Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

Cadáver exquisito by Agustina Bazterrica

190 reviews

fausticontrelibros's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Gore, Rape, Genocide, Slavery, Medical content, Animal death, Torture, Sexual content, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Blood, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Excrement, and Child death

sierrabowers's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I thought this was a very interesting take on dystopian America. I would not recommend to anyone who is sensitive to gore or horror. I was not surprised by the ending, but I think that the author’s slow and gradual character degradation was done very well. The main character slowly descends into madness, and you can truly see it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Medical content, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child death, Gun violence, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abandonment, Animal death, Classism, Grief, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexism, Cannibalism, Death, Torture, Trafficking, and Vomit

lauriebird's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book had me. This book grabbed me by its claws, dragged me down, and forced me to come face to face with one of the most bleak books ever written.

Make no mistake, this book is a horror. But it is also a masterpiece of literature. This book is brutal from beginning to end. This book made me feel gross. This book made me reflect on the classism of politics (specifically in the United States). The book stresses that 

this is a government plot to ensure population control, not a true virus

. I did not like this book but not because of Bazterricas fantastic execution. I did not like it because we are not meant to like it. It is written flatly in a clear voice of Marcos. Marcos is nihilistic and each description of everything that he goes through, right down to the colors of his world, echos that nihilism.

The last line of this book shattered me.

“She had the human gaze of a domesticated animal.” She was just an animal to him. A means to an end. Marcos, a character that we are meant to see as “on the readers side” ends up being as amoral as the rest. You cannot live a moral life in a society devoid of morality. As you read the last line, you realize that Marcos saw Jasmine the same as his dogs. The way he talks to and cares for her is still that of an animal. Yes, he sexually assaulted her for his own gain, but he still sees her only as a means to an end. The book sets this up for us to believe Marcos may overcome the societal pressures and challenges and realize that the head are in fact, also human and deserve to be treated as human. The last chapter tears every bit of that hope from you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Death, Infertility, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Body horror, Child death, and Animal death

Moderate: Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Misogyny, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

vinise's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Genocide, Sexual assault, Body horror, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Torture

bookwormbarber's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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? No

2.5

I don’t really know what to say about this book… I didn’t really like it, but I also can’t stop thinking about it. 

The entire first half of the book is world building, and this world is f*cked and let’s just say I’ve never been more happy to be a vegan while reading a book. 

The rest of the plot seemed really disjointed and rushed. I know there’s probably deep messages about humanity, loss, and grief, but the graphic cannibalism over shadowed that a bit, you know?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery, Child death, Genocide, Grief, Pregnancy, Dementia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Medical content, Murder, and Rape

virtamtuck's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Sexism, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Body horror, Child death, Dementia, Rape, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Murder, Genocide, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Torture, and Trafficking

ravenousrose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Confinement, Dementia, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

sarahshock's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Amazing book! Highly recommend. The ending is insane!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Child abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Excrement, Genocide, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Dysphoria, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, and Violence

kelisabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Grief, Abortion, Animal death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gore, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Dementia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Child abuse, Confinement, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, and Rape

wcont's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Tender is the Flesh gripped me from the first page to the last word. I honestly don't know if the last line of a book has ever stayed with me in such a way and the book as whole has changed my brain chemistry.

My stomach was turned, my sense of humanity questioned, I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. A powerful, terrifying 5 stars.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Genocide