This is a hard book to stomach. It's very nicely written but it's dark. The violence the main character endures are depressive to think about. Thank you to the author, the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this one on a whim because that cover is killer, and it did not disappoint!

Janie has finally taken the terrifying step of leaving her abuser, arriving at an isolated sheep farm, knowing her husband may come looking. She finds a kind of solidarity with the sheep, domesticated and docile, filed down into a new shape that is more convenient for their keepers and kept alive only as long as they serve their purpose. She, too, was worn down over the years, controlled and contained, kept in a cage and expected to perform her domestic duties with a smile, with no wild will of her own.

The novel explores the power dynamics inherent in both human and animal relationships, touching on the ethics of speciesism—or 'human supremacy' as it's put by the characters in the novel— questioning the morality of eating animals of all kinds. The book is not overtly about veganism, nor does it advocate for it, but it engages with the topic in a way that adds depth to the exploration of the more prominent themes. What makes one species more valuable than another? Is it wrong to treat humans in the ways we treat non-human animals? Where do we draw the line, and why? As a vegan for over a decade, I can say the way this novel approached the philosophical ideas behind ethical veganism in a much more nuanced and thoughtful way than I often see, which was a very pleasant surprise!

While the book's themes are intriguing, the execution falters in places. The writing is straightforward but can be repetitive, sometimes detracting from the narrative's impact. Character development is also a somewhat weak point—most notably with the primary antagonist, who comes across as a cartoonishly evil villain, and the supporting characters, who feel rather one-dimensional. Janie herself is an exception to the rule, as a well-fleshed-out and complex character with trauma and flaws, fighting for her life through a series of escalating circumstances with resilience and immense strength. I was especially touched by her bond with the barn cat Kisa, which added a much-needed infusion of warmth and companionship to this bleak tale.

If you're interested in a thought-provoking examination of power, survival, worth, and the ethics of human-animal relationships all wrapped up in a heart-pounding horror novel, Domestication is worth a look!


Trigger/Content Warnings: animal death, domestic abuse, domestic violence, murder, confinement, verbal abuse, violence, body horror, cannibalism, misogyny

3.5 rounded up to 4

Domestication follows the story of Janie, a woman escaping her abuse husband, who ends up at a farm in the middle of nowhere hoping to find strength and peace. But the owner of the farm, Rob, might not be the escape she was looking for.

Right from the start we are hit with gory description of mutilated animals so I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart. I think it found a good balance between being horrifying and just over the top. The description, whether it be of gore or of the atmosphere really build a good sense of dread. You keep expecting something bad to happen.

You really dive into the psyche of Janie and understand her drive but the other two characters were just weird. I think it was a bit hard to understand why they were acting the way they were but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story.

I would say that one of the weak point of the story is its first third because as it lays out the background and character, it is also quite slow and repetitive. But after that the twists keep coming and it was a fun ride.

Find my reviews on Goodreads, the StoryGraph, and Fable

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a fantastic horror novel about one woman running from an abusive marriage and finding herself in hell disgused as a sheep farm. I loved the writing though I do believe part 1 is much stronger than part 2.

I wish some aspects had been expanded on more that i am not detailing for because of spoilers. But overall a solid read and definitely recomend for anyone looking for their next scary read.

This is a suspenseful psychological horror novel. Janie has been suffering domestic abuse at the hands of her husband Eric for years. What makes it worse is that even if she summoned up the courage to go to the police, Eric is the police. Using his position of authority Eric has treated Janie worse than an animal. However, Janie has been slowly making plans as to how to leave him and disappear.
With the help of a referral from a support group Janie disguises herself and takes a journey to an isolated sheep farm. It's a place to recover and enjoy nature away from all the daily stresses. Isn't it?

Janie may have just made her last mistake. Rob & Howard set Janie up with hard physical labour with poor living conditions and immediately Janie knows something isn't quite right with the situation. Howard doesn't even speak to her, just getting on with the cooking & butchering and general farm tasks.
Rob is the toughest, meanest woman you could come across. Running the farm with the same sort of control & domination tactics you would use to train a dog. Rob's hounds are never far from her side and when one is called Biter you know it's with good reason.

