She's a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock
4/8/25; 312 pages
ECW Press
She's a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock is a recommended novel,
highly for the right reader. It takes a deep dive into the also
spiraling mind of an aspiring actress.
Jessamyn St. Germain knows she is destined to be a star in the
theater who is adored by fans. At age 26 she may just be an usher at
one of Vancouver’s smallest regional theaters, but Jessamyn know she
will get the part of Maria in the upcoming
production of The Sound of Music. When she doesn't get a role and
instead is offered the position of childminder for young actors playing
the von Trapp children. Her vocal coach, Renee, reinforces Jessamyn's delusion that she was tasked with doing that so she can step in and take over the role when Samantha
Nguyen, the actress playing Maria fails.
The biggest drawback to the narrative is Jessamyn, who is not simply an unlikable and unreliable character, she's an intensely unhinged woman who believes she is talented in her fantasied mind. Since the whole plot unfolds through her point-of-view it is exhausting to be immersed in her magical thinking, anger, self-aggrandizement, mental-health issues, and delusion.
However, it will hold your attention, especially if you enjoy being inside the unraveling mind of a person. Sometimes the fantasy she is making up in her mind of her stellar abilities can actually be so absurd it is humorous (but usually it is disturbing). 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to ECW Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment