This story is a dystopian horror that takes place in Argentina. In this dystopian world, there is something called the “transition,” which is the government legalizing cannibalism and the consumption and production of human meat after a virus turns all animal meat poisonous to humans. The protagonist, Marcos, is the head of such a human meat processing plant. Marcos is trying to navigate his life in this new world after a series of tragic events in his personal life. The death of his son haunts him, and his wife has left him. Things are not easy with his father being in a nursing home for having dementia. Marcos has responsibilities, and he cannot afford to reject the new world or his job, however immoral he finds it. Things take a turn when he gets delivered a first-grade live human for consumption as a gift. Trouble ensues when he starts to look at it as a human being, in spite of the government specifically forbidding it. 

This novel does a great job at social commentary. The society in this story parallels our own. This story is essentially about capitalism and how cruel it is that people actively and regularly set aside their morals and try to justify their actions. The marginalized people always end up being the scapegoats in a capitalist society, and the oppressive state ensures no one can oppose the system, which benefits the rich. The use of propaganda and how capitalism leaves marginalized people helpless are explored in this story. The use of language and the importance of word choice are another crucial aspect of this book. Because through words, people desensitize and dehumanize other people for their own benefit. The descriptions of the cannibalism are grotesque and horrifying, but this short novel surely sends a strong and important message. 

-Ariana