[Domestication, noun. - the process of taming an animal and keeping it as a pet or on a farm]

Has Janie traded in one abusive home for another? Will she act like the sheep in the barn and allow herself to be dominated? It's an eat or be eaten world and is she ready to join the predators or will she just be domesticated meat?
And what happens when Eric hunts her down? Will he be willing to let her go or would he rather kill her?

This novel really gets into Janie's head. It's slow-paced but keeps you on edge with the full horror of the situation being revealed gradually. This book goes places I wasn't expecting. It may be psychological but it includes some absolutely gross-out moments and scenes of extreme violence. But lighten the mood by listening to Jolene by Dolly Parton which after reading this you will agree is the unofficial theme song for this story.

None of the characters are likeable although some have their unexpected moments. There is however a very cute cat.
It's best to not know any more of the plot before going into it. Very thoughtfully written with an interesting set-up. It's unlike anything else. And that's a good thing.

Thank you to Netgalley for access to this recommended horror.

** Thank you to the publisher for providing me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review **

rating: ⭐️⭐️.5/5

Honestly, this book was a weird one. I was very busy during my time reading it and often found myself distracted or not interested. That is why it took me so long to eventually write a review for this.

Overall, it was weird and good, but not my favorite book.

This book was chilling and horrific! The continuous cycle of abuse for the main character from one situation into the next is depressing and essentially worst case scenario in my opinion. I was perturbed throughout my entire reading and I never felt like I could find my footing in the story. All in all, super weird and freaky, and a pretty decent horror novel!

"Domestication" by Shannon Knight is an intense psychological horror story that delves deep into the themes of abuse, control, and manipulation.

The story follows Janie, who, desperate to escape an abusive relationship, finds refuge in a secluded sheep farm. But what initially seems like a safe haven quickly turns sinister as the farm's owner, Rob, and fellow worker, Howard, begin to strip away her autonomy, trapping her in a nightmarish situation.

Knight expertly crafts a story that unnerves without relying heavily on gore. The real horror lies in the psychological torment, creating a suffocating atmosphere of dread and despair. The sense of hopelessness is tangible, making the reader feel the weight of Janie’s desperation.

As the novel unfolds, the tension ramps up dramatically, with the horrors of Janie's new life spiraling out of control. With nowhere to run, no one to turn to, and her abusive ex still on the hunt, Janie’s situation becomes increasingly terrifying, especially when human remains start surfacing on the farm.

This is a compelling and disturbing read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological horror.

Soooo good. So good. Like a modern Grimm fairy tale. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading, in the best way. 10/10

Janie escapes her abusive husband to find safety and reprieve on a farm, only to quickly find herself in the same cycle.

This little horror built and maintained tension marvelously, with cycles of absolute horror followed by peaceful time with a cat. The ending? Excellent

It did feel it could have been tighter, it felt redundant and really hammered home the themes but even with that it was a fast and engrossing read

CW: abuse (a lot, physical in form of cuts, electrocution, confinement, burning), domestic violence, animal death (including dogs), cannibalism

I really disliked this book.

First off, when and where is this taking place? No sense of setting at all (outside of the farm -- what state are we in??)

The pacing in the first half is atrocious. There's no sense of how much time has passed before Eric arrives. And once he does? Some of the worst dialogue I have ever heard. Was he supposed to be threatening? Because it came off as a PG version of a dark romance speech.
Then the final sequence was so drawn out. I skimmed the last 15 or so pages because it really wasn't contributing anything.

I have no clue why Janie would have picked this place on the word of one internet stranger in a support group. It seems like the last thing a person leaving an abusive relationship would want is to live and work with strangers instead of, I don't know, attempting to process their trauma. The depiction of Janie was also a little offensive. She is either wholly centered in her identity as a victim or wholly focused on resilience. There's no sense of who she is. Most descriptions that we get are some variation of: I don't run (ya did), I'm not weak, I'm a wolf (but also a cat?).

