A review by thebakersbooks
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Brutal, but I'm glad I read it and would recommend it with a full list of content warnings. I liked the exploration of male grief around the loss of a child and male emotionality in general, both in short  supply in fiction for characters like Marcos. This book would have felt incomplete without mention of the real-life taking of "human trophies," white European men hunting Black people for sport, so it's good that was included. Same for the way white doctors have always experimented on the disenfranchised, especially people of color. I enjoyed the layered social commentary and hope I can make myself read this again at some point because I suspect stuff went over my head.