The Lamb

by Lucy Rose

Margot and Mama have lived by the forest ever since Margot can remember. When Margot is not at school they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door—"strays," Mama calls them, people who have strayed too far from the road. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she picks apart their bodies and toasts them off with some vegetable oil.

But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her own bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Gothic, Audiobook, Adult

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2025

About the author

Not active here - come find me on Insta, TikTok or BlueSky @LucyRoseCreates x

Cumbrian dwelling in the North East. Writer of folktales and fables. Lucy Rose’s fiction and non-fiction have been published by Dread Central, Mslexia and more, and her films have visited BAFTA- and Oscar-qualifying film festivals internationally. Lucy’s debut novel, The Lamb, is being published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK and HarperCollins in the US. Lucy lives on the north-east coast of England with her black cat, Figgy, and is currently working on her next story.

Reviews

[Léa · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
I love a cannibalistic book full of metaphors of love and grief and oh did this do it PERFECTLY. this was a claustrophobic read following a daughters coming of age and her mothers cannibalistic desire. it was incredibly isolating, remote and carried raw undertones all whilst remaining unique, eloquent and so beautiful. the ending also made me stare at a blank wall for 2 hours straight (I don't think I'll ever get over it)

full review: watch here

[Lala BooksandLala]

Mayhaps I need to give up on the idea that I could be a part of the cannibal-loving side of horror community.
DNF'd at 20%

[Rachel Louise Atkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aware that I am going to sound like a complete psychopath writing this, but I prefer books about systemic cannibalism than domestic cannibalism, and The Lamb is definitely the latter. This book uses cannibalism as a symbol of the need for love and acceptance; the sheer desire to be seen and wanted for who you are manifests as an outward desire to consume to fill the endless hole. I think the ‘cannibalism as love’ idea is really doing the rounds at the moment and is a really popular idea in media, but I have always preferred cannibalism to be a symbol of systemic horror, where it exposes the greed, corruption and dehumanisation of people under capitalism rather than the need for connection. Basically, I prefer cannibalism in my media to be on a much larger scale, and this book just isn’t that.

Coupled with the above is the vibe of this book which is really fairy/folktale like, which again just isn’t the type of thing I enjoy and I don’t gravitate to folk horror. All of this is quite personal reasons why I didn’t love the book but although it tries to emulate the horror of Shirley Jackson and Angela Carter, it comes across slightly awkward. There is too much of a dissonance between it trying to be a folktale and it also trying to be a realist coming-of-age novel, and it felt really jarring. Certain things are left really unexplained and seem to happen coincidentally, and this would have worked if it was a traditional folktale with magic or supernatural elements thrown in to the more ‘normal’ scenes to make the whole world believable , but the book did not manage to straddle the line between the two genres well at all. I felt like there as nothing to hook the reader.

I have seen a lot of people praise the writing but in honestly I think it was just quite average and nothing I’ve not seen before, but I do think Rose has done really well to show her influences and be in conversation with them. I think calling this a horror however is slightly misleading, as there is no sense of terror in the book. Even Angela Carter’s stories have a sense of dread and foreboding and the horror lies in the terror of what will happen if you don’t heed their warning. Like Hansel and Gretel, which this book is quite similar to, has terror in the warning to never trust strangers. But horror was missing from this book for me. I also was expecting time kind of feminist commentary but this was missing too.

I’d love to see what Rose comes out with next as for a debut this was really fun but I didn’t absolutely love it like a lot of other people did.

[El (Ermreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gonna listen to Eat Your Young by Hozier and stare at a wall

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title/Author: THE LAMB by Lucy Rose

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Harper

Format: Hardcover

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Debut! (my prediction is this will be nominated, if not WIN, the Stoker for First Novel category

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978006337...

Release Date: February 4th, 2025

General Genre: Horror/Folk Horror

Sub-Genre/Themes: Cannibalism, coming-of-age, mothers & daughters, school-age girls, sapphic romance/sex, rural living, murder (graphic/gruesome), psychological horror

Writing Style: Fairytale-like, short chapters, provocative

What You Need to Know: "A FOLK TALE. A HORROR STORY. A LOVE STORY. AN ENCHANTMENT. From an incendiary new talent, a contemporary queer folktale about a mother and daughter living in the woods."