Each step was predictable and Janie being unable to realize IMMEDIATELY that things were off was so insane. She may be the most unintelligent main character I've ever read. Resilience be damned, no person in her situation would stay past day 1.

If the writing had been stronger I may have been able to suspend my belief in some areas, but the choppy sentences and repetitive phrases are a hard pass.

To sum it up: a woman escapes one abusive relationship for another abusive relationship and learns how to fix fences and hold chickens as a little treat. I actually really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down once I started. Fair warning, it's very gory and goes into farming quite a bit but it was still such an enjoyable read. I thought this had perfect commentary on domestic abuse and I still saw everything as super realistic. Also that last line? Iconic. No notes.

Domestication is a very fun and easy horror read for people who want to enter the genre. There are some trigger warnings since it's quite graphic but I think that adds to the experience of the book too. Will definitely be remembering this story for a long time.

Domestication is an interesting read. If this were a film, I imagine it would have been produced by A24.
The mood and the tone are shining, and themes and the blend of genres stand put.
Janie now lives in the wilderness. Can she escape the new form of domestic violence?
The setting and atmosphere 4/5
Characterisation and plot 3/5
Prose 2/5 (was a bit bland and not literary - might sound like a good fit for such a concept, however on the contrary, it was the premise and the concept that gave me the enjoyment)
Overall, 3/5. Has immense potential, but the execution was not my cup of tea.

Oh my. OK. Phew. This book is like a boulder rolling downhill: starts ever so slowly and builds up steam until it's rolling like a freight train and smashing everything it comes across. It was very unexpected, brutal, tense, and I loved every minute.

Loved the book!
I usually read horrors that are gorier but i also seem to absolutely love domestic violence based ones.
The book is brilliant, i really enjoyed the story.

This is an absolutely chilling psychological horror novel about abuse, control, and manipulation.

Janie is running from a very abusive relationship and takes a job on a sheep farm in the middle of nowhere. But it doesn't take long until the owner, a woman named Rob, and another farmhand, Howard, start to treat her less like help and more like a prisoner.

And, boy, do things get disturbingly out of control as this novel progresses. Janie has nowhere to go, no escape, and an ex who's hunting her down. The situation deteriorates even further when a LOT of human bones begin to surface.

This book is a great example of how to do horror without gratuitous blood or gore. Oh, there's going to be bloodshed and torture, but it's the psychological torment that makes this story so disturbing. The tension is palpable and the sense of dread and hopelessness seeps into your soul as you read.

I highly recommend this fantastic novel.

Domestication is a horrifically good, twisted story that uses some extremely horrific situations to dive into the psyche of a long suffering victim of domestic abuse. The character of Janie is such a well written character and even though she does some extreme things in this book we are always right there with her to the bitter end. Lots of fantastic twists in this book as well and it does not hold back on the gore and horror. Highly recommended for those who love gut wrenching scares and nightmares.

I was a bit disappointed in this one. The concept was really solid and the cover is jaw dropping but the execution just didn't hit hard enough. It felt like Knight was tip toeing around the horror. There was a lot of exposition and a lot of of just empty chapters where nothing happened. It didn't feel like the horror was building but like the author was just filling pages. If this book had been tighter it could have been absolutely amazing but as it is it just felt muddy.

Domestication by Shannon Knight is a provocative and unsettling novel that explores themes of control and transformation. The story follows Janie, who escapes to an isolated sheep farm to evade her husband, only to encounter Rob and Howard—two individuals with extreme views on dominance and human-animal relations. Knight’s writing is intense and thought-provoking, capturing Janie's struggle as she faces a new set of challenges and confronts her own desires for change. The novel’s dark, psychological elements are compelling, though some readers may find the themes and pacing challenging. Overall, Domestication is a powerful and original read that leaves a lasting impact

A character driven book that makes you want to read more, an absolute page turner. An excellent book that will make you feel unsettle in the best way. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.