Nineteen Claws and a Black bird by Agustina Bazterrica

176 Pages

Short Story/ Horror

4.5/5*

Formats available: Book, Libby eAudiobook

“A collection of nineteen dark, wildly imaginative short stories from the author of the award-winning TikTok sensation Tender Is the Flesh.

From celebrated author Agustina Bazterrica, this collection of nineteen brutal, darkly funny short stories takes into our deepest fears and through our most disturbing fantasies. Through stories about violence, alienation, and dystopia, Bazterrica’s vision of the human experience emerges in complex, unexpected ways—often unsettling, sometimes thrilling, and always profound. In “Roberto,” a girl claims to have a rabbit between her legs. A woman’s neighbor jumps to his death in “A Light, Swift, and Monstrous Sound,” and in “Candy Pink,” a woman fails to contend with a difficult breakup in five easy steps.

Written in Bazterrica’s signature clever, vivid style, these stories question love, friendship, family relationships, and unspeakable desires.”

I always wonder what goes through the mind of a horror writer on a day-to-day basis; what compels them to pen words that seem normal to them and make shiver the rest of the population. Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird gave me a window into the soul of a horror writer, uncovering the way that they see the world and its droning day to day. Does Bazterrica see the world uncovered for what it truly is while we see it through tinted glasses? Most definitely, yes. I find I enjoy the way that Bazterrica uses the macabre and the shock of things to address humanity and its ailments; they do so in a tasteful and thought-provoking way without stunning their audience simply to stun them. I don’t enjoy it when ugly is presented without showing the beauty in the ugly as well. I always feel like there should be a point to all this and with this compilation there are millions of tiny world-exposing points. There is purpose in the horror here. It is also evident that this was written with a deep cultural intent and that alone makes this darker and more stunning. It is fierce, and I enjoyed even the unsettling revelations of humanity. The horror here is that Bazterrica takes your real human emotion and reaction and turns it into the monster in your closet, ready to devour you. I recommend this book in all its pieces and its entirety. If you are looking to step foot into this world, read one or two and make your way through the list; savor each story and process the way Bazterrica makes you feel. If you simply love the genre, this is a book you must pick up and consume as it consumes you back. 

You can find Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird in our physical library as Hardback and on Libby as an eBook and an eAudiobook for checkout. For more book recommendations please tune in to Off the Books with B&S Podcast on any of your preferred podcasting platforms; new episodes air every other Thursday. 

Bethann