Book Review: Tender is the Flesh

Horror novel by Agustina Bazterrica, published 2017 211 pages

Repugnantly Beautiful, & Utterly Un-put-down-able

Absolutely not for the faint of heart, Tender is the Flesh keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout this masterpiece. Set in a future where the government has told the citizenry that animals and animal by-products have been contaminated with an illness, thus are unsafe to consume, humanity must make an unconscionable choice. In order to survive, humans have turned to what is in essence government sponsored cannibalism. Told from the perspective of main character Marcos, you are engrossed in a vicious tale of human meat harvesting, brutality and terror, while at the same time witnessing a compassionate depth in his narration. Marcos is from the in-between generation- he was alive during the time when animals were still allowed to be consumed and also pets, when cannibalism was taboo and disgusting and rarely thought of; but now he works in a human meat processing facility. This dichotomy leads to a compelling main character that has a very unique insight and propels the story along quite well. The final third is what really elevates this story though, as it is a twist of epic proportions. I absolutely did not see it coming until the last moments, and my jaw literally dropped open.

It's unlike anything I have read before, and the writing throughout is what I can only label as repugnantly beautiful:

“Does this pose a moral dilemma for you? Do you find it atrocious?” he asks. “Not at all. The human being is complex and I find the vile acts, contradictions, and sublimities characteristic of our condition astonishing. Our existence would be an exasperating shade of gray if we were all flawless.”

5 out of 5 Stars

Whether intentional or not, Bazterrica illustrates the depravity of human nature, our class divisions and how far we will go to survive. She makes a statement on governmental control and power, and our inability to know what's fact and what's fiction in modern day society. And all of this is done via a story about cannibalism. I absolutely recommend this to my fellow readers who appreciate the weird and macabre, who ask the uncomfortable questions, and who are looking for something unique.