This was such an interesting novel. I had trouble taking my eyes off the page. Watching the main character slowly slip into madness, I just had to keep reading. It’s a very unique story.

Jessamyn is unhinged, and it's super entertaining. It might have been me, but I had a hard time getting into this book, although once it got to the end and there was more drama, I was invested. The ending was meh though; I think I wanted more of a conclusion. This was funny and had you question how much more delusional one person can get.

She's a Lamb! was really kind of fun and interesting, I definitely get the All's Well comparison. Jessamyn will make you cringe and actively root against her -- the book is definitely a dark comedy, as the main character is very disturbed. I read this pretty quickly and was always intrigued as to where it was going.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thanks so much to ECW Press and NetGalley for an ARC of She's a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

I absolutely loved this book! Once I started reading, I just couldn't put it down. While some parts towards the end were a bit predictable, it didn't take away from how much I enjoyed it. It's a gripping female rage horror, very much in the same vein as Yellowface (another 5-star read). I've been struggling to find something with a similar theme since reading Yellowface, and this book totally delivers. Now I can't wait to add her other book, Other People's Secrets: A Novel, to my to-be-read list.

⟢ thank you to netgalley, meredith hambrock, and the publisher for letting me read this arc!

she's a lamb! depicts a woman's descent into madness to get what she believes she deserves, and it does that so well. you're given snippets of jessamyn's dark mind throughout the beginning of the book— thoughts of doing things to samantha to take her part (but never acting on them) here and there— but it's towards the middle that you really begin to see her slip into them and start making them real. my only issue with the book is the ending. jessamyn seeing her father's girlfriend as a god for telling the policeman that he was hurting her was something i understood, but i also felt it was an odd thing to bring up right at the end. i also would have liked to know what happened afterwards, maybe with an epiloge. regardless of that, my rating is still easily 4 stars. the story sucked me in and even though i knew jessamyn was dangerous and completely in the wrong and delusional, i still found myself rooting for her at times.

support womens rights and wrongs :)

This book was so delulu I can’t help but sit here looking at my phone wondering what I just read. This edgy novel that lives in the same vein at RF Kuang’s Yellowface darkly chronicles protagonist Jessamyn’s delusional fall from grace in the theater world. The writing was really compelling and the voice was really strong in this book, bolstered by the first person perspective that gave us an insight into exactly what schemes Jessamyn had cooking up at all times.

Jessamyn is literally a starving artist trying to find her big break in Vancouver and is sick and tired of working usher at a regional theater. After trying out for the part of Maria and losing it to a professional rival, she continues working on the show as the child minder for Maria’s on stage charges. As the novel progresses, Jessamyn becomes desperate to shape herself into the star she wants to be, and will do quite literally whatever it takes to get there.

The best thing about this book was the strong narrative voice. The reader really gets to see into the mind of our protagonist as she descends into a sort of psychosis. A lot of her dialogue and thoughts are hilarious too, despite the dark ending and events that prevail. The sinister influence of the patriarchy was a sort of villain origin story for Jessamyn that the author explores in the really interesting ways. Is it still sexual assault if you don’t consider yourself a victim? Do we really have the power to rewrite our past? Her later romantic relationships with different men in the novel also harken back to earlier events that crucially shaped her worldview. Overall the suspense kept drawing me back in to the bombshell conclusion - I recommend! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review. This book publishes on 4/7/25!

She’s a Lamb is wild in the best way! A delusional musical theater lover puts her sights on being Maria in the Sound of Music and boy to things escalate. I found this book so fun to read, but also frightening. Reading the narrator rationalize everything she does was frustrating and fascinating. It may not be for everyone, but this really hit for me. I will be recommending this one for sure. Thanks to ECW Press for the ARC through NetGallery!

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.

This is such a different read! With an unreliable narrator you just don't know what's going to happen and it's full of intense scenes and feelings.

