Generally speaking, when I read a good book, I have no qualms recommending it to others. However, I now find myself in the unusual position of having read a good book that I cannot recommend—not without a sharp pang of misgiving in my chest. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica is one of the most polarizing works of fiction I’ve had the pleasure (or rather, agony) of reading. Initially published in Argentina in 2017, the book’s 2020 debut into the English-speaking world coincided perfectly with the social trauma inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The context and timing of its publication give the book a veneer of eerie realism and relatability that it would not have otherwise had, casting a sinister shadow over the novel.