Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird

These stories lean more literary, I think, which could be why I struggled to understand several of them (literary is not my genre!). There were a few gems, but for the most part, I found myself skimming through the stories to get the experience over with, and I was often bored. I had such high hopes for this book, but it definitely went a different route from Tender is the Flesh.

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lovelylilelle's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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melted_books's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a highly anticipated read for me, having devoured the author's previous work, Tender Is the Flesh (yes, pun intended), and I was not disappointed! Bazterrica delivers impressive variety in this collection - you'll read about a girl who grows a bunny between her legs, the disorienting power of a religious cult, a woman intent on making her body into a circle, and many more bizarre tales.
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What strikes me most about Bazterrica's writing (and, accordingly, Sarah Moses' translation of it) is the mastery over leaving vivid impressions upon the reader through the use of stark, even tantalizingly simple, language. This is not a consistent style across all stories (there are notable exceptions, such as the sensory descriptions of food in Perfect Symmetry), but I noticed I was especially drawn to the more simply written stories. This style amplifies the desolate, grim tone, which is the primary reason why I think Bazterrica's writing works so well to horrify the reader; there are shockingly gruesome things unfolding on the page, but due to the confines of the short story structure, there is little space to be flowery. This may be why my favorite of the collection was the shortest of the bunch, The Wolf's Breath, which explores the wolf-life predatory nature of a lurking man, all in just over four short paragraphs. My second favorite was the very last, The Solitary Ones, which is an all-too-believable tale about a lone woman traveling at night when the electricity on her train goes out; the last line gave me shivers.
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This collection is a winner. Tense, grotesque, and starkly written, yet persistently provocative, the stories of this collection will vividly remain in my mind for a long time.
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Special thanks to Scribner for sending me an early review copy! This comes out June 20, 2023.

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marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

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challenging dark

5.0

For fans of Samanta Schweblin and Mariana Enríquez, Agustina Bazterrica is another Argentine powerhouse of feminist literary horror. Much like her counterparts, Bazterrica uses horror to talk about violence against women, in many forms. This well-rounded collection includes twenty unique and memorable stories touching on relationships, desire, Catholicism, control, endings, and more. These stories are bold and breathtaking, dripping with blood.

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