Roar of the Lambs

by Jamison Shea, Dara Brown (Narrator)

If you knew the world was ending, who would you save? And would they let you?

Sixteen-year-old Winnie Bray is a liar. As the resident psychic at an oddities shop, Winnie truly can see the future. But her customers only want reassurance, and Winnie only wants their money. Favorable fortunes are a fast track to funding her way out of Buffalo, New York for good, after all.

But all of that changes when a vision sends her stalking in the remains of her family home that burned down in a fire 10 years ago. Among the ash and rubble, Winnie finds a box made of bone, untouched by flames and…whispering. At the touch of her finger, the box shows her a vision of death, chaos, and apocalypse, with her and rich kids Apollo and Cyrus Rathbun at the center.

Apollo knows their cousin is up to no good, and with the Rathbun family scattered to the wind, they know Cyrus is aiming to present himself as the new patriarch. Despite an initial attraction, Apollo is reluctant to believe Winnie. But soon it becomes clear that their family histories are intertwined, with the whispering, hungry box at the very center, and more than their lives are on the line. Together, they must discover the origins of the box and stop unforeseen forces from fulfilling the apocalyptic prophecy, or die trying.

From the author of I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me comes a speculative thriller about the ties that bind us to places and people, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and Tochi Onyebuchi.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Queer, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy, LGBT

Audible Audio

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Jamison Shea was once a flautist, violist, anthropologist, linguist, choreographer, dancer, professional fire alarm puller, digital producer, and account executive—but they've always been a writer.

Born in Buffalo, NY and now surrounded by darkness and gloom in Finland, when Jamison isn't writing horror, they're drinking milk tea and searching for long-forgotten gods in eerie places.

Reviews

[TheConnieFox · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, this young adult mystery thriller book was difficult to read because it involves misogyny and transphobic bullying. I had high hopes for this book and love the cover of it! It just wasn’t my kind of book at all. I felt like it was all over the place! It goes through timelines, starting off in 1899. It involves a psychic that is not truthful and a lot of family drama. Overall, I rate this book a 1 out of 5 stars.

Content Warnings: death, misogyny, body horror gore, classism, kidnapping, bullying, and transphobic bullying

Thank you NetGalley, author Jamison Shea and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[౨ৎ bennett •𖤐🌷]

⋆˙⟡ pre-read
⤿ started 26.10.25
⋮ roar of the lambs by jamison shea ‧★

｡🐇𓏲⋆ fifth horror book of the month <3 super excited for this, i love the concept and the cover so i just hope i love this !!!

[Lilibet Bombshell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a teenager is difficult enough. Being a Black teenager in America is even more difficult. Being a Black teenager who doesn’t “fit the mold” (so to speak) of what society thinks they should…be…is not only something that can paint a metaphorical (and sometimes literal) target on their backs, it’s also something that can lead a person to feel more alienated and isolated than they otherwise might have. It can make them feel depressed, maybe even self-destructive. It can make them desperate and rash. Who knows what someone who thinks they have nothing left to lose could do?

Among historically relevant themes of colonizers looting and stealing artifacts from African countries in search of power and money, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, historical sexism, science versus spiritualism, American capitalism, and African-American discrimination, Roar of the Lambs meets up with more modern themes of police brutality, white entitlement, the pressures of high parental expectations, the cost of choosing to be who you are versus who someone wants you to be, transphobia, fragile masculinity, and being forced to face traumatizing events at too young of an age because the adults before you failed to solve the issue themselves.

Beneath all of these heavy matters is a soft but sometimes spiky romance between our two main characters, Winnie and Apollo. While I love to see LGBTQ romances in my horror books, something about this romance felt forced to me. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s just the way I view romance. Who knows. All I know is that I kind of felt like the romance was a little unnecessary. That’s just my opinion. 3⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or under will not be posted to my main social media. Thank you.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roar of the Lambs is a fun YA queer horror romance, with a Black nonbinary author writing about a genderqueer teen and a Black girl, and a unique supernatural object that binds their fates together.

Do take care to read the content warnings. The publisher helpfully included them in the book and I saw another reviewer give this book a one star because it has transphobia and misogyny, specifically misogynoir, in it. But I liked the way this was handled and I don't think ownvoices authors need to only be writing in cozy, queernormative worlds, they need the space to write about their trauma and pain, as well. I'm just waiting for someone to write next that the use of they/them pronouns was grammatically confusing, but I never once found it a confusing form of address in this book.

Set in Buffalo, New York, Winnie Bray is a sixteen-year-old psychic who has learned to lie because it's better for business. An encounter with the town's rich kid, genderqueer teen Apollo Rathbun, leads her to a vision of a family heirloom hidden in her old house. She can't touch anyone without activating her sight, but she can touch Apollo. She rescues the box before Apollo's toxic brother Cyrus can find it.

But then she unlocks a mysterious, supernatural secret that has driven generations of Rathbuns to obsession and madness, and just may implode the world as we know it. But Apollo and Winnie have a special connection to each other and the box. I really loved their tender, slow burn romance, which was a large part of the book, and had a HFN (happily for now ending).

The chapters switch between present day and the historical encounters of the box with the Rathbun family. I never found the shifting timelines confusing.

I did wish that Apollo had come out to Winnie when they first met. It was awkward to me that she should immediately know their pronouns without even asking. I loved seeing genderqueer representation, though, and loved Apollo's character. The bad kid with a hideously green mullet who wanted desperately to be someone's hero, paired with the cynical liar who desperately wants someone to believe in them.

I still have no idea what language the box was speaking in as it whispered to people or what it was saying; I wished I had had a glossary at the end. It was just gibberish to me.

Overall I really enjoyed this very dark YA horrormance. I need more of these in my life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Azhar · Rating 2 out of 5]

for a book with an impending apocalypse, the pacing and lack of urgency with these characters was irritating.

[quietpageturner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamison Shea continues to make horror enjoyable for me!

Roar of the Lambs is a dark, high stakes, mystery thriller. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I requested this arc of NetGalley…and I’m so glad I got it!

