4.25 stars! I could not put this book down. SHE'S A LAMB! takes readers on a wild ride with an unforgettable leading lady, Jessamyn St. Germain. Jessamyn knows that she's destined for greatness, something so much bigger, better, brighter, than working as an usher at one of Vancouver's smallest regional theaters and booking the occasional commercial. Despite her singing voice not being the strongest, and those around her encouraging her to go for substantial roles in plays, the perfect fit for her talents, Jessamyn still believes that musical theater is the only avenue for her to succeed in the acting world. So when the theater where she works announces a production of The Sound of Music, Jessamyn is determined to snag the role of Maria, but much to her dismay, she's hired as the childminder for the actors playing the von Trapp children instead. Still, she's convinced that she's there for a different reason, that once the director sees how perfect Jessamyn would be as Maria, her nemesis Samantha will be dropped from the part, and Jessamyn will finally get her chance to shine in the spotlight. She'll do anything to make her dreams come true...but surely it can't all be for nothing, right?

Jessamyn takes "Main Character Syndrome" to new heights, and while you might find yourself frustrated with her at times, you won't be able to look away from her story! Meredith Hambrock does such a great job of establishing her voice and conveying what lies behind her overly confident facade. Jessamyn is such a fascinating character because she's talented, quick-witted, committed to her craft, yet she's also narcissistic, delusional, unlikable. She is a victim who's dealt with some traumas in her life, yet she's also utterly unsympathetic to other victims and even to herself. I quickly found myself invested in her journey, despite her not being someone readers would really root for on the surface. I'm also a huge theater fan and love stories set in that world, so it was especially entertaining to follow the characters on the road to opening night. If Sharpay Evans was your favorite character in the High School Musical movies and/or you love sharp, satirical reads with messy, unhinged women at their helm, SHE'S A LAMB! is definitely the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC.

Meet Jessamyn St. Germain. Jessamyn is destined for stardom, and the first step on her path is to play Maria in her tiny Vancouver theatre’s production of The Sound of Music. Never mind that the role she’s actually been given is that of babysitter for the child actors playing the von Trapp children – she knows the director just wants to keep her close for when Samantha, the production’s Maria, inevitably fails. And when that happens, Jessamyn will be ready to jump into the role – her first in what will surely be a storied career leading her directly to Broadway.

Darkly funny and razor sharp, She’s a Lamb! catapults readers into the mind of a narcissist – a woman so singularly focused on her ultimate goal that she is completely disconnected from reality. She is unhinged and delusional, unable to see herself clearly, and doesn’t care about others’ opinions because those opinions are obviously wrong if they don’t match her own. Other people are only important if they are useful to her, or if she can mold them into her vision. The first-person narration is such a delicious choice, because it allows readers to witness Jessamyn’s delusions and chaotic instability first-hand. We see the other characters through Jessamyn’s eyes and mindset, but we can also read between the lines to understand how they really feel about her. This is smart, flawless, brilliantly executed satire.

This is an instance where the publishers got it right when comparing She’s a Lamb! to All's Well and Yellowface. It gives Black Swan vibes, too. I loved every minute of this book and can’t wait to read whatever Meredith Hambrock writes next. Thank you to ECW Press for the complimentary reading opportunity.

Did you ever know someone who thought they were good at singing? Maybe good at acting too? Really thought they were meant to be famous? If not, you will after reading this.

Jessamyn has wanted to be in musicals on broadway since she can remember and she would do absolutely anything to achieve her lifelong goal of becoming a star. She may only be landing commercials, and is only an usher at her local theater, but that's just because she's been unlucky. People don't understand her talent. They're jealous and they don't want to see her succeed because it hurts their own egos. But don't worry she has her support system including her Tony Award winning voice coach who swears she's meant to be a star and her two boyfriends who know she's meant for the fame.
One day, her theater announces they're putting on The Sound of Music, Jessamyn's favorite play. She knows she's prepared her whole life for this exact moment and will do whatever it takes to become the lead role.

The author did something new with the obsession and raging woman trope that kept this fresh amidst many books trying to accomplish the same thing. I loved being inside Jessamyn's self-absorbed mind and hearing her hot takes on the people around her, especially with the dramatic theatre atmosphere. You can't help but laugh at her absurdity and need for attention from start to finish. If you love drama and a delusional, unreliable main character I highly recommend this. The audiobook was perfection!

Thank you ECW Press and Netgalley for the ARC. :)

i love reading books where the narrator is a manic delulu girlypop ✨ classic case of “i support women’s rights, but most importantly, women’s wrongs”

this was an emotionally charged story that had me hooked throughout

AHHHH THIS IS SUCH A GEM! I initially gave this a 4/5 because in terms of some other 5 star ratings this wouldn't hold up on paper—but the vibesssss ugh I loved literally every sec. I feel like I lived it.

I was laughing out loud, smirking along with Meredith and reaching for my meds to make sure my mania never brings me anywhere near this point.