My Reading Experience: Recommended for readers who enjoy getting their brains dirty for the sake of a well-told horror story. It's gruesome and graphic, heart-wrenching and haunting. A masterpiece of psychological horror and raw emotion. The vibes linger long after the final page-truly an immersive reading experience. It’s seductive and harrowing; a coming-of-age story, masterfully written with alluring prose. The reader is immediately drawn into an isolated, wooded area where we are introduced to Margot, a young girl who lives with her mother in a rustic cabin. The very first line is an indicator of what you're getting into--a gruesome account of a claustrophobic world with a ravenous, needy mother who is never satisfied; never full.
Rose’s storytelling is hypnotic, wrapping the reader in an atmosphere that vibrates with dread and tension. It is relentless! The novel is lush and disturbing as hell but more importantly, utterly devastating and soul-crushing. I felt breathless while I read the final chapters. Truly terrifying. Real horror.
A solid contender for best 2025

Comps: Brother by Ania Ahlborn, The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

[Meike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, I was really here for a feminist fairy tale about a cannibalistic mother-daughter duo, I mean: What's not to love about that premise? And it started out okay, with Margot, the child (later teenager), as the narrative voice that emulates classic Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm lingo, growing up in a remote house in the woods with a mother who picks up kids who got lost and then, well, slaughters them for dinner. It's creepy, and it builds tension with the arrival of Eden, a new "stray" that becomes Margot's competition for the mother's affection.

But then, the whole thing becomes repetitive and drawn out, plus the metaphors are overly simplistic: What happened to Margot's father is not much of an enigma from the start, the mother's lover is of course a gamekeeper, subversion of the witch trope, female rage. etc. Oh, also: Queer themes, and coming-of-age by developing a personality apart from the parents. The language handles the fairy-tale-format well, the slaughtering and preparing of human meat is presented in graphic, atmospherically dense descriptions, but it's not all too gore-y (although that's a question of what you're used to, and I like extreme horror, so this is not all too disturbing by my standards).

The novel is not bad, but it started out really strong, and then, after the arrival of Eden, somehow just went on, without adding all that much. This could have been a banger if it had been significantly shorter.

[Caitlin Bramwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin?

The Lamb is a gorgeously written, horrific and heartbreaking tale of a girl named Margot and her mama. This book has permanently changed my brain chemistry and the way I view the world, I was either holding my breath or sobbing the entire way through this story. There was not a moment I wanted to put it down, I even purposely made myself slow down on reading it so I could appreciate and take in Lucy Rose's stunning prose despite being desperate to reach the conclusion of Margot's story.

Margot, Margot, Margot... I am not sure I have ever rooted this hard or desperately for a character in all my life. The courage and strength this little girl shows throughout the story reminds me of fairy tales and Greek heroes, but against a much grittier backdrop and with everything and almost everyone working against her. For me, this story is about those of us who were forgotten and unloved. It's a tale about the people who are supposed to care about us and don't. It's about abuse, girlhood, queerness, and love.

At its core this story is about love, in its many twisted forms. Lucy Rose does not shy away from innocence and pure showings of love in this novel to the dark, possessive and twisted love we cannot untangle ourselves from.

The Lamb is haunting, it is a book that has stuck with me since I first read it and honestly, I think it will for the rest of my life.

[frankie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 the word that comes to mind is tryhard. i’m also begging a loved one to tell lucy rose what “hot and bothered” means

[Brittany’sBoundByBloodBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done and rare, The Lamb sinks its teeth into you slowly, then tears right through to the bone. 🥩 At first, I felt like I was chewing on the same bite over and over, the first half of the novel repeats its rhythm: Margot, Mama, strays, dinner. Wash the blood, rinse, repeat. But oh, does the second half sear.



