Wow, this book was a simply amazing way to kick off my foray into e-book reviews. Excuse the pun but I just ate it up. Devoured in a day. The writing was incredibly atmospheric, the language was dreamy and luscious, and the concept (though of course not for everyone) was completely up my street. This is horror as I love to read it: stripped back, brazen, and quietly brutal. But it was also a wistful story of childhood and coming-of-age, of found family, and trauma. So many multitudes were contained within Lucy Rose’s work and I am excited to see what’s next for her.

Ironically (or aptly) completely consuming. Dark, disturbing, honestly flat out disgusting at points, The Lamb is such a gripping and complex story that is difficult to turn away from, even as hope ebbs away. Unbelievable book.

The Lamb follows Margot who lives with her mother in a homestead in the forest. When Margot is a home with her mama they wait for strangers known as strays to knock on their door. Margot’s mama looks after the strays and then kills them. She eats them and shares them with Margot. That is until a stray called Eden turns up and starts up a relationship with Margot’s mama. This means the dynamic between Margot and her mama changes and Margot needs to make a bid for freedom.

4.5 stars rounded up to a 5. This isn’t a perfect 5 star book for me in that it didn’t absolutely wow me but it has made me think. It did everything I expected it to do, it was gory and the whole time I was extremely uncomfortable with the dynamic between Margot and her mama particularly when Eden was introduced. It was a fast read even though the story was quite slow. I enjoyed the experience of reading this and I would recommend it. It’s a novel that creeps up on you.

I absolutely adored this. Harrowing, fierce and utterly readable. This will definitely be the book all the gross girlies will be reading in 2025!

This unsettling, haunting, fairytale will sink into you. About neglect, love, families and survival, it is not a comfortable read but a fascinating one

A shockingly gruesome horror story but I couldn't stop reading even though the impending terror was palpable., Margot as a character is so startlingly crafted I was appalled by her but also felt a heartfelt tenderness for her too, Lucy Rose has created a near-perfect novel. I know The Lamb is going to be phenomenal!

Uncomfortable, gruesome, and unnerving. The lamb is one of those books that’s sticks with you and you’ll be recommending for years to come!

An amazing debut novel from Lucy Rose. I loved this book from the moment I started it. Margot is such a unique character and it is interesting to see the story told from her perspective. A must read for anyone who likes unusual fiction with a side of cannibalism.

This is a strong and accomplished literary debut with a unique story and protagonist. It's a sometimes harrowing read but the prose is beautiful to read. I found this reminiscent of Angela Carter in tone and theme.
Hard to believe that this is a debut novel. A strong launch.

Whilst it is probably known that this book DELIVERS on page turning w t a f moments, and I am one of the biggest fans of this (Earthlings fan girl IYKYK), there’s a lot more going on. I’m going to keep it brief because I actually want you to 1) read this and 2) read the book so here ya go 🫱🏻

I’ve come to have a real appreciation this year for books exploring family dynamics, in particular maternal bonds. Margot’s relationship with her mother ticks the boxes for almost every red flag, a dark take on nature vs nurture if you will, where nothing much seems to be in Margot’s favour. Mama seems plagued by love, the desire and acquisition, to questioning if she even knows what she feels at times (to her daughter at least). I loved (pun intended) this. Yes this is a gothic tale, so naturally this love is shrouded in darkness but I think there’s a lot explored that any number of people grapple with and I for one could not tear myself away.

I was really drawn to how Edens character had been composed, even down to the use of her name. Whilst “Mama and I” are not unnamed, it’s the formality of using a name repeatedly. The name itself conjuring up the biblical imagery ~ paradise, lust, happiness, contentment ~ rather contradictory to where they find themselves. A sheep in wolf’s clothing, the odd one out- but not for long. A bit like Eve, how much does Eden offer the temptation to satiate the hunger and rid them of a burden? The characters are complex - like I said, big fan.

This book had me enthralled the entire way through. Such a beautifully written story about Margot and her mother and their messy, complicated relationship. My heart broke for Margot - I loved that character so much. The book was intense (in many ways 😅) but I loved it so much,

Firstly, I loved the way time is blurred within this book, sometimes I felt I'd been enveloped into medieval gothic age and then someone mentions a phone and I'm yanked back into the present, making this so much more impactful and agonising.

The way characters are portrayed is beautifully done, our protagonist Margot has clear thoughts, kept childlike and real in their tone, she is easy to love and empathise with. The relationship dynamics between Margot, her mother and Eden is a delicate triangle of desire, regret and duty. This exploration of motherhood is also extremely interesting and thorough, something I'm not used to enjoying.

This book is a spellbinding tale of a family, they are unconventional and unbothered by the world (or perhaps overly bothered by the world 🤔). This story treads a balance of macabre and melancholy, it's enticing and kept the pages turning throughout.

I could blabber on and on about this forever, but just know I loved this book.

