Sacrificial Animals: A Novel BY Kailee Pedersen

Sacrificial Animals, inspired by Kailee Pedersen’s personal story of being adopted from Nanning, China and growing up on a Nebraska farm, is a haunting supernatural horror debut that intertwines personal history with ancient Chinese mythology.

Nick Morrow never anticipated returning to his rural Nebraska home. Having left behind his abusive father, Carlyle, and the oppressive farm that shadowed his childhood, Nick thought he had escaped his past forever. But when Carlyle summons Nick and his estranged brother Joshua for a deathbed reconciliation, the pull of family ties proves irresistible.

Joshua, who had been disowned for marrying Emilia, a woman of Asian descent, finds himself quickly rekindling his relationship with Carlyle. Meanwhile, Nick and Emilia are left to navigate their complex emotions. What starts as a flirtation between Nick and Emilia soon evolves into a passionate romance. Yet, as their relationship deepens, Nick begins to suspect that Emilia’s interest may be driven by motives rooted in ancient, dark forces.

The narrative shifts between Nick’s present-day turmoil and his haunting adolescent memories, when a shadowy presence on the farm and his own queer awakening marked the beginning of a profound, unsettling change in his life. Sacrificial Animals delves into the violent legacy of inherited trauma and the disintegration of a family under the weight of its dark past. With its rich atmosphere and chilling exploration of myth and memory, this debut novel promises a gripping journey into the shadows of personal and ancestral demons.