Book Review

October 2026 Reads 

The Lamb 

By: Lucy Rose 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Start Date: 10.8.26

End Date: 10.9.26

Spoiler Free Summary 

Margot has grown up with her mother, Mama, in an isolated cottage on the edge of an English forest. Their life seems quiet & secluded, but behind closed doors, Mama has a dark appetite: she welcomes lost travelers, or "strays," into their home before turning them into something much more sinister

Margot has been raised to believe this is simply the way their family lives, but as she grows older, she begins to question the world her mother has created for her & the hunger she has inherited. 

When a mysterious & beautiful stranger named Eden arrives during a snowstorm, the fragile balance between mother & daughter begins to shift. As Eden becomes increasingly important to Mama, Margot is forced to confront her own desires, her complicated relationship with her mother, & what it might mean to finally choose a life of her own. 

The lamb is a dark, gothic coming-of-age story that blends horror, folklore, family dysfunction, female rage, & the complicated ways love can become possession. It's eerie, unsettling, & deeply strange in the best possible way. 

Thoughts | Possible Spoilers 

Holy Crap. This dark, contemporary gothic coming-of-age story was incredibly written. The storyline pulls you in & refuses to let go, leavings you with questions on nearly every page. There is this perfect balance of disgust & curiosity that makes you almost uncomfortable with how badly you want to keep reading. 

The relationship between Mama & Little One was the most unsettling parts of the entire story. The twisted maternal bond, the appearance of Eden & her cryptic way of speaking, the manipulation, & the secrets woven into the very foundation of their home all contribute to this deeply disturbing atmosphere. There is something especially heartbreaking about the lack of love in a house built on secrets, 

The ending had me GAGGED! They feasted on Little One, convincing themselves she would be safe inside their bellies, just as the other strays. But Little One was not just a stray. She had people beyond the homestead, She had a life outside of the world Mama has created for her. She had somewhere else to go, somewhere she could have escaped to. 

There is something so haunting about the idea of life waiting just beyond the walls of everything you've ever known, especially when you've been made to believe that those walls are your entire world. 

Lucy Rose did an incredible job creating a story that is grotesque, unsettling, & strangely beautiful all at once. It's the kind of book that leaves you sitting with your thoughts long after you've turned the final page. 

Have you read The Lamb by Lucy Rose? I need to know your thoughts on that ending because I am STILL thinking about it. Lets yap about it in the comments below.