This was not for me, but I'm sure there will be someone out there that loves it. I feel like it's more family drama then horror....the horror doesn't come till the very end with a tiny bit of fantasy. And even then I like skipped everything to get to the end to see if I could find the horror. I am also not a big fan of not having dialogue quotations. I felt that it ran all together and was hard to read. But I might be biased and find it weird since I've never seen a book like this, so if you've read others and like some family drama then this will be for you.

“Sacrificial Animals” is a tale that sells itself as a horror novel based in Chinese mythology. And, to a certain extent, it is. But those elements enter into the novel so late in the game (about 80% through) that it’s hard for me to say that that; ‘s what this novel is.

The story focuses on the Morrow family: patriarch Carlyle, eldest son Joshua and younger son Nick. They live on an expansive property called Stag’s Crossing. Carlyle is an angry, bitter, racist man who, after losing his wife and unborn child, starts abuse his sons emotionally and physically. Joshua, the favorite son, gets less of this treatment than Nick.

Eventually, Joshua meets and falls in love with a Chinese-American woman named Emilia and is disowned by his father, leaving Nick to withstand his father’s moods alone. Nick also eventually leaves Stag’s Crossing and Carlyle behind for several decades. On his supposed death bed, Carlyle seeks to reconcile with his sons, who reluctantly return.

That’s the basic plot of the novel, at least. It’s more of a family drama about abuse than it is a horror novel. It takes the term “slow burn” to a whole new level. However, if that’s what you’re looking for, then this will be right up your alley.

Adding to the slow burn element is the format. Chapter alternate between “then” and “now”. One chapter will be a “then” chapter and tell events that happened in the past. “Now” chapters will tell what is happening in the present of the story. Sometimes, though, I found myself forgetting if I was “then” or “now”, which led to a slightly confusing reading experience.

The language of this book is beautiful. Pedersen has a talent for rich, vivid, poetic description. Language lovers will relish in every bit of it. And while I do love rich and vivid descriptions and occasional jaunts into poetic prose, I often found the language too flowery. I longed for some modern, up-to-date, concise langue and storytelling rather than something that languished in the words. It probably could have helped speed up the pace of the novel, as well.

Throughout the novel, mostly in the “then” chapters, there are references to foxes and things that Nick and Carlyle have done both to kits and full grown adults (killed them, trapped them, that sort of thing). It all seems very metaphorical for most of the novel and I found myself wondering what it was all about until I hit that final part of the novel. So be prepared that it does go somewhere.

One more structural note I want to touch on is the complete lack of quotation marks in the book. This honestly bothered me a lot. It was incredibly difficult to tell when people began speaking or stopped speaking and I was constantly rereading sentences. I’m not sure why this choice was made, but it makes for a frustrating read.

I wanted to like “Sacrificial Animals”. I’ve been seeking out horror that is written by folks other than straight white guys. I’m interested in horror that reflects cultures other than one I’m most familiar with. I also don’t shy away from family drama. There’s a lot of potential for fantastic character work and development in a story like this. Instead, I found myself deeply bored by the book. At one point, I mentioned to a friend that I was finding almost anything else to do with my time but read it.

That said, like with all things, someone else may have a very different experience. As I mentioned earlier, if you are someone who really loves to sit with beautiful prose and is okay with a very slow burn, then this may be right for you.

This book was a slippery beast, kind of like the fox that plagues the henhouse at Stag’s Crossing, the homestead in Nebraska where this story is set. Patriarch Carlyle is a stunningly violent man who beats his sons Joshua and Nick in order to train them up to become men who will do right by the farm. The story is from Nick’s POV with a dual timeline: childhood and thirty years later, when the boys are called back to Stag’s Crossing to tend to their dying father. Meanwhile, Joshua has married Emelia, an Asian woman, and the racist Carlyle has disowned him.

From the first page, I didn’t love the writing style. The language is stilted, the sentence structure awkward and fragmented. Additionally, she doesn’t use quotation marks for dialogue. I generally don’t mind this, and sometimes it’s a great stylistic choice, but I found it jarring in concert with everything else.

