A review by cakt1991
Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

4.0

 I really enjoyed Liselle Sambury’s prior books, especially her first horror title, Delicious Monsters, so I was pleased she would be writing more in this vein with Tender Beasts. I liked the concept of the book a lot more than the execution for the most part. While there are some great elements here, others missed the mark. 

I really liked the central family bond between Sunny and Dom, and how they’ve never particularly been close, and she’s predisposed to view him with suspicion, Sunny becoming aware of her mother’s concerns for Dom, and how it tied into their intense family history all was also fairly interesting too. And while the journals did bog down the pacing in places, they further added dimension to the family dynamics beyond what was presented in the present. 

The plot also was very odd, and I found myself struggling to remain invested, as while there were some interesting, odd things happening, I struggled to know what to make of it, the story overall meandered along where I would have expected a bit more excitement, given the content.The book was just too long for what amounted for a rather underwhelming payoff. 

I was very underwhelmed by this book, but I can see how this might work for others. While I would recommend Delicious Monsters first as the better book in this style, I think you’d enjoy it if you’re looking for a thriller/horror novel with complex family dynamics.