SHE’S A LAMB! - Meredith Hambrock

Jessamyn St. Germain is destined for stardom.

At twenty-six, she’s still struggling to break into Vancouver’s musical theatre scene—but The Sound of Music could change everything.

She was born to play Maria von Trapp.

Except… she doesn’t get the part.

Instead, she’s hired to babysit the child actors. Still, she takes it in stride. It’s the perfect way to study the role—just in case.

If you love CJ Leede, Mona Awad, or Ottessa Moshfegh, She’s A Lamb! is your next obsession. Crackling with female rage, it’s laugh-out-loud funny, deeply disturbing, and utterly unhinged.

And Jessamyn?

Delusional—in the best possible way. I’ve never felt so much secondhand embarrassment for a main character. She’s awful in nearly every way that counts… and yet, you want her to win. Her passion is infectious, and she’ll pull you so deep into her fantasy, you’ll forget which way is up.

Everything is a sign. Proof she was meant for this role.

And she’ll do whatever it takes to get it.

Anything.

She’s A Lamb! is a heavy read, and Jessamyn’s spiral gets dark. But despite everything, there are moments when you feel for her—because her experience as a woman is painfully real. Used. Dismissed. Worn down by men who only take.

Highly recommended for fans of unhinged women, obsession, and stories that blur the line between ambition and madness. You’ll cringe. You’ll gasp. You might even root for her.

3.5 rounded up.

she's a lamb! by Meredith Hambrock was so much fun omg

Jessamyn was born to be a star, or at least that is what her core belief is. For now, at age twenty-six, she is only booking the odd commercial shoot while working at a small theater in Vancouver. At last, she has the opportunity to be seen. Only she doesn't receive her dream role as Maria in an upcoming production of The Sound of Music, so she sets out to make it hers.
Blowing off her agents calls, dating multiple men at once and child-minding on the set of The Sound of Music, Jessamyn waits for Samantha, the lead in the musical, to fail so that she can take her place.
What happens next is a whole lot of delusion, desperation, chaos, and total denial of the unravelling of a traumatic past that is oozing into her present reality.
At a quick glance, this book is a suspenseful and gripping tale of a delulu fmc. It's a fun and hilarious ride to be on.
On a deeper level this book explores grooming, exploitation, sexual assault and trauma. Jessamyn is such an intriguing character. At first she is arrogant, annoying and simply oblivious to the point of delusion. But as past and present are revealed to us readers, the reality is much more grim.
Close to half way I was wondering when the crazy, gory, horror elements were going to come into play (to set your expectations straight - this isn't a horror), but suddenly I was 95% in, concerned, creeped-out and wide-eyed, absolutely eating this up.

So this isn't so much the horror that I was led to expect, BUT I did find myself on-edge and anxiously awaiting the fate of these characters and events. Hambrock's writing is great, I felt Jessamyn's desperation in my own body.
I do wish the deeper, darker themes received a bit more attention and exploration because what we did get felt too brief.
Otherwise I loved to hate the characters, enjoyed the plot, dark humor, ideas and insight, and I thoroughly look forward to their next release (will also suss previous release).
This is definitely in line with the weird lil books following unhinged women doing unhinged things trend, so if you're also riding that train with me I think you could enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for an eARC of She's A Lamb!

...what on earth was this book??? There was absolutely no plot and it just...ended?? The characters were all wildly annoying. The beginning was pretty funny, but it became over the top after about 40%.

The story is about Jessamyn, who is a struggling actress whose obsession with playing Maria in The Sound of Music leads her down a bizarre and unsettling path. She is assigned to supervise child actors instead, Jessamyn convinces herself she’s the show’s secret star. As the story progresses Jessamyn unravels. If you like stories with an unreliable narrator, then I would check this one out!

When someone starts believing their own act and turns every word into a performance, they kind of stop being real—and honestly, it just makes them unbearable

What an amusing dark book. We follow Jessamyn who is going for the lead role of Maria in The Sound Of Music, shes utterly convinced shes going to get it - until she doesn't. She actually ends up with a childminding role on set instead but still feels convinced that should anything happen to the lead actress shes there ready to step in.

This character was incredibly delusional and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in her mind as she slowly starts losing her grip on reality. I would definitely read from the author again as the writing was so sharp and witty.

This is one of those books that you finish reading and think what the hell did I just read but I loved every second of it. We follow Jessamyn an aspiring musical theater actress trying to get her big break, only problem she didn’t get the part but that doesn’t stop her when she gets offered the job of child minder for the child actors. Determined to have her big break Jessamyn might take things a bit too far. This book reminded me a lot of Mona Awads writing where it’s both beautiful and a little unhinged. I think Jessamyn character was done so well and the audiobook narrator had the character spot on making this even better! I flew through this book finishing it in one sitting and still keep thinking about it. This is my first book from this author but hopefully not my last. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Meredith Hambrocks’s second novel is a satirical cnovel about aspiring Broadway actress, Jessamyn St. Germain, after she is overlooked for the role of Maria in the Sound of Music and instead is asked to be the minder of the child actors.

This is one of the most anxiety producing books I’ve read in recent memory. Jessamyn’s delusional, unhinged spiralling almost sent me spiralling because her insecurities are so similar to my insecurities.

And I am so hesitant to admit that I deeply related to Jessamyn, our relentless yet delusional aspiring musical star, because I understand how the creative arts can drive many to madness. My saving grace is that I’m self aware of my talent and Jessamyn is not.. .

She’s so deep in denial that she becomes convinced her babysitting job is a ploy for her to be the understudy and that eventually she’ll take over the role from Samantha, the lead actress. (Because clearly why would you ask a performer as talented as Jessamyn to care for children unless she’s going to play Maria, it’s clearly method acting!}.

Hambrock writes each chapter in such a chaotic, campy tone that kept my attention throughout as I was reading (and almost experiencing) the complete unraveling of Jessamyn. Hambrock’s nails her protagonist’s voice so well that at one point I was convinced Jessamyn was right and everyone was wrong. Delusion!

Jessamyn’s state of mind not only put others in danger but herself. She very much tells herself that “she’s not like other girls” and very much denies the sexual and emotional trauma she has endured. Her mental state has been fragile for a long time. I do wish this thread was explored more.

Another aspect that could have been stronger is the relationship Jessamyn has with the three men she has an entanglement with. Each of these relationships take advantage of Jessamyn in some way, and while she does manipulate others in turn, I felt like that could have been connected to her past trauma and her state of denial.

Overall, a really fun and campy read! I adore the theatre and I adore unhinged women more.

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!