"How can you excise pain that radiates through your body, that torments your blood, that clings to your bones?"

Augustina Baztericca's new novel takes place in a cell in a convent. A woman writes the story of her life in any way possible sometimes even including 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 destroyed, 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. Many questions come up that the narrator struggles to come to terms with.

I was excited to see a new novel by this author. I have read her previous books and knew I would be in for something dark and unusual. The Unworthy is that and much more.

It is a disturbing account of a world that mirrors stories like The Handmaid's Tale told through the unnerving style of this author. There were many times I could see through what was happening which left me feeling uneasy. As the story progresses that foreboding dread reveals a conclusion that was heartbreaking.

Described as a searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, it is worth checking out but be prepared to be in for an unsettling read.

How do you follow up one of the most astounding works of the 21st Century? [book:Tender Is the Flesh|49090884] is a stone cold modern classic and anticipation for what's next from Bazterrica is pitched very high.

In the end, it might have been an impossible task, but The Unworthy is an apropos title for this follow-up. Set in a ill-defined religious sect following a climate catastrophe, there is initially intrigue in the setting, but it never blossoms into suspense instead becoming a trope filled tread through the dystopian.

The stakes for our characters are not laid out in particular and even as our protagonist starts to rediscover memories, I think this actually detracts from the story being told as we are given scenes from any old generic dystopia of entering empty houses seeking food, water or any other useable item before bumping into some baddies.

As genius as TitF is, this is the polar opposite in terms of boilerplate dystopia that doesn't do enough to make you invest in the characters or the plot.

Set in a covent called the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, a woman desires to rise up to become one of the Enlightened, escaping her position as an Unworthy. The covent is lead by Him and his spokeswoman, Superior Sister who revels in inflicting torture and pain on those who don't abide by the strict rules of the house.

When a woman makes her way into the convent, she forms a close relationship with our narrator, and forces her to open up about her long-buried past. Through her past we learn about the barren world ravaged by ecological disaster where children struggle to survive and catastrophe unfolds. The appearance of this woman also forces the narrator to question to sanctity of the House of Sacred Sisterhood and exposes its concealed darkness.

This book is beautifully written. Some of the descriptive paragraphs in this novel were enchanting. Bazterrica creates an intense atmosphere, evoking both terror and excitement. The fact that it's written in letters, created in secrecy by the narrator in her isolated cell, adds an element of tension, particularly when they end mid sentence.

The scenes of violence and torture are well written and disturbing as they successfully add to the unsettling atmosphere created in the covent, and make the reader disturbed but engrossed in the plot.

Despite this, and this is just my personal preference, I think the novel falls short because we are unaware of what is actually happening in the covent and the narrator's past until the last 20% of the novel. It felt very slow and repetitive until then and when we learn the truth in the last few pages, I was a little underwhelmed and expected more of a shock from the revelation. I also wanted more depth into the inner workings of the covent and how it came to be.

However, this is a good dystopian, feminist horror that is worth a read for fans of the genre!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Unworthy is Augustina Bazterrica’s new book which is being released by Pushkin Press on March 14, 2025. I was sent an advance copy ahead of its release date by @NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

SYNOPSIS
The world has changed due to the climate crisis and humanity now bares its brutality at face value. Told through the POV of our unnamed and unworthy narrator, who keeps a secret diary of the happenings at the House of the Sacred Sisterhood. She has survived a bleak path to secure sanctuary, however, safety is a rare commodity in this community, with a whip wielding Superior Sister, and the constant scheming, petty rivalries and “The Grace Year” hysteria of the rest of the unworthy. Then one day, Lucia walks out of the place they call ‘the woods’. She seeks refuge among the unworthy but for our narrator Lucia is her refuge.

MY THOUGHTS
In the first 70 pages I felt trapped in a frightening ‘Mean Girls’ meets ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ fever dream… and it was totally fetch! The hierarchical structure of the Sisterhood is exposed but never comprehensively explained during this first stream of consciousness. Initially this frustrated me, but eventually I found it a clever way of reducing me to another of the nameless unworthy.

