The Lamb: A Novel

This one was a slow burn for me but I think that's because I'm newer to this type of horror. However, I couldn't put it down (cough cough read it in three days) and it was so beautifully written. And the ending? Rollercoaster of emotions.

The Lamb is a haunting, emotionally resonant novel that explores the complexities of family, identity, and legacy. It lingers with you long after the final page, not just because of its raw power, but because of the uncomfortable truths it’s willing to confront. One line in particular captures the emotional core of the book: “It’s such a lie that we have to love our own blood.” That sentiment echoes throughout the story, challenging the old adage, “blood is thicker than water.” The book instead leans into a more piercing truth, “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” While not the phrase’s original meaning, it hits at something visceral. The people who choose us, support us, and truly see us often matter more than the ones we’re born to. In The Lamb, family is not a given, it’s something that must be earned. Ruth, in particular, embodies this tension. Her reluctance toward motherhood is refreshingly honest and deeply tragic. She doesn’t want to be a mother, she never did. But societal expectations push her into a role she never chose. While the novel doesn’t dwell on religious influence explicitly, I couldn’t help but think of how often cultural and religious pressures shape decisions like this. The story doesn’t flinch in showing what that kind of internal conflict can become when left to fester. It’s a bold, important commentary on the myth of maternal instinct and the cost of denying your own truth. The symbolism of hemlock, used by Margot, is one of the novel’s most poetic moments. It’s not just a method of escape, it’s a reclaiming of power. Mythologically, it evokes Hecate, goddess of transformation and thresholds, as well as Socrates and the philosophical agency in choosing death on one’s own terms. In Margot’s hands, it becomes a tool of resistance, an act of self-definition in a world determined to strip her of it. Themes of death, remembrance, and identity tie the whole narrative together. Ruth is desperate to leave something meaningful behind. Eden clings to Margot to avoid being forgotten. And Margot, maybe for the first time, just wants to be seen for who she truly is. The Lamb is not just a story of survival, it’s a meditation on legacy, on being known, and on the marks we leave behind. This book is gutting and gorgeous. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it gives voice to the things so many people carry silently. It challenges the reader to reconsider what love, family, and identity truly mean.

Dude. I mean, seriously, WTF?

It was okay at best, but easy to predict and too repetitive. None of the characters were terribly likable except for the minor ones. It had a lot of potential but fell short

I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. At times it was interesting, at times it was boring, at time I almost DNFed it but the twist at the ending sort of saved it. I guess I really liked the idea of this book more than the actual book. The pace at which the story progressed was erratic and halting. I found that I disengaged from the story entirely several times because of it's weird cadence and how repetitious it was. I actually had to put it down and go read another book and come back to it later. I'm glad I did because the second half of the book was a bit smoother and I did actually want to find out how it ended.