This YA speculative fiction novel gave the right amount of eerie, jaw-dropping, and pear clutching. I love how Shea continues to influence the genre by highlighting queer characters and cultural themes of mythology and family dynamics.

There were a few times where I felt the pacing could’ve been better. I also think some dialogue feels forced and redundant. That being said, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of Shea’s other works and black-led thrillers and mysteries.

[jenny reads a lot]

Erin says this is worth the read so obviously it goes to the top of my TBR.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having enjoyed this author's previous horror duology which focused on racism in the competitive ballet world and, well, a demon, I was super excited to experience this story and I was not disappointed at all. This features racism, misogyny and transphobic bullying. That said this is fun, quirky, romantic, queer, with some horror story elements as well. This is a mixed genre novel: primarily horror, thriller, and romance.

This is set in New York and the main character is a dishonest psychic, lol. This is a wild ride. Winnie the psychic helps a local rich kid, Apollo, locate a family heirloom. Apollo is a member of the Rathburn family and when Winnie located the family heirloom, she unlocked something darker that has haunted the Rathburn family for generations. This secret has implications that just might be world destroying.

This moves between storylines set in different time periods. I don't want to say too much but it doesn't bog down the narrative at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to more from this author.

This audiobook is narrated by Dara Brown. The narration is excellent and works to pull the reader deeper into the story. I highly suggest consuming this on audio if possible.

Thank you to Jamison Shea, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

[Zoe Hana Mikuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shea takes readers through a dark family history where greed doesn't die with its victims. A grotesque mystery with high stakes and queer characters—soft, but with teeth—ROAR OF THE LAMBS is a bloodcurdling, fresh scream through the young adult speculative genre.

[Justine Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roar of the Lambs is a wildly horrific (and fun) ride of a novel. The protagonists, as well as the supporting characters, I found to be well-rounded. Winnie had her strength of conviction tampered down by her family’s urging to hide her psychic capabilities finds herself on a journey to reclaim herself and her power amidst a fate laced with doom. Apollo had their angelic, honorable convictions tied with their own family’s history of tampering them down. I enjoyed the cutesy, teenage queer love story they had, a feature of the novel yet not the focus. Jamison Shea does a wonderful job of articulating the themes of self acceptance, despite discouragement and fear, and they weave themes of racism, misogynoir, and hubris into the novel seamlessly. This sort of work not only entertains the reader but encourages the reader to examine biases and discomfort that come up with these difficult- and unfortunately, very real-themes within fiction work.
Overall, I did really enjoy reading this, but I do have to leave my rating at 4 stars. While I’m impressed with Shea’s work on the cipher within the novel, it is not something I anticipated going into my read. Decoding ciphers is well beyond my scope of understanding, and there was so much word space taken up by the box’s whispers in its mysterious language that it took away from my enjoyment of the work. Again, I did genuinely enjoy it overall, but the language of the box was completely a mystery to me. I have seen other reviews praising the fun aspect of deciphering this, but that aspect was very frustrating for me. I don’t and didn’t have any desire to try to decode something within a novel, and there are so many passages, and even some complete pages, that I had no idea what they said or meant.
I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publishers of this novel, Macmillan, for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[Bethany J · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*

So, I think where this book really succeeds is building up the tension and atmosphere. The slowly creeping dread of the box draining away at Winnie and Apollo's health--both physical and mental--was pretty well-done. The scares lean less towards outright jumpscares and more constant tension and some gore. There were definitely a few moments that made me cringe.

I think, for the most part, the relationship between Winnie and Apollo was cute and built up in a decently satisfying way. The problem is, though, is kind of two-fold. First, Apollo's cousin was such a one-dimensional person and villain. His addition to the story truly didn't add all that much and only cause unneeded drama between Winnie and Apollo. I hesitate to call it a love triangle because Apollo's cousin was never a viable love interest, which only made his insertion in the story feel tedious. I don't think he deserved any POVs nor do I think his interest in Winnie felt... like it mattered? I just wish he felt less mustache-twirly and more like someone that would actually cause Apollo to have genuine conflicted feelings towards.

I also kind of wish that that aspect of family felt like it mattered a bit more on Winnie's side, too (particularly given the ending, which felt like it would have a had a much bigger impact had Winnie and her brother had a more established relationship. Like, I could definitely understand how conflicted Winnie felt towards her family; I just wish that there was a little more there other than resentment?? .

I think the flashbacks to the past showcasing the discovery of the box leading up to the present were interesting, but also... I don't know how much they really added? I mean, I understand they were there to highlight generational trauma and how the wealthy can be infected by their own greed. But I also feel like that could have also been accomplished by: 1. making Apollo's cousin a more well-rounded character and 2. giving Winnie more of a chance to actually confront and connect with her family on-page more. It felt like the flashbacks just really took away from more character-building the two main leads could have had and made the book a lot more nuanced for a horror novel.

As for the ending, it felt... a little lackluster, given the build-up. The tension going forward was so good that I expected the climax to hit a bit harder and it just didn't, for me. The way things wrapped up just didn't work for me and I wish it did.

Overall, I don't think this was bad. I just think that certain elements of this fell pretty flat while others worked really well. If you like a slow-building horror with a queer romance, I'd give it a try.

[Desirae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jamison Shea’s Roar of the Lambs is an intriguing novel on paper—its premise promises tension, its atmosphere hints at unease, and its worldbuilding aims for depth. What stands out most immediately is Shea’s command of language. Sentence by sentence, the novel is crafted with precision: vivid imagery, intentional rhythm, and a clear sense of thematic purpose. Shea writes with confidence, often elevating even mundane descriptions into textured, sensory moments. The prose is undeniably strong, and at times even admirable for its consistency and stylistic clarity.

However, despite the effectiveness of the writing itself, the story never truly earns that same level of engagement. The plot unfolds slowly—so slowly, in fact, that the central narrative threads feel diluted rather than suspenseful. Scenes that aim for tension often settle into monotony, and the overarching conflict lacks the urgency needed to pull the reader forward. While the novel gestures toward emotional depth and psychological complexity, these ambitions remain largely unrealized because the pacing never gives the story enough momentum to sustain interest.

