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Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet

As you may have noticed, I have been getting quite a few books from publishers to read as advance copies. I now have A TON of books to get through in a very short period of time. It’s getting a bit hectic what with school and exams and deadlines for these novels but I promise to get through them as fast as possible and give you a review that is honest! This novel is another advance copy and should be released in about a month!

Anna is in a broken marriage with her husband, Ned. He doesn’t care for her and she no longer loves him. The only good thing that came out of their union was the birth of their daughter, Lena. It doesn’t bother Anna at all that Ned is not involved at all in Lena’s life; in fact, it makes the bond between mother and daughter even stronger. But when Anna and Lena try to leave Ned, they find themselves having to hide away in a motel to avoid his stalker behaviour. At first, Anna and Lena are happy at this unassuming motel. But soon, Anna realizes that the patrons – and the owner, himself – are quite unique and have their own reasons for escape. As the chase continues between Ned and Anna, she will find herself terrified not only of her husband but also of the reality of her world.

I thought this novel was going to be great. It was introduced as a psychological thriller that explores the world of domesticity. And it did – to a certain extent. As I kept reading this novel, I found myself struggling to keep afloat and make sense of it all. The peculiarities of Anna and the other motel inhabitants seemed extremely far-fetched and I really had no idea how it played into the larger scheme of things (even now, I feel confused about it). And while the actual behaviour and personality of Ned gave me the chills, the way the novel ended just seemed so abrupt and dissatisfying. While this novel was definitely a psychological thriller, it was also very confusing and not worth the time and effort.

Happy reading ~