This is not a story for the squeamish. It’s a tenderloin of trauma, plated with psychological dread and a side of mother-daughter rotisserie. Lucy Rose carves out a chilling, snow-covered gothic tale where femininity, hunger, and control marinate together in something feral and grotesquely intimate. Mama is a force, equal parts seductive and monstrous, and Margot’s coming-of-age unfolds with aching, visceral tension. You can practically hear the crackle of the frying pan and the snap of control breaking.

When Eden arrives, all white teeth and warm skin, the temperature spikes and so does the suspense. The tension between survival and surrender, instinct and indoctrination, becomes unbearable in the best way. The writing sharpens as the story veers toward freedom, desire, and identity. It’s messy, it’s bloody, and it’s absolutely un-bleat-able.

🥩 Come for the horror,
stay for the slow-roasted feminist fury.

Rating: 🩸🔥🦷🪓 4 out of 5 of meat, madness, and mayhem.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️
Too visceral, too repetitive and too long. The last 20% was good, but it was kind of a slog to get there. Call me weird, but cannibalism isn't really my thing. It's seems like one of those books that people laud because its subject is a bit edgy, a bit controversial. Not my cup of hemlock tea or, indeed, slice of people pie.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5 stars ⭐

[molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

extremely overwritten in a way that pleads for a emotional response from the reader but fails in every way. the ending kind of just made me annoyed too, as the overwrittenness and forced tension puttered out to an absolute nothing of a ending. bleak endings are fine but bleak endings should make sense with the rest of the plot and tonally/thematically, which this one failed completely for me. also the random cut to supernatural elements at the end made the entire novel and whatever it was trying to say come across cheap/tacky and in a way, oddly conservative? i cant go into detail without spoilers but the themes surrounding queerness, pregnancy, motherhood and autonomy seemed to sharply careen into a strange almost anti feminist stance when the main plot point occurs at the end of the novel, not to mention the not-at-all subtle nods to child endangerment and the bystander effect

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

"On my fourth birthday, I plucked six severed fingers from the shower drain."

One of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it opens with an absolute hook of a first sentence. On paper this had everything I love- an eerie backwoods setting, cannibalism, and a coming of age story.

Unfortunately, it ended up being painfully mid. For a novel about a cannibalistic mother-daughter duo, I was so bored. Graphic descriptions of eating fingers and reveling in the squelch of blood between your toes doesn't equate to tension. The plot felt too convenient (riddled with holes, if I’m being honest), and with little to no backstory for our protagonist, I couldn’t bring myself to care about anyone.

The prose also didn’t work for me. I’ve seen many praising Lucy's writing, but it felt overwritten, like someone trying too hard to be poetic. It never quite landed, and ultimately I wasn’t blown away.

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After seeing The Lamb described as a “Modern Grimm’s Fairytale”, it swiftly became one of my most anticipated reads of the year- and it did not disappoint.
It’s a monstrous coming-of-age tale, about womanhood and carnal desire/lust.
Once I got past the cannibalistic scenes turning my stomach, I was utterly captivated by the writing style and wondering just how dark this story would go.

Margot and her Mother, Mama Ruth, live in a secluded woodland. When Margot isn’t away at school, they spend their days waiting in their cottage for stranger to knock on their doors. For, as Mama calls, “Strays.” They offer these Strays a warm place to rest, until Mama is ready to satisfy her burning appetite, for human flesh.
A chance encounter with a mysterious blonde, Eden, shifts Mama and Margot’s family dynamics forever. How will they adjust to having a third person in their unconventional household? This is the driving force behind this story- a dark, passionate, sapphic, love.

”I wondered if this was what being a real human was: accepting you were pieces of other people too. The people you loved and the people you hurt.”

Another buddy read with Erica! 🫶🖤

4.5 Stars 🥩

[Jan Agaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G Summers x Bloom by Delilah S Dawson x Where I End by Sophie White x The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister.

all I'm gonna say

[Anna Bartłomiejczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten głód przy tym to opowieść dla przedszkolaków.

