I have been at a total loss for words for this review since finishing The Unworthy. Bazterrica has done it again with another eerie, skin-crawly, unique horror! The narrator shares her story and circumstances via journal entries using anything she possibly can. She is part of a religious cult convent, the Sacred Sisterhood, where she is one of the lower members, referred to as “the unworthy.” She aspires to ascend the ranks to become one of the Enlightened and is mostly accepting of enduring the control and punishments she is currently under, until a newcomer arrives. 

As the narrator and the newcomer get to know each other in secret, she begins to wonder about her past and her future. She can’t remember how she got to the Sacred Sisterhood, she is beginning to piece together how she survived the devastation in the outside world, and she no longer wants to accept things as the way they are for her (and her new… friend…) in the convent. 

We were limited by the narrator’s limited knowledge and memories, but I would have loved to know more about the Sacred Sisterhood and the crisis going on in the outside world. In the same breath, I think it also added to the story to only be able to see it as she sees it. The vagueness and my curiosity add to how scary things are for the narrator! The Superior Sister and “Him” are the leaders of the convent and were such perfect villains, I also would’ve loved more of them! But the succinctness of the story and focus on the narrator and the newcomer once she arrives stood well on its own. Bazterrica absolutely stuck the landing on this one too! I’ve been reeling since I closed the book. 

From the genius author of Tender is the Flesh, perfect for fans of dystopian futures, creepy religious cults, and torture! Lol

Thank you so much to Scribner for the ARC and opportunity to be an early reader for one of my most anticipated reads of 2025!

Out for release in the US on March 4th!