If you’re looking for a horror thriller family drama then this one might be for you!

The plot is fascinating, it’s one of the reasons I keep on reading because I was intrigued by the mystery behind all these murders and also the supernatural element of the ‘Milk Man’.

The characters are flawed and complex, each of them has their own struggle and dark secrets which makes to be a complicated family drama.
I have to admit I admire the FMC’s action after knowing the secret of her own family that has been kept hidden from her all these years.

As much as I enjoy this book, there are parts that felt a little bit dragging. The writing felt repetitive - the same things being repeatedly mentioned. Hence, making the book feels longer than it actually does for me.

Overall, this is quite an enjoyable read that was wrapped up quite nicely – I did like the ending which comes surprising to me.
I’ll keep an eye out for the next book by this author!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: violence, murder, death, child abuse, animal cruelty, animal death

2.5 :/

I was so excited for this: a fairly estranged family somewhat works together to clear their younger brother of murder. Mostly it's Sunny, the fourth of 5 children, who is helping her brother Dom find out who killed the people he's been accused of murdering. Their family does not get along very well - their mom, who was the undisputed leader of the family, died a year ago, but her work to alienate the sibling from each other really had lasting effects.

Liselle Sambury's books are just so freaking long. But this book specifically just didn't really... have a point? I really did not like the way that the mystery ended up going, but even besides that, we are just stumbling through 500 pages of Sunny going on about how she's supposed to be the bubbly and fun sibling who is liked by everyone and eventually finds out she's liked by pretty much no one. I mean, it was a good exploration into the idea of people-pleasing, but I don't know. I just didn't feel very tied to it.

I just think that there are people who like their mysteries to go one way on the mystery spectrum, and people who like them to go another way, and this one just went the way I don't like. I'm being very vague because I don't want to spoil anything lol

Sunny's older brother has panic attacks, and her younger brother was in a somewhat controlling relationship, and one of her older sisters is having difficulty creating art which is something she's normally good at, so I liked the way that Sunny kind of realized that they had no clue what was going on in each others' lives due to the rift their mom had caused. They were kind of all basically healing from their mom's controlling nature separately and eventually came together to finish the job. So this definitely wasn't a total bust of a book. The family elements were interesting. It just was longer than it needed to be and like I said, just generally not my kind of book in the end.

Tender Beasts is a book that doesn't allow easy answers. It's a book committed to family. The family which lies to us, keeps secrets from us to protect us, and leaves us in the dark. It's also about the family who supports us when it's difficult, who cover our backs without asking, and who know the power of loyalty. Tender Beasts will keep you on the edge of your seat. Sambury's latest book is about images and legacy.

sunny was raised to be her family’s leader, so when her mother dies, she’s confused to learn that all she left sunny was a note: “take care of dom.” dom, sunny’s youngest brother, is the family outcast, with one murder charge under his belt and another on the way. still, she gets close to him, which means looking for who really murdered the dead boy she found dom standing over.

i really liked the family dynamics in this one. it’s rare that a child besides the eldest would be raised as the leader, so it was interesting to see how this affected sunny’s relationship with her older siblings, especially karter, the oldest child who took over everything after their mother died. sunny also learns many unsavory things about her mother after her death, which is always hard. i think liselle sambury does family dynamics well in all of her books, and i’m glad it was so present in this one.

the mystery and horror aspects were also captivating. the villain was unconventional and was so interesting to me. i enjoyed how everything played out and could not put this book down!

i highly recommend this book to ya horror fans and i can’t wait for whatever’s next from this author.

Do you ever just hate one of your friends and want to push them down a flight of stairs? Except it's that goofy hate where like, you don't actually hate them. They just wrote a ridiculous book that had you literally gasping at the reveals in the last 10%? Because Hello. I have a friend. Her name is Liselle Sambury. She wrote this book. Now, where are the stairs?