[chloé ✿ · Rating 1 out of 5]

well that was certainly an experience...

(...not a good one)

[Azhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

we love a cannibalistic mother daughter duo living, laughing and loving out in the woods.

[JasonA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay for me. Not enough backstory on the MC to make me care.

My biggest problem is that the book reads like it takes place in 1940's Appalachia, but it's actually modern day England. Do police not exist in this part of England? Even without police, there would be a hundred true crime podcasts speculating as to why so many people go missing in a relatively small area. Also it appears that no search parties ever take place looking for missing hikers. No reporters investigating and asking locals for comments?

[willowmoth · Rating 5 out of 5]

ISOLATION. 🏚️ HUNGER. 🍴 OBEDIENCE. 🪢 This book follows Margot, a child growing up under the shadow of a mother whose love and violence are inseparable. They live apart from the world, surviving in ways that are grotesque and horrifying, yet for Margot, they’re simply everyday life. Told entirely through her quiet, observant perspective, the story becomes both heartbreaking and suffocating, capturing the rhythm of life under control.

I’m sitting here staring at a wall, trying to process what this book put me through. 😮‍💨 When I have this strong of an emotional reaction to a book, I usually end up struggling to write a review. One thing I’ve found helps me is reading other people’s reviews. I don’t know if other people enjoy doing this, but I tend to tell people it feels like a kind of silent book club; a way to process my emotions and have a conversation of sorts with others as I navigate my own reactions. This time around, I found digging through reviews even more helpful than usual. There are a lot of polarizing opinions about this book, and I think that after reading it, digging the reviews will help you find where you land.

As for my thoughts… this review will be more personal and subjective than the balance of objectivity I typically aim for, simply because this story hit me hard.

This story feels part fairy tale, part (slight) folk horror, part coming-of-age tragedy. At its core, it’s the story of a narcissistic parent and a very naive child, Margot, who has grown up in an isolated world that is the only thing she’s ever known. What makes it so different from the outside world? Well, they eat people, for starters.

"The wilds weren't quiet here. The wind outside whistled in the roads twisted, cutting through the pastures. Snow turned into mud rivers as cars and tractors and vans trudged through the newly fallen, pristine snow. Nature was beautiful. But we did such a good job of making it ugly."

For Margot, it seems and feels normal, until she begins to gain agency and realize that maybe this world isn’t what she wants for herself. Maybe she’s different. Maybe she has questions that nobody wants her to ask. It’s a slow burn, and it takes its time with every step that leads Margot closer to discovering who she is. The prose is beautiful, tragic, sad, and immersive; I found it both enchanting and suffocating.

"Their skin looked as white as snow beneath the water. When the hot sunlight came through the clouds, they shared a kiss. This was true love; fighting and then crashing into one another again like waves."

I was very moved by the themes Rose wove through the story, especially around hunger, love, and control. I’ve read a couple of books that explore cannibalism, but this is the first where it isn’t systemic or post-apocalyptic. Instead, it’s familial and domestic, told entirely through the eyes of a child. At first, through Margot, it seems almost like a symbol of love, strength, and nourishment. But from the outside, and through her growth, it’s clear it’s a tool for control, obsession, abuse, and violence. This story explores hunger both literally and metaphorically—how yearning, dependence, and desire twist in the most toxic of relationships. This, at its heart, is a story about monsters.

"Mama looked up, catching me at the window. I searched her expression for something familiar, but I didn't recognize the woman standing in our garden. It's impossible to truly know someone who hides so much of themselves and consumes so much of others."

Reading it was heavy for me, because I think anyone who has dealt with a narcissistic family member will find this, unfortunately, very relatable. With the story told from a child’s perspective, I often heard my own voice in Margot’s—the confusion, the hope for acceptance, the desperate wish to make a parent proud even when you know they never will be. It was painful but also strangely healing, because I was able to witness her slowly gain her own agency, to watch her begin to view the world through a lens that wasn’t forced upon her.

"I didn't see my eyes anymore. They were fragments of strays who'd come before. I wondered if this is what being a real human was: accepting you were pieces of other people too. The people you loved and the people you hurt."

I read several reviews where readers stated that they felt the middle of the book was repetitive, but for me, that’s exactly why it worked. Living under the control of a narcissistic parent IS repetitive. It is all-consuming. Every day is spent either trying not to upset them or trying to please them; often both at the same time. That cycle doesn’t let up. Rose did a phenomenal job of capturing that suffocating rhythm, of putting you in the world of a child who is not living their own life, but instead living the life of their parent. What others have seen as tedium, I personally saw as devastating truth.

"I wish you knew how hard it is to be a mama. It's the hardest thing in the whole world. It's a promise you make to be perfect and make no mistakes. And to put yourself second until you die. It mutates into this horrible burden. A weight you have to carry forever."

"'When you were small, you were so easy to love. You'd do anything for me. Every word I spoke was gospel and you looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. But something has changed, Little One,' Mama whispered careful and quiet. 'And I'm wondering if it's quite possible that I don't love you the same anymore.'"

I can truly understand why this book has been so polarizing. Some say it drags, or that Margot’s narration feels flat. For me, that’s part of its brilliance. The quietness in her voice are exactly what make it believable. Children living in traumatic systems often become silent observers until something finally shifts. That same quiet perspective shapes how the horror is presented. It doesn’t arrive as shock from our narrator, but as something Margot treats as completely normal, even when it’s grotesque. What unsettles is not only the acts themselves, but the calm, unquestioning way she moves through them, as though they’re just another part of daily life.

"Everything happens for a reason. Something too big and too thoughtful for us to conceive. We're just animals, like little rabbits from the woods. Humanity, Margot, it is made up. Or empathy is waning as every second passes because it's not supposed to come so naturally to mortal creatures."

I think part of reading this book is suspending disbelief. It does raise questions: how do they afford their lives, what does her mother actually do, how/why is Margot still going to school, why isn’t there more attention on the people who go missing in the area? In a strictly realistic story those gaps would be distracting, but because this is built like a dark fairy tale, I found myself letting those questions go. At times I even wondered if it might have landed stronger set in an earlier time, leaning more fully into that “monster in the woods” feeling. Still, the blurring of the ordinary and the uncanny made it work for me, even when the mechanics didn’t fully add up.

In the end, this isn’t like any coming-of-age story I’ve ever read. It’s dark and gritty and strange, and it flows in and out of adult-like realizations and very childlike ones, always grounding you in the fact that Margot is still just a child. This story broke my heart, haunted me, disturbed me, and made me cry. I related to Margot more than I ever would have wanted to, but in that, I also found moments of healing.

"The absence of love had spoilt something in their souls and mine. Our love was rotten, but still looking for the burning it craved; for anything to revive the embers that have gone out long ago."

It’s not a book for everyone. It’s uncomfortable and unsettling, and it’s not meant to be easy. It’s also not meant to be purely entertaining. I’d describe it as a blend of some of my favorite genres (folk horror, dark fairy tales, thriller, and literary fiction) all working together in one story. There’s a contemplative quality to it, asking you to sit with its weight rather than rush toward resolution.

This is a book that will resonate most with readers who can sink into a slow burn, who are drawn to dark fairy tales, and who are open to sitting inside the suffocating rhythm of life under the control of another. If you're fine with mood and theme taking precedence over plot momentum, you'll enjoy it. For others, the pacing or the childlike narration may feel too quiet, too repetitive, or simply too heavy.

It isn’t a story that offers easy catharsis, but if you’re willing to sit with its darkness, there’s something haunting and beautiful to be found in it.

"Mama had told me she loved me. Eden had told me she loved me. Papa had told me he loved me. But it had all started to fray and lose its meaning, like a wave curling, crashing, and then becoming nothing at all as it disappeared back out to sea."

🖤

[zocharett Kolińska · Rating 5 out of 5]

To książka tego typu, że po lekturze nie chcę mówić o odczuciach, tylko gapić się w ścianę w ciszy.

[JJtheBookNerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight from the off, we delve into the dark, macabre world of Margot and Mama (Ruth). Margot is only 4 when the story begins with her picking fingers out of the shower drain. One day, a woman named Eden shows up at their door, and it changes everything in Margot's isolated world forever.

At first, you are left wondering what exactly they are. Witches, vampires, just plain evil – I wasn't sure to begin with. The narrative is told, mostly, from Margot's perspective as she grows from child to teenager.

This started off pretty good, but by the 30% mark, the constant talk of strays and food was starting to get a bit repetitive. It only started to pick up again around 70%.

The writing was fine, but I think the plot needed more. I have to wonder why no one was asking questions about the missing people, especially since they were all disappearing in the same area? Why was no one at the school or any of the authorities concerned about Margot's welfare? She always seemed to be dirty and covered in bruises.

Margot at least went to school, but Mama and Eden just seemed to spend all their time lounging about doing nothing, obsessing about strays. Where did they get their money from for wine and food? Why did they not work? Why was the house always so disgusting?

These are some of the things that could have been explored through that middle part of the book where it seemed to take a dip.

Everyone in this story is irredeemable, bar Margot, who grew up not knowing any better. The beginning was good; the ending was good, if not a bit predictable. But the middle needed more work. Despite this, I was a fan of the short chapters; this kept the story moving along at a steady pace.

I just felt at times it was trying too hard for the shock factor à la Tender is the Flesh style to titillate the reader, but for me at least, this one slightly missed the mark. It just needed more meat on the bones... pardon the pun. ;)

A very dark, sad, and bittersweet (if you could call it that) ending to this one.

[Fern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Staring at the wall after that one. Incredibly well written, I have a feeling that I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. Lucy Rose is going to be a new auto-buy author for me.

[Olivia Garrett · Rating 1 out of 5]

if i could give this less than 1 star, i would. want to preface by saying i’m not trying to tear down the author or her work, but this was….

to me, this is what ai would come up with if you asked them to write you something that tumblr believes is “ethel cain core.” this synthetically profound idea of cannibalism being a metaphor for love…it’s been DONEE. it’s been done, and nobody’s being original about it!

when it comes to the writing style specifically, i found her phrasing awkward. she began sentences with what she should’ve ended them in. “following the freckles of black mould along the wall, i traced my fingers.” what?? why are you speaking backwards? the passive voice drove me insane. not to mention, the over explanation. you don’t need to explain why the character is doing something, just let them do it and let the action speak for itself.

when descriptive imagery was present (rarely), it seemed very typical and unoriginal. it also seemed like she was just trying to see how far she could take it. licking mold and drinking blood instead of breast milk/formula? just doesn’t even make sense. this kid would die, girl.

it seemed like she was trying very hard to be “edgy,” and it makes complete sense that tiktok loves this, because…well…


also insanely weird that she describes and continues to watch her mother having sex more than once….? strange.


to me, this read like someone’s first draft being workshopped in a college class. a lot of it should’ve been reworked.

and the ending….? girl. at least change the freezer part, you know you’re trying to be ethel cain.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to beat around the bush with this one. There is only one word readers need to know about this book:

Cannibalism

That's all most people will need to hear to run in the other direction but for those of you sticking around here's a little bit more I can share with you....

Margot lives with her mother, Ruth, in a secluded cabin in the woods. Margot does go to school but with strict rules to never seek attention, never raise your hand, and if you're called on always reply "I don't know". Ruth doesn't want anyone to come knocking on their door.

Ruth often likes to scatter little trinkets on the near by roads like nails, screws, shards of glass - anything - that might puncture a travelers tire leaving them to seek help. And who better to help them than the nice lady with her little girl by her side offering drinks, food, safety, and warmth. The strays (as they like to call them) should be thankful.

Like a lamb led to slaughter.....

For these unfortunate souls may be welcomed into their home but they will never ever leave.

Until one day when a beautiful stranger named Eden arrives and the dynamics of this little family will be forever changed.

