Veal
A Novel
by Mackenzie Nolan
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Pub Date Oct 14 2025 | Archive Date Aug 31 2025
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Description
Delores “Lawrence” Franklin is a failed capitalist and a runaway headcase. Following a corporate meltdown, she decides to start fresh in Mistaken Point, a small town known for two things — Mistaken Point University, where she and her best friend, Anastasia Lanes, are now enrolled, and the grisly murders of countless young women.
At her new part-time arcade job, Lawrence meets Francesca “Franky” Delores — gritty, off-putting, and chronically serious, as opposite to Lawrence as her name would suggest. Soon, Lawrence discovers Franky is convinced there is a monster on the loose, a patchwork creature born of hatred and responsible for the supposedly solved string of violence haunting the town.
Against the advice of Franky’s closest friend, Pippa, Lawrence, and Stasia join Franky in a sticky, summertime search for a yellow-eyed monster between classes, shifts at the arcade, and eating popsicles by the pool. Motivated mostly by her unquenchable attraction to Franky, Lawrence allows herself to be pulled in strange directions, trying to appease Franky’s mania. Through the trials of hunting a monster only some of them believe in, Pippa, Lawrence, Stasia, and Franky discover truths about womanhood, relationships, and the reliability of urban legends.
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781770418066 |
PRICE | $19.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 288 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

“Veal” by Mackenzie Nolan skillfully combines elements of horror with psychological tension and social commentary. This queer feminist novel explores deep themes such as gender, the pervasive effects of social conditioning, trust, and relationships.
As the narrative unfolds, readers are kept in a constant state of suspense, questioning the nature of the monstrous presence—whether it exists in reality or is simply a manifestation of the protagonist's troubled psyche.
Nolan's storytelling examines familial trauma and sheds light on the unspoken pain that many women endure. The book offers a sharp and witty critique of toxic masculinity, illustrating how societal constructs can foster monstrosity both within individuals and in broader communities.
Fans of Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s “Monsritlio,” Samantha Allen’s novels, the cult classic TV show “Buffy,” and the film “Barbarian” are likely to find much to appreciate in this work, which confronts uncomfortable truths and ultimately questions the nature of monstrosity. Special thanks to ECW Press and NetGalley for providing the ARC of this novel.