There are probably words in the English language to describe how this book made me feel but I sure as fuck can't string them together right now. I spent so much of this book trying to figure out what was happening and when I figured it out it made so much sense as to why that's what was happening and also why I couldn't figure it out. This was a wild time.

Honestly, if I lived a bit closer to Liselle I might fear for my life because if this is the shit her brain thinks up? Like... maybe we should lock the doors just to be safe. I love, love, LOVE a story with an old legend that you spend the whole book trying to figure out if it's real or just in everyone's heads. LOVE it. When the villain can influence literally anyone without you knowing it. It made this story so much more interesting and dare I say, fun.

A lot of this book was mystery/thriller vibes with an overall horror-y feel but it was a great time either way. Cannot recommend this book or this author highly enough.

I didn’t get to finish the book before it was taken off my NetGalley shelf, but so far it had been a mysterious and creepy slow burn. It is interesting, however, that no one on the family seems to be a good person—at all.

Liselle Sambury’s “Tender Beasts” presents readers with a gripping psychological thriller that intertwines family secrets, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Set against the backdrop of a prestigious private school rocked by a shocking murder, the story follows Sunny Behre as she grapples with the complexities of her family’s dark past and the accusations against her youngest brother, Dom.

Sambury masterfully constructs a narrative filled with tension and suspense, drawing readers into a web of intrigue from the very first page. Sunny’s journey to uncover the truth behind the murder and clear her brother’s name is fraught with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the final reveal.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its exploration of familial relationships and the intricacies of loyalty and betrayal. As Sunny delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers layers of deception within her own family, forcing her to confront uncomfortable truths and make difficult choices about where her loyalties lie.

The character development in “Tender Beasts” is superb, with each member of the Behre family coming to life with their own distinct personalities and motivations. Sunny’s internal struggles and conflicting emotions add depth to her character, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist.

While the pacing of the novel is generally well-executed, there are moments where the plot feels slightly predictable or drawn out. However, Sambury’s skillful writing and attention to detail ultimately keep the story engaging and immersive.

Overall, “Tender Beasts” is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and family dramas alike. Sambury’s exploration of themes such as loyalty, sacrifice, and the consequences of secrets make for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant story that will linger in readers’ minds long after they’ve turned the final page.

I stayed up later than I intended last night to finish Tender Beasts -- it just kept getting better and better. Liselle Sambury continues to impress and remains on my list of favorite authors. She is a skilled writer who creates complex characters and interesting stories while making astute social commentary.

Sunny Behre was given one request in her mother's will, "take care of Dom". And Sunny always does what is expected of her.
Her younger brother Dom was accused of murdering his girlfriend, and now, there are more dead bodies piling up around the Behre family. As the outcast of the family, no one is convinced of his innocence, but Sunny decides she wants to solve the mystery. So is Dom a killer? Or does someone else want to ruin this wealthy Black family?


So here's why I love Tender Beasts:
1. Dual POV/timelines. The majority of the story is told through Sunny's perspective in present day, but we also get a good amount of story telling through her mom's old journal entries from her teen years.
2. I never knew what was going to happen. Even towards the end, I couldn't decide if the horror actually came from a paranormal source or it was all made up.
3. The Behre family -- as messed up as this family is, I loved them. Especially Dom. My heart ached for him.
4. The idea of the Milk Man. I still don't really understand what he is or where he came from -- I wish we had more of a backstory here. But it kinda sorta reminds me of Slenderman (which I find really creepy)
5. The epilogue. As bleak as this story is, the ending somehow came across as hopeful. I usually want everything tied up in a neat little bow (which didn't happen here) and I'm ok with it because that epilogue worked for me.


To be fair now, I do have a few areas where this could have been better:
1. Pacing was slow in the beginning. But as I said at the top, once I was at the halfway mark I couldn't stop.
2. I re-read the first chapter about Ainsley in the airport and I still have questions. Actually, I have at least 3 questions about that scene that I don't think were explained by the end of the story.
3. Again, I want more of a backstory on the Milk Man. I need to understand the milk maidens and little calves a bit better to appreciate this story.