I joke because of the extreme measures taken here, but truly—this is an extremely accurate depiction of mania &/or delusions of grandeur in my experience. I'm no doctor, but I sure do go to a bunch of em ;)

I highly highly recommend this to fans of satirical fiction. And if you loved High School Musical, too?? Just stop what you're doing rn and go get She's a Lamb! already.

{Thank you bunches to ECW, Meredith Hambrock and NetGalley for the DRC, ALC and final copy in exchange for my honest review!!! 😍}

Jessamyn St. Germain is destined to be a star. She dreams of playing the lead in the world’s greatest musicals. So when the director of her theatre’s upcoming production of The Sound of Music asks her to help with childminding duties, Jessamyn is convinced this is her big break. Why else would a director assign her to the kids unless they were secretly preparing her to take over the lead role when the current star inevitably fails? This is her moment, and nothing will get in her way.

I am, for lack of a better word, obsessed with this book. It’s a perfectly executed portrait of a delusional woman spiraling. A biting satire on privilege, ego, and artistic ambition, it’s unhinged and emotional in the best possible way. I originally intended to rate it 4 stars, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it, so it’s a 5.

The standout here is Jessamyn’s voice. She’s deeply unlikeable and wildly unreliable, but Hambrock cracks her open in brilliant ways, letting us glimpse the fragility behind the ego. Watching her descend is equal parts hilarious, horrifying, and strangely moving.

If you’re a fan of Mona Awad, Eliza Clark, or Mia Ballard, I highly recommend giving this a go.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

That was a wild ride, girl really delulu-ed too close to the sun. She’s a Lamb is a weird girl classic in the making about 26 year old Jessamyn St. Germain who will stop at nothing to make her biggest dream a reality, to be a musical theatre star. If you are a fan of unhinged, unreliable, and toxic women who publicly crash out this one is for you! Thank you NetGally and the publishers for an advanced version of this wonderfully wild book and I will be going out to get a physical because I can’t wait to revisit this soon!

WHOO. WOW! I thought I had read my fair share of delusional girlies, but then Miss Jessamyn showed up to become the lead she’s always dreamed of.
Jessamyn is desperate to become a broadway star, to shine in the eyes of everyone around her. She lives to please, and please she shall. When a production for The Sound of Music comes up, she yearns to be Maria. Not just to play her on stage, but to truly embody her and everything Maria stands for. Unfortunately, though, Jess fails to get the part and is overlooked. But, it doesn’t matter. She’ll stay as close as she can, manipulate her way to the top, even stain her hands crimson for it. Her delusions and magical thinking run so deeply - she was MADE for this, it’s god’s plan for her! She will become Maria because it is destined to be, signs are everywhere.
Her inner monologue is laugh out loud funny, terrifying, dark. As Jess’s mental break comes to a head, the anxiety is palpable. How far is she willing to go? How many terrible men does she need to kiss? How many meals does she need to skip? How many vocal training sessions until she has absolutely no money left? She will be Maria, she will. And girls… I’m sat next to her cheering her on. What an absolute mad and perfect crazy bitch book.

This was delulu and I loved it. All I could imagine our FMC as is Sharpay Evans from High School Musical! It was an unhinged story of an unlikable narrator who will do whatever it takes to become a star.

Sharp, witty and brilliantly sarcastic She’s A Lamb! reads like protagonist Jessamyn’s diary or a series of drawn out voice notes from her to you. Forget that main-character-energy narcissist friend you have, meet Jessamyn as she attempts to ‘make it’. You’ll be there right beside her as she plots to sabotage the cast of The Sound of Music to claim her rightful place as good hearted Maria all while dating a handful of interesting and problematic men, getting herself even further into debt and running away from the ultimate confrontation with her father, all with a large helping of delusion. What could go wrong?

Throughout the book it is uncertain if Jessamyn is a genuinely talented actor. She becomes quite the unreliable narrator creating a tension which holds your attention as she begins to unravel. At first I could see Jessamyn’s ego and constant self praise repetitive however as the story progresses it supports an unsettling drone of manic insecurity, completely shutting down all opportunities and hope you build for her. It was a hard choice to root for her or to dislike her, and this book takes you on a ride of morality.

If you support womens wrongs, enjoyed books like Motherthing and Rouge then look no further.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 43%

I’m sorry, but I’m not really connecting with this book. I'm not particularly fond of the main character and overall, I don’t feel very interested in the plot.

Nonetheless, I want to thank the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

“She’s a Lamb!” revolves around a chaotic protagonist with unhinged energy and blind delusion. She is extremely unlikable in the best way possible. Despite this, I think I wanted more of a spiral vs the majority of the book just focusing on her confident delusion. I recommend this for fans of My Husband, Motherthing, Boy Parts and Good Behaviour.

Thank you ECW & Netgalley for the early copy!