The characters, unfortunately, suffer the most. Although Shea clearly tries to imbue them with layered motivations and inner conflict, they never become people I felt connected to. Their emotional lives felt distant, even abstract. I could understand their roles in a structural sense—why they were placed where they were in the story—but not who they were in a way that resonated. Their relationships felt more conceptual than authentically lived, and because of that, it was difficult to invest in their struggles or triumphs. Moments that should have carried weight instead felt hollow, not because Shea failed to describe them, but because the groundwork for emotional connection was never fully laid.

There’s a sense throughout the novel that a powerful story is trying to emerge, but it remains trapped beneath the slow pacing and the lack of compelling character dynamics. The strong prose ends up highlighting the story’s weaknesses rather than compensating for them; beautiful writing can only go so far when the narrative itself feels static.

In the end, Roar of the Lambs is a novel with excellent craftsmanship at the sentence level but little in the way of lasting engagement. The writing is strong—polished, evocative, and skillfully executed—but the story is tedious, and the characters never come alive. It’s a technically impressive book that, for me, was ultimately very boring and emotionally distant.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delinquent who yearns for freedom meets a girl who hides a kernel of truth in her lies in this captivating horror by Jamison Shea.

Roar of The Lambs is an apocalyptic horror on the surface, but underneath that lies a theme of family cycles, and trying to break them. In my opinion, the Rathbun family is just that: an endless ouroboros of men being destroyed in their search for a way to achieve greatness. By Apollo being the black sheep of the family, they’re a sign of the cycle being broken.

Winona spends her days using her psychic abilities to the least of her potential: feeding clients with lies in the form of fortunes. There’s a twist: these lies are always based on truth. No one has ever called her out- that is, until Apollo Rathbun enters her shop in order to investigate their cousin Cyrus’s intentions, only to leave calling her a fraud.

But when Winnie makes contact with Apollo, she receives a vision that changes her life forever. Seeing Apollo and Cyrus searching the ruins of her childhood home, she realizes they’re connected- by a mysterious box that the Rathbuns have been trying to exploit for the past hundred years. This box will cause the world to end, and she and Apollo have a deadline to stop it. Can they solve the mysteries of the box in time to save their world?

I loved the dynamic between Apollo and Winnie, especially with the box at play. Pandora’s Box, but after the horrors there was hope- and it’s stated in the story that Apollo represents that hope. I did have some issues with the pacing, but I loved the glimpses into the past we got, especially when Winnie’s grandma came into the picture. There is one character we didn’t get much of- Sofia, the character involved in the box emerging the most- so there’s that.

Roar of the Lambs releases on August 26! Thank you to Macmillan/Henry & Holt and Netgalley for the e-arc!

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I liked Roar of the Lambs. It had some very good elements- I liked the historical backstory, I liked Winnie's journey, I liked the fraught family dynamics. But I feel like... the synopsis promises a potential apocalypse that really didn't get delivered? Like it was mentioned, but really late in the game, and by that point, it's almost an afterthought to the rest of the story. Which is not to say that I didn't like the rest of the story, I mostly did, but you cannot promise me an apocalypse without one!

I found Winnie's abilities to see the future very cool. And I really enjoyed the story, as she attempted to figure out what the deal with the box was. I also enjoyed her relationship with Apollo, and how they both had to grapple with a lot of personal stuff during the story in addition to just deciphering the box. The ending felt a little casual to me, considering that a lot of stuff happened (obviously keeping this vague on purpose), and I was a little thrown off by a couple of the choices. I also wished I had known what the box was saying! I felt like I might have missed out on some important information there, but I also didn't have time or energy to crack the code.

Bottom Line:   Definitely an exciting adventure, I felt invested in Winnie's (and the box's) story. But it didn't quite give apocalypse vibes, if you care about those.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Paige (pagebypaigebooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The devil was also an angel.”

I'd like to thank MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.

Instagram Post

Blog Post

Content Warnings: misogyny, racism, death, gore, mention of transphobia

This was the perfect spooky read! The vibes of this book from start to finish had the best balance of ominous and creepy, while also having great light-hearted scenes and wholesome character building. We begin our story back in history, during the time when the box was first discovered. From there, we alternate between past and present perspectives and those of Winnie and Apollo. I thought that this was excellently balanced and never once got confusing. I also loved the characters! I wanted to give each of them a hug! Often feeling isolated due to her family's fear of her psychic powers, Winnie secretly longs to find a place where she feels listened to. I enjoyed following her on her journey of claiming her power and learning the meaning of self-love. Apollo dreams of being a hero for someone, and they were the perfect soft determination to balance Winnie's uncertainty. The romance was very sweet, and I was rooting for it from the moment they met! The mystery of the box was very intriguing, and I had so much fun following Winnie and Apollo as they discovered its origins and intentions together. I'm very excited to read more of Jamison Shea's work in the future! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a chilling read with excellent characters!

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamison Shea has become one of my FAVORITE authors and I LOVED this book even more than Feed Her to the Beast. And I adored that book. The ciper throughout this book was such a fun quest as well and figuring it out with the character and then going back to understand what had previously had been said? I loved it!!

[Ally]

Didn’t get this finished before it released but had fun with it, Shea has a great way of blending humor into the most horrifying moments, and while I think I enjoyed their duology more this is definitely a strong standalone read

[bookishwitherin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! The perfect book to lead us into spooky season. In the story we follow our main character Winona, who has psychic abilities but is sorta looked down upon by her family. Because of this she self isolates and in return decides to trick people when she reads their future. Lo and behold she stumbles upon an old fairly heirloom that one of her relatives may or may not have stolen for a very prominent rich white family in Buffalo. She meets one of the descendants, Apollo and his cousin Cyrus who she needs to reluctantly work with after having a vision that this ancient relic could cause the downfall of humankind.

So many good spooky and tension filled moments. I liked how the author set us up with the back story and gave us a few chapters from the past to show how the relic came to be and got into the hands of both Apollo and Winona’s families. I also enjoyed the encryption aspect and the hidden text. The author provides on their web page more information on how to decode and spoilers for 2 chapters (so read after you finish!) it was something different and unique which added an extra umph to the story!

