10 Best Books Like Tender Is the Flesh
If you loved Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, here are the most similar books our readers recommend.
Quick Answer
The best books like Tender Is the Flesh are:
- 1The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley4.5
- 2Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier0
- 3Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky4.7
- 41984 by George Orwell0
- 5The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood0
- 6The Pretender by Jo Harkin4.2
- 7The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead4.4
- 8The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne4.4
- 9The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian4.5
- 10Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel by David Baldacci4.4

After a virus makes all animal meat deadly, humanity has transitioned to legally farming and consuming human flesh—euphemistically called "special meat." Marcos works at a processing plant trying not to think about his grim profession until he's given a live human specimen as a gift, forcing him to confront the horrifying world he's helped create. As he begins to see her humanity, he must grapple with what society has lost and whether redemption is still possible.
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Detailed Recommendations
Quick Comparison: Books Like Tender Is the Flesh
| Book | Author | Rating | Year | Pages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The King's Messenger | Susanna Kearsley | 4.5 | 2025 | 384 | Closest match |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | 0 | 2012 | 448 | Similar vibes |
| Crime and Punishment | Fyodor Dostoevsky | 4.7 | 2012 | 608 | Similar vibes |
| 1984 | George Orwell | 0 | 1949 | — | Similar vibes |
| The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood | 0 | 1985 | — | Similar vibes |
| The Pretender | Jo Harkin | 4.2 | 2025 | 449 | Similar vibes |
| The Underground Railroad | Colson Whitehead | 4.4 | 2016 | 306 | Similar vibes |
| The Scarlet Letter | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 4.4 | 2005 | 212 | Similar vibes |
| The Jackal's Mistress | Chris Bohjalian | 4.5 | 2025 | 336 | Similar vibes |
| Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel | David Baldacci | 4.4 | 2025 | 608 | Similar vibes |
Authors Who Write Like Agustina Bazterrica
If you enjoy Agustina Bazterrica's writing style, explore these similar authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What books are most similar to Tender Is the Flesh?
The most similar books to Tender Is the Flesh are The King's Messenger, Rebecca, Crime and Punishment.
What should I read after Tender Is the Flesh?
After finishing Tender Is the Flesh, readers most commonly pick up The King's Messenger next.
Who writes books like Agustina Bazterrica?
Authors similar to Agustina Bazterrica include Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy.
What genre is Tender Is the Flesh?
Tender Is the Flesh is a Literary Fiction novel by Agustina Bazterrica, published in 2020.
How long is Tender Is the Flesh?
Tender Is the Flesh is 240 pages long.
About Tender Is the Flesh
Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans-though no one calls them that anymore.His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat-“special meat”-is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost-and what might still be saved.









