Tender Beasts
After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother's name in this "creepily potent story of a family legacy that gives terrifying shape to monsters real and imagined" (Kirkus Reviews) perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades. Sunny Behre has four siblings, but only one is a murderer. With the death of Sunny's mother, matriarch of the wealthy Behre family, Sunny's once picture-perfect life is thrown into turmoil. Her mother had groomed her to be the family's next leader, so Sunny is confused when the only instructions her mother leaves is a mysterious note: "Take care of Dom." The problem is, her youngest brother, Dom, has always been a near-stranger to Sunny...and seemingly a dangerous one, if found guilty of his second-degree murder charge. Still, Sunny is determined to fulfill her mother's dying wish. But when a classmate is gruesomely murdered, and Sunny finds her brother with blood on his hands, her mother's simple request becomes a lot more complicated. Dom swears he's innocent, and although Sunny isn't sure she believes him, she takes it upon herself to look into the murder--made all the more urgent by the discovery of another body. And another. As Sunny and Dom work together to track down the culprit, Sunny realizes her other siblings have their own dark secrets. Soon she may have to choose: preserve the family she's always loved or protect the brother she barely knows--and risk losing everything her mother worked so hard to build.
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Community Reviews
This book walks a fine line between supernatural intrigue and procedural drama. While the premise is compelling, the mystery itself falls a bit short. Sunny, the main character, embarks on a mission to uncover the real murderer behind the deaths her brother is accused of. However, her investigation doesn't progress very far, and the resolution comes abruptly, leaving much to be desired.
One of the stronger aspects of the book is its commentary on race and privilege, particularly in the context of a Black family navigating the world of white high society. It thoughtfully explores how Black individuals are often the first to be blamed when things go wrong. However, the reveal at the end—that the Black family is, in fact, deeply criminal—felt conflicting and left me unsure how to interpret the message.
Overall, while the book has its merits, particularly in its social commentary, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. There are certainly better reads available.
this book is super weird and the ending was even weirder? I really liked how descriptive and twisty the book was, but ultimately the end felt underwhelming compared to the rest of the story. Overall though, this was a fun read. I always love a good unreliable narrator.
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