My emotional connection to the main character only began once she segued into her backstory around the 40% mark, which gave me flashbacks to reading ‘My Name is Monster’. I also found flavours of ‘The Water Cure’ in the environmental neuroses the unworthy feed into. The Superior Sister had the energy of Aunt Lydia from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and I would have liked to have known more of her story, and poor Marial reminded me of Handmaid Janine.

The Unworthy doesn’t have the originality of ‘Tender is the Flesh’ but it has the same audacity. It’s a savage little fever dream that requires a moment to fully process, and it left me with questions. If you go into this expecting (or hoping as I was) that this would be another ‘Tender’ you may come away disappointed but don’t let that detract from the impressive offering that this is. If you want to submerge yourself in a dystopian fever dream for a couple of hours, at 176 pages this is a very good option, fast paced and engaging.

RATING
I rated this a very sold 3.75 stars and to put some context around this I absolutely loved ‘Tender is the Flesh’ which I read last year and rated 4 stars.

The best way to describe this book is that I explained the dystopian set-up to my partner in a sentence and asked her to predict what is happening. She proceeded to predict exactly what is revealed in the last couple of pages. Despite incredible imagery throughout and fantastic prose that pulled me into the story, the plot was so lacking in originality that I ended with the feeling that I had read a distillation of every dystopian novel about women that exists.

To put it bluntly and insensitively, I think if you're not well read in dystopian texts or enjoy reading women being abused for 188 pages, then you may enjoy The Unworthy.

Agustina Bazterrica's The Unworthy is a dazzling dystopian religious fiction taking us to new depths of cult and religion. I have read the author's earlier works also and each one of them is just mind blowing. The Unworthy points out some glaring questions on how some people can deceive the world in the name of religion. The story is set in a futuristic world and creates an absolute dark aura around us making it more enjoyable. At the beginning the plot is medium paced giving us in depth information of the surroundings and characters. But, its the climax that is an unforgettable one.

The story will test your thoughts on religion and friendship. But, there are some brutal details that can be traumatic for the readers. Still, this will be an unmistakably the most wonderful reads of 2025. The book deserves 5 stars.

The premise of this drew me in, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel it.
I struggled to get into the world that was created, or be interested in the characters.
I’m sorry but this one wasn’t for me.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The Unworthy is a strange and unnerving read about a woman cloistered in a secretive religious order, against the backdrop of a catastrophic dystopian world. It’s dark, mysterious, brutal and bleak, with frequent descriptions of torture and violence making this very intense throughout. Bazterrica provides insightful commentary around power structures, gender, climate crises and humanity, through shocking horror that pulls no punches.

Although I enjoyed the themes, I feel like too much was left unsaid, and I wanted more context to fully engage with what was happening. The narrative was confusing at times and also slightly detached, which was brilliant for creating a believably isolating dystopian atmosphere, but did make me less engaged with the action. The creation of a world of depraved humanity and desolation was skilfully executed, however, but I just wanted a bit more characterisation.

That being said, it was just as messed up as Tender is the Flesh, so if you’re here for the “wtf” vibes then you need to add this to your list asap. It’s horrific, bleak and utterly memorable, perfect for anyone who loves weird and unnerving dystopian horror.

Thank you to Pushkin Press for the NetGalley arc!

I really had to force myself to finish this. The world building leaves a lot to be desired, with several different roles in the cult but not really any purpose for them. Full auras and diaphonous saints, servants and unworthy and superior sisters and virtually no explanation for any of the cult workings. Just a lot of cruel bitchy women ruled by one other and a single male character that they never see.
If you've ever read a cult novel you can guess the entire plot, only this time you can be confused and slightly bored for just under 200 pages. Oh but also this is a post apocalyptic cult. What happened to the world? Just pick your poison from the paragraph of vague possibilities tossed in.

