Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC!

I will admit that I only requested to read this book because the cover and title were so intriguing to me, and reminded me a bit of Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth. It was giving me major unhinged female protagonist vibes, and that was exactly what I got! Right off the bat this book is wild, unsettling, and morally ambiguous - but I really enjoyed it! Definitely one for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, and the like.

3.5 stars from me.

I giggled throughout this entire book, I have some musical theatre knowledge but nothing too crazy but everything was understandable and just funny. Funny, but very twisted, what's going on, wait HUH type of book that I love. Highly recommend and appreciative for this ARC.

The cover art for She’s a Lamb is beautiful and made the book appealing. I found the storyline uncomfortable, dark, and captivating. A very delusional main character, madness, and bizarre story. Meredith Hambrock wrote a book that will get people talking.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Stayed for the spiraling main character and her justifications, solid prose, + grotesque can't-look-away habits.

WOWIE!

I have never read anything quite like this book. While it may not be for everyone, this was such a trip for me! Hambrock does an incredible job helping you come along on this crazy, uncomfortable, descent into madness. The main character is someone you love, hate, feel for, and ultimately want to scream WTF at. Well freakin' done. Some parts may have been a bit confusing, but given the main character's nature as an unreliable narrator I get it.

I love a delusional character that will do whatever they can to get what they want, and that’s exactly what you will get with She’s A Lamb! I loved the pacing, and hearing the inner monologue of such a dark protagonist. It was well written, and captivated you with each page until the very end.

A disturbing comic thriller with a hateful unreliable narrator. Set in a Canadian regional theatre on the eve of a stripped back production of the Sound of Music, Jessamyn, would be musical theatre star is relegated to act as chaperone to the child cast. The story follows Jessamyns descent into unhinged delusion and chaos and whilst I had no sympathy for her character, I was kept hooked til the end.

This book was sooooo unhinged but in the best way possible 🙂‍↕️ like srsly I ate this up!!!

Jessamyn St. Germain (what a name srsly) is meant to be a star and it appears her chance has finally arrived - the role of Maria in the local theatre’s production of ‘A Sound of Music’. Only she doesn’t get the lead, in fact she’s not cast at all - she’s the child minder. A babysitter. But this will not do, and so the most unhinged story of how far will you go begins.

This book was darkly funny, sharp and incredibly well put together. A classic example of an individual growing increasingly unhinged as she strives for the life she believes she is owed and deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for a copy of this eARC to review.

[2.5] i understand that to tell a story like jessamyn's, the character in question is not always going to make decisions that you as a reader, will agree with or support, but from what i gather, the whole point of this book was for us to see her downward spiral into chaos / psychosis, etc. and i think for that to be done effectively, we needed to at least sympathise with her from the beginning, but unfortunately i just couldn't connect to any of the characters, and found them all really unlikeable. i did find the plot okay, despite thinking the ending to be a bit rushed - i get this added to the chaotic finale, but it read like the author just wanted it to be over and done with at times.

thank you to netgalley and ecw press for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was insane!! The main character was so unhinged, which made the book so good. The book gets crazier the more you read. It definitely kept me engaged and was hard to put down because I NEEDED to know what would happen next. If you like unreliable narrators, you will love this book.

It’s Maeve Fly…with Musicals!

Seriously, take the unhinged madness of our main character in Maeve Fly and mix it with some off-off-off (seriously off) Broadway, and you have this book.

As much as you want Jessamyn to survive and thrive and take that bow, you just know it’s all going to spiral into madness.

I loved the book, but you’ve got to be the kind of reader who appreciates chaos and characters you wouldn’t ever want to have a drink with. Because cyanide exists.

Would read the author again!

• ARC via Publisher

Truly psychotic—which I say lovingly, I judged this book by its cover (perfection), and then its synopsis, and it delivered. Gripping, surprising, and utterly delusional from page one. I really hated the protagonist, and I think that’s something other readers will struggle with, but not me. Hats off to the pacing—I really appreciated that when I hit my peak hatred, when it started to become a small struggle to keep following this person, Jessamyn’s life began to fall apart in the most satisfying and karmic ways.

Only issue is I wish I had someone to talk about this book with, to help decipher what was reality and what was Jessamyn being a total delulu psycho.

was fascinating and enjoyable, and I can definitely relate to the All's Well analogy. The main character is extremely disturbed, so the book is undoubtedly a dark comedy. Jessamyn will make you cringe and actively root against her. I read this quite quickly, and I was always curious about its direction.

