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blemishedhearth's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
skull_hollow's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
theaceofpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.0
I read Tender is the Flesh last year and didn't find it quite as horrifying as I thought I would based on how people talk about it. When I looked up to see if others felt the same, I came across this one and was curious. I definitely agree with what I saw others saying - this is definitely the more horrifying version (or maybe that one is the less horrifying version since Meat was published a good nine years earlier!).
Where Tender at the Flesh focuses on a single character and that character becomes the focus, the human meat industry is the focus in this one. While that book definitely has its strengths and I get why it's the famous one when it comes to farming people for cannibalism, I think this one hits harder in many way (although I think the fact that it is more disturbing probably works against it because it'll be too much for more people). It does a far better job of blurring the lines between humans and livestock (for example, they are always referred to in bovine terms cows, bulls, calfs) - it's only indirectly revealed in the second chapter that we're dealing with people) and explores the cruelty far more. And oh man, does it get disturbing. Seriously. Take a look at the content warnings. But even that... It's been a few months since I read this (I just haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet!) and there is one scene in particular that I remember (okay, I also remember some of the scenes in which the human livestock are processed but yeah):Two little girls mutilate a doll in exactly the same way that real human livestock are processed before being sent out to feedlots and the like. It's short but it stuck with me - several scenes did but there was just something about this one that particularly disturbed me.
Like with Tender is the Flesh, the horror of the situation in the hook. While it remains darkly fascinating throughout, I feel like it loses something as you go on. But that said, if the concept of human farming (including breeding programs, growing up, processing and slaughter) and you think you can stomach the disturbing violence, this is a step up from Tender is the Flesh and I think it does a better job of conveying the horror that that book tried to bring across and it's worth a read. Even if many scenes are difficult to get through.
Some notes on some of the content warnings (all are individually spoilered)
Medical trauma/torture:We get a detailed description of how people are processed into livestock
Sexual assault/rape:To some of the female livestock (although at least the punishment if caught is severe!) I'd say it's more disturbing than details on the actual act
Paedophilia:A character tries to get girls to give him a blowjob but is interrupted
Where Tender at the Flesh focuses on a single character and that character becomes the focus, the human meat industry is the focus in this one. While that book definitely has its strengths and I get why it's the famous one when it comes to farming people for cannibalism, I think this one hits harder in many way (although I think the fact that it is more disturbing probably works against it because it'll be too much for more people). It does a far better job of blurring the lines between humans and livestock (for example, they are always referred to in bovine terms cows, bulls, calfs) - it's only indirectly revealed in the second chapter that we're dealing with people) and explores the cruelty far more. And oh man, does it get disturbing. Seriously. Take a look at the content warnings. But even that... It's been a few months since I read this (I just haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet!) and there is one scene in particular that I remember (okay, I also remember some of the scenes in which the human livestock are processed but yeah):
Like with Tender is the Flesh, the horror of the situation in the hook. While it remains darkly fascinating throughout, I feel like it loses something as you go on. But that said, if the concept of human farming (including breeding programs, growing up, processing and slaughter) and you think you can stomach the disturbing violence, this is a step up from Tender is the Flesh and I think it does a better job of conveying the horror that that book tried to bring across and it's worth a read. Even if many scenes are difficult to get through.
Some notes on some of the content warnings (all are individually spoilered)
Medical trauma/torture:
Sexual assault/rape:
Paedophilia:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Vomit, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Alcohol
nebaker42's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
anyajulchen's review
5.0
A ver, a ver. Leí esta novela porque viene gratis con la suscripción a Kindle unlimited. No esperaba nada, solo quería algo de terror y una distopía adulta con temas adultos.
No me esperaba el mensaje ambientalista, no me esperaba lo grueso y horrible de las escenas, no me esperaba una habilidad tal como la del autor para crear escenas inolvidables y giros de trama tan bien llevados.
"Meat" es una de las mejores novelas de terror modernas. Es la perfecta combinación de una historia con un mensaje, sin dejar de lado el aspecto artístico. Es la novela debut de este autor y me creo que se merecería el premio.
10/10
No me esperaba el mensaje ambientalista, no me esperaba lo grueso y horrible de las escenas, no me esperaba una habilidad tal como la del autor para crear escenas inolvidables y giros de trama tan bien llevados.
"Meat" es una de las mejores novelas de terror modernas. Es la perfecta combinación de una historia con un mensaje, sin dejar de lado el aspecto artístico. Es la novela debut de este autor y me creo que se merecería el premio.
10/10
nicekweenreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.75
weirdly_reading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow... A gut-punch of a book. Not an easy recommendation, as certain scenes covers sensitive topics. Read it if you can handle the CW list! I mean it, check them out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Torture
jcgrab1985's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
kdickerson38's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
A lot of world-building; gory and graphic descriptions; a chilling and disturbing dystopian world; thought-provoking; found the story confusing at times and the characters hard to keep straight; lost a lot of interest about halfway through.
amy_1994's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-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
2.0
A lot of the description in this book could've been removed and nothing would've been lost. At first I thought it was building the environment but it continued throughout the entire book. There was a lot of storylines that I don't think added to the story and could've been taken out.
I think this would've made a great short story/novella, but as a full novel it was hard to get through.
I think this would've made a great short story/novella, but as a full novel it was hard to get through.