There were some great coming of age elements, as well as, a young love that blossomed that adds just a little bit extra sweetness to a YA novel for me! There was also great social commentary that felt very fitting for the political climate we are in right now.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initial reaction: I finished y'all. Officially one of the oddest titles I've read this year. I didn't love it, honestly. There are better examples of this genre to be had, it was a bit all over the place. 1.5 stars.

Full review:

Heed the trigger warnings all, this book has quite a number of them. Transphobic bullying, racism, misogyny/misogynoir, body horror, inappropriate age-gap implied romance as part of a triangle (that was not mentioned, and I'm going to mention why that's a concern in this review), among others.

I wish that this hadn't been my introduction to Jamison Shea. The author of the "I Feed Her to the Beast" series returns with another novel in their bibliography, highly anticipated from what I had heard before the book's release. While I haven't read their aforementioned series (I plan on reading the first book in that series as soon as I can pick it up), "Roar of the Lambs" was where I chose to start because I liked the cover and premise. Despite this book having all the elements of a YA Horror that could have worked - had ALL the ingredients to knock it out of the part, hoo-boy was this a rough read. I honestly do not understand some of the decisions that were made that, ultimately, worked against what could have been a much better novel.

Also, this book doesn't really do what Tochi Onyebuchi and Andrew Joseph White do in their books. Highly recommend those authors' work and plan on reviewing more of the books I've read from them eventually. I wouldn't compare "Roar of the Lambs" to anything those authors have released thus far, apart from Andrew Joseph White having a trans protagonist in "Hell Followed With Us" and the elements of body horror, which were done better in that book from what I've read. I would also say "Roar of the Lambs" tries to do more what Liselle Sambury does across multiple books, especially with elements of body horror and historical weaving ("Tender Beasts" came to my mind immediately), but Sambury also sticks the landing better with characterization and worldbulding.

I think my disappointment with this novel revolves around so many great elements that were included in here that really should have been a lot more intriguing. You have a creepy, mysterious box that wrecks havoc everywhere it goes, a mingling of past meeting present over the connection to this cursed box, a story within a story with decipherable messages you can actually solve while reading (Game novel elements! That's my bread and butter!), and a book with a Black girl and genderqueer co-protagonist that have to work together to figure out what the heck is going on. This book should have worked! Unfortunately with the execution as it was, it didn't.

The intention of showcasing the past history of a little Black girl who comes into possession of the box and her history tied to the greedy Rathbun family had the elements of being interesting, but made the novel longer than it should have been. (Also, for a book with prominent Black characters, they definitely felt like they were sidelined for portrayal. I won't say more than that.) I was reminded - in a creepy, good way - of what Umineko No Naku Koro Ni did with a cursed family having to unpack an overarching mystery they're embroiled in, but this takes a slightly different turn. The box that ends up in the possession of the Rathbuns has various, disasterous effects that tie the past to the present two protagonists that take the helm of the novel. Winnie is a 16-year old girl who is a notorious liar but also has psychic powers. She does her fortune telling on the side. When her side hustle has her coming across a genderqueer teen named Apollo, kicked out of school and navigating a lot of family roughness - their worlds cross with much more significance than either of them expect. Especially when Winnie finds herself returning to the home that was destroyed by fire years ago and finding said cursed box. Apollo's family owns the property that Winnie's old home sits. While Apollo accompanies their cousin, Cyrus, they learn that Cyrus is specifically seeking that box and will do anything to get it.

What follows is intended as a menacing weaving of past and present that's meant to be a scary foretelling of a horrible apocalypse (actually a thing and taken seriously through the work). I wish that Winnie and Apollo's journeys hadn't been so filled with things that felt like it worked against their journey rather than helped it along. First off, did this book have to be a romance at all? I didn't think it needed to be. Winnie and Apollo had some chemistry as friends, but even then, it felt like many elements of their relationship were forced and awkwardly placed as the narrative went on. I didn't think it stuck the landing for selling their relationship between all the other elements of the novel as presented. Second point, did the romance elements here also have to include a toxic love triangle? I did not understand the choice to make Cyrus, who breaks Winnie's arm close to the beginning of the book and is six years HER SENIOR, be a part of this triangle. Let me say this again so y'all can understand - a GRAD STUDENT being romantically linked with a MINOR?! She's 16! (Summon Kendrick Lamar stat.) Ultimately Cyrus's role in the book shifted to a point where that wasn't a thing for long, but seriously? Even the inclusion and what was done with it was wrong. What the heck was that? Why would you choose to do that in a YA novel? (It was...a choice. Not fun at all.)

Case in point with this excerpt: "Everything about him repulsed her, and yet she found she enjoyed this, that it was made sweeter by knowing how he'd suffer when it was over. Winnie had a fistful of Cyrus's hair. It was thick, and soft, and her tight grip seemed to make him hungrier. His teeth scraped her lip. She wanted to make him whimper."

This was the guy who broke her arm and was menacing towards her through most of the book, mind you. Nah, throw that part in the entire garbage bin.

I go back and forth over the elements of horror/body horror in this book. Some of it is definitely dark, creepy and it had me for intrigue. The shower scene was one of them, I was like "Okay this has me, I wish there was more of that level fear factor in here." But the book felt longer than it had to be. There were times when it had me, then quickly lost me. Threadbare characterization was a big a part of it. Winnie and Apollo had the most development, but some of the choices from the characters made little sense and weren't given time to be unpacked. Apollo is also a twin, but their twin barely gets scene time in here. As a twin myself, nah, that doesn't cut it. There's also twin rep in another mention for the Rathbun family, but again only a mention.

There's a character death that happens close to the end of the book that I won't spoil, but for how little that character is in the book and the way it was done, it felt like shock value and wholly underdeveloped, especially when dealing with the grief of the loss of that character afterward. (But hey, the romance was there in the end? *sighs*) That death honestly made me mad and I don't think the book would have recovered past that point for me, despite some unique choices of worldbuilding that honestly would have worked if the overarching narrative were stronger.