After seeing this book all over TikTok I knew I had to try and read it before publication as I was too excited for it. Lucy Rose has written an exceedingly beautiful and enchanting book which is now one of my all time favourites. The exploration of the relationships between mothers and daughters was raw and true and I personally felt extremely moved and heard by this story. People who love ‘weird girl’ books will love this and I cannot wait to add a physical copy to my shelf.

Thank you to Lucy Rose, Orion Publishing Group, and NetGallery for allowing me to read this book.

I absolutely devoured The Lamb. It was macabre and wickedly captivating from the opening pages. It reminded me of Strange Sally Diamond and Dog Rose Dirt. Twisted, cunning, and deliciously dark, I ate it all up.

This book is just *chef's kiss*

The story follows Margot and mama, who live in their little cabin in the woodland in Scotland, mama likes to take in 'strays' and make them happy.
They taste best when they're happy.


I LOVE a well written story about unhinged women.
The Lamb is an excellent mix of folk horror, a love story and something far darker. It is haunting and horrifying in equal measure, and it is utterly feral.
Lucy is a wonderful writer and the way she writes is beautiful and you really feel the emotions of the characters.
I ripped through The Lamb. Once it got it's hooks in me I was all consumed, I couldn't put it down.

I'm already recommending The Lamb to my Horror loving customers, and will absolutely be filling my shop with the book once it publishes!

I've seen the author, Lucy, post on social media saying 'cannibalism is a metaphor for love' in this book...and I can absolutely see that!

It's a heartbreaking story, but told so beautifully and hauntingly that I almost didn't want it to finish. I'm still thinking about it now, and I probably will for a while to come.

It's quite bloody and packed with gore, so if that's something you're sensitive to, you might want to read with care!

This book consumed me. So hauntingly beautiful it gave me nightmares. (for like three nights straight.) Loved this book so much and will be recommending it to every single person I know.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for an advanced copy.

This is my book of the year. Seriously disturbing and incredibly sad in equal measures.

5/5

A vile little book that is one of the best things I’ve read this year. Horrifying and unapologetic for its gruesomeness, The Lamb is utterly unique as the author deftly draws you into the twisted world she's created. Not for the faint of heart, but you’ll never look at your fingers the same way again.

I’ve had to let The Lamb sit and marinate for a while before reviewing because I’m OBSESSED. I had to sit and stare at a wall after finishing The Lamb. Margot has always lived in the forest with her mama, just the two of them, waiting and praying on passersby - or ‘strays’ - to knock on their door and satiate their hunger. One day Eden turns up, a stray, but different from all the others; she is permitted to live. She brings significance to the lives of Margot and her mama, providing for them in more meaningful ways than just the corporeal. She is biblical in both name and nature, surviving the forest, becoming it.

Despite the bloody butchered content, Rose’s writing is delicate and rolling, truly unputdownable. Although an unconventional one, the minutiae of childhood is astutely perceived; I adored the perspective of such abhorrent acts through the innocent eyes of a child. The Lamb felt like a Gothic fairy tale, a twisted exploration of nature vs nurture. Despite Margot’s upbringing and the unsaintly influence of her mother, Margot’s innocence arguably prevails. Margot is not so seduced by Eden as her mama is, reflecting her strength of character, although by the time both Margot and the reader come to realise the fractured effect Eden has on the small family, it is too late. At its core The Lamb is about love, and how even the purest forms of love can become conditional.

This book is masterfully told with such vivid imagery. It didn’t feel like I was reading this, rather having an outer body experience. I’ll be getting my hands on a physical copy as soon as I can to reread with a pen. I will also most likely be turning veggie.

An unbelievable debut. Perfect for fans of Angela Carter and Eliza Clark. Perfect to be read at this time of the year.

The Lamb is a disturbing but engrossing tale of a mother and daughter serial killing duo, living an isolated existence in the woods and enjoying a particularly despicable diet. The exploration of love and dependence is thoughtful and eye-opening, and whilst there are scenes of a more graphic nature which many would find hard to stomach, if you can handle the gore then there is a lot more to this novel than just senseless violence. Rose creates a protagonist who is deeply flawed, but as a reader, we still see hope in her and want things to work out for her. This is a story of abuse and power and the horrifying side of humanity. An absolutely excellent read.

I absolutely loved this and finished it in 2 nights. This is a gory, folksy tale centred on a mother/daughter relationship and their insatiable appetite for human meat. This absolutely felt like a fever dream and I could picture the whole story so clearly, which is a testament to the author’s writing.

The Lamb is a modern-day folktale of a twisted mother-daughter relationship, and how everything changes when this fragile harmony is interrupted by the arrival of a stranger.

Rose's prose is utterly consuming, vivid and visceral, her imagery and the atmosphere she conjures is magical and horrifying in equal measure. The characters are wonderfully realised, warped by hunger and yet wholly believable in their (in)humanity. The shape of the story follows the traditional horror framework, but it is so compulsive you can't tear your eyes away.

Creepy and compelling, The Lamb is a coming of age story bathed in blood.