(I don't want to under rate with my stars, but really I'm giving this a 4.5)

Well…this one was certainly a wild ride.

Quick summary:
Sunny Behre’s mother just died and all she left for her was a note: “Take care of Dom.” Dom, Sunny’s younger brother, was recently accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and no one knows if he really did it. When someone else mysteriously dies, Sunny begins digging and uncovers secrets about her family’s past that she may regret ever finding out.

Pros:
I SPED through this one. Partially because I needed to get this review in lol, but also because I was really hooked on the story. Sambury excels at creating a creepy atmosphere and I loved her invention of a small-town local legend/paranormal force(?): The Milk Man. I felt completely transported while reading this and I contribute a lot of that to my connection with the MC, Sunny. Sunny certainly isn’t perfect, but I understood her fears, insecurities, and dedication to her brother, and I was holding my breath for a few scenes that had me on edge. Having a strong main POV is really make-or-break for me and I think it’s another reason I love Sambury’s writing.

Cons:
There were definitely a few scenes where things seemed way too convenient/unrealistic, but they obviously had to happen for the plot to advance. I really wish everything had tied together more smoothly instead because this could have been an amazing read.

Overall:
I had a lot of fun with this one, but I was a bit let down by some issues with the plot. That being said, if you like weird, kinda campy horror books with mysterious, murderous villains and dysfunctional families, you might want to pick this one up!

This is an amazingly good, intense horror YA novel, and at this point I'd expect nothing less from Liselle Sambury when she's in horror mode. It's got amazing social commentary of many types, truly immersive writing, and some great (and intentionally not-so-great) characters who are all fully rounded and well-developed.

As soon as I heard this was going to be a thing, I just HAD to get my hands on it. It wasn’t even a question of whether or not I was going to read this. Why? I LOVED Delicious Monsters and I was adamant that everyone read it. And so it pains me to say I didn’t love this one as much I thought I would.

Ok the reason I didn’t care for this is the length. WHYYYY did it take so long to get to the point? It was hella repetitive. And it just got annoying waiting on it. And let me just say, there is nothing during this time that is explained, it’s just a long drawn out story. And then even when it starts to make sense, it still doesn’t lol I don’t know how to explain this in a way that makes sense. Like it has some weird happenings, but when they happen, no one knows why. Or there’s people who do and they just don’t want to say anything. It’s so weird the way she wrote it. Idk why she chose to write it like this, but I was not a fan of the writing style.

I also was really weirded out by the genre choice? Like yes there are some scary bits, but they’re so few and far between. And they’re only at the end. I would have called it a mystery. But when it was pitched to me, it was called a horror novel. And it wasn’t that I didn’t like it, it just wasn’t what I expected.

BUT the mystery itself was ok. It wasn’t really terrible. Besides the repeating, it was cool. The entire mystery is who is killing people and what this one sign means. And it is weird, and you never learn anything even though they are getting some answers. I don’t know how to explain it lol But just know, don’t get frustrated like I was. You’ll get answers, but they don’t come easy or early lol

The characters were the saving grace for me tho. I KNEW how it was going to end up. I remember yelling at Sunny to let her know not to trust anyone. (Not that she listened lol) But I also didn’t understand that. Like how in the world did all of this happen, she was kept in the dark, and then when the stuff is in her face she still was like “I don’t believe it?” Girl, whet? This is happening in your face and you’re like “NOPE, CAN’T SEE IT” It truly made no sense. As for the rest of their family, I can confirm, they were all liars. I’m telling you like I told her, DON’T TRUST ANYONE.

This wasn’t what I expected or wanted, from this but it was ok. I expected this to be like a book that was about a family of feral beasts that might have gone rogue. What I got was a story that had a hella weird generational trauma that I never even dreamed of. And trust me, you won’t have dreamed of it either. I can say I will never be drinking a certain thing again. Or at least not any time soon. But y’all read it and let me know what you think!

