Thank you to NetGalley and Kailee Pederson for sending me an eARC of this book!

I want to start by saying, that I think the blurb of the book ruins, quite literally, the entire book. Emilia being a jiǔwěihú was the only part not really touched on by the synopsis and honestly was such a small portion of the book. I would've enjoyed it more if she was a greater part of the story, but I also understand how the build-up by referring to past events also helped move the story along.

I think the way the author told the story is incredibly atmospheric, and I enjoyed her ability to describe the emotion that Nick feels, and how his childhood trauma still impacts almost every aspect of his life to this day. Furthermore, the butterfly effect of the past, with the murdering of the two young foxes, was well done, and I enjoyed watching it unfold before my eyes.

I do wish, that more of the thriller aspects of the book were longer, and not that the climax hits you like a truck.

Wow, what a book! Sacrificial Animals gave me VC Andrews vibes but without the incest and with more supernatural elements. The author did a phenomenal job of creating an ominous presence throughout the book, and the display of karma intricately woven into the story was 👌🏻.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of family trauma that focused not on mother-daughter relationships but on abusive father-son dynamics.

I will be reading whatever book Pedersen puts out next.

Well, this was an interesting story about toxic masculinity, a troublesome relationship between a father and his two sons, and all the repercussions that traumatic events in the past culminate in the present lives of those sons, with a touch of horror and folklore elements told in an alternated dual timeline.
I gotta say that even though the plot was appealing to me, the execution failed repeteadly to keep my attention. The writing style didn't work with me for the most part of this book and I felt that it dragged on and on, which I found to be very frustrating for such a short book.
I usually love dramatic stories about parents and their children. But this one didn't speak to me. What's more, I was expecting more horror. I certainly do not mind a character-driven plot. I actually embrace it. But this book is marketed as horror. So...I wanted more horror out of it!
Some setting and landscapes descriptions were quite amusing to read, though.
The audiobook is decent enough. The narrator does a fine job with the voicing of the characters.
I do recommend this book to readers who are into literary horror and stories focused on problematic relationships between fathers and sons.
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing to listen to a free advanced audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Sacrificial Animals opens, we meet the Morrow family: the father, Carlyle and his two sons, Joshua and Nicholas. Carlyle is domineering and brash leaving Nick, the youngest—and the inferior in Carlyle’s eyes—to take the brunt of his violent actions and sharp tongue. When the eldest—Joshua—reveals his decision to marry an Asian woman, he is disowned by his racist father and sent away from the sprawling, grand estate of Stag’s Crossing.

Shifting forward in time, Carlyle seems to be softening with his old age but not much… Only enough to grant Nick, Joshua, and Joshua’s wife—Emilia—access back to Stag’s Crossing to see to his death and burial. Nick hasn’t seen Josh or Emilia for twenty years and though Emilia is Josh’s wife, she has a curious relationship with Nick. Soon, their relationship turns intimate but quickly grows in to something more alarming.

The story shifts between past and present timelines and while I think that both hold importance in the overall story, I enjoyed the present timeline so much more. The narrative takes on a slower pace and though it bodes well for building tension, I wish that we would have gotten to the heart of the story sooner. In my honest opinion, I feel this story would have read better had it come in around 220 pages versus the 320 that it is.

Here, I feel it necessary to say something about the writing style too which wasn’t my favorite, at least not in the first half. Sentences tended to be structured in not the most lucid of ways—often times venturing in to purple prose—and it only served to confuse readers rather than getting to the point. The amount of times I thought “put down the thesaurus and step away” while reading was innumerable. That said, the last 30% of this book was KILLER.

Reflections on trauma, race, father-son relationships, and family obligations. And as should be obvious from the title of this book, there is animal death and violence depicted in this book.

I have read this via e-book and listened via audiobook and there is something to be said for the audiobook and the narrator, Yung-I Chang. I thought that he was the perfect narrator for this story and really brought the story to life in a way that isn't displayed when physically reading it. When I read the physical book, I give it 3.5-4 stars but I think with the narration, it's closer to 4.5

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Available 08/20/2024!