This title took me by surprise. Some of the stories are very haunting and at points I thought I would have to stop reading, but something about the narrative encourages you to continue. It is a very dark anthology and some stories stand out more than others, particularly Roberto and The Solitary Ones. I will definitely need to pick up a copy of the author's other work Tender is the Flesh.

I originally found this author through her Tender Is The Flesh. I had hoped and expected more of the same, but as with most short story collections, this one had its hits and misses. That said, it is a solid collection with all the stories at least touching upon “the dark heart of our desires, fears and fantasies” as one of the blurbs said. It was certainly an exploration of humanity as well as by the author herself. There was a sense of creeping dread throughout, as well as anxiety and suspense. Then there was horror and terror. Look to “The Solitary Ones” for your fix there. Nothing is black and white with this author and you just might find yourself questioning how you fit into this world gone crazy. Bazterrica sums up this collection in “A Light, Swift, and Monstrous Sound” when she says, “Human evil knows no limits.” But it wasn’t quite all doom and gloom. Take “Anita and Happiness” where Pablo suspects his girlfriend is an alien.

"Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird" by Agustina Bazterrica is a collection of tense and macabre stories that explore the darker aspects of human desires and fears. In these gripping tales, bodies fall from the sky, secrets are hidden beneath perfect nails, and violence lurks behind seemingly gleaming façades. With a blend of shocking brutality and sharp humor, Bazterrica delves into the realm of human monstrousness, offering readers a breathtaking and unsettling experience in contemporary horror fiction.

Beautiful, dark and definitely my favourite read of the year!

Agustina Bazterrica delivers a powerful collection of short stories that I absolutely loved reading. When I finished the collection I found myself going back to read the few that I found truly captivating. There is just something about the way Agustina writes a story, regardless of the length, that takes the reader to another level. With clever use of humour and a clear understanding of the human condition, these stories offer sometimes startling insights into humanity and are definitely thought provoking. I am a big fan of her work and would recommend this collection as a must read!

I liked this book, but would definitely say it didn't give me the same atmosphere as tender in the flesh did, but i would recommend if you want a short, easy read.

A fascinating collection of short stories all as equally brutal, tense, chilling and shocking as the one before and after it. I couldn't put it down. I loved them

I enjoyed these short stories and am now very excited to read Tender is the Flesh. These stories give lots of weird, creepy, shocking and disturbing vibes... I absolutely love it but they're definitely not for everyone. From the first few stories expect major TWs, so be sure to approach with caution if this may affect you. A must read book for fans of Sayaka Murata. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

I really enjoyed Tender is The Flesh so jumped at the chance to read this short story collection, but I just don't think short stories are for me!

I enjoyed the mix up of stories and plots and how each had its own shock factor, I wanted a bit more. I think I just in general enjoy a more fleshed out book and whilst these were certainly not lacking, it left me little time to get to grips with each plot etc.

Enjoyable, but short stories are not my reading niche I've come to learn.

Being completely honest, I expected a lot more from Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird. The short stories were very hit and miss, more so misses than hits.

I was very intrigued about this collection of short stories after hearing so much about Tender is the Flesh. I enjoyed some stories more than others but were always intriguing and enthralling.
3.5 Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastically creepy short story collection that echos the unsettling atmosphere of Agustina Bazterrica's Tender is the Flesh that has you asking the question 'what if?'. I found that I was still thinking about some of these short stories days after one finished them which for me is a sign of a good horror writer, although perhaps not so great if you choose to pick up this book before bed. I would definitely recommend this book to every horror reader I know!

This was a genuinely unsettling collection of short stories, all of which were written in interesting and original ways. My personal favourites were 'Roberto', which was horrific in its content but beautifully rendered; 'Anita and Happiness', which was a quirky story with a body snatchers feel; 'Perfect Symmetry', which was an exploration of both cooking and prison; 'Mary Carminum', which features men getting their comeuppance in a particularly disturbing way; and 'The Solitary Ones', which was just a straight up horror story set on the subway. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of the stories here and even those that didn't work for me, I could see working for others.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

After reading Bazterrica’s dystopian novel Tender is the Flesh last year, I was excited to read the translation of her latest short story collection, Nineteen Claws and A Black Bird.

The author’s love of the macabre, the dark and twisted facets of the human condition are the focus again of her new work. In a series of twenty short stories (some more developed than others), Bazterrica explores the monstrous elements of humanity including self-destruction, the perverse, obsession, murder and assault. There are so many trigger warnings to include here but it’s definitely not a collection for the faint-hearted!

Women are often the victims within the stories, but Bazterrica depicts them as not just victims. They fight back, with the supernatural sometimes featuring in their vengeance.

With her uniquely experimental and evocative writing style, Bazterrica has written an anthology of thought-provoking stories- some will shock you to your core while others will infuriate you. Be prepared to leave your sanity at the door and delve into Bazterrica’s disturbingly twisted and surreal world. A must-read for horror fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the arc. Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is out now.

