A review by booklore_forevemore
Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

2.75

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!