“Ever since animals were eliminated, there’s been a silence that nobody hears, and yet it’s there, always, resounding throughout the city. It’s a shrill silence that can be seen on people’s faces, in their gestures, in the way they look at one another. It’s as if everyone’s lives have been detained, as if they were waiting for the nightmare to end.”
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I was extremely conflicted about how to review this book. There is no doubt that Bazterrica is a strong writer. The theme of how words and the way they are said convey the depth of a person was so interesting to me. 

Unfortunately, I felt her strength was lost in the sheer horror of this book. The unflinching coldness of her tone was numbing for me, which felt so wrong. I understand that violence/brutality can be a strong literary plot device, but it was so extensive and imaginative that it just made me nauseous. I usually read while eating lunch, but I felt sick at the thought. 

It also felt quite doubtful to me that veganism wasn’t a serious alternative to industrial cannibalism. That shaky premise made the rest quite dubious for me. 

The entire (removing name for spoiler) plot line made me feel physically ill. The unequal power dynamic, that she was basically a child intellectually, all of it was horrific. I see why others were fascinated by this, but I sort of just want to forget it.