I fear this book is a glimpse into the future of the blue haired girl from TikTok after she graduates high school. Ifykyk. This was kind of like watching Mia Goth’s Pearl auditioning for the dance group on repeat for 24 hours but in the best kind of way.

This is like junk food for the theatre nerd in me. I DEVOURED this book.

I will say though it is written like having a casual spoken conversation, I quite like the use of colloquialisms, but it does use works like “like” a lot, like, a lot. Which personally I think really works for the character, and helps with the flow, but if you’re not a fan of casual writing it might be a bit of a challenge.

Jessamyn is a believably unlikable protagonist and is very unreliable as a narrator, the whole book feels like a friend telling you an outlandish story when you know they’re not being entirely truthful, which is equal parts agonising, and brilliant. I love a good unhinged woman story and think this will be up there for a lot of people with some of the other great delusional and unhinged women books like All’s Well, My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Motherthing.

An agonising and entertaining read 😊

A big thank you to the author, @netgalley and ECW Press for the ARC. Book to hit shelves in April 2025.

Jessamyn St Germain has one dream: to be the lead in a musical. She’s willing to put in the work, too — unlike her nemesis, Samantha. At the beginning of the novel, Jess spends exorbitant amounts of time (and money) with her vocal coach and already has an agent, who has no trouble finding her auditions in commercials and some well-regarded off-Broadway plays.

But they’re not musicals. And when she auditions for the Sound of Music and loses the role to Samantha, Jess knows that Samantha got the part through the people she knows and not hard work. At least, that’s what Jess wants US to think, because that’s what SHE wants to think.

Jessamyn’s perception of events throughout the novel make you root for her at first, but as the novel spirals on, the audience sees a different narrative begin to form. Jess begins the novel as a budding actress, understandably selfish, but hardworking and single-minded. She has some eccentricities, like dating her stalker and turning down seemingly good opportunities her agent presents to her, but nothing abnormal for a young artist. However, whether fueled by warped passion for the theatre or by her objectification by the men in her life, Jess becomes increasingly unhinged. Her interactions with other characters force the audience to face the reality of the situations that Jess has made up in her head. She is using everyone around her, and by the end of the novel, her evil finally bubbles and overflows, drowning everybody in it, including herself.

The lead-up to the finale is NOT subtle, and it’s not meant to be. We as the audience know what’s happening to Jess, and see what will happen, and all we can do is watch with horror as Jess circles around and around the events of the novel, trying to find any way to fit things that happen to her and things she does into her skewed perception of the world around her. She finally gets what she wants, and we love it and hate it.

The novel is beautifully set up by the author, beautifully executed, and beautifully sinister. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thank you!!

Wow. Reading this novel was a full-body experience, and I mean that in the best way possible. The unrelenting dive into the troubled psyche of Jessamyn, our protagonist, was unlike anything I’ve experienced in a novel. She is both deeply relatable and despicable. Which was somehow a deeply intriguing combination.

Jessamyn is profoundly nuanced, thanks to Hambrock’s excellent and detailed writing. Jessamyn’s every thought is detailed on the pages, yet I never tired of hearing her deranged perspectives, whether they be comically trivial (which was often) or integral to the plot. Hambrock combined a perfect mixture of humor, satire, and pathos to create a one-of-a-kind narrative. It was increasingly hard for me to turn the pages as book progressed. The weight of the sheer amount of stress and second-hand embarrassment I was feeling was unfathomable, while also not allowing me to put the book down!

I am sure the “Pearl” comparisons are imminent, and while I was reminded of Pearl in all the best ways in this novel… from where I stand, she has nothing on Jessamyn. Also I must note that I have little to no knowledge about the world of theater. However, Hambrock’s writing was perfectly balanced for beginners and experienced thespians alike to get the most out of this novel as possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, dark!!! In the vein of Black Swan or Yellowface, She's a Lamb is a satirical look at the lengths one young woman is willing to go for fame (or her idea of it anyway)

This book was really funny at times and deeply upsetting at others. It can be utterly maddening to read a book with such a delusional main character, but I just let it happen to me and really could not put the book down.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the e-arc. Publication date: April, 2025

Initially the beautiful cover of this book had me hooked, but then I read the first chapter. This book was devoured in days as I didn’t want to put it down, however I also didn’t want it to end. I was constantly trying to guess what extremes Jessamyn would go to to achieve her dreams of fame. I was reminded throughout this book of the A24 movie “Pearl”. Overall, “She’s a Lamb!” will definitely be joining my book collection when it hits the shelves and it will proudly join my list of ‘weird girl / unhinged’ book recommendations.

Thank you so much to Meredith Hambrock, ECW Press, and NetGallery for the opportunity to read this book.

Jessamyn has been dreaming of breaking out as a true star of the musical theater world - she merely needs to be given the opportunity. Unfortunately, everyone seems to want to keep her down. Now she finally has a chance to steal the limelight, and she won’t stop until she does.