As for the "game" element of this book with the active pieces of decoding - far more intrusive and lackluster than it should have been. It was a nice idea though, I'm not knocking the intention as much as how it was executed. First, the answers should have been included with the book/audiobook. I don't understand the choice to not include it with the text. It reminded me of how Final Fantasy IX did their physical game guide back in the day. Book with the guide to sections of the game, but you have to check the website for more details. (The answers to the code pages are on the author's website, from what I know.) Second part, it was too much, I don't think there was enough intrigue/investment to really feel compelled to know what it said apart from the sections where it felt there were huge chunks of the narrative written in that code. It should have been more foreboding and compelling an inclusion, but ultimately wasn't.

Ultimately, I read "Roar of the Lambs", made it through. Would not read it again. I wish it were better; I wanted to like this a lot more. Much more than I did. Let me give Shea's work another try though. Many ingredients here to make a great story, but either they weren't given time to cook or filled with excessive things that weren't needed at all.

Overall score: 1.5/5 stars.

[Susan Hagee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this via NetGalley and was very excited to read it after reading Shea's I Feed Her to the Beast duology and this book lived up to the hype! I was hooked from the start and absolutely loved Winnie and Apollo as characters. if you loved I Feed Her to the Beast, you'll also love this one!

edit: second read was for the audiobook, which was also amazing! great production on it.

[Risa]

DNF at 33% (Read through Chapter 10)


I tried. I really did. But this book unfortunately just isn’t for me.

The writing on a line level was good and easy to read. And there were also quite a few compelling, intriguing moments (that only lasted a few pages at most). But the rest of the book—like 95% of what I read—was boring, in my opinion.

The dual timeline was compelling, and I actually found the history chapters more interesting than the present-day chapters (which isn’t ideal—I feel like it should be the other way around). But I don’t see either timeline amounting to anything exciting, if I’m being honest. (Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t get that vibe from what I’ve read thus far.)

I’ll be honest, I read 33% of the book, and I still don’t know what the main plot of the book is. Like yes, Winnie had a vision about the apocalypse, but I don’t understand what she is trying to do to stop it from happening? Maybe that gets explained later on in the book; but I don’t feel like I should still be waiting for a concrete plot when I’m a third into the story.

The characters were just fine: there was nothing exciting about them, and they didn’t leap off the page, in my opinion. I loved the queer rep in this story; but that unfortunately wasn’t enough to keep me interested in reading. The characters fell flat in a lot of ways.


Bottom line: I was bored the vast majority of the time I was reading this book.


Maybe the final version will be more compelling, as I was reading the digital ARC.


It’s a shame because I loved this author’s debut novel, but I DNFed the sequel for that duology as well. Maybe I’m just not the audience for her books going forward, I don’t know. Having said that, I’m sure I would give her work a try in the future if it interests me.




NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:

- The prologue in the mines, with the box, was definitely intriguing. (And sad—those poor kids.)

- Annnd we are now at chapter 1, and it’s getting boring. I feel like the author is over explaining everything, which is making the pacing wonky.


- Funny how the twins are named Apollo and Artemisia (a nod to the Greek mythology).


- Aww yay, Sophia is alive! Although I don’t like that they’re gonna make her a maid…


- Ngl, I’m still confused as to why Apollo went to go see Cassandra the psychic in the first chapter.

- I do think it interesting how they both ended up at Winnie’s old home. It seems a bit convenient that they both happened to go to the house at the same time.

- Oof, Winnie possibly broke her arm in that exchange?! Also, I like how she acted like she was just at the house to get her grandmothers wedding rings

- The dual timeline structure is interesting. I’m not sure if I like it though, because it breaks up the sorry so much.

- 17% in: The first historical chapter was so compelling, and a strong way to start the book. But the next two historical chapters are pretty boring tbh. (Although the president bleeding is interesting…but the scene was so short.)


- Haha Winnie’s reference to Twilight when saying what happened to her arm was funny.


- Read through ch6 in one sitting (22% in): The creepy, bloody vision that Winnie got from the box was compelling. But I honestly don’t feel like the plot has been all that exciting otherwise. I don’t know…I’ll give this book another go tomorrow, but right now I’m on the verge of DNFing it.


- CH8: The vision of Winnie holding a knife to Cyrus is fascinating. And I know we don’t know why she does it (and it looks like she might kiss him). But I almost wonder if it gives too much away? I mean, it’s clear from the jump that Cyrus is the bad guy in this story. And while we don’t know the motivations…I just fear that the visions might be giving too much away? (But I won’t know for sure without finishing the book, of course.)


- Oooh, that’s interesting that the box magically appeared at the Red Hourglass where she works!


- Read through Chapter 10 (33% into the digital ARC): I tried. I really did. But I’m just not enjoying this one, so I’m going to DNF. It’s just not for me—the writing is okay, and there are really compelling moments. But they are so few and far between, that 95% of the time that I read, I am so bored. And I’ll be honest, I still don’t know what the actual plot of the book is—like yes, the apocalypse is supposed to come, but I don’t understand what Winnie is trying to do to stop it? Maybe that will get explained later on, but I don’t feel I should still be waiting for a concrete plot when I’m a third into the book.

- Also the characters: I haven’t talked about them much in my notes because they are just there, as vessels to move the plot along. Obviously Cyrus is the bad guy (I don’t need to read to the end to know that); I actually wonder if the story would’ve been more successful if it weren’t so obvious. So with the visions, I feel like the author was trying to allude to a potential love triangle, but it didn’t work for me. Apollo fell flat as a character for me too; they just didn’t have anything special or exciting about their personality to keep me reading. So while I loved the queer rep, I needed more to keep me engaged with the characters.

- Also, for the longest time I assumed Apollo was Black/mixed race—maybe that’s a mistake on my part because I should’e guessed from his last name. But honestly, I think the author could’ve done a better job with physical descriptions of the characters; because all I know is that Apollo has green hair and Winnie has a pink cast.

[rachel x]

"If you knew the world was ending, who would you save? And would they let you?"