But the story hooked me, and Pedersen writes with a macabre edge that I admired, crystallizing moments of violence: Carlyle’s violence to his sons and to animals, and Joshua’s violence to animals and Nick. Nick’s abhorrence of violence stands in stark contrast. He’s learned the performance of intended violence without acting on it, under his father’s watchful gaze. He guards his first sexual relationship with another boy carefully. There is much symbolism in the fox that hunts the hens.

However, I started to dislike the “Now” timeline: Emelia’s character didn’t fit well and Nick’s fascination with her didn’t seem plausible. There was a super cool plot point that emerged eventually, dragging the narrative into horror territory, but I thought it was a little too late to save the story.

There were so many amazing elements to this novel, but I admired it more than I truly enjoyed it. I felt there was an excellent book here that was wrapped up in stylistic choices that distracted from the story, with some plotting challenges that I had trouble getting past. As a debut this shows a lot of promise, and I suspect if Pedersen keeps writing she’ll produce some exciting work.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a gifted digital copy!

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"My mother said it was only a cautionary tale...About falling in love with the wrong woman."

"...the season of forgiveness was long past."

The intensely unsettling atmospheric gothic story, Sacrificial Animals, by horror debut author Kailee Pedersen, is a master crafted work of literary fiction.

Influenced by the writer's life as an adoptee from China, raised on a farm in Nebraska, and based on Chinese mythology, Sacrificial Animals is told in alternating, "Now" and "Then" short chapters.

Nick, 43, receives a call from his father Carlyle, asking him to come home to the farm after 20 years away. He's dying and needs to see him and his brother Joshua. Carlyle disowned Joshua for marrying that "Asian" woman. But it seems all is forgiven. He wants Emilia to come too.

Carlyle is a racist who abused his sons. Trying to teach Nick to be a man, he performs an act of unconscionable animal cruelty involving several fox pups. Carlyle thinks nothing of sacrificing animals or humans; but it haunts Nick his whole life.

As Joshua and Carlyle reconnect, Nick and Emilia begin bonding, Nick infatuated with Emilia's beauty. In fact, she looks the same after 20 years...exactly the same. Inevitably, they make a decision that has unfathomable consequences.

Listening to voice actor Yung-I Chang anguished heartache as Nick, suffering from generational trauma, sexual identity, and overbearing guilt is an emotionally visceral experience. Reading the book made me realize that every word mattered because each word was a stepping stone to a deadly conclusion that some might say was justice, others vengeance, many more evil. Just remember, "Tricky things, foxes."

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

great book about family and issues within the family. Loved the different point of views and seeing the animal

This did not work for me at all. The flashbacks seemed unnecessary. I'm not sure how Nick's queer experiences related to the full story at all, and I only needed so many examples of Carlyle being abusive to get the hint. If there were going to be flashbacks, it would have been more relevant to show Joshua meeting Emilia, and their wedding, and Carlyle's reaction, than it was to introduce the character of Henry at all. I also felt like the affair was somewhat poorly introduced, and the actual supernatural horror elements didn't kick in until roughly 80% of the way into the novel. The interesting parts were essentially the last ten percent of the book. It would have been nice to learn a lot more about this ancient horror than a quick chapter of exposition towards the end (ironically, the most interesting chapter!). The Emilia character remained a cipher the whole time.

I am unclear on what the author is trying to convey with this book. Don't kill animals? Don't be abusive? Either way, it did not work for me.

When I started reading Sacrificial Animals, I did not think I was going to end up liking it very much. It is the story of two brothers, Nick and Joshua Morrow, growing up with their angry father Carlyle in isolation on a one thousand acre farm called Stag’s Crossing. Nobody is allowed on the farm except the three men, and Nick and Joshua cannot wait to leave. The novel is two stories, the past and the present (which “the present” actually takes place in the 90s). The past is about Carlyle being tough and angry with his two sons while the present is about Carlyle calling the boys to return to Stag’s Crossing because he is dying. Joshua had not talked to his father in twenty plus years due to Carlyle not accepting his marriage to Emilia, a stranger, a foreigner, an “unacceptable woman from an unacceptable family.” We think Carlyle is a hard, bitter, racist person, someone who lost his wife and son in childbirth and will never forgive the world for letting this happen. 