This book is so so funny I was laughing out loud alone. I haaaaateeee Jessamyn but I also can't get enough of her. She is so wildly deluded and truly a narcissist's narcissist. I loved the setting of a small-time theater in Vancouver. Big shoutout to Granville Island!!! I loved how self-serious everyone was. She's a Lamb! has all the archetypes of the (bad) theater world—a cringefest that I ate UP.

Yes, we love a delusional queen!

Marvellously unhinged, Jessamyn's descent into obsession was a journey from start to finish.
There are moments you feel a pang of empathy for her desperation and passion, then she is usually back to doing something awful and you're screaming in your head 'no!'

A satirical comedy around ruthless ambition and lengths some go to get ahead in the world of theatre, with just the right amount of absurdity.
Dark and twisted, if you like characters making terrible decisions, you'll enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

4/5 stars.

Listen, usually one of my prerequisites of loving a story is loving the main character.

This book smashed that rule to absolute Corelle shards.

The only one that loves the main character (an unhinged horror of a human being) is the main character herself, and I am here for it.

She’s narcissistic and paranoid and judgmental and singularly lacking in musical talent.

Watching her spiral completely down the drain was a joy that I should probably unpack with my therapist.

Boy do I love a delusional woman! Kooky, crazy, and outrageous, I love how the author is able to stretch the bounds of the unreliable and unlikeable female narrator in this book. Jessamyn as a character was so interesting, you really get to follow along in the depths of her delusion and her downward spiral. There are moments that help you develop empathy for the character, and then there are moments that pull you back into the delusion, and these attributes work so well in tandem. If you love a delusional and unlikeable main character, this one is for you!

Thank you to ECW press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

This novel follows Jessamyn, an actress who is desperate for a big role. She thinks she’s found in playing Maria in regional theatre production of The Sound of Music, but the role goes to her nemesis, Samantha. Jessamyn gets a job backstage babysitting the actors who play the Von Trapp children. She watches Samantha rehearse for her dream role and even tries to sabotage her.

This book is a look inside the mind of an unhinged woman, somewhat of an unreliable narrator, who is desperate to be a successful actress.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny at parts and I found the writing to be engaging. I read this after reading Betty Gilpin’s memoir on being an actress, so I was already thinking about the lengths that people go through to deal with auditions, rehearsals, working in theatre and trying to get that big role. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a delusional woman narrator.

Jessamyn St. Germain is convinced she’s going to be a star. When she fails to secure the lead role of Maria Von Trapp in a local theatre production of The Sound of Music, assigned instead to the role of a glorified babysitter to the child actors cast as the Von Trapp children, there is no length she won’t go to prove who the real talent is on stage.

It is, after all, why the director kept her close at hand. She’s a prodigy meant to play the understudy role that doesn’t exist, to outshine the lead actress.

Delusional, yes! And that’s exactly why you’ll love this comedic satire. The protagonist is an unreliable character —dark, twisted, unhinged—Is she as beautiful as her inner monologue assures you she is? Is it simply that she isn’t meant for musicals but has the range to play roles heading straight for Broadway?
I loved trying to decide exactly who Jess is and kept reading to the great finale to find out! A well-written, original, off-the-wall read! Perfect for theatre buffs and fans of author Mona Award.

Thank you to @netgalley , the author, and @ecwpress for the ARC.

Congratulations @meredithhambrockbooks Happy publication day!

#netgalley #bookrecommendations #shesalamb#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #bookclubs #bookclubofinstagram #theatrelife #satire #canlit #canadianauthors #readthenorth

Jessamyn knows she’s meant to be a star. She’s finally on her way with the new regional Sound of Music play. Until she’s given the role of child minder for the child actors. She won’t let it stop her and will use it as a stepping stone to the part she’s meant for, Maria.

This book reminded me a bit of the Substance. It has the same obsessive persistence for fame. The main character is not quite there and will do anything to make it happen. I love how the entire story is a downward spiral that we are in the passenger seat for. As Jessamyn makes bad decision after bad decision, we can’t help but read along!

She’s a Lamb came out 4/8 and is available now.

Jessamyn St. Germain knows she is destined for stardom. The laundry detergent commercials and ushering job at a regional Vancouver theater is all just temporary. Her big acting break is just on the horizon, and while she doesn’t officially land the part of Maria in the theater’s upcoming production of The Sound of Music, she understands that her position of childminder is an obvious cover, so when Samantha, the lead, fails to perform, Jessamyn can save the show. The years of dedication, private lessons, sacrificing her own needs for her craft, it will all be worth it soon.

Reading She’s a Lamb! Is like diving into a mash-up of Yellowface and The Bell Jar. This dark comedy shows one woman’s delusional and narcissistic journey toward ruination, and yet, Hambrock has a created a character that still evokes empathy and had me rooting for her to make it! At each chapter I thought things would turn around, or she would embrace the opportunities, but, you can’t dim the light of a woman so hell-bent on greatness, and she won’t let you forget it.

Thank you ECW Press for the chance to read and review this book!