Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

964 reviews

sarafullofjoy's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

While I was fascinated I was also entirely horrified. This book was terrible but not because of its writing or readability. It will haunt you thinking about what people are capable of.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy

majca's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

She had the human look of a domesticated animal. 

This is a difficult book to review. I can't deny it was a captivating, unsettling and upsetting read. It's polemic, and at times the author goes to contrived extremes, drawing almost comical allegories. Still, I can appreciate that all-or-nothing commitment, though the shock factor gradually dulls with repetition. And while the simplistic, detached narrative amplifies the horrors in its own way, I didn't personally enjoy this style. 

The plot itself doesn't venture much beyond its narrow focus, leaving the larger societal implications-economic, environmental, or political-frustratingly underexplored. I couldn't entirely ignore plot holes or suspend disbelief completely. It works better when considered a thought experiment that offers a dark, close-up glimpse into an altered society-one you accept without questioning the hows and whys. As an essay, it's haunting and thought-provoking; as a novel, it often strains credulity and suffers under its wasted potential. 

The protagonist, while thoroughly unlikable, is fascinating in his hypocrisy. He considers himself morally superior to everyone around him, yet remains complicit-a product of societal norms he neither questions nor escapes. With no overt commentary from the author (both a strength and a weakness of the book), it raises interesting questions about how well and easily the human mind adapts to even the most gruesome circumstances. 

The ending, though predictable and bleak, provides a fitting conclusion. It's the only outcome I found realistic and acceptable, given the world and characters built and the length of the novel. 

Lastly, while it's of lesser importance to the overall experience, the portrayal of female characters was disappointing. I found myself double-checking to confirm the author was indeed female, given the internalized misogyny.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Rape

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Slavery

libbietemple's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual assault

playswithstring's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

When I first started reading the story I told my husband it reminded me of The Jungle with the details of the slaughterhouses. As I read I was disgusted at the turn of the world, but by the puppies chapter it felt like the author was just adding horrible things to add horrible things. By the time he calls Cecilia at the end of the book I had figured out what the twist was going to be and wasn't surprised by the ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Torture, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Death of parent

rcatterall's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

lilybarna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

woah yeah this book is a brutal read there are some scenes that really you cannot NOT visualize and it’s just rough. Took me a while to read for a short book but the final page really surprised and gutted me (poor choice of words I know) and reminded me that man truly is the worst thing to have happened to this planet!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child death and Slavery

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

rushhazard's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A speculative lens about how propaganda and capitalism can make people disregard their humanity and compassion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual assault

heynanhey's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This book was beautifully written and absolutely haunting. It will most certainly give me nightmares, but I don’t regret it (I think?). Honestly the only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because it was SO disturbing but like in a powerful way that really shook me. Felt icky giving five stars to a book about cannibalism and oppression.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

mjfogarty72's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Child death and Sexual assault

eagoldberg's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jesus fucking christ

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy