Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

A powerful middle grade/young adult historical fiction book. The first half was a bit slow to me but the second half of the book was riveting. This would make a great class book for 8th grade up.

Lesa Cline-Ransome's For Lamb is a profoundly moving tale that explores the complexities of an interracial friendship in the unforgiving backdrop of 1930s Jim Crow South. This gripping novel deftly weaves the lives of Lamb's family, unraveling the catastrophic consequences of her innocent connection with a white girl. Cline-Ransome's storytelling prowess shines through, and I wholeheartedly recommend this heart-wrenching book to anyone seeking a nuanced exploration of the enduring impact of racial prejudice.

This was not a book that kept my interest, just not for me, Im sure its a good book, just a little slowh to catch on to what is going on

This book shows why I love African american historical fiction so much. It was just simply amazing. From the writing, to the content of the story and especially the growth of the characters. It's tough and emotionally charged read, but i couldn't get enough of this story. I fell in love with the characters and did not want to let them go. It took a toll on me emotionally and although I finished it a bit ago, the characters have not left me. I don't often re read books because I have so many, but this is one I'd truly read again. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorite and autobuy authors.

There is no question from the beginning how this book is going to end. So this is not a book driven by action. It is reflective. We cycle through characters in turn, learning about their pasts and their motivations. We come to understand why they interact with others the way that they do, why they can be harsh, cruel, selfish, or spineless. As we come to understand them more we also come to understand why the ending is inevitable. We can see it on the horizon a couple of chapters ahead and yet the character development is interesting enough to keep us engaged. It's an upsetting read but one worth making your way through.

This was so gut wrenching but thought provoking. Such a powerful YA book about black queerness and wondering if can befriend the ones that are different from us or will we ever be friends. I’m pretty sure i cried thoroughly this book. I highly recommend

For Lamb is not an easy book to read. I had to stop reading at some parts because I felt as if my heart was breaking.
The strength of the story lies within its characters. All of them felt well-written and fully fleshed out. I could understand their behaviors and motivations and could empathize with their situation. The book lays out the grim reality faced by Black people living in the mid-twentieth-century American South and how deep-rooted racism affected almost every single aspect of their lives. It is a tough read, but it is something that will stay with me for a long time.

FULL REVIEW: https://www.wilsonhillworks.com/

What I Loved:
The ending quote by Ida B Wells sums up this feeling of this book: “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” And as painful as it was to read Lamb’s and her family’s story, bringing darkness into the light is the only way to learn from and defeat this darkness. The brutality within these pages is difficult to get through...so very gut-wrenching but so very necessary.

What I didn’t love
The first part of the book was a bit confusing due to the frequency of switching points of view. Too many perspectives right at the beginning in an e-book - in which you can’t just flip a few pages back to recall how this person fit into the story - made the flow a bit clumsy for me.

Contains Topics Relating to:
LGBTQ+ relationship(s)
Sexual Abuse
Racism
Lynching
Violence
Cruelty
Death of a parent

Most Thought-Provoking Aspects:
Readers leave this book knowing that trust is tenuous and discovering that the only truth worth holding is that family sticks together through everything…no matter what. Also, the back matter of this book is important. It explains the truth and it honors the death of innocents.

Thank you to the author, Lesa Cline-Ransome, the publisher, Holiday House, and NetGalley, for the e-ARC of this book.

As soon as I started reading this, I knew it would make me cry and it totally did.

Absolutely everything about this book was phenomenal, be it the language, the depiction of the different characters and POVs or the constant feeling "this is unfair". This story should be a must read, as it captures inequality, racism and the fear of being persecuted for looking the wrong way all together with the story of a family, of individuals searching for their place on earth.
As heartbroken as i am, I genuinely could not think of one person who should not read this..

This book about interracial friendship is so touching and has a crazy storyline. This book should not just be for YA readers but adult readers as well.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

In today's political climate, these stories are needed. They are fictional with a hint of non fiction, things that could have occurred at the time. This is a tale of family, friendship, love and hate. I loved this story of Lamb and her brother. I loved their mother Marion and the love she had for her children.

Thank you to Net Galley and Holiday House for access to an advance reader copy of For Lamb. I also was able to receive access to the audiobook from Dreamscape Media. Below is my honest review of the book/audiobook.

For Lamb is set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1930s with the story told from multiple first-person POVs. Lamb and her older brother, Simeon are the primary voices of most chapters. Lamb is very appropriately named as she is soft spoken, sweet with a beautiful voice. Simeon is a studious, young man with aspirations of going north and living a free life.

Lamb and Simeon live with their mother, Marion. Marion works as a seamstress and a closeted lesbian. Although there’s no mistaking the bond between the three of them, Lamb often finds herself as the peacemaker with her mother and brother. She struggles with having aspirations of her own and appeasing her mother and brother.

Despite the sweet disposition of the children, mom has a hardened exterior, raising the children with the fear instilled in her during her childhood. I would’ve loved a bit more exploration of that along with her emotions surrounding her sexual orientation. I have to remind myself that this is tagged as YA and LGBTQ+. The story very easily works for adults.

This book will stay with me as it provides a glimpse although a fictional one into the time period during which my great grandmother and grandmother lived. I will read more works from this author.

**I was truly appreciative of the audiobook as the unedited eARC version proved challenging in navigating the changing POVs.**

#ForLamb #NetGalley

While I'll end up reviewing this title for a professional magazine (before I had downloaded it here), this book is a phenomenal historical fiction novel with multiple points of view. The fluidity of the story moves by the second half of the book at a breakneck pace that I could move fast enough through to get to the resolution that simultaneously breaks your heart and makes you angry.. Cline-Ransome creates characters that a reader cares deeply about.

Every so often I read a book that I don't want to finish because I don't want to face the ending. FOR LAMB by Lesa Cline-Ransome was almost one of those. I reached the half way point, and I was like...this is not going to end well, and I want to stop. But I didn't. I read the back matter, which provided the author's motivation for writing and the inspiration for the names. I read some of the commentators and noted that some said it was a good replacement for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, which is on most high school reading lists, and ROLL THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY, a title commonly found in upper elementary and middle school libraries. After reading the online information for the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, I went back to reading, and I am so glad I did. This is a masterpiece of historical fiction. With themes of racism, lynching, trauma, familial and parental love, and a bit of queerness, the subject is difficult, but it is a piece of US history that needs to be recognized. The writing skills of the author deliver a story where the reader can visualize the evils in the Jim Crow south. Not only will Ms. Cline-Ransome's book stay with the reader, it will become a classic.

What a brutal book. It is so excellent and hits SO hard. These are the kind of characters that will live with you forever.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the e-ARC to read and review. I enjoy and find great value in reading historical fiction but I sometimes struggle with the pacing or learning the context of the story, but it ends up being so rewarding in the end. This is definitely the case here: I found the beginning part of the story (and introduction to the cast of characters) to be slower and harder to get into, but eventually all of the multiple points of view came together for a heartbreaking and moving story that I'm sure will stay with me for quite some time. You will experience every single emotion you've ever had while reading this, from the love of family to the rage of injustice. The author has skillfully presented brutal realities in a way that's faithful to the severity, while being accessible to younger readers. It's a difficult story in terms of the subject matter, but not in the storytelling and the way it's presented. I think that it's of great importance for works for young adult readers to contextualized, not reduced - this book does that wonderfully. I also very much appreciated the author's note at the end for the research and inspiration for the story, which added another layer of richness to my reading, and a trail for me to do further reading.

For Lamb is not an easy read, but it’s an excellent one.

Told from multiple points of view, readers are immediately thrown into the 1930s South. As such, readers should go into this with the understanding that the subject matter is brutal. That said, however, the story unfolds without the graphic visuals you might expect. Instead, author Lesa Cline-Ransom utilizes nuance, giving readers enough information to draw conclusions within her framework.

For Lamb is not a fast-moving read, particularly at the beginning. However, I don’t think the novel would have as much of an impact if readers weren’t allowed to sit with the characters and the scenes at the beginning. Cline-Ransom’s prose offers those much-needed moments of reflection, and her use of multiple viewpoints helps build a more harried energy toward the end.

For Lamb is a challenging, yet hopeful, read that sits with you long after completion.

FULL REVIEW: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/book-reaction-for-lamb-by-lesa-cline-ransome/

Told in alternating viewpoints, For Lamb is a story that left me in deep reverence for all who have put themselves in mortal danger to protect and give their loved ones a chance at a more purposeful life. In this heart-wrenching story of family, friendship, and sacrifice, Cline-Ransome highlights the significance of black women, the stability of the black family structure, and the domino effect of forbidden relationships during the Jim Crow Era of U.S. History.

If you liked Mildred D. Taylor’s, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, then you are sure to enjoy Lesa Cline-Ransome’s, For Lamb. So I did.

4/5, I recommend this book. It would be a great addition to any classroom or children’s library. It’s informative and evokes emotions and further discussion around the treatment of African Americans through time.

Many thanks to Holiday House Books for Young People, Lesa Cline-Ransome, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the Advanced Review Copy does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.

In a Nutshell: Slow but hardhitting. This is one YA book that will work wonderfully even beyond its target age group. Good for literary fiction lovers who like character-oriented fiction.

Story Synopsis:
Late 1930s. Jackson, Mississippi. Lamb is a young studious girl who is protected at every step by her mother Marion and brother Simeon. Marion is a hardworking seamstress while Simeon is a clever boy who has earned a college scholarship on his own merit. All three of them however have their major flaws. Lamb is naïve, Marion is dominating, and Simeon is impulsive.
When Lamb allows a white girl to offer her friendship, their lives will change in an irreparable manner.
The story is written in the first person perspective of various characters.

Note: Don’t read the blurb if you don’t like spoilers. It reveals almost the entire story!

Where the book worked for me:
😍 Have you ever experienced a book that leaves you frustrated and furious and devastated and hopeful at the same time? This book subtly churns all possible intense emotions without going over the top.
😍 While there is a lot of brutality in the book, there is nothing much on page. The author creates impact without sensationalising her writing, allowing the events to speak for themselves while also catering to its target reading segment.
😍 The personalities of the individual characters are written in a very nuanced style. Not once will you question why someone behaves a certain way.
😍 I loved the strong bond between the central trio—Lamb, Simeon, and Marion. It was heartwarming and realistic.
😍 The ending is spellbinding and shocking, while being somewhat bittersweet. There are some things settled, and some things left for us to guess. But it does perfect justice to the story.
😍 Tackling white supremacy and black lynching in a YA book isn’t an easy task, but the author goes just as dark as required. Her focussed approach makes this a good enough read even for adults.
😍 The author’s note left me stunned. The data she provides are shocking. That said, I admire her reason for choosing the names of the Black characters in this book.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
😐 There were too many first person perspectives. While they were written well, it became a bit tedious to keep switching across character voices, especially in the final quarter when the jumps happen more frequently. The first person helps us to know the characters’ inner thoughts especially in times of crisis. So this point has a positive side too. But maybe some of the minor character perspectives could have been written in third person.
😐 It was too slow. (Character-oriented books are always relatively slower, but this was even slower than usual.)
😐 The setting is somewhat underdeveloped, though I am unsure if this is because it was a YA novel. I would have loved some more insights into the town and the time period.
😐 Unlike what the blurb suggests, the LGBTQ angle is barely present in the story.

I wish publishers learnt to keep some things secret in the blurb. This book’s blurb leaves nothing for us to discover. I am not allowing this to affect my rating as this isn’t a flaw of the book. But it still needs to be mentioned: leave a little for us to find out!

Despite the (mostly minor) flaws, this is a book that will not leave me easily. The characters, especially, Marion, are the main reason to pick up this impactful novel. There are some brutal scenes off the page, but as the topic covers Black lynching, I guess you should be prepared. It is not an easy read by far.
Strongly recommended to those wanting to read a powerful but slow-paced YA novel. This is one author whose books will now definitely be on my radar.
4.25 stars.

My thanks to Holiday House and NetGalley for the DRC of “For Lamb”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.