Stunning debut by Kailee Pedersen. Dread-filled and wonderfully Southern Gothic. Some folks will not get on with the prose style but I found it quite calming to read. Trigger warnings for animal cruelty. A rich and complex story.

‘Sacrificial Animals’ is a novel that easily stands out as one of the most impressive debuts of the year. Kailee Pedersen’s writing dazzles even in the bleakness that she portrays, producing a story laced with dread, decay, and shrouded in subtlety. Pedersen masterfully interweaves timelines from the past and present to curate an honest picture of a fractured family in all its dreadful glory – the Morrow family.

Nick Morrow returns to Stag’s Crossing, 1000 acres of farmland that he grew up on with his abusive father Carlyle and older brother Joshua, to reunite with his father who is dying from cancer. ‘Sacrificial Animals’ at its core is the case study of a broken family – the corroding and permanent damage a patriarch can have on his bloodline. ‘Toxic masculinity’ almost feels like too weak of a term to describe Carlyle and his terrible lasting impact on the psyches of both Nick and Joshua, but it is the term that errs closest to the truth. Scenes of awkward reconciliation between the three in the present are punctured by memories of violence and abuse from the past, creating a story where trauma lives and breathes alongside our characters.

Pedersen cleverly encapsulates this culture of violence, of manufactured masculinity, through the confines of their homestead, Stag’s Crossing. A lurking gothic decay sweeps through the farmland and woods of Stag’s Crossing from the very beginning, the ever-looming threat of an empire in danger of collapse. Stag’s Crossing is the Morrow family. Built from Carlyle’s own two hands, the homestead holds in all the malice and venom that Carlyle exudes, keeping out everyone and everything that differs from his view of the world. The fear is always of legacy, of the future. With Carlyle’s life nearing its end, Nick or Joshua must take the reins, their trauma an heirloom and constant reminder of what is expected of them.

I should say quickly that Pedersen deserves great credit here. We often scrutinise and praise male authors for accurately (or otherwise) writing women, but there is much less commentary about women writing male characters. I thought Pedersen did a great job of writing a novel about three very complicated male figures. Could I relate to the characters enough to confidently say they are accurate portrayals? Thankfully not, however all three men absolutely felt authentic and representative of dynamics that undoubtedly exist, and that is all you can ask for.

Of course as much as ‘Sacrifical Animals’ is about the Morrow family, about men, it is equally about Emilia. Joshua’s wife and a woman of Asian heritage, Emilia represents everything that Carlyle fears will be the downfall of his house – in short, anyone not straight, white and male. Emilia is sly, she is secretive and she is menacing; Emilia is everything that keeps the story ticking on towards its inevitable conclusion. As much as the story is about male violence and inherited trauma, it is equally about everyone else – the people who suffer at the hands of these men, and their desire for revenge, for vindication.

‘Sacrificial Animals’ is a delicious slow burn of a novel that first seeps under your skin, and then into your heart. Kailee Pedersen’s writing is equally as gorgeous as the content of the story is dread inducing, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

I finally fell into the trap of letting a cover drag me into a book only to discover it wasn’t really for me. Now we all know I don’t have many triggers when it comes to novels/reading but I don’t particularly like animal cruelty. Unfortunately, I should have realised from the title and setting this would deal with themes of hunting. Now when it makes sense to the story I can usually stomach it but that began to put me off and make me uncomfortable.

The other thing that I think didn’t help was the style. Now, I normally love stream of consciousness type writing, I’ve been known to do this myself but that tied with the hunting just made it difficult to get into. I did push through because I never like to DNF, particularly an ARC or book tour novel. Eventually the novel does pick up and it a slow burn for sure, which in part does add to the feeling of unease.

I would say this feels more like gothic family tale rather than a pure horror but it is still good. I did enjoy the elements of Chinese mythology and folklore and the characters were interesting as well. I think I was partly not in the right head space and it just wasn’t fully for me but I am sure some will rate this an instant 5 star. For me it is a 3, perhaps 3.5 at a push. I am tempted to come back to this at a later date and see if that rating changes.

As always thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the e-arc to review. My review is always honest and truthful

Unfortunately this one was not for me! I just couldn’t get past the dense, descriptive stream of consciousness writing style. Whilst I know lots of people will find this contemporary American gothic with its themes of racism, generational trauma and intense family drama something they can get on board with, I couldn’t!

That is not to say it’s a bad book at anything like that. I’m sure that a lot of other readers will describe the prose style as lush and almost poetic, it was a barrier for me and I am going to tap out.

Thank you to both Titan & Netgalley for the acccess to this advanced reading copy..

Good luck to Kailee Peterson!

Sacrificial Animals tells a curious story with much needed conversations around important themes.
Set in two timelines and partly in rural Nebraska, this is mainly Nick’s story.
Nicholas and Joshua are raised by a racist and self-proclaimed though father, Carlyle.
When they both return home years later when Carlyle is dying, things start to take a supernatural and exciting turn.
This book is great for those who enjoy stream of consciousness and slow-burn writing styles (which I do).
The length was almost ideal however, my favourite part was when the supernatural and Chinese mythology/folklore elements were introduced. It is rare that the last is better than the first acts of a book; the resolution was much more charming, gripping and satisfactory than the earlier parts in my opinion.
My favourite character was Emilia. Such potency.
Concept: 4.5
Plot: 3
Themes: 4.5
Prose: 2.5
Characterisation: 3
Pacing: 2
Potential: 4

Sacrificial Animals is a novel that combines family drama, Midwestern gothic, and Chinese folklore in a story of two sons returning to visit their dying father. Nick has always been his father Carlyle's second choice to his older brother Joshua, but Carlyle is also a violent racist who banished Joshua and his wife Emilia from Stag's Crossing, their family home. When Nick, Joshua, and Emily finally return to Stag's Crossing after Carlyle says he's dying, Nick is drawn to Emilia, but the lingering violence of past looms.

Though I saw this book marketed as horror, it's more of a literary gothic novel with supernatural elements and a lot about family. The narrative is a very slow burn, with each chapter alternating between now and then, and the repeating cycles of action in the family. It is very tightly plotted, to the extent that I can see why some people said it would be better as a novella or a short story. I do think it sits alongside other similar novels with gothic folklore elements that slowly build up a picture of lingering violence and revenge, though I've never read one with such a Midwest setting before. Though I wouldn't call Sacrificial Animals a horror novel, it's a tense and well-written book, though not one for people who don't like reading about violence towards animals!

Unsettling is the best way to describe this. I felt unnerved and incredibly uncomfortable yet I couldn’t put this down. The prose was so beautifully written, and such a stark contrast to the god awful scenes in this book. Pedersen created a family and story so volatile and upsetting but I simply couldn’t stop reading. I thought this was going to be another run of the mill gothic horror, but the twist was inspired, taking inspiration from folklore and legend to add another element of fear to this already horrific story. Memorable and incredibly written, this was a real gem to read.