[Shannon Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing an ARC of ‘Roar of the Lambs’ by Jamison Shea in exchange for an honest review.

Roar of the Lambs kicks off with a running start and we’re immediately introduced, one after the other, to our two co-narrators and protagonists, Winnie and Apollo. We’re exposed to two separate timelines—the past and the present—and shown the same mystery as it travels through time (via flashbacks) until, towards the end, parts of the mystery begin to fall into place like a puzzle.

Shea’s strengths lie in the idea of the plot itself. A star-like power held inside a box that whispers people into madness? Sign me up. The mystery itself is incredibly fun, and the stakes are high from the get go. Earthquakes and the apocalypse? Yeah, let’s go! Despite some of my smaller qualms I noticed straight from the beginning (which I’ll discuss soon) I was still enjoying myself. The way Shea writes is fun and engaging. At times the characters felt like real teenagers. But once their personalities began to develop, the author’s weaknesses grew more clear.

The biggest weakness in ‘Roar of the Lambs’ is what feels like neglect at the characters’ sakes. Instead of introducing their personalities through dialogue and action, we’re *told* about their flaws, and then we have to sit through the way Shea is attempting to piece together a pair of characters who we’re supposed to *want* to root for. It’s hard to feel affectionate for a character who does a completely normal amount of lying, (all for great reasons) but only ever thinks about how much of a horrible, terrible person she is. Or to care about a character who committed a (in my mind, at least) justifiable act of violence and then spends the entire time trying to use their own insecurity (i.e. thinking of themselves as a violent monster prone to failure) as the only driving force in their motivation. There’s a lot of weird forced biblical imagery that stands out a lot. (Lambs, snakes, etc.) It oftentimes felt as if the author once wrote down a lot of cool sentences and comparisons and was like “wow, can’t wait to stick these somewhere completely inorganically one day!”

It feels like Shea once heard someone say “give your characters flaws!” and then stopped taking advice after that. They keep *telling* us about these flaws instead of showing them, and even if it’s an attempt at spotlighting the characters’ insecurities, it’s not enjoyable. Winnie and Apollo are far too aware of their own issues in a way that feels like there should be a larger theme or discussion about these weird morality hang ups. But there’s not. There’s a romance between the two for some reason, which falls flat mainly because their relationship is ripe with miscommunications that are being forced upon them by a writer who apparently doesn’t think Magic Box That Kills is a good enough driving force for the plot, or perhaps doesn’t trust enough in their skill to handle the conclusion in a satisfying way. (I… won’t comment on the end.)

I tried to enjoy the attempt at interactiveness. The Cypher fascinated me when it was first mentioned, but when it’s clear there’s some sort of invitation to the reader to try and decode some of these jumbled phrases, Shea unfortunately places all their bets on the idea that people would want to do that. Spoiler alert: at no point did I ever consider solving it. If the characters couldn’t, then what was the point? The instant it was solved should have been the instant that jumbled phrases were dropped from the narrative altogether. I almost want to shout, “stop trying to make people care about the cypher—the cypher is never going to matter to readers.”

Altogether, between awkwardly told flashbacks that feel anachronistic despite the author’s attempts to set the story in different periods as the plot progresses, too many characters in these flashbacks that spend too little time on the page to make any impact (which also only serve to confuse the reader and lessen the impact of their existence and individual stories) and Shea’s failure to create strong characters, I found my enjoyment waning after the halfway mark, and seriously considered DNFing with less than 60 pages to go.

In a more competent writer’s hands, I could see myself giving this story 4 stars. Unfortunately even though it sat at a comfortable 3 for most of my read, I’ll be giving it a 2.5, rounded down to a 2 for the sake of Goodreads’ rating system, and because a 3 is far, far too generous.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jamison Shea’s “Roar of the Lambs” is not your typical YA horror. It’s part supernatural mystery, part occult fantasy, and part Pandora’s box retelling, with all the intensity of a ticking apocalypse and the intimacy of a character-driven drama. If you’re into stories where haunted relics whisper doom, blood-soaked secrets span generations, and queer teens fight back against both cosmic horror and societal cruelty—this one’s for you. A chilling and chaotic YA horror-thriller that looks into eldritch terror and generational trauma, creating a story that is both deeply unsettling and strangely beautiful.

Sixteen-year-old Winnie Bray is a psychic-for-hire at an oddities shop in Buffalo, New York—but she’s also a con artist, giving her clients whatever futures they want to hear. Until one vision leads her back to the ruins of her burned-down family home, where she uncovers a mysterious, bone-crafted box that refuses to burn and seems to whisper to her. The box shows her visions of chaos and catastrophe—and somehow, two wealthy teens from the infamous Rathbun family, Apollo and Cyrus, are tied to it. Apollo wants answers. Cyrus wants power. And the box wants out. As past and present collide through flashbacks to the box’s dark origins in 1899, Winnie and Apollo must confront the monstrous legacy of their families, their own identities, and the creeping, cataclysmic force trying to claw its way into the world.

The box is an eerie, unforgettable creation—equal parts occult artifact and eldritch harbinger. It conjures fire, earthquakes, and apocalyptic visions, and it has a twisted history of destruction, sacrifice, and cult-like devotion. Think Pandora’s Box meets cosmic horror, with a side of blood rites. The story moves through time, tracing the box’s cursed legacy from the early 1900s to present day. The flashbacks are moody and immersive, adding a sense of inevitability and dread as tragedy follows every new owner. Shea does an excellent job weaving these timelines into the central plot without losing momentum.

The cast is refreshingly inclusive and emotionally rich. Winnie is fierce and flawed, driven by grief, ambition, and a desperate desire to escape her circumstances. Apollo, who uses they/them pronouns, is compassionate, guarded, and deeply skeptical—an excellent counterbalance to Winnie. Their romance develops quickly, which did feel a bit rushed, but the emotional honesty between them adds authenticity and heart.

Beneath the horror lies commentary on classism, gender identity, transphobia, and the cost of survival. Cyrus, the story’s charismatic antagonist, is compelling but could’ve used more nuance. His inferiority complex and hunger for power make him a solid villain, but his motives sometimes feel surface-level. Still, the story makes room for discussions of trauma, revenge, and the toxic legacies we inherit—and sometimes perpetuate.

