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3.5
The Unworthy
ByPublisher Description
The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.
From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.
But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?
A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror.
From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.
But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?
A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities6 Reviews
3.5
Say-ruh
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“Absolutely brilliant.
From the start, I couldn’t put The Unworthy down and found myself instantly captivated by the main character’s journey. Interestingly, we never learn her name—real or given—but it never bothered me because I was so deeply invested in her story. The pacing was wonderfully executed, keeping me hooked from start to finish. While this was a short and quick read, I know I’ll be thinking about it for some time to come.
I really enjoyed the unique narrative structure Bazterrica uses, particularly the diary-style reflective writing and the crossing out of thoughts the narrator wants to retract. This technique not only drew me in but also helped to make the narrator’s increasing uncertainty about her reality feel authentic.
Not only do I feel that Bazterrica did a fantastic job with the writing, but I also deeply enjoyed the story itself. It felt strikingly realistic in its portrayal of the human condition, especially in how people often follow what’s considered "the truth" or deemed "correct." And let's be honest, if a group of despicably evil men killed my cat during an apocalypse, I too would probably crash out and join a cult.
While The Unworthy is labeled as horror, I would absolutely recommend it to non-horror fans who are okay with a bit of gore, and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who enjoys dystopian stories. I know I will certainly be picking up Tender is the Flesh in the near future to dive deeper into Bazterrica’s work.
Thanks to NetGalley for an arc!”
Carolanne Albert
Created about 6 hours agoShare
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Colton Sei
Created about 12 hours agoShare
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“Idk what I just read”
Plague Rat
Created 1 day agoShare
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“So much build up with so little payoff. A lot of violence without real impact or cause? As someone who is ‘newer’ to horror this made me uneasy but only because I was waiting for something to actually…. Happen. Anticlimactic with a super rushed and unsatisfying ending.”
About Agustina Bazterrica
Agustina Bazterrica, born in Buenos Aires in 1974, has a degree in arts from the University of Buenos Aires and works as a cultural manager and jury member in various literary contests. She is the author of the short story collection Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird, and the novels Matar al niña and Tender Is the Flesh, the latter of which was awarded the Clarín Novel Prize. Tender Is the Flesh established Bazterrica as a bestselling author worldwide, with translations into thirty languages and half a million copies sold in English alone. Tender Is the Flesh is currently being adapted for television. Her latest novel, The Unworthy, was published in Spanish in 2023 and received the same enthusiastic reception as Tender Is the Flesh, affirming Bazterrica’s status as a prominent author in contemporary literature.
Other books by Agustina Bazterrica
Sarah Moses
Sarah Moses is a Canadian writer and translator from French and Spanish. She has translated work by Latin American authors including Tomás Downey and Ariana Harwicz, whose novel Die, My Love was longlisted for the International Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Premio Valle Inclán, and the Best Translated Book Award. The Unworthy is the third of Agustina Bazterrica’s books she has translated into English. Her collection of short fiction, Strange Water, will be published in the fall of 2024.
Other books by Sarah Moses
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