Unfortunately I could not get into this at all. I love horror/literary fiction however the writing in The Unworthy is muddled and at times unreadable due to the wandering narrative.

LES INDIGNES de AGUSTINA BAZTERRICA

🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳/5
____ On est dans ce roman dans un monde dystopique ou celles qu'on nomme les indignes vivent sous la menace de leur soeur supérieure et espèrent rejoindre les illuminées sans savoir ce que ce nouveau rang va leur apporter. Les choses vont évoluer lorsque arrive une nouvelle : Lucia. Et j'ai absolument adoré ce livre. J'ai pensé a la servante écarlate sur certains points. Cette histoire m'a complètement transporté, j'étais HYPER attachée aux personnages que ce soit la personnage principale qui nous conte son recit ou Lucia. Et j'ai adoré l'histoire d'amour qui est dépeinte dans ce récit, je l'ai trouvé très belle. Attention, je vous préviens, ce récit n'est pas pour les âmes sensibles. La encore, Agustina Bazterrica n'a pas fait dans la dentelle, on y trouve des scènes très très dures et des thématiques difficiles. Et qui plus est, on est dans un univers où il y'a vraiment tres peu d'espoir. Je ne sais pas si j'peux le conseiller a tout le monde parce que je sais qu'il y'a beaucoup de personnes l'ayant lu qui reprochent a ce livre le fait qu'il n'y ait pas assez d'explications données sur le contexte. Mais moi j'ai adoré ce roman.

“The Unworthy” by Agustina Bazterrica is an absolutely haunting read that left me reeling. The writing is sharp and unflinching, drawing you into a world that’s as thought provoking as it is unsettling. It’s the kind of book that stays with you, challenging your perspective on power, morality, and survival. Brutal, brilliant, and completely unforgettable.

I loved Tender is the Flesh and enjoyed the short story collection that this author put out, but unfortunately this wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into it at all and kept getting lost in regards to what was going on.

The Unworthy is about a post-apocalyptic cult called the Sacred Sisterhood, led by an unnamed (male, of course) leader. The lowest ranked members of this cult, the unworthy, spent their time jostling — often quite cruelly and violently — for advantages in the hopes it’ll raise them up. You can probably already guess at the reveal that comes in the last few pages of the book, but, in the book itself, we’re in the mind of an indoctrinated young girl, so let us forgive the obviousness of that one.

Generally, this is a book I enjoyed and, as is usually the case with 3 star reads, I don’t have a huge amount to say about it. The storyline, despite being predictable, was compelling enough that I didn’t want to put the book down, and I was pleasantly surprised by the lesbian relationship. It was, also, pretty neat to be reading a character who was, shall we say, Not Good. She could be sadistic and cruel and she revelled in it. She was memorable, to say the least.

This isn’t horror in the scare-your-pants-off sense. I would say, on a sliding scale, it’s more gothic than outright horrifying. When the stranger arrives at the convent, only then does the protagonist start to become aware of the twistedness of her world and memories of her previous life begin to return. That’s the horror of this one, the ease with which these characters topple into a sadistic power struggle.

So, while I merely liked this one, I think it’s still one I’d recommend for everyone to pick up. It’s a short read, but one that will leave you with a chill running down your spine.

As she has become known for, there are some wonderful passages in The Unworthy. Haunting, dark and mysterious, they are enough to give life to a story that feels, unfortunately, decidedly formulaic. While it was engaging, Bazterrica's unique style and prose, the dystopian convent angle is somewhat tired, and there is nothing in the narrative to really set this apart. A skilled author, but a plot lacking substance.

I have a soft spot for dystopian thrillers that drip feeds information to their readers slowly. I have not read Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, but I have heard good things so I was excited to read The Worthy.

Set in a dystopian world, the convent of the Sacred Sisterhood, a woman writes in her cell at night. She is torn between wanting to become Enlightened but worried at the price that this will cost as she sees her sisters mutilated and punished around her.