I did not instantly love this novel because the beginning starts slow and subject is very dark, with a young Nick trying to get the approval of a father that preferred the company of Joshua, and the summoning of their return to the farm in hopes that things had finally changed. Kailee Pedersen works hard on her prose, using verbose sentences and repetition to make sure the reader understands that Carlyle is a vile human being. As the novel moves forward, the coldness of the father mixed with the loneliness of Nick on the farm and living alone as a forty-three year old makes you feel the impending doom, like something bad is going to happen between the two that will be irreversible. You just do not know what exactly. In the last sixty pages of the novel, the entire thing comes together (or falls apart depending on your perspective), and there is a strange sense that Carlyle was right all along, that he spent most of his life isolating his family from the outside world for a good reason. 

I enjoyed Sacrificial Animals, and maybe it is because I understand a father/son relationship that is rocky at best. The approval that Nick seeks from his father, and the hopes that their relationships will be mended by the end makes complete sense, as does watching nothing turn out the way that it is supposed to turn out. I also like how the construction of this story, from the opening scene to the very last sentence, feels very important. Even though the sentences and word choices can be a little on the busy side, the story itself seems taut, thoughtful, and well-executed. This could be one of my favorite novels of the year. 

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sacrificial Animals
by Kailee Pedersen
Pub Date: Aug 20 2024

Sacrificial Animals shifts between past and present timelines. The story is also a slow-burn horror that blends Chinese mythology with midwestern white America and cycles of abuse. Great writing style building tension and unease at times. A book I strongly recommend.

Synopsis: Sacrificial Animals was Inspired by Kailee Pedersen's own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up on a farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology. Sacrificial Animals explores the violent legacy of inherited trauma and the total collapse of a family in its wake.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, #NetGalley and #SacrificialAnimals for providing me with an E-ARC of this novel.

This is a literary horror novel that touches on sensitive subjects like sexuality and racism. It also jumps back in forth from past to present and centers around our main character Nick Morrow who is the youngest son of a racist, paranoid and violent man.

The lives of two brothers under a hardened and cruel father are explored, and when one marries a girl of Asian descent, all hell breaks loose. The book is divided into past and present, with cause and effect situations on these characters’ lives. There is plenty of sacrifice, both of actual animals and of these boys and men as they fight each other and within themselves, as sinister intentions swirl around them. I found the writing worthy, but the retelling of this ancient fairy tale is draped under a veil of darkness which lends a morose vibe throughout. I did not particularly care for this one, but can appreciate the author’s final piece just the same.

I won’t lie and say that Sacrificial Animals is an easy and fun read, nor would I recommend it if you’re going through any sort of depressive episode. While brilliant, this novel lives in a sense of hopelessness. It is the epitome of haunting, ruminating not on haunted houses or terrifying ghouls, but on the all too real presence of lingering childhood trauma, and the lasting effects of toxic family dynamics.
Overall, while there is a paranormal element to this story, that aspect was not where my favour lay. I felt more invested in the then and now depictions of the main protagonist, Nick’s, day to day. The slow reveal of cause and consequence, and how his later identity and relationships were altered by the experiences of his past. Compared to that, the supernatural twist almost felt trivial, though it did bookend the events of the plot nicely. With that in mind, I appreciated the fact that the true horror of this story was not found in the conclusion—or, at least, in my opinion it wasn’t—but rather in the midpoint as you realize exactly how Nick’s relationship with Carlyle has damaged him.
One thing stopped Sacrificial Animals short of being a perfect read for me, and that was the final chapter. The last chapter from Emilia’s perspective felt completely unnecessary and really just came off as an exposition dump of folklore. It was especially disappointing because all of the important points had already been covered in context clues throughout the rest of the narrative.
Overall, while this book gave me depression, I did like it. It was a beautifully told story about terrible things, and was ultimately a very addictive read that I wholly recommend should you feel up to it