The author did an incredible job of making Jessamyn - the main character - come to life. As the story unfolded, we began to realise she was unreliable, that her thoughts were becoming more and more obsessive, that she was in total denial about so many things. It left me wanting to know what would happen. I didn't particularly care for or like her, but that didn't matter as the author had created this great story which just draws you in and leaves you wondering what will she do next?!

Jassamyn wants to be an actress. She wants to be Maria in The Sound of Music, but instead of getting the role she's asked to look after the children. She's devastated, but decides she will use it as a way to try to get into the musical herself in case the lead who is playing Maria can't make it... but she stupidly tells her dad that SHE is Maria and he's excited to come and see her. As her desperation grows and her inability to tell him the truth becomes clear, we're left on the edge of our seats.

It was brilliantly written with a lot of insight into theatre life, the commitments, the egos... it was absorbing.

Although there were a few parts of the story which didn't really make sense and a bit unbelievable, I overlook all that as this was just such a compelling story.

From doing anything she can to ge3t her role she thinks she deserves to clearly falling further and further down the mental instability hole this book has everything. i loved the cover of the book but I didn't like how her mental health made her kind of do the stuff she did. That always seems to be the reason why women do what they do.

oh boy do i enjoy the deranged woman subgenre of literary fiction! this novel definitely delivered in that category. reading a story from the perspective of a protagonist this unstable was a very interesting experience - at times i genuinely became confused about things that jessamyn claimed to have or have not done. the setting was also quite unique - i don't think i've read many books set around a musical or a play. this novel could be compared to a train wreck: every time jessamyn did something insane, i wanted to reach into the pages and shake her by the shoulders. the lying, the ridiculous expectations for herself... this was a very enjoyable read.

however, the book was a bit of a drag to get through. once things picked up it was very entertaining, but having to read chapters and chapters of jessamyn coaching the kids and having conversations with various men was a little tedious. overlong, if anything.

a great read for fans of women's rights and women's wrongs!

Just absolutely brilliant in all its form.
If you’re a fan of films such as “Black Swan” and “Perfect Blue”, you will absolutely fall in love with this book. The only reason it’s not a stellar five star is because I would’ve loved to see more unhinged actions from our MC outside of the theatre. As well as more of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde persona we got toward the end of the book. Besides that absolutely brilliant in all its glory and highly highly recommend.

She’s A Lamb! Is an unsettling psychological invasion into the mind of a delusional failing actress. Jessamyn was destined to be a star, and she will stop at nothing to achieve it.

We are pulled into her hazy world of destined stardom as it begins to crumble - but did it ever exist in the first place?

This was a slow burner. Initially, the narration risked reading a little cliche, but the novel came into its own in the latter half. The narrative voice was comedic but maintained a tone of doomed insanity that had me hooked.

It was excellent commentary on the danger of flying too close to the sun of stardom, and the invasive nature of the male gaze. However, the ending did fall a little flat - I was expecting something a lot more explosive.

It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters that contain reflections on financial insecurity, graphic depictions of self-harm, the physical endangerment of children, rape, sexual abuse, violent crime, bigotry, & others.

Succumbing to trends may lead one to lose oneself in the sludge. Certainly, trends may serve some purpose, be beneficial, & advocate for insight & intellectualism. Rarely do trends spur from thin air though, often they are carried away on the whims of those who wander with their eyes closed. The literary climate has not been particularly harsh towards trends in the past decade. Numerous novels have coveted the same plots with characters cultishly similar, one from the other. Yet, readers regale the patterns they find comforting, familiar, & easy to consume.

In the last five years, I have had the pleasure & twilight blaring experience of reading books that present twinklingly familiar plots with characters whom I can hardly distinguish from their strange counterparts. This is an unfortunate situation. I struggle to understand how publishing houses have encouraged so many writers in the same direction. Readers are likely to appreciate a book that comes their way; the right reader will adore it & the wrong reader will glare at faults, flaws, & holes with aplomb & precision. I find myself in the latter group.

In essence, this is a story about Jessamyn, a twenty-six-year-old actress living in Vancouver who dreams about life as a celebrity. The plot follows Jessamyn as she auditions for roles that are outside her range of talent, spends time with two men she calls her boyfriends, & murders three people in a bid to take on the role of Maria von Trapp in her local production of “The Sound of Music” (1965). The story revolves around her distinctly decreasing mental stability & the environment that will leave readers wondering whether Jessamyn’s psychosis is a result of nature or nurture.

When I came across this book, the cover art promised me great things. I will not be absurdly mean in this review & state that the promise was a lie or that the author failed to deliver any semblance of quality in her work. The truth is that I did appreciate certain aspects of this book but there is work yet to be done for the final product to reflect a unique story & one that was given the chance to shine.

As I said in the introduction, this is a story I have read before with a main character who is nearly identical to at least three other protagonists of the past five years. Due to this, the book does not have the opportunity to stand on its own two feet. Rather than regard the plot for what it is—a reflection of poor mental health & a series of abuses—the author has quaintly nestled the tale between other larger-looming characters with louder voices to speak on their tedium.

I will begin with what I enjoyed, as is only fair. Jessamyn is not a common name in Canada—yet here comes the protagonist with an oddly lettered calling card believing herself the roll off the tongue that will leave her a star on the Walk of Fame. As odd as Jessamyn is, overall, Hambrock understood who her main character was & this is apparent throughout the story. The main character is flawed & cruel, she is ignorant but not naïve; while simultaneously being a raging lunatic, Jessamyn is also horribly insecure, so much so that she has veered to the extreme & developed a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

The dissection of the protagonist’s early life does not reveal too much & the reader will need to have a reason for reading this book or they might leave off feeling as I did, rather confused about why they read the story at all.

The familiar traits that I appreciated in other characters did influence my appreciation for the sheepishly cruel behaviour that Jessamyn exhibited. Her life was filled with a series of disappointments & occurrences wherein she was the victim of sexual assault.

However, I wondered if this was enough to lend my care to her plight. This is not meant to come across as pedantic & sardonically holier-than-thou, readers will need to ask themselves what makes Jessamyn either a hero or a villain, while quickly concluding that she will perhaps hold the middle ground until the end.

This seems silly to say because Jessamyn is a Serial Killer—by definition. Yet, her personality is so entirely ailed as a consequence of her experiences that one will be forgiven if one chooses to support Jessamyn throughout all of her antics.

Rather than explore the duality of life as a person who persistently performs as someone other than themselves, the author relays Jessamyn’s experiences through a looking glass; gaunt & gleaming, too far away to actually understand, each of the sequences of events that take place off the page are mysterious to the plot & nearly do not matter enough to rank as traumatic events. Jessamyn was raised by a father who, though of a cold temperament, provided her with all of the necessities in life. She never needed for anything.

If one argues that Jessamyn is a born psychotic, her father’s distant behaviours due to long working hours & a bachelor status will not serve as odd indicators but rather, that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Though, one may need to look closely when dissecting Jessamyn’s childhood. She had everything she needed & yet she recalls watching “The Phantom of the Opera” (1909) on Broadway & feeling cured of her sadness. What would have made her feel such sorrow?

There is no way for the reader to know what would have led Jessamyn to embody sadness as she describes it. Her mother could have died; her schoolmates could have bullied her; her house might not have had central air; the list is long & the possibilities, are endless.

What matters here is that the main character wanted to be the protagonist in everyone’s life. As the online community has flourished in recent years, Jessamyn would have found herself well-placed among those who suffer from Main Character Syndrome.

Forgetting the world around her by performing musical feats which she was ill-equipped to attempt, left her fascinated by the power of music & the freedom of a person to disappear in the lives of others. It is odd that Jessamyn had so much confidence in her talents, or lack thereof, as no one in her environment, for years, led her to believe that she was worth anything.