While the plot is generally well-paced, the middle drags slightly as the horror element takes a back seat to interpersonal drama. One major death lacks impact due to underdeveloped characterization. The third-act breakup between Winnie and Apollo, driven by miscommunication, also leans a little too hard into YA tropes.

The box’s connection to the eldritch creature is one of the book’s coolest ideas, but its origins and true nature remain frustratingly vague. If you’re hoping for deep lore or cosmic rules, you may be left wanting more.

Overall, “Roar of the Lambs” is messy, macabre, and magnetic. It pulls no punches in its depiction of violence, identity, and inherited horror—but through the blood and fire, it also tells a story about letting go, healing, and choosing your own fate. If you’re drawn to haunted legacies and eldritch vibes wrapped in queer coming-of-age angst, Jamison Shea delivers something raw, original, and worth your time.

🩸 Content Warnings: gore, body horror, transphobia, misogyny, cults, death, animal and human sacrifice, bullying
🌈 Highlights: LGBTQ+ rep (especially a well-written nonbinary character), atmospheric horror, intergenerational mystery, found family dynamics

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: transphobia, misogyny, racism, misogynoir, death, bullying, body horror

"Know your place, little lamb."

Winnie Bray is a sixteen-year-old liar. She's also a psychic, but no one seems to really care about that because no one seems to be that interested in the truth when it comes to Winnie. They want reassurance, no matter what WInnie actually sees. And when it comes to Winnie herself, she's told to hide who she is. That the bad things she sees are nothing but nerves and things she brings on herself.

"Every time Winnie told the truth, she ruined something. She hurt someone. Even in trying to prove that her ability would be worth something, she'd still landed casualties."

Genderqueer teen Apollo Rathbun is one of the town's rich kids, but they're hiding things themselves. About who they want to be and who they fear they really are. Like Winnie, no one seems to care enough to actually listen to Apollo.

"They wanted to, wanted to prove they could be good, but that didn't mean they knew what good looked like."

The two are brought together by a mysterious box that shows Winnie death, chaos, and the apocalypse--and they're involved, along with Apollo's cousin Cyrus. Winnie and Apollo, both broken and guarded, have to learn to trust each other and work together to somehow stop Winnie's premonition from coming true.

Jamison Shea does it again, effortlessly blending speculative horror with real life trauma. Their main characters are hurt and far from perfect, but that's what makes them so deeply human. My heart ached for both Winnie and Apollo, who just want to be seen for who they are, flaws and all. The dynamic between the two of them was so up and down, but it made sense. Given all each of them had been through and how those who claimed to love them treated them, it was easy to see how quickly they could fall back into old patterns of doubt and mistrust. It hurt, but it felt real.

I loved the timeline jumps between chapters, showing the history of the box and the growing obsession of those who held it. The back-and-forth POV is not something that's always done well, but Shea handled it beautifully. It added so much tension and build-up to the ultimate climax, which kept me on the edge of my seat, especially with regards to what Winnie would do.

I would have liked a little more backstory on the mythology of the box and I think Cyrus could have been developed a little more, but overall, I found this to be another excellent book from Shea. The storytelling was rich and there were so many good quotes that I highlighted throughout the book (but can't share them all because spoilers, obviously).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

[August · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamison Shea's third novel takes us into an entirely new world, told through alternating chapters from our two main characters. This structure lets us deeply explore their thoughts and emotions. I loved how the story moved not just between perspectives but across timelines, blending past and present in a way that added depth. These shifts give important context to the longstanding feud between the two families—those of our protagonists—as well as the mysterious external conflict surrounding Morning Star, the eerie bone-white box at the center of it all.

At first glance, it opens like a familiar story: a loner girl with psychic powers—Winnie—and a non-binary rebel from a wealthy family they never felt at home in—Apollo. Their meeting is predictable, sure, but watching their relationship evolve was incredibly satisfying. The story read like a modern take on Romeo and Juliet—two feuding families and a couple caught in the middle, ultimately pulling people together through their bond. What really set this novel apart for me compared to Shea’s earlier work was the character development. Winnie's choices and dialogue were grounded in her backstory—it all felt believable, never forced.

That said, the one part of the plot that did feel forced was the sudden POV shift to the human villain, which sparked a fight between our lovebirds. I just didn’t buy Apollo’s quick decision to side with his cousin after all the trust that had been built up. I kept thinking, This has to be a trick—they planned this, but no, it was just a convenient way to launch the finale. I really think Shea could’ve found a more natural way to get there.

Still, I quickly forgave the misstep once the ending started heating up. I devoured the last six chapters, staying up until 1 a.m. to finish. The conclusion was satisfying and didn’t feel rushed at all. The mystery of the box unfolds gradually, with the reader piecing things together alongside the characters. I felt like part of the investigation team, especially with Morning Star’s coded messages and the codex. I even used the key on Shea’s website to decode some of it—though I’ll admit, I skipped a few parts when it slowed the pace too much. Thankfully, Shea included translated versions of the heavily coded chapters, which I really appreciated.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book—even if it took me longer to finish than expected. It’s one of those stories that rewards you for taking your time, letting the mystery unravel as you learn alongside the cast.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fierce Reads for the opportunity to read and review this novel and share my honest thoughts.

[A Grimm Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would actually call this at 3.5 ⭐️ but alas goodreads will still not allow us any fractions in our ratings so I'm going to round up in this instance.

The cover of this book immediately drew my attention and then the summary had me totally intrigued. I have found myself on a bit of a horror/thriller kick as of late so a book about a psychic, a creepy bone box and apocalyptic visions with a splash of romance was calling my name.

In what I find to be true horror fashion you won’t find any deep world building or lore in regards to the mystical and mysterious in this story, the not knowing is what ups the stakes for stories like this. The book had its up and down moments. My attention waffled during the first twenty percent but I was well and truly invested by the midway point.

