane concept. Vegans are going to love this one. Despite it being a horrific read, I couldn’t put it down. This one is going to stick with me for a bit.

I liked the story and the themes it presented but at the end it felt kind of rushed as if the author had nothing else to talk about. I also wish the characters were more fleshed out because at times I would confuse each character have to re read sections to see if it was another character or a new one other than that it’s a good read. The ending was a shock lol

Novela de lectura rápida que no te deja indiferente. No apta para lectores aprensivos. Sitúa al lector en un futuro distópico en què los humanos no pueden comer animales, por lo que recurren a la carne humana, que crían en granjas, con leyes y normas para regularlo. La normalización es lo que pone los pelos de punta y no puedes dejar de pensar cómo podría llegar a ser posible, o no ...

3.75 on IG. Could you imagine what it would be like to be a cow/chicken or a pig in this world? What it would feel like to be bred for consumption? right, me neither but I sure can imagine it now after reading this nightmare of a book😅. I didn't list the TW because this book has all of them and I simply don't have the time.. I really liked the deeper message behind this story and the way the author paints a picture is brutal. She did not hold back. Everything is graphic, every scène is being told as if you would just be stating facts. The writing felt razor sharp. The problem I had with this was the sudden drop in the middle of the world how it is now. There's not enough backstory/detail included what makes it feel unfinished. The ending is really unexpected and I'm over here like, what do you mean this is the end??!! I kept tapping my Kindle to check where the remaining pages were🤣. Some people like to have open endings like this but I absolutely hate it. I just need more answers 🤪 The one thing that this book has accomplished is that I now have the strong urge to become a vegetarian. Mixed feelings.

An original story that is violent, original and a peek at a human society that adapts to circumstances. Not for children.

Finished reading almost a year ago, and I'm still thinking about it. The ending is spectacular, truly a joy to see that such stories can still be written in the abyss of contemporary unoriginality.