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 ...
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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.
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Add this copy of The Unworthy: a Novel to cart. $46.33, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Blackstone Publishing, Inc.
Add this copy of The Unworthy: a Novel to cart. $72.36, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Blackstone Publishing, Inc.
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.
