Just, wow. I don't even know where to begin. I'm so happy I got an advance copy of this book. It's a book I cannot wait to to see the reception for. I'm sure some will be put off by the slow burn but I absolutely loved it. It's only February and not to be hyperbolic, but this might end up being the best book I read all year.

The writing was absolutely phenomenal. At once, raw yet elegant. Then, vulnerable and frightening. I absolutely cannot wait to read more work by Pedersen and that this is their first novel is absolutely mind blowing. Mesmerizing, mysterious and taut.

Kailee Pedersen’s Sacrificial Animals is a family saga that combines Chinese folklore and American Gothic to great effect. One of the novel’s strengths is its dense, lush prose. Pedersen is an exceptionally skilled stylist and I kept pausing during reading to let the sentences sink in. This is the story of an unpleasant family and it has a nasty bite to it. I enjoyed the catharsis of the ending and loved the full fledged dive into folklore. Foxes occupy an important place in legend in both China and the US, and it was fascinating to see those myths woven together.

To me, the main weakness of the book was the thin plot. I think this would have made an explosive short story, but the novel’s length overpowered the action and reduced it to a simmer. That said, I still recommend the book for anyone wanting an atmospheric read and I will keep an eye out for what Pedersen writes next.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Kailee Pedersen did a phenomenal job of creating a story with so much build up and backstory towards the climax, that I had no choice but to sacrifice sleep to finish it. The complexity of the relationships portrayed in each chapter allowed you to see the reasoning why they became the people they were at the end and what was ultimately the nail in the coffin. Although I do wish there was a more lengthy climax and feel that Joshua's part in the ending was very brief for someone who was a main piece to the puzzle, I definitely enjoyed the pictures painted. The way each character was created and had their own personality allowed me to easily differentiate between them through the text and had me despising one in particular (looking at you Carlyle). Sacrificial Animals is a book that I'm looking forward to owning and adding to an empty space on my book case.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.