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She's a Lamb!
A darkly comic suspense in the vein of All’s Well and Yellowface, She’s a Lamb! is an edgy and incisive novel that marches toward showtime with a growing unease about the dangers of magical thinking and the depths of delusion
Jessamyn St. Germain is meant to be a star. Not an actor who occasionally books yogurt commercials and certainly not a lowly usher at one of Vancouver’s smallest regional theaters. No, she is bound for greatness, and that’s why the part of Maria in the theater’s upcoming production of The Sound of Music is hers. Or it’s going to be.
Jessamyn may have been relegated to the position of childminder for the little brats playing the von Trapp children, but it’s so obvious she’s there for a different reason — the director wants her close to the role so when Samantha, the lead, inevitably fails, Jessamyn will be there to take her place in the spotlight.
This must be it. Because if it isn’t, well, then every skipped meal, every brutal rehearsal, every inch won against a man attempting to drag her down will have all been for nothing.
Sharp, relentless, and darkly funny, She’s a Lamb! is a cutting satire about the grotesque pall patriarchy casts over one woman’s delusional quest to achieve her dreams and the depths she will sink to for a chance at the life she’s convinced she deserves.
Jessamyn St. Germain is meant to be a star. Not an actor who occasionally books yogurt commercials and certainly not a lowly usher at one of Vancouver’s smallest regional theaters. No, she is bound for greatness, and that’s why the part of Maria in the theater’s upcoming production of The Sound of Music is hers. Or it’s going to be.
Jessamyn may have been relegated to the position of childminder for the little brats playing the von Trapp children, but it’s so obvious she’s there for a different reason — the director wants her close to the role so when Samantha, the lead, inevitably fails, Jessamyn will be there to take her place in the spotlight.
This must be it. Because if it isn’t, well, then every skipped meal, every brutal rehearsal, every inch won against a man attempting to drag her down will have all been for nothing.
Sharp, relentless, and darkly funny, She’s a Lamb! is a cutting satire about the grotesque pall patriarchy casts over one woman’s delusional quest to achieve her dreams and the depths she will sink to for a chance at the life she’s convinced she deserves.
- GenresContemporary
312 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 8, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 6, 2024
There is so much I want to say about this book but I’ll try to be concise.
As an actor and overall theatre nerd, I was drawn to this book, especially as it was compared with one of my all time favorite books, All’s Well by Mona Awad. Like Awad’s novel, this is a glorious unhinged woman story with a stagey twist. And what Meredith Hambrock has done is create a character study of the worst, most entitled narcissist you’d ever meet and still make her sympathetic and complex. That’s hard to do, and it’s a testament to Hembrock’s talent as an author.
I love a story where you see someone’s entire persona fall apart piece by piece, going past the point of “how could this get worse” and making the story absolutely bonkers in the best way. All I know is that if this ever gets optioned for a film, I’m gonna pull a Trisha Paytas and gun for the role on Instagram. In the meantime, I’ll just be forcing every actor I know to read this.
Oh, and the Singin’ in the Rain homage in the climax? Perfectly executed. Five stars, no notes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As an actor and overall theatre nerd, I was drawn to this book, especially as it was compared with one of my all time favorite books, All’s Well by Mona Awad. Like Awad’s novel, this is a glorious unhinged woman story with a stagey twist. And what Meredith Hambrock has done is create a character study of the worst, most entitled narcissist you’d ever meet and still make her sympathetic and complex. That’s hard to do, and it’s a testament to Hembrock’s talent as an author.
I love a story where you see someone’s entire persona fall apart piece by piece, going past the point of “how could this get worse” and making the story absolutely bonkers in the best way. All I know is that if this ever gets optioned for a film, I’m gonna pull a Trisha Paytas and gun for the role on Instagram. In the meantime, I’ll just be forcing every actor I know to read this.
Oh, and the Singin’ in the Rain homage in the climax? Perfectly executed. Five stars, no notes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2024
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
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
September 8, 2024
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader 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.
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.
September 13, 2024
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.
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.
September 15, 2024
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!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews