I had some issues with this book. I did enjoy it enough to stick with it until the end. Of course, this book got weirder as I went along so by the time I was ready to be done with it, I was so close to finishing that I just stuck with it. I feel that many readers will enjoy this one more than I did, but by the time I finished, I was bored, confused, and wondered if I was smart enough for this book.

This book tells Anna’s story. She starts hearing voices after the birth of her daughter, Lena, and those voices disappear once Lena starts talking. Her husband, Ned, is disinterested and Anna eventually leaves him with Lena. Anna and Lena end up in a hotel in Maine with an assortment of people who share a link and do their best to support each other. When Ned decides he wants to run for office, he needs his wife and daughter back. Anna is willing to do whatever Ned wants to keep her daughter safe and there seems to be no limit as to what he can control.

There were times that I felt like this book moved very slowly and there just wasn’t enough happening. Things do pick up in the second half of the book but that is where things got really weird. Anna seemed paranoid at times and I never connected with her or any of the characters. There was a whole theme surrounding language and religion that just didn’t do a lot for me. Obviously, this was not the right book for me.

I decided to listen to the audiobook which was narrated by the author and I am not sure that she was the best choice to read this story. I thought that her narration was rather flat and lacked the emotion that I hope to encounter when picking up an audiobook. I did notice that there are some audible sounds, such as pages turning, at several points in the audiobook which I found distracting. Unfortunately, this is a book that I will not be recommending.

I received a digital review copy of this book from W. W. Norton and Company via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.

I tried really hard to get it into this book but it just isn't my kind of book. I think that I just couldn't get where the author was trying to go with it.

A chilling page turner that will have you at the edge of your seat. set aside a few hours you wont want to put It down

Sweet Lamb of Heaven intriuged me because it’s a psychological thriller and of course, its pretty cover. It’s difficult to describe this book, because it’s almost as if it has two different plots. The story follows Anna, who is trying to escape her cruel husband while his political campaign is making way. She runs away with her daughter, Lena, where she finds refuge in a small motel and finds answers to questions she never wanted to ask.

I gave this book only three stars because I am genuinely torn. I loved the idea of this story and I loved the little snippets of facts in between scenes that were relevant to the story. I didn’t love the execution. The story dragged for me. I found myself forcing to make it to the next chapter, and then the next. I wanted to love this book so badly, although it just didn’t hit home.

For the most part, I found myself saying “what?” every chapter. One thing happened after the next, and although the novel is realistic in itself, the way things were described was not realistic. I’m still not even sure why this book ended the way it did or what message I was supposed to gain from it. I feel like I have so many questions that were never answered and the story just didn’t come full circle for me. It seemed as if it was trying really hard to be a psychological thriller, to the point where it was just absurd.

I wanted to give this book two stars, although I felt that the idea for this story is gold, the execution just didn’t follow through. The scenes felt rushed, especially when it came to going from one scene to the next. Everything would be fine and then the next minute the house is burning down. I’m pretty disappointed in this book because with some time and work it could’ve been profound.

I tried not to spoil much about the story, because I still want people to give this book a chance. The psychological aspect to this story is interesting and that makes it worth the read, I just wish it was focused on more. It felt almost as if it was just filler for the bigger picture and I feel as if it should have been the other way around.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book was nothing like what I expected. Lydia Millet is a genius. There's so much at play here about the nature of communication and language, but the narrative really fills you withave a sense of dread. I think I would really need to read this a second time tof understand everything Millet's doing with this work.