Here I was, silently perusing my Facebook feed when I came upon a book recommendation request, and THIS one showed up. There was shock and awe right after and a mini-discussion of sorts about it (’cause it’s ummm…*ahem* a cannibalism one). So I HAD to have it. Yep. I paid full price, and it’s not that long of a book.
Maryse: I’m reading one that I saw on my Facebook feed, in the comments of a post about book recommendations.
It’s a sort of dystopian/post-apocalyptic “have to eat people even though nobody is a zombie” book. Yep. Cannibalism but in a more “structured/governed” way. At least the wealthier class, anyway… I thought… oh wow… I’m so curious. …
Cannibalism, which is not my usual horror catnip, but HOLY MOLY blurb jolt!!! So yes, “Tender is the Flesh” I’m almost done. I’ll let y’all know soon.
Harper: So..Soylent Green?
Maryse: LOL!!! I watched that one when I was little so I’m not remembering the story much except… I think they didn’t KNOW they were eating… humans.
This one has a lot of social commentary, and I suppose a sort of love story, but who knows if there’s an HEA. LOL!!!
But wait!! Hold onnnnnn. I know what you’re thinking. What is this? Some horror? A zombie book? Gross flesh eating and tearing and… blood and guts… and…?
Nope. Well… sort of. But not horror. Mind you, it’s horrific in its own ways, subject matter wise, but it’s more of a… dystopian/post apocalyptic of sorts? Maybe a love story thrown in? <— I won’t say more.
‘Cause you see, the governments all over the world now regulate the breeding of humans for consumption.
In some countries, immigrants began to disappear in large numbers. Immigrants, the marginalized, the poor. They were persecuted and eventually slaughtered. Legalization occurred when the governments gave in to pressure from a big-money industry that had come to a halt. They adapted the processing plants and regulations. Not long after, they began to breed people as animals to supply the massive demand for meat.
Why? Because it has been deemed that all animals (ALL OF THEM – even fish) now have a virus that will kill humans. In fact, animals are killed on site to lessen the risk of exposure. Oh, and pets are no longer allowed. Yep… government regulates that, too.
After GGB, animals could no longer be eaten because they’d been infected by a virus that was fatal to humans. That was the official line. The words carry the weight necessary to mold us, to suppress all questioning, he thinks.
And it’s the “normalization” process… slow and steady to now make it seem completely okay.
Many people have normalized what the media insist on calling the “Transition.” But he hasn’t because he knows that transition is a word that doesn’t convey how quick and ruthless the process was. One word to sum up and classify the unfathomable. An empty word. Change, transformation, shift: synonyms that appear to mean the same thing, though the choice of one over the other speaks to a distinct view of the world. They’ve all normalized cannibalism, he thinks. Cannibalism, another word that could cause him major problems.
Of course, you have plenty of social commentary mixed in with this story as it unfolds entirely through the eyes of one of the “meat” processing employees. Such as, many in the regular population are suspicious of the government’s intentions. Do animals really have this virus? Or is this all a ploy.
Along with, only the wealthy are able to afford “properly bred and processed meat”,
Legalization occurred when the governments gave in to pressure from a big-money industry that had come to a halt. They adapted the processing plants and regulations. Not long after, they began to breed people as animals to supply the massive demand for meat.
…while the lower class population eat from the black market (just regular old Joes that just happen to die or are killed outside of the regulated meat processors). Ugh. The whole thing is just UGH!
Groups of people had started killing others and eating them in secret. The press documented a case of two unemployed Bolivians who had been attacked, dismembered, and barbecued by a group of neighbors. When he read the news, he shuddered. It was the first public scandal of its kind and instilled the idea in society that in the end, meat is meat, it doesn’t matter where it’s from.
And yes, you will get plenty of “gore” by the way of the processing description, the processing of the “skins” to create a new version of leather, and so on, how each part is cut, and named hanging to be butchered by local butcher shops.
The mood of the book is exactly what you’d expect. Dark, dreary, depressing, despondent. Disgusting. Devious (all “meat” is processed, including some of the children that are not raised to adulthood for meat or further breeding – they are extra tender and extra expensive. Made me think of “veal”).
And the main character is suffering from his own massive depression due to losing a child and, in turn, losing his wife.
He’s alone. His wife has gone to live with her mother. It’s not that he still misses her, but there’s an emptiness in the house that keeps him awake, that troubles him.
And yet every day, he has to broker meat/human trade sales with the wealthy, other meat processing companies and various breeding plants, despite him being one that is completely disillusioned by this whole new world.
The purge had resulted in other benefits: the population and poverty had been reduced, and there was meat. Prices were high, but the market was growing at an accelerated rate. There were massive protests, hunger strikes, complaints filed by human rights organizations, and at the same time, articles, research, and news stories that had an impact on public opinion.
But then… he is gifted a rare female (she’s alive) of the most perfect grade A meat (due to her breeding lineage). He can do what he wishes with it (butcher it for himself, sell it, have it bred to create more and start his own breeding farm). Kind of like a cow. Naked and afraid, and without any social skills, tied to his barn by a simple rope around its neck. Completely compliant. It eats “feed” for crying out loud!!!!
I sent you all the papers in case you want to sell her. She’s healthy, all her vaccines are up-to-date. You can also crossbreed her. She’s at just the right age for reproducing. But most important is that she’s an FGP.”
Oh yes, this is an interesting book.
So now what? And that’s where the story truly begins. 😉
And what an ending. I will say I did NOT see that coming. But it was so abrupt, that I was annoyed, after having drudged through this very hard story (even if I was super intrigued). I had toooooo many questions still.
P.S. BIG HUGE NOTE!!!! SKIP CHAPTER 6!!!!! It triggered me big time. Once I realized what was happening, I started scrolling as fast as I could, skimming in case of something important. I wish I had not read it. It didn’t further the story, other than showing even more pure cruelty and hurt my heart. It’s short, and supposedly after reading other reviews, I see it’s a sort of “nod” to Soylent Green (which I have not read) but still, I’d skip it.
4 stars <— I’d give it 5 stars because of how unique it was, how it kept me reading and wanting more. It’s truly an unforgettable story. However, it was super-dark (that feeling of drudgery), and the ending was abrupt – I was shocked (and dismayed) to see I was already at the acknowledgments. I still have so many questions. I want to discover all the things!!!! I’d be interested in sequels for sure, because this story is nowhere near over.
If there are more books that are released, I will likely up this grade.
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