The description that initially captures you to read this in the first place is so wonderfully downplays how good this is. It was gore, it was creepy and sinister. It was a delicious slow build to the terror. Building the story by shifting between “then” and “now” perspectives, Nick and Joshua’s childhood is laid out as the backdrop for them both escaping their childhood home and the eventual return they both make 30 years later along with Joshua’s wife, Emilia.
This was a blend of childhood horrors that met with a Chinese myth come to life.
I really enjoyed the story which is weird to say considering how tense and uncomfortable it is the entire time. Almost the whole story is told from Nick’s perspective as the youngest brother and least favorite in the family between him, Joshua, and their abusive father. He suffers from the moment his mother dies through the rest of his life. There’s some tender moments but the entire time is Nick just doing anything he can to please his father only the eventually leave and never return. Only when his dad calls asking him back does Emilia’s part really start to stand out. I loved her.
Themes of: mythology, revenge, childhood trauma, abuse, animal abuse. This was graphic and not just alluding to anything so definitely trigger warnings for those things.

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen is a dark and atmospheric gothic horror that delves into the chilling legacy of a troubled family. The story follows two brothers, Nick and Joshua, who return to their childhood home to care for their dying father, only to confront the sinister ghosts of their past. Pedersen creates a haunting atmosphere and weaves in elements of ancient Chinese mythology, adding depth to the narrative. While the novel effectively explores themes of inherited trauma and family dysfunction, the pacing can be uneven, and some plot twists feel predictable. Overall, Sacrificial Animals is a compelling read with moments of genuine suspense, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a more intricate or unpredictable horror experience.

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen is an impressive supernatural horror story!
Such a wonderful and captivating read.
Pedersen’s writing skills are truly remarkable. The author's gripping plot that immediately grabbed my attention and kept me engaged throughout.
The author did a nice job of crafting an entertaining and compelling story,

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen #sixtyeighthbookof2024 #arc #sacrificialanimals

CW: cruel animal death, human death, child abuse, hunting

Nick is called home to Nebraska for his abusive father’s imminent death, along with his brother Josh and sister-in-law Emilia, whose marriage is the reason Josh was disowned years ago. The story cuts between now, when Nick starts an affair with Emilia, and back when he was a young teenager suffering from his father’s cruel treatment.

I almost DNFed this book, but I’m really glad I stuck it out. Something told me to keep going. I enjoyed the portions in the present day better than the flashback chapters, but then as the book progressed, the historical chapters reveal more about why the present day part is unfolding the way it is. And the last 20% is everything. It all comes together in a way I wasn’t expecting but is just perfect.

I don’t know anything about Chinese mythology but the story constructed in this novel and the ancient tale it’s based on makes me want to learn more.

This book won’t be for everyone. It’s hard to read at times and also a little slow during some of Nick’s thought processing, but I think it’s worth it for that ending.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (pub date 8/20/24)

#supernaturalhorror 🦊

Trigger warning on this one for gore, and animal killings. The title literally describes what goes on in parts of this book, which is a tale of generational trauma, abuse, loyalty, and some Chinese mythology. Nick and Joshua get called back home to their father's deathbed in Stags Crossing, Nebraska years after leaving their childhood home and never planning to return back. Joshua had been disowned by his father for marrying an asian woman, and Nick was the favorite son but still suffered verbal and physical abuse at the hand of his father. Upon returning to Nebraska they are forced to face their childhood demons and contend with new ones as sibling rivalry competes with their desire to please their father. The timelines alternate between present day and their pasts and is narrated by Nick, who describes in detail the hunting and animal torture his father imposes him to do.

As if that wasn't disturbing enough, the book is also very slow moving. It's an exploration of relationships and trauma, and nothing really happens until you are 70% into the story. So not really my cup of tea as I thought it would be more of a horror story with less animal sacrifice.

