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annathechaoticreader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Booktok very much over hyped this. It was a very okay novel, I can't think of anything it did wrong or to justify a lower review, but I also can't think of anything it did particularly well. It was mildly disturbing and made me stop and think a couple of times but not all that life/perspective changing. If you tend to like dystopian fiction and are newer to the genre, I think it's worth a try, but beware booktok strikes again, go in with lower expectations than I did.
Thoughts Upon Reflection:
The book is very heavy handed about its eating meat=bad beliefs which I found exhausting. At many times throughout the story I found myself shouting "OH MY GOD I GET IT!!! MEAT IS MURDER. JUST TELL ME THE STORY" into the void. It makes very weird parallels that I don't agree with and there was next to no room for nuanced discussion. I will say its possible that because it is a translated novel that the above issues only apply to the English translation and that its a fault of the translator rather than Augustina.
Another issue I have is that to me none of the characters actually felt like fleshed out people, rather just objects things happen to/around. The main characters motivations make no sense (especially in the second half), where he doesn't even feel like a person, you don't really get to know him and then what little you do gets completely contradicted in the second half of the book. I can't even call it character development because it feels like he sees one shitty thing than a switch flips and he's completely different. Through the whole time reading, I did not feel any type of way towards any character, I didn't care about any of them which made it hard to care about the novel. When I first finished it I felt no type of way but the longer I've had to sit with it, the more I'm growing to dislike it. The worst part is that it could have been so good, with some more nuance and character development it would have been a very interesting story!
There is also a graphic sexual assault scene which I wish I had known about going in. As a surviver of S/A I try to stay away from novels with it unless I've had time to prepare and be in a good headspace to consume it. So a completely RANDOM S/A scene that doesn't matter to the plot really caught me off guard and almost immediately ruined the book. I'm fine with assault scenes if and only IF it is important to the plot/character development. My problem is when its thrown in to demonstrate a character being shitty or for shock value, which I feel is the reason it was included in Tender Is The Flesh; if you removed the whole chapter it would make absolutely no difference and THATS where I have the problem.
People call it a horror novel when its really not, its a dystopian and while not a huge issue, it just sets up expectations that it doesn't live up to! It felt a lot more akin to books like the Handmaids Tale than those in the horror genre. So if you want a horror novel, probably don't pick this up but if you want a kinda disturbing, dark dystopian then maybe this will be your book!
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Rape, Murder, Animal death, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Classism
hawkbloc's review against another edition
Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Murder, Torture, Sexual violence, Dementia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child death, Excrement, Sexual content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Misogyny
readwithollie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
tarklovishki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Classism, Child death, Cannibalism, Murder, Violence, Slavery, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
erikabites's review
- 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? No
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
witchedkid's review
4.0
Paired song: Us and Pigs by Sofia Isella
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Rape, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
pantslint's review
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death of parent, Murder, Rape, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Dementia, Animal death, Slavery, Torture, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Alcohol
anjae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Dementia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Child death, Confinement, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Torture, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy
ellevlt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Idk I think it just wasn’t for me. I thought the premise was so promising and really interesting at some parts but I just couldn’t get past the main character. Wanted to get through it in case twist paid off but ending fell flat for me too.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Torture, Violence, Sexual violence, and Rape
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Homophobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Child death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Murder, and Death of parent
bethann_coleates's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Sexual assault, Vomit, Blood, Rape, Cannibalism, Slavery, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Pregnancy, Torture, and Trafficking