This leads me to ponder the psychosis that Jessamyn developed. Throughout her childhood, she was never faced with the poverty she forced on herself in adulthood. Certainly, one may argue that her father was cruel for withdrawing his financial backing from her casual career pursuits but, one must not forget that she stole his money to pay someone random to help her learn how to sing better. She did not have to go hungry but chose to do so in spite of everything she knew existed around her; having seen everything her father’s money could buy. Why did she do this?

Which part of this character’s makeup led her to make the choices that she did? Her end goal was clear from the beginning; she wanted fame. This is not unusual, especially with the insecurity & waning interests of the general population when it comes to internet sensations. Yet, Jessamyn chose a dying industry—rather, a niche industry where one needs to be particularly & exuberantly talented, well-connected, & skilled to succeed. Why did she not view stardom as it is regarded now? Why is her perception of fame so antiquated?

As the story progressed, I did find myself feeling pity towards Jessamyn. Every time she thought she was on the right path, she floundered. Her vocal teacher was a hack, her aspirations were being squashed compared to the talent around her, every time she auditioned.

Why would she think herself capable of breaking through in an industry that relied on the tools she did not want to use? Why wasn’t Jessamyn able to be honest with herself & acknowledge that she just wasn’t good enough to make it to Hollywood?

As always, I must ask who the book is for. For its stark similarities to other popular novels, the target reader might be found among the slew of easy readers who nibble on chips of any wooden beam that floats their way.

The current trend in literature that presents a deranged female main character who has traits of the sullen, morbid, trauma that encases her, has been found in the work of: Jen Beagin’s “Big Swiss” (2023), Ainslie Hogarth’s “Motherthing” (2022), Emily Austin’s “Interesting Facts About Space” (2024), Mona Awad’s “Rouge” (2023), Bea Seatton’s “Plaything” (2024), & Elliott Gish’s “Grey Dog” (2024).

Masquerading as hilariously as Gacy in his clown suit, the story attempts to present the complexities of existence & salivates over the possibility that any person could be a killer in disguise. However, I cannot help but feel this is untrue. Though Jessamyn, with her life of exuberant wealth, privilege & freedom to choose to go hungry, to pursue violent men, to pursue a low-paying job in a high-rent city, & to revel in the error of her ways without consequence, blooms in a city that offers her the opportunity to diverge from the path she selected on the road she walks, few appear as gaunt as she, in reality.

Unkind as this conclusion might be, it remains true. Jessamyn did not deserve to be sexually abused nor did she deserve to be stalked or harassed. Perhaps there is an earnest pursuit in her reaction to these situations but, pulling a knife to the throat of an innocent child has vetoed Jessamyn’s freedom to pretend that her decisions were not her own to make.

No star shines brighter than one in hiding as it keeps itself warm amongst the throttle of poachers. Readers will note the passing of time as the pages draw to a close accompanied by a void of detail that would sneak the genre through mysterious performances into the range of terror that wallowed in the Austrian society during the rise of the Nazi Party.

This is too complex a reflection, Jessamyn views Maria von Trapp as purity & ease whereas in reality, she is a human being with emotions who fled the country that was her home when it was taken over by ideology that she did not feel represented her own.

Ultimately, I am not disappointed in this book as much as I am confused by the need to inflict repetition upon a reader. For readers who have found enjoyment in the new-age linguistic quickening of the tongue with the amputation of profound pensiveness, will surely seethe with pleasure when encountering this book.

The author has them in mind, this is evident, & I should hope they appreciate the ghoulish nature of the character, the meandering of an unresolved series of events, & the tormented sprinkling of bigotry; mirroring the reality of their own societies, which they may choose to acknowledge or ignore.

This will not be my last round of time spent with this author. I believe they are capable of more depth than the seabed that has cracked to plates already served. Regardless of the smoothness of this story, which did not offer me the challenge I hope to find when reading about complex individuals & their paraplegic nature; my afternoon of reading was well-spent. I consumed a book—an activity I enjoy almost as much as the doomed & desecrated monsters cherish the face paint that clouds the grooves of lunacy they’ve carved into their skin.

Thank you to NetGalley, ECW Press, & Meredith Hambrock for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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.