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About The Book

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.

About The Author

Photograph (c) Nene Fortier

Liselle Sambury is a Trinidadian Canadian author and Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalist. She has a love for stories with dark themes, complicated families, and edges of hope. In her free time, she shares helpful tips for upcoming writers and details of her publishing journey through a YouTube channel dedicated to demystifying the sometimes complicated business of being an author.

Why We Love It

“Liselle Sambury writes YA psychological horror like no other! In lesser hands, what could have been your standard serial killer murder mystery has instead become an evocative exploration of toxic families and the generational traumas that create them, as well as a look into the systems of oppression built into every facet of our own society to keep people down. I can promise that the complicated, fallible Behre family in Tender Beasts will stay with you long after you turn the last page.”

—Sarah M., Senior Editor, on Tender Beasts

Product Details

  • Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (February 27, 2024)
  • Length: 416 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781665903547
  • Grades: 9 and up
  • Ages: 14 - 99

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Raves and Reviews

"A fresh horror offering mixes ­social commentary on race and class with gore and supernatural possession."

– School Library Journal, 3/1/24

"A creepily potent story of a family legacy that gives terrifying shape to monsters real and imagined."

– Kirkus Reviews, 12/15/23

"The dark, shocking secrets of the Behre family will have readers craving more."

– Booklist, 1/1/24

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More books from this author: Liselle Sambury