She’s a Lamb! is an entertaining satirical novel perfect for readers who don’t mind darker themes and a troubled narrator. It has been described as reminiscent of Black Swan, and this is a fair comparison. The audience has a front-row seat as Jessamyn grows more delusional, driving herself crazy to become a star. Her theatrics are over the top and she is unapologetically uncaring regarding others. It is easy to both be horrified by her actions and to pity her for her brokenness.

While this may not be a heartwarming read, She’s a Lamb! offers a humorous take on the worst possible versions of people. Meredith Hambrock is a talented storyteller, and the audience for this book will be enthusiastic.

Was it “all a mirage, this dream of mine?...it’s been propped up for so long I’ve lost sense of reality.”

Jessamyn St. Germain worked as an usher at a 650 seat theater. “As the house door closes…I realize…I’m the staff, not talent…But they will see me. One day.” Until then, Jessamyn does TV commercials for life insurance, yogurt and laundry detergent. “First stop detergent; next stop, Ibsen.” “Directors don’t recognize greatness…Is it my fault I was born with gorgeous almond shaped eyes, beautiful blonde hair and an eyeball-melting hip-to-waist ratio? I am everything most men have ever wanted.” To her detriment, she had attracted gropers, stalkers, and men willing to exchange money, not feelings.

Jessamyn’s life journey takes a sharp turn when she auditions for the role of Maria in a Vancouver Regional Theater Production of The Sound of Music. Unfortunately, “the king bitch herself, Samantha Nguyen” is cast in the role. Jess is humiliated when offered the job of childminder for the Von Trapp children; to guide and ready the children for the show. She must “swallow an entire emotional meltdown.”

Enter vocal coach Renee who sings all the way to the bank as she rakes in enormous amounts of money to make Jess a star. Renee understands Jess. Her suggestion: learn Maria’s part. “If something should happen to Samantha you could step into the role…If you want it, Jessamyn…you have to take it.” Jess has delusions of grandeur. “I need them to see in me what I see in myself.” Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Jessamyn St. Germain’s complex persona is dark, humorous and disturbing. Her choice of male companions is flawed. As a 26 year old, she feels the window for success waning. It is her right to be recognized…not so fast, Jess. Her character’s story arc was well written but stalled with a sudden incohesive ending.

Highly recommended.

Thank you ECW Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

something about an unreliable unhinged narrator makes me giddy. I love when you read a book and your like, what the fuck did I just read? This book gave me all those vibes. thank you NetGalley, the author and ECW Press for this ARC! I think a lot of people are going to love this one!

I appreciated my journey with Jessamyn St. Germain, the poor poor girl.

Without giving away the story, She's a Lamb follows Jessamyn, a 26 year old who is auditioning for Maria in a local production of the Sound of Music. Jessamyn may be one of the most delusional characters I've come across, and fits into the 'weird girl lit fic' trend of being unlikeable, unhinged, unreliable and filled with delusion. When Jessamyn does not get the part of Maria but rather is given a child care taker role, Jessamyn begins to unravel throughout the pages, and often tries to gaslight as readers where you almost start to feel bad for her.

Similar to work by Mona Awad and Emily Austin, She's a Lamb reminded me of "All's Well," "Yellowface," and the Black Swan. The book made me laugh out loud multiple times. I would say the close similarities to other novels took me out of the story a few times due to the fact that I had read very similar plot lines and twists in previous work. I would not weigh it too heavy in my overall impression of She's a Lamb but I felt that it took a bit away from the stories originality.

Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for the ARC, I will be suggesting this book on my platform.

If you were hoping for a novel that's Black Swan-meets-Yellowface with a musical theatre twist, this is the book for you. Hambrock's prose is deft and pointed, bringing you into Jessamyn's single-minded world. The truth is slippery and opaque—until the dazzling, disastrous climax slaps you in the face (in a good way, of course). A book like this is too intense to properly describe; you must go on Jessamyn's journey and see for yourself.

OMG this book is genius. The protagonist is so outrageously flawed that you cannot look away. Still, call me crazy, but I felt for her too and could feel the intensity of her reaching for her dreams despite her overt arrogance, which is really all smoke and mirrors. It's hard to review this without giving away any spoilers but I will say I've never quite read anything like it, I enjoyed it so much because it's so different! It's bold and risky and so brash and perfect. How can you root for her, but somehow you do and then as her world changes there's that swallow of dread, that feeling things may of hand - inevitable maybe? Maybe not? I still had hope! What a cracking read!

She's a Lamb feels like a lighter, funnier take on what's been derisively but not entirely inaccurately described as “weird girl lit” - books that are often concerned with the artistic process and unhinged women - Mona Awad’s Bunny, Melissa Broder’s The Pisces and Eliza Clarke’s Boy Parts come to mind, and readers who enjoyed those will find something to connect with here too. There's also something of the cinematic here, which makes sense given narrator Jessamyn’s obsession not just with being an actor or a performer but a *star*, and you'll find elements of Black Swan, All About Eve and Pearl as Jessamyn tries to usurp the role of Maria in a regional production of The Sound of Music.

