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.

The last thing Nick Morrow expected to receive was an invitation from his father to return home. When he left rural Nebraska behind, he believed he was leaving everything there, including his abusive father, Carlyle, and the farm that loomed so large in memory, forever.

But neither Nick nor his brother Joshua, disowned for marrying Emilia, a woman of Asian descent, can ignore such summons from their father, who hopes for a deathbed reconciliation. Predictably, Joshua and Carlyle quickly warm to each other while Nick and Emilia are left to their own devices. Nick puts the time to good use and his flirtation with Emilia quickly blooms into romance. Though not long after the affair turns intimate, Nick begins to suspect that Emilia’s interest in him may have sinister, and possibly even ancient, motivations.

Punctuated by scenes from Nick’s adolescent years, when memories of a queer awakening and a shadowy presence stalking the farm altered the trajectory of his life forever, Sacrificial Animals explores the violent legacy of inherited trauma and the total collapse of a family in its wake.

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

This must be the year of novels featuring fox spirits because this is the third I’ve read this year (by the way, I’m not complaining; it is just something I noticed.) I started the year with “The Fox Wife,” then there was a fox spirit in “The Emperor and the Endless Palace,” and now this one. In her thrilling debut novel, “Sacrificial Animals,” Kailee Pedersen takes readers on a slow-burn journey through a rural Nebraska farm, where family secrets and ancient mysteries collide.

The book focuses primarily on Nick Morrow as he navigates a complicated homecoming to Stag’s Crossing – the family farm – to visit his ailing father, Carlyle, with whom he had a tenuous relationship when he was a kid. Carlyle calls Nick to tell him he is dying of cancer. Carlyle would like to see his sons – both of whom he’s had little to no contact with over the years. When Nick arrives, it seems maybe the temperamental and often abusive Carlyle has changed, but when Nick’s older brother Joshua shows up at Stags Crossing with his alluring and mysterious Asian wife, Emilia, it doesn’t take long for Carlyle’s racism and abuse to resurface.

Throughout the novel, Pedersen weaves together past and present, delving into the depths of family dynamics and the devastating effects of intergenerational trauma. Carlyle is an awful human being, and while he treats Joshua as a prince, he is very abusive toward Nick because he thinks he is too soft. Not only is he physically abusive, but also mentally and emotionally, as he forces Nick to hunt and kill the foxes that keep killing their chickens. Little does Nick know that this violent act will haunt him and his family for years to come.

The complex relationships between Nick, Carlyle, and Joshua are expertly crafted, drawing readers into a world where love and violence are intertwined in heartbreaking and mind-blowing ways. As Nick grapples with his past and present, Pedersen slowly builds tension while uncovering the dark secrets buried beneath the farm’s surface.

Through Nick’s reflections on his past and his relationships with his father, brother, and Emilia, the author explores identity, sexuality, and how violence and abuse contribute to our trauma. Pedersen’s beautiful prose paints a vivid portrait of rural Nebraska that is as beautiful as it is haunting. Her attention to detail brings the farm to life, making it a character in its own right, with its secrets and shadows looming over the Morrow family.

While I enjoyed the story’s slow burn and the beautiful writing, I will admit that the story held few surprises. I had a clear sense of where we were headed, but that didn’t detract from the journey. What did bother me, however, was the author’s decision not to use quotation marks. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. It seems to be more and more prevalent in books these days, and I honestly don’t understand why it’s necessary. It adds nothing to a book.

Not only did I read this book, but I also listened to an ALC, and I was truly impressed with the narrator. Yung-I Change does a phenomenal job of capturing the characters and manages to hit the highs and lows perfectly, enhancing the overall reading experience.

While not overly shocking, I found this to be a mesmerizing and thought-provoking read that carries a hefty punch. With its richly drawn characters, atmospheric setting, and spine-tingling suspense, this novel is sure to captivate fans of dark literary fiction and psychological thrillers. I knew exactly where this one was heading from the beginning, but I still enjoyed the ride.