This is perhaps one of the darkest books I have ever read . The horror of it sticks I. Your throat like heavy smoke. Primarily it is about a family, but a very twisted and torn up family, namely two brothers and the father. The father is a no nonsense violent and strict man, abusive, physically, verbally and emotionally. He pushes his sons to do violent and unspeakable acts like killing innocent baby animals because he believes in the toxic male stereotype that will force them into a mold of what he believes his children should be. He is also racist and classist to the point of disowning one son after he marries a woman he deems unacceptable. When his time to die approaches he summons both sons back to his home and there in begins the slow burn building up of temptation, psychological horror, and ultimately a form of brutal justice against the family. The style of writing was very hard to follow and the book took me a while to get through. Though I did enjoy the premise it, took me a bit and the catalyst was so painful to me as an animal lover I almost did not finish the book.

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen is a novel about generational trauma, Chinese mythology, and the supernatural. 🦊

The book follows Nick, who moved away from his abusive, controlling father twenty years ago. That was also the last time he saw his brother (Joshua)—who was disowned by his father when he married a woman of Asian descent named Emilia. A phone call from his father leaves him with shocking news. Nicks’s father is sick and wants the boys to come back to Stag’s Crossing.

Both brother’s hesitate at first, but wind up going. Joshua quickly falls back into the role of loyal son. Nick and Emilia are left to their own devices, which leads to an attraction. However, there’s more to Emilia than what meets the eye.
The book is told from Nick’s perspective in the past and present. In the past he’s trying to catch an elusive fox that is eating his father’s chickens.

Okay… I’ll be honest. This book didn’t do it for me. I’m going to break down this review in what I liked, and what I personally didn’t like (but might work for you). I’m a firm believer in others loving a book I did not.

Liked:
The story telling was rich. Even though the content was heavy, the story was detailed beautifully. Even the brief gore near the end was elegantly penned.

I liked the atmosphere of creeping dread. The whole story you know something bad is going to happen but you’re not sure when.

Did not work for me:
The story took awhile to get going. I love a good slow burn. The ending definitely was rewarding, but I can’t help but feel I dragged my feet to get there. Not much happens until the 70-75%. It’s mainly character build up and slow burn dread.

While the title is Sacrificial Animals, there was a lot of cruelty to animals—so please be forewarned. The book starts out with killing baby foxes and it was hard to read.

No quotation marks. This is definitely a style choice—and I know of a few other books that do this as well. I found myself having to read sentences again sometimes because I didn’t realize it was someone talking. I’m a big fan of having them. Again that’s just my preference!

I really wanted to love this but it fell a little flat for me. The whole book felt very bogged down with purple prose and needlessly obscure words, which took the impact out of the lines that were truly stunning.

There were a lot of flashbacks & inner thoughts of the narrator that didn’t add to the story. If anything, they detracted because I would get lost in memories within a memory and forget what the point of the actual chapter was. In general, I think this would have been more impactful as a novella.

There were moments of breathtaking, lyrical prose. The author was also able to capture generational trauma and complex parent/child relationships very well. I think there is a lot of promise, and I look forward to reading their future work

I received a gifted ALC copy of SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS by Kilee Pedersen from Macmillan Audio and Netgalley!

SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS follows Nick, a young man raised on a farm in Nebraska. His abusive father pushes him to do things he isn’t comfortable with like hunting and killing animals. Both he and his older brother have left the farm and their father behind in the present day. His brother’s marriage to a Chinese woman puts an even bigger wedge in the family as his father can’t accept this. When their father gets a dismal diagnosis, he calls his sons (and his son’s wife) back home to care for him and say goodbye.

This is a book that pulls from the author’s own history. She was adopted out of China and raised on a farm in Nebraska itself. From the tone of the book, the atmosphere of this transition morphs into a supernatural horror story with a lot of trauma and darkness.

I would say that this book felt more like a literary fiction story and family drama for much of the book. We go back and forth in time following Nick through his youth and in the present day. The relationship with Nick’s father and his own questioning of the life his father is pushing him to lead is complicated and well defined. The horror does come in later in the book, but I personally would have liked that to come in sooner.

This was a really interesting read and a quick audiobook to consume as well. I think if you go in expecting a slower story and more of a character driven book, this is one you may enjoy!