Tender is the Flesh: by Agustina Bazterrica Paperback – 5 Nov. 2020

I saw Tender is the Flesh mentioned a couple of times on Twitter and it instantly got it’s (meat) hooks into me. I couldn’t help myself and pre-ordered the book immediately. This is the type of fiction I love; brutal, powerful and thought-provoking.I should probably mention at this point that I read this book as soon as it was published (a few months ago) and the fact that a virus infects the World’s animals seemed, at the time, to be nothing more than fiction. Anything involving a virus these days has a slightly different…perspective (?) to it, but I know I would still have read this book and still loved it as much as I do. Because it’s a bloody awesome book and if you’ve got a strong stomach and like the darker side of fiction then this is a must read!So the big question here is…would you? Would you eat human flesh if that was the only available meat for you to consume? It’s unthinkable, right? Tender is the Flesh makes the reader ask themselves some pretty hefty questions and looks at the situation from some very interesting angles. To put things into context, the humans on the menu aren’t like you or I. They’re bred, farmed and processed the same way livestock is. They’re nameless, they’re nothing but protein. But….but…but…they’re still people, right? And that’s the brilliant hook which this stonking piece of fiction rests on. It’s absolutely impossible to comprehend. But that’s exactly what pulled me into the pages of this incredible book.Marcos works at the local processing plant. The reader discovers that after so many years of watching and partaking in horrifically violent acts that Marcos has become somewhat desensitised to the brutality of it all. He’s a heavily flawed character, having recently separated from his wife, but I found myself warming to him as the story progressed. When an illegal gift on a Female FGP (First General Pure) is delivered to his house, he doesn’t know what to do with it (her!).This really is an eye opener of a book and I devoured it (pun intended). I was nearing the end of the novel and I couldn’t for the life of me work out where the author was going to take things, how it was all going to be wrapped up. But it’s absolutely perfect and as a result, this book will stay with me for a long time to come. I expect it will feature in my top books of the year list.Would I recommend this book? I would, most definitely, but it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s savage, brave, unsettling and utterly unflinching fiction at it’s very best. The way the ‘special meat’ is treated is inhumane and stomach churning and makes me question the way livestock is treated. Vegetarianism could be the way forward for me following this novel! If you’re looking for a book which is dark, disturbing and wholly involving then this is it. Bazterrica does not spare her reader and I absolutely loved it! Highly recommended. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you…

I’ve never heard of the book or author but wanted a disturbing horror book for a change to the usual sci fi.It was good. Interesting story and characters relatable. But no. It’s not the most disturbing book ever written so don’t believe google.But it’s worth a read

Tender is the flesh by Agustina Bazterrica was my first read at the start of this month, it's quite short novel just over 200pages so I finished it in 2 nights but I've been finding it hard to rate this one tbh.I kept seeing this book pop up on tik tok with people raving about how good it was so naturally when i seen it on offer on the kindle I had to get it to see what the fuss was about for myself.This book is a seriously disturbing twisted and gruesome read yet at the same time it really makes you think but it's definitely not for those weak of heart or stomach for that matter as it gets very descriptive and is jam packed full of every trigger imaginable.Set in a dystopian world were animals have been infected by a virus and are no longer safe to be kept, breed or eaten by humans so the government makes it legal to breed humans for consumption aka "special meat" grim right.... 🤢 The story is told entirely by our main character Marcos who works at one of the top processing plants and I found myself feeling sympathetic towards him as you get a real insight to his thoughts ,grief and how he sees this new world....until I got to the end and was like wtf!!!I felt this book started off great and although very dark and disturbing it had me hooked but then halfway through it took a turn for the worse for me where it was just too much ,too descriptive and I felt like the ending was rushed and just came out of nowhere. It's definitely not worth the hype it has been getting in my opinion but it has had an effect on how much meat I've consumed since reading it and thinking of cutting it out completely 😅It's a very generous 3⭐️ overall from me.

Best book I've read in ages. Totally gripping. Didn't waste time and pulls you right into the world.Thought provoking, blunt and really unsettling.Can't recommend enough!