Very well written and especially impressive seeing as this is Rose's debut novel. She took a revolting subject matter and managed to weave in glimpses of beauty and love which is a tough feat to accomplish. I felt so sorry for Margot and her upbringing but this is the only life she has ever known so for her this all seems normal. She is intuitive enough to know that her and her mother are different from other people. Mostly do to their filth and tattered clothes. She's aware enough to never take her one and only friend home from school for fear she will be the nights feast. She wishes only to be loved by her mother and so she plays the part that her mother has written for her.

This won't be for everyone or even most readers. It is gruesome and gory and while there may not be splatter splashed across every page there is enough descriptors given to make your tummy grumble - and not in the good way. 🤢

The ending was absolutely haunting. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for my complimentary copy.

[Elle_bow 🩷 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of this book was pretty boring in my opinion. It wasn’t that it was poorly written or anything, it just didn’t really engage me until the very end.

I did really enjoy the ending but most of the book I just wasn’t really interested in

[✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s like this. nightbitch, lapvona, a certain hunger, this is where we live, the doloriad, i’ve read this story beforeeeeeee. i was soooo excited for this book but yawn, i was just very bored and this could’ve been 100 pages shorter/more concise

[emma °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Am I making you feel sick?”

If you like Ethel Cain, RUN to your local bookstore and get this book. I loved it. The imagery, the way it felt like a modern fairy-tale, it was so good.

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW/CW: Cheating, gory scenes, blood, bulling, toxic family relationships, abusive parent

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Margot and Mama have lived by the forest ever since Margot can remember. When Margot is not at school they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door—"strays," Mama calls them, people who have strayed too far from the road. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she picks apart their bodies and toasts them off with some vegetable oil.

But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her own bid for freedom.
Release Date: February 4th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 336
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. That cover 🌹
2. Writing style was beautiful and kept me reading

What I Didn't Like:
1. Far fetched things happen
2. So very slow
3. Redundant and repeative
4. Too long for how little was actually happening

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Eden is just more than okay to jump into eating the flesh of human like it's nothing. Not even a gasp she just sets out to helping with dinner.


I need more to happen than;

• Eden and mother giving one another googly eyes
• Eat another stray

• Ride the bus with the driver

• Talk about how beautiful mother is

• Talk about how hungry you are (does this school not gave lunches)


All these missing people and they never think once it's this family. No one pinged on phones as their last location and came looking for them?


Margot goes to school but never so much as mentions they eat humans. If she's taught this is normal and not bad how has she not once mentioned it to anyone - even the driver. Also trying to understand why mama would send her to school with such a secret.

How does mama pay the bills?


I seriously thought this story was grounded in like the 20th century the way it's written. I didn't realize until the mention of phones and school bus that we are in today.


Final Thoughts:
I was bored with a capital b. The story dragged on and on as I struggled to care about these characters. Everything is so repetitive that if felt like for such a short book I was never going anywhere.

I dnfed this book 70% of the way because I couldn't do another mindless boring murder and laying on the porch scene with mama and Eden staring into one another's eyes.

Happy for all the people that loved this queer cannibal story but it was not for me.

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[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a prime example of immature writing. Somehow, in the span of 300 pages, the author failed to develop a plot engaging enough to keep me interested for more than five minutes. The endless cycle of dinner scenes and cringe dialogue didn’t help either. It tried so hard to be edgy and subversive but it failed on every aspect and makes me wonder if people who give this book five stars have ever read a novel before. I found it difficult to reconcile the fact that our narrator is a child who “couldn’t spell, even if the word was sitting right in front of [her]” and yet she narrates the story of her life in perfect English that sounds like it’s coming from a 20-year-old woman. Writing from a child’s perspective is no easy task but it felt like it was barely even attempted here. The “plot twists” about where her father went and how this story was going to end were so obvious, uninteresting and, once again, too “edgy”. The novel needed more work, more editing, and it certainly needed to be much shorter. It reads like something I could have written at uni when I was trying to be edgy and cool. I understand it’s a debut novel but it painfully reads like one.