I absolutely loved reading this book! I am a huge fan of Tender is the Flesh, and Bazterrica’s new book surely didn’t disappoint.

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is an addictive short story collection about desire, obsession, self destruction and death in macabrely funny or perverse guises. Some stories are more developed than others, but they are all thrilling to read. The pieces do come together as a whole, connected by a certain dark momentum that drives the premises from perturbation at the beginning to total madness towards the end.

I particularly enjoyed the nuanced gender commentary in some of the stories. For example, they touch on female child grooming, agism that particularly affects women, body hate with a twist, predatory stalking, mother-to-daughter misogyny, male misogyny towards capable women, and many more harrowing crimes committed against women. Women are often victims in theses story, but they are also more than that, and sometime they fight back in supernatural ways.

Stellar collection, really! Looking forward to Bazterrica’s next book already!

Bazterrica’s short story collection is as powerful and well-written as Tender is the Flesh.
As with all short story collections, there are some I prefer than others - the first story & last story were especially brilliant, as was “Perfect Symmetry” and “The Continuous Equality of the Circumference” - the latter reminding me slightly of Tender is the Flesh with its horror and gore.
Some stories didn’t work so well for me, I didn’t enjoy the football in Teicher vs Nietzsche (an otherwise excellent story) and I couldn’t get into No Tears.

Each story had its own narrative voice and at no point did the stories feel repetitive, I especially liked the different uses of 1st/2nd/3rd person in each story, and the difference in story lengths worked well.

An enjoyable selection of stories.

I previously enjoyed 'Tender is the Flesh' by Agustina Bazterrica, so I jumped at the chance to read this newly translated short story collection from her - plus the cover and title intrigued me. The subject matter and writing in each story, while some varied and stood out as being a bit more experimental, remained very true to what I know already of this author, so I think this is a good collection for the returning reader, and general horror lovers alike.

I've given this collection four stars overall, as the stories I loved really were impactful, but there were a few others I skimmed through or were just okay. But this is often the case with short story collections - I think it's rare to love every single one, and overall I'm glad I read this book and would recommend it.

My favourite stories of the collection were:

A Light, Swift and Monstrous Sound
- What an opening story, that really grabs your attention. It'll stick with me for a while. This was more of a quiet kind of horror, where the reality and brutality of it is the thing that really impacts you.

Candy Pink
- My favourite of the collection. The way this story was told, and the events that unfolded were at once relatable, funny, and disturbing. Watching this main character spiral out of control was entertaining and scary!

Earth
- An interesting perspective to read from, and I enjoyed the way we gained more clarity as we went along. Some really sinister and interesting imagery, and a relatable exploration of loss and rejection.

No Tears
- My second favourite story in the collection. I could have read a novel about these characters, they were so real in my mind, The short story we got packed a punch, was incredibly vivid and fantastically written.

Circumference
- So surreal, and definitely the kind of story that if you summarise to someone what it's about, it'll sound really strange! But such an unsettling and timely commentary on our self-perception, body image and pursuit of (unattainable) perfection.

A Hole Hides a House
- Again, I felt like we were given such a short story that could have been the concept for an entire novel. Dark and scary but inspiring.

(Just to mention - I was disturbed by the story Roberto! Very strange, but powerful. It feels wrong to say I liked it - I didn't enjoy reading it - but it was very interesting and horrifying!)

As a fan of Tender is the Flesh, I was looking forward to getting into this one. Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a collection of macabre, bizarre and interesting short stories; some I personally found a little hit or miss but there were a couple that stuck with me.
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Just like Tender, with each story I fell further in love with Agustina's writing style. The way she's able to make the reader feel as if we're a character in the story is a talent that she excels at; it's addictive to read and I was excited to start the next story every time. A couple of my favourites that I thought showed off Bazterrica's writing well were Candy Pink and Mary Carminum.
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The main reason I'm only giving this 3 stars is because a few of the stories I found I couldn't fully get into or the endings felt too abrupt so it lost me slightly, however for every story that I wasn't so immersed in, there was another that I loved and that kept my full attention— either way, I still looked forward to reading all of them and it's made me understand the love for short story collections.
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Overall, this didn't quite go beyond my expectations but I still enjoyed it nonetheless and I'd definitely recommend to anyone who likes their dark short stories.

A beautifully crafted short-story collection that highlights the twisted and macabre mind of Agustina Bazterrica in all its glory. Perfect for any fan of horror fiction with deep themes and tight prose.

South American writers have a long tradition of weird, macabre, horrorific and disturbing stories. I asssume it's the influx of the Spanish culture and of their troubled history.
This is a collection of short stories that are disturbing and weird. There's not one that I would consider light but they're all well written.
Not a relaxing book but an interesting one.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Some hits, some misses, but overall none of the short stories are particularly memorable, despite the skilled writing.