This was ADDICTING. I couldn’t put it down. Jessamyn is so unhinged but also hilarious but I also hate her. she is crazy but I actually felt bad for her at times and was rooting for her. the ending just got more and more insane as it went. she was unraveling and taking everyone down with her. I love the unreliable narrator and I feel like it was executed very well here.
there were some plot points that confused me and didn’t really get cleared up, like why Michelle was treating her so badly yet recommended her to a broadway show as a talented actress. the sexual assault bit was also confusing and seemed to be just thrown in there as it wasn’t really talked about until near the end. it was hinted at, but again, kind of randomly.
the ending was also abrupt but maybe kind of a perfect way to end it? again, a bit confusing, but it was alright.

This isn't necessarily a book I'd recommend widely, but for a certain kind of reader, I think it's a great choice.

Outrageous, gripping, and cutting... it made me laugh out loud quite a few times.

Some spoilers**

This one took some getting into, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

It started off funny, and gradually got more unhinged and stressful. When Jessamyn started seeing people for how they really were (Anton and Renée mostly) it felt hopeful and like she might get her act together. Also, she's a super frustrating character, but it's also hard not to feel bad for her given that she's got some terrible people in her life (but, are they actually ALL terrible or is she just an unreliable narrator?)

Overall I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this ARC, perfect for fans of Bella Mackie I think.

This left me feeling like wtf did I just read.. but in the best way!
This was dark, addictive and absolutely bonkers at times.
We follow Jessamyn, a struggling musical theatre actress (not just an actress!!) who is failing to get her big break, the break she feels she is entitled to.
When her rival is cast in the lead in the musical, she goes to extreme and violent measures to ensure that role goes to her, which is the only right and fair option in her head.

We really feel Jessamyn’s life and mental state start to unravel, which makes for compelling but also disturbing reading.
The repetition started to get a bit too much however and I found the ending very abrupt and bizarre, but overall I really enjoyed this one.

I loved this book so much I have already recommended it to my friends even though it’s published next year.

We follow Jessamyn as she does what it takes to become Maria in the Sound of Music production at the theatre company she works for. Does she have a great career in acting already? Kind of, but she wants to be on Broadway. Can she sing? Can she act? Is she beautiful? I honestly don’t know.

From the beginning we see cracks of an unreliable narrator as Jessamyn brags about her two boyfriends (and how she met them). And I just beg you to read this book. It’s so well written and so immersive without being too much of one thing or another and you kinda root for Jessamyn in a “I support women’s wrongs” way.

So fun to read omg. And nauseating at the same time. INSANE.
It felt like I was given the VIP seat to witness first hand the mind of a psychopath.

If R.F. Kuang's Yellowface has an unreliable narrator who's just a horrible main character and person overall, Meredith Hambrock's She's a Lamb! is practically on drugs. I don't even know where to begin.

First of all, the main character Jessamyn. She is confidence itself. She's THE star (meant to be, or so she claims). She is also one of the b*tchiest narrators and can't hide her true self very well. She's all "me, me, me, me, me, me, me". It was fun yet infuriating at the same time, like why can't she empathise with other people?

She is absolutely blind to others around her. There are a couple of other characters whom she think are garbage and you had to learn that they actually aren't through the dialogue from another character because Jessamyn can't be trusted. Not a big thing, but they are like mini plot twists in the form of treats along the way as you read. Yum yum.

At some point, the book made me wonder if I am by any chance, like Jessamyn. Not her kind of crazy, but like, sometimes we do have some b*tchy or judgy thoughts ya know? I'm sure we're all not 100% nice, like when you see someone is walking so slow in front of you on the sidewalk and you're thinking "omg can they walk any slower??" But yea Jessamyn's narrative is SO STRONG that I started wondering if there are times when I talk that people think I'm just obnoxious? I felt sick to the stomach thinking that.

Because Jessamyn CLEARLY IS.

Had to finish the book and take a break to remind myself that "I am grace. I am calm. I am poise." - as what Jessamyn says. Just kidding haha. I am not her okay.

But ok yea, I like that the book made me self-reflect a little bit, despite being a satirical write.

Jessamyn is clearly a psychopath. Those wild thoughts and how she constantly justify every single sh*tty action of hers, and how she forced herself to delete all the wrong doings she had from her brain was super impressive.

------
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. This review is my own and completely honest.

I was so excited to love this, but I just couldn’t. The first third was slow to get going, picked up in the middle act, and then fizzled out towards the end. The comparisons to All’s Well and Yellowface are valid, however having read those this one felt a little unoriginal. it didn’t seem to bring anything new to the table. I think if you are new to the unhinged-girlie book scene, I think you will enjoy this, but this just felt a little meh and redundant to me.

ARC provided by NetGalley