There are chapters that are flash backs to previous time periods and people related to our main characters that break up the flow of the story a bit. I think there was a missed opportunity to better incorporate these snippets into the narrative flow by having them be a mix of flashes that Winnie gets from her ability and possibly journal passages that could have been found by Apollo in the Rathbun manor.

Winnie is an interesting character with a “gift” she says she would rather not have mostly due to her family’s attitude towards it but as with many things her choices betray her true feelings. I enjoyed the dynamic between her and Apollo quite a bit.

Apollo is a likable character and easy to relate to, wanting to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world and in their family. They made me distinctly remember my own late teen years and the struggles I went through at the time. But there were a few things in regards to the authors writing choices for them that struck me as odd. Everyone, even people that had never met them previously, referred to Apollo with they/them pronouns automatically, with one very pointed exception towards the end. It’s clear to the reader early on based on the chapters form their POV what their orientation is but its not clear how others just know. Apollo’s physical description aside from their hideously green mullet is also kept overly ambiguous, which I believe was intentional and I understand the choice, but as someone who basically plays a movie out in their head while reading made it very difficult to fully form a picture of them.

The ending is both hopeful for our MCs and bitter sweet as you can’t tackle a pending apocalypse and come out unscathed. Overall a satisfying read and I recommend picking it up.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roar of the Lambs is partially a retelling of Pandora's Box in a more modern setting, mixed in with supernatural horrors and occult mystery. Everything revolves around the discovery of a box with unknown power that negatively affects the world and people around it.

In glimpses we are shown the history of the box from its potentially initial discovery to its current location in-between the modern-day chapters. While it sometimes feels like it slightly breaks the flow of the story being told with main characters Winona, Apollo, and Cyrus, it reinforces the mystery and intrigue around the box -- in each part of history from the early 1900s to the modern decade, someone becomes enamored with the box, trying to solve its eclectic mystery with tragedy and misfortune following its cursed existence.

The main characters Winona and Apollo are fleshed out, three-dimensional humans with various thoughts and feelings depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. Unfortunately, it felt like Cyrus was more stereotypical in his archetype, making it easy to dislike him as a character and dismiss his viewpoint of the events occurring. Relationship-wise, the romance between Winona and Apollo seemed a little too fast, even based upon the circumstances they find themselves in. They (Apollo) seemed to go from wary observation of Winona to friendship to something more in the span of just a few days.

Overall, Roar of the Lambs is cosmic horror wrapped up with interpersonal drama and examination of identity - what our actions speak about us versus what we ourselves believe ourselves to be.

What I Enjoyed:
- mysterious cosmic horror box with the power to rend the world apart into chaos
- Winona and her ability: the good (accepting it and using it), the bad (being dismissed or outright ignored because of it), and the occasional lamenting of said power
- the build-up of the mystery of the box and what it contains/can do
- having fun deciphering the box's language

What May Be Improved:
- the quick relationship development between Winona and Apollo
- the sudden climax and sudden resolution within the span of 20 pages

[TSYMONEVISUALS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamison Shea does eerie/horror in a way that really grabs my attention every time. This is the 3rd novel I have read by her and definitely won’t be the last by a long shot.

Winnie Bray is a liar and a psychic (which is a wicked combo might I add) and works AS a psychic at an occult/oddities shop in town. The premise of this story is extremely creepy overall with psychics, murderous families and a white bone carved box dubbed Morning Star (aptly named might I add once again) that could either kill Winnie or destroy the world as she knows it based off of a psychic vision. With the help of Apollo, a non binary delinquent whose slow burn friendship with Winnie could lead to their downfall, they are determined to stop Apollo’s cousin Cyrus from doing something he won’t be able to undo due to the Rathburn family’s obsession with harboring the powers of the box to do God only know what.

The element of swapping between timelines to tell a full story and give background/context of what’s happening in present has a way of pulling you out of story at different moments but this is something that Shea does very well in Roar of the Lambs.

This novel gave me an almost Stranger Things meets Tim Burton kind of feel where the minute you thought things were strange/creepy it turns it up even further. With an impending apocalypse on the rise, this entire story is truly a race against time with every factor at play working against these 2 unlikely protagonists. The aspect of having decode and decipher the box’s language while reading the story felt like an interactive mystery to me the entire time, which was enjoyable for me!

With themes of misogyny, racism, classism and transphobia this book does take a truly modern twist by including issues that we are currently discussing in the real world.

I am rating this 4 ⭐️’s!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jamison Shea and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review snd thoughts on this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐

ROAR OF THE LAMBS by Jamison Shea

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan (Henry Holt and Co) for the earc (Aug 26)

Winnie is a psychic. When she gets a vision that sends her to her childhood home, she finds a box made of bones...a box that can whisper. Upon touching the box, she gets a vision of death with rich kids Apollo and Cyrus Rathburn as the causes. Apollo knows Cyrus is up to no good, that he wants to be the new patriarch. Soon they and Winnie are intertwined as they work to figure out the box and stop the prophecy.
I wanted to love this book since I enjoyed Shea's previous work, but I didn't. Honestly, I struggled immensely with this one, but not because it wasn't interesting or anything like that. Because ROAR OR THE LAMBS was interesting. I liked the idea of the box and its overtaking of everything. It was thrilling as Winnie and Apollo teamed up to figure out how to stop said prophecy. Despite all of that, there were things I couldn't get past, which all cover the same thing: the povs and timeline. I struggled with the point of views. I'm not sure why---I think it was because this is third person and the author didn't indicate who's pov was the focus at the beginning of the chapter. Also, the timeline. I didn't necessarily find the timeline between chapters confusing---I actually appreciated the extra details, though they weren't needed---I found the visions confusing when the visions were of the past or even of the future. Again, I'm not sure why. I think it's because they were seemingly out of the blue. At least in my opinion.
I went back and forth on how to rate this because I went back and forth on DNF this or not since it didn't pull me in the way I wanted it to. ROAR OF THE LAMBS was not my favorite, but it wasn't my least favorite. I felt that this wasn't as fast-paced as a book about impending doom should be, and the characters---even the main ones (iykyk)---were unlikeable. I liked the concept. Overall, the execution fell short.