Jessamyn is an interesting addition to the canon of unreliable narrators; normally within this trope we'll believe one thing only to find, or at least suspect, that that's not true. In I'm a Lamb we instead see Jessamyn do awful things and then later attempt to gaslight us, and herself, into believing that they didn't happen.

There's an undeniable tragedy amidst the black comedy - Jessamyn is constantly abused by men she thinks adore her, is taken advantage of by a snake oil singing tutor, and has a chance to be a genuinely great actor but is instead fixated on the idea of being the sort of wholesome star that brings joy to people's humdrum lives, the sort of star that doesn't really exist anymore. That she’s undergoing all this for a regional theatre production that she is not even a good enough performer for makes it funnier, and sadder.

Jessamyn is part bitch, part delusional, and mostly deeply flawed and unaware of reality - but following her attempts at success and strange relationships like her boyfriend Vishal who is successful and emotionally unavailable contrasted with Anton an ex-stalker turned volatile boyfriend. With aspects of all weird girls before her, Jessamyn is our anti-hero, a bitch we know is a bitch but we can’t help but hope things go well for her as she becomes more and more obsessed with becoming the lead in The Sound of Music we see flecks of Miranda from Mona Awad’s All’s Well and Nina from The Black Swan. Theatre and reality become blurred, and the contrast between the plot of Jessamyn’s horrifying plot to be cast as the lead and the musical solidify the horror and insanity that comes from inhabiting a character that is more than the role sought out, but what acting is, and what can be embodied and altered by our own minds. This reads like a thriller and a car crash you just can’t quite look away from.

Well written and intriguing, but uncomfortable and very dark. “Black Swan” vibes. Reading a book with a narrator that is clearly disturbed can be tough for me. The internal dialogue has so much rationalization and theatre rhetoric, it was transparent and sad. Some may find this depressing and others may find it melancholic. The ending is a bit ambiguous. Reading this book feels like circling a drain. If you like a dark character study, this book may be a good fit for you.

Jessamyn knows she is meant to play Maria in a regional production of The Sound of Music, but instead she is given the chance to be a childminder for the Von Trapp children actors. She talks herself into that she is really the understudy without being called that, and tells everyone in her life that she is playing the lead. Drama ensues.

Thanks to @netgalley and ECW Press for the ARC. Book to be published April 8, 2025.

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #shesalamb

She's a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock is about the pursuit of fame and success and a flawed character's ambition and lengths she will go to to reach it.

The story follows an unreliable narrator with dreams of Broadway but doesn’t even have the talent for regional theater. Jessamyn is on a mission of self determination that leads to self destruction. Someone dies in the end! The end of the novel was abrupt which I didn’t appreciate so the story doesn’t wrap up nicely. Thank you ECW Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

What a toxic, twisted gem this is. Really loved Meredith Hambrock’s writing style and the way she crafted her main character, Jessamyn St. Germain (the name!). I was really dazzled by the way Hambrock made Jessamyn a mildly demented, narcissistic, vapid woman, but also allowed her to make sharp, extremely valid and true statements about the inherent misogyny in the entertainment industry, and in society in general. The book was funny and propulsive and I could not stop reading once I started. Also, what a cover!

She’s a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock is a dark, suspenseful dive into ambition, delusion, and the often grotesque pursuit of dreams in the performing arts world. Hambrock paints a vivid picture of a woman consumed by her pursuit of fame. The novel strikes a chord with its sharp satire and biting humor, offering an incisive commentary on the lengths one woman will go to achieve what she feels is her birthright... stardom. Jessamyn’s downward spiral into obsession is tense and unsettling, and fans of psychological thrillers like 'The Girl on the Train' and 'Yellowface' may find this portrayal gripping.

While the novel’s dark humor and sharp commentary are undeniable, I found it difficult to connect with Jessamyn, whose increasingly erratic behavior made her hard (for me) to sympathize with. The narrative’s focus on her delusions also left me feeling somewhat disconnected from the story as a whole. Despite my personal reservations, readers who enjoy deeply flawed protagonists and social critique may appreciate She’s a Lamb! for its satirical take on ambition and self-deception.

Thank you to ECW Press, NetGalley, and Meredith Hambrock for providing an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

She’s a Lamb follows Jessamyn St. Germain who believes she is meant to be a star. Jess has been stuck doing TV commercials and being an usher at a small theatre. Jessamyn desperately wants the role of Maria in the upcoming production of The Sound of Music. She ends up being the childminder for the kids playing the Von Trapp children but will stop at nothing for the lead role.

Just by looking at this cover I thought this was going to be an unhinged sad girl novel and in many ways it is. Jessamyn’s inner monologue is over the top and pretty silly. I enjoyed this for what it was but it wasn’t a new favourite.