🥛listen, I don’t think I’ve been both hooked and terrified by a book in such a long time but oh gosh has this book made me scared of bumps in the night…and milk 🙈

🥛Upon the sudden death of their mother, Sunny is given a single note, Take Care of Dom, who is their younger brother that is currently being investigated for the murder of his girlfriend. I should say that it is a very OFF family dynamic, being that Dom is sort of the outcast of the family (literally), so while no one was surprised by this charge, Sunny is determined to prove that they are wrong about her brother and show that she will do anything to protect him.

🥛Oh, but there are SO many more layers to this book including a demonic-type summoning that has now cursed the family since the mother was a child…but no one in the family knows or talks about it. Known only as ‘The Milk Man’, we are told bits and parts of what has happened in the mother’s childhood that had led to her early passing…and what needs to be done in order to stop any more deaths from happening.

🥛This book had me hooked from the start, and while I wholly was disgusted by the family’s actions, there were so many more things that happened that had me terrified to turn the page 😬 Overall, this will have everyone trying to find answers while trying to figure out…why are we protecting Dom?

If I had a nickel for every time I read a book that spiraled into a weird supernatural cult plot twist, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

I was really excited to dive into this book, expecting something along the lines of “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” I wanted the main plot to be the back and forth of wondering - is Dom a murderer/psychopath? With that, I was disappointed when it got derailed by a supernatural entity reveal. I am personally not super interested in that type of story, especially when it is not marketed to include those elements. However, I can acknowledge that it is a well-written story and had a lot of positives. It was entertaining enough to keep me going to the end, but I think it was a bit of a miss for me. I definitely see it being more appreciated by others and wishing them the best on their journey with this one.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an early review copy. Tender Beasts was an amazing, multifaceted thriller/horror story. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning, but once we got into it, it was a solid ride. I loved the characters, and the supernatural aspect of it. It felt like a twist on a classic mystery, and I can't wait to read more by Ms. Sambury

A bear will protect it's family... or die trying. Sunny Behre has four siblings and one of them is a murderer... yet when her mother dies Sunny's picture perfect life is thrown into chaos. Sunny was groomed to be the next family leader yet when the only thing she receives in her mother's will reading is a note saying "Take care of Dom" Sunny is left mystified... especially since Dom, her youngest brother, is the one found guilty of second-degree murder. Sunny is determined to fulfill her mom's wishes... but when more of her classmates begin getting murdered and Sunny finds her brother covered in blood... she is beginning to realize taking care of Dom is going to be harder than she though. It's only worse when there is a real killer out there and the fact that Sunny's family has its own dark secrets... secrets that demand to be paid in blood and sacrifice... secrets that will cost Sunny and the Bhere family everything if they don't find a way to solve it and catch the murderer. This was such a fantastic thriller mystery read, it had cursed family secrets, touch of paranormal horror, a who dun it mystery, and a very complicated family relationship. This was so much fun and I loved the constant "is it really a demon or is it all make believe to cover for the sins" element of the story. It truly had me guessing and at the edge of my seat all the while I was reading this. I loved the family relationship in this one because it was so complex, all the siblings loved each other but each wanted to prove to their mom that they were special, and when pitted against each other, and forced to do things that would hurt each other or in the name of protecting each other, all their relationships were tested. This is a great horror read and I would absolutely recommend it!!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

very well done horror edge thriller with a lot of very weird elements that resolve beautifully by the end. thanks for the arc.

Generational trauma is real, it can cause both physical and mental issues for people and can ruin families. But what is that trauma was more than that? What is if was a curse, one that as long as everyone in the family plays there part will never come out? The Behres are a wealthy black family who seems to have it all, each child with their own specialty and focus and their parents starting and running a top level school for students for free of all backgrounds. When their mother dies however everything takes a turn and the glamour surrounding the family begins to wear off. This book deals with so many important topics such as generational trauma, racism, the injustices in the justice system and how commitment to family image can be destructive. This was a unique read and one I am excited to bring into my classroom.