Although a relatively short book, The Unworthy takes its time to unveil its secrets to the readers. We have to hold our disbelief about this convent and its many rules and its grim and disturbing punishments, until truths about the outside world are slowly revealed to us. The book does get quite gory and gruesome in places, but it makes for an interesting and different read.

This book is translated into English by Sarah Moses, who also translated Tender is the Flesh. The translation feels really well done - the prose flows well and the imagery is beautiful. It didn’t actually feel like it had been translated, which is the highest compliment!

I think the ending might divide readers, but it did tie everything together. There are messages in here about the patriarchy and the environment and a possible path that humanity could slide down, given the smallest of pushes. It also shows a darker side to the sisterhood, with women competing against each other to gain favour with the men, as well as what people will do with smallest amount of power. Although I haven’t read Tender is the Flesh, I have now added it to my TBR!

Overall, The Unworthy is a powerful and gruesome read but it’s beautiful, flowing prose will have you hooked. Thank you to NetGalley & Pushkin Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a book! ‘Tender is the Flesh’ was such a sucker-punch in all the best ways, I really wasn’t sure how (or even if) you’d follow that up. But ‘The Unworthy’ is haunting and horrific in a whole different way. A dystopian world, not too dissimilar to where we find ourselves in Tender, where there’s a climate crisis, the animals are dying, we’ve tumbled into lawlessness.

‘The Unworthy’ slowly reveals this world to you piece by piece. It requires you to put in work to weave it all together. It moves relatively quickly, but has this feeling of slowness due to how much work you’re putting in yourself.

There’s a lot I still don’t understand about this book. We find ourselves in a convent - but it’s unlike any conventional religion. A man, a physical human man (presumably), is god and only women are allowed to stay in the convent. Alarm bells ringing yet?

I really enjoyed seeing the sapphic representation in this one. And alongside this, seeing Lucia become more human and more relatable throughout the story. So much is stuffed into this short novel.

I’ll almost definitely read this again to get more out of it. On the first take, it feels like a commentary on femininity, false news, controlled states and how hierarchical structures impose violence on ‘lower’ individuals. At it’s heart is the power love can grant you - the desire to look beyond the curtain and bring down systems put in place to control us.

The vibe here is "what If Jean Rollin had directed an adaptation of A Canticle For Leibovitz?", which to be fair is a brilliant idea, but the execution is a bit too ploddy and uninteresting for me. It's a short book, but nonetheless it feels a bit like walking through treacle and became an endurance test to finish. Great as a way to exemplify the limited and constrained lives of these women, not so much fun to read. I really loved Tender Is The Flesh, but this one missed the mark for me.

Yet another incredible book from Agustina Bazterrica! We follow an unnamed woman as she finds herself trapped in a convent that calls themselves the Sacred Sisterhood. I say trapped because it is quite clear this is a cult that rules through fear - fear of punishment from the Sister Superior and each other, and fear of the outside world which has been decimated due to environmental disaster.

No men are allowed, except for the man they called He, a self-proclaimed God who has banned all worship of the Christian God and associated prayers, saints etc.

When a strange woman arrives and is nursed back to health by our protagonist, a sequence of events is unleashed that makes her begin to question everything she's been led to believe by those who run this cult.

The whole book was bleak, soulless and left me feeling utter despair in the pit of my stomach, but in the best possible way. It is definitely meant to leave you feeling this way!

I gave this book 4 stars purely because I was left feeling unsatisfied with the flashbacks to our protagonists past. The past she was living in this post-apocalyptic world before she joined the Sacred Sisterhood. I wanted MORE of this, I needed some more meat on those bones because I'm nosy and love a good origin story.

However, this is an immaculate story of despair, fear, hopelessness and the light that one person can shine for another when it feels like all is lost.

I loved this book, and my colleagues are already sick of me talking about how much I loved it. Bazterrica has such a wonderful style, and creates these lush, grim dystopias that feel both completely realistic and fantastically mythical.