BooksTerra

Author: Agustina Bazterrica is an acclaimed Argentine writer, born in 1974 in Buenos Aires. With a background in Fine Arts, she is known for her bold, dystopian fiction that tackles themes of violence, morality, and the human condition. Her breakout novel, Tender Is the Flesh (2017), won the Clarín Novel Prize and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book’s international success cemented her as a powerful voice in contemporary Latin American literature. Bazterrica has also published short story collections and continues to explore dark, thought-provoking narratives.

Summary: “Tender Is the Flesh” by Agustina Bazterrica is a dystopian novel set in a horrifying future where a virus has made all animal meat deadly to humans. In response, society legalizes the slaughter, processing, and consumption of human meat—euphemistically referred to as “special meat.” The story follows Marcos, a high-ranking employee at a processing plant, who manages the human livestock industry with professional detachment, though he is haunted by the moral implications of his work.

Marcos lives a bleak life. He is grieving the recent death of his infant son and the emotional collapse of his wife, who has since left him. As he navigates his role within this dehumanized system, he receives an unexpected gift from a business associate: a live female specimen meant for personal use. Instead of sending her to slaughter, Marcos hides her in his home.

As time passes, his relationship with the woman shifts from distant caretaker to something disturbingly intimate. Marcos begins to see her as more than just “meat,” struggling with growing affection and guilt in a world that denies her humanity. This emotional unraveling exposes the deep psychological cost of a system built on normalized cruelty and raises questions about power, control, and what it means to be human.

The plot builds slowly but deliberately, as Marcos’s inner conflict intensifies. His choices culminate in a shocking and disturbing twist that forces the reader to reevaluate everything they believed about his morality and the true nature of the world Bazterrica has built.

Personal opinion: The book is brilliantly written—sharp, concise, and deeply disturbing. Bazterrica doesn’t rely on shock value alone; instead, she builds a world that feels terrifyingly plausible and strips away any illusions about human morality under pressure. What hit me hardest was not just the grotesque premise, but how easily society in the book adapted to it. That normalization of horror is perhaps the most chilling part.

The main character, Marcos, is emotionally numb and deeply conflicted, which makes him both frustrating and compelling. At times, I wanted to look away from what he does—or fails to do—but that discomfort is exactly the point. The story forces you to sit with hard questions about complicity, desensitization, and how far we’re willing to go to preserve comfort and order.

The writing is stark but effective, and the book lingers long after the last page. While it’s not for the faint of heart, “Tender Is the Flesh” is a powerful social commentary that will leave you questioning the boundaries of humanity, empathy, and survival. It’s one of those rare novels that truly unsettles—and stays with you.