Tender Beasts is a tour-de-force. This is a suspenseful, shiver-inducing and subtly stunning read.

Sunny is a fantastic protagonist—she is determined, driven, and feels the weight of protecting her family upon her shoulders. There are these impossible standards she feels she must live up to, put upon her by her mother and by herself. The Behre family is a cutthroat group. In fact they’re very reminiscent of what would happen if the Roys from Succession had a murder to solve and one of their own was accused. Her journey in this book is incredible character development and takes her to some really unexpected places. Liselle Sambury ensures she gets her hands dirty in a book full of grit and gore. Her character also allows for conversations around class, race, and privilege to really come into play and I loved these intersectional themes—particularly with how they impacted the murder mystery overall.

This is a book that thrives on complex personal relationships—making the tangled murder mystery at its heart that much more compelling and knotty to unravel. Every action she does will impact someone she loves, testing her allegiances to breaking point. It also raises the emotional stakes for the reader, as Sunny is someone that just feels like she needs to be loved and validated as worthy of love. Therefore, when she is placed in a consummate pressure cooker, made worse by the death and destruction around her, you cannot help but root for her.

Sambury is a force to be reckoned with and deserves to be recognised as such. Her concepts are fantastically bizarre, drawing on classic tropes but reinventing them in such fresh and exciting ways. Her books also draw deeply on navigations of tough and nuanced issues, particularly the depiction of trauma and abuse. Tender Beasts focuses on the cyclical violence borne from intergenerational trauma, with a fantastical and extremely interesting slant. It is a book that plays on the darkness within and burrows deep into the nature vs nurture debate. It also specifically focuses on this cyclical violence through the lens of communities of colour being criminalised and stereotyped as perpetrators of violence. In particular, it links ideas of masculinity and the criminalisation of young Black men in the media and society. Sambury is not playing around and it shows in every page. This book asks deep and cutting questions that play in your mind long after the final page.

I have rarely been so unnerved by a book like this one. Throughout reading, I had that sense of paranoia—created through an exquisite use of atmosphere and pacing that Sambury pulls off so well. This is such a psychologically fraught book. You are constantly questioning everything and everyone on the page. The family lineage seems to hide so many secrets, as well as the bodies piling up on the page. Everything is just suspicious and every page hums with tension. I also adored how murky Sambury gets—the ethics here are convoluted and firmly within a grey area, making you choose your loyalties just as Sunny does. It gets pretty damn dark though, so check trigger warnings before reading. The twists here are nothing short of magnificent. They are totally unexpected and flip the script every time. Sambury builds and builds to an explosive conclusion, but also one that still revels in the ambiguity of the previous events. Nothing is certain—leaving the reader in the same sense of wrongness that has followed them throughout the book.

Sambury is one of the YA horror/thriller authors for me at this moment. Tender Beasts was fantastic in every conceivable way—pacing, plotting, characterisation, atmosphere, and twists. Do yourself a favour and buy this book.

This is a very dark story with fantastic character depth. My only complaint would be the pacing as it took me a while to get into, but I will say it helped build up the characters and plot so it wasn’t totally wasted.

This book gives dark academia with creepy teens vibes, and I loved it. I don’t scare easily, but this one had its creepy peek through you finger moments.

Sunny and her siblings are students at their parent’s academy. Their mom passed away and gives Sunny one task, take care of your brother Dom. Well bro bro is a murderer, and some want to believe that he’s at it again. Why? Well because others have been found deceased in the school recently, too. As Sunny tries to prove her brother’s innocence she finds out many more disturbing things.

As I mentioned, this one was creepy. There was one scene that kind of gave me that room in the movie 𝑆𝑎𝑤 vibes (if you’re a horror fan). I can’t give too much away for the added surprises as you read and come to the reveal of the mystery/thriller! Just know it’s creepy and I sort of guessed the who, but not the why!