When Rose gets a job offer to teach at an exclusive private school in Scotland, it seems like the perfect opportunity. Her mother’s health is ailing and she has been spending far too much time and money taking care of her. So even though the school is isolated, it seems like at least, she can live her own life. The school includes her own flat where she will live among other teachers.

At first it’s not so bad. She makes friends with another teacher, and there is a cute male teacher who warms up to her early on. She’s thrown a bit when (without her permission), the school moves her mother from 5 hours away to a new home closer to the school, all on the school’s dime. But the staff is one big family. And the school takes care of everyone and everything.

Then things start getting weirder. She’s stalked by a student, whose word the adminstrators seem to take over her own, she has not idea what happened to the teacher whose place she took, and it seems like staff members never ever really quit and leave. So it’s either the best place to work in the universe. Or…

It was a good book. But. It took me a super long time to get into Madam. For me, the last third of the book really picked up, which is why I gave it 3 stars, otherwise it would have fallen somewhere around 2. It’s a fascinating premise and the story is good, I just had such a hard time connecting with Rose and even completely knowing what was going on.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. Madam is out May 18. My review will be publishing on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog on April 20.

Madam is an eerie atmospheric suspense novel that slowly creeps towards a truly shocking conclusion. As Rose Christie begins a new job as a classics teacher at Caldenbrae Hall, an all-girls boarding school in remote Scotland, she quickly discovers a sense of menace lurking beneath the school’s innocent facade of tradition. The faculty and staff behave in unusual and, at times, robotic ways that cause Rose to feel off-kilter in her new role. Phoebe Wynne’s writing style immerses the reader in Rose’s world, creating an experience of confusion and apprehension. The dark, castle-like setting further contributes to the atmosphere of dread. The pace of the story is somewhat unusual as it moves slowly at times and then abruptly jumps months ahead; however, this pacing style works well with the story because it leaves the reader feeling shaken up. This will likely be a book that will appeal to a certain niche of readers so prepare to either love or hate this highly stylistic, gothic-inspired story. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital galley in exchange for an honest review!

The debut novel by this author fell a little flat for me. I really had the hope that this would be a truly Gothic-inspired novel, but instead it seemed to be to be trite, with a plot that was complicated yet unexplained fully, with a lot of loose ends. The main character is Rose Christie, a young woman who has just accepted the position to be the head of Classics at an elite school in the Scottish highlands. Caldonbrae is dark, secretive and more. It almost seems to have evil seeping from the stones that make up the building. No one is as they seem and Rose is quickly surrounded by the manipulative school heads. I didn’t like the character of Vivian at all, even though I tried to understand her point of view. The characters were not well-developed enough for me to get to know them well. The plot was slow-paced and at times just seemed to pause while Rose pontificated on some story from mythology. I didn’t see the purpose of including these sagas and after a while started just skimming them since they added nothing to the real plot. The girls who attend the school are rich and spoiled and mean, for the most part. They know some of the secrets of the school and don’t want to let outsiders like Rose in easily. When Rose starts trying to discover what happened to her predecessor, the action picks up a little, but it is still a slow mystery to unravel. With shades of mind control and subjugation of females, this book was just not for me. I gave it three stars, really 2.5, because I’m sure the author poured her heart and soul into trying to make this a novel with mystery and a lesson to learn. I’m not sure what lesson I could learn except not to accept things at face value. Rose definitely found out that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Fans of mild suspense and Gothic novels may enjoy this book, but neither element was present enough to keep me entertained. By the end of the book, I was almost forcing myself to finish it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you to #Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of Madam by Phoebe Wynne in exchange for an honest review.

The description of this book hooked me right away but as soon as I started reading I knew it was going to be a struggle.

I actually tried reading this book three separate times and I just can't get through it so I'm shelving it. The writing is verbose and feels extremely awkward. I feel zero connection to the characters. I usually like "weird"/creepy/quirky stories but I just cannot bring myself to power through this one.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide a complete review as I did not finish the book. I have to give a starred review in order for the review to be posted so I'm giving 2 stars.

I loved so much about Madam — the Gothic atmosphere, the ultra-mysterious boarding school — but unfortunately, the pacing was way too slow for me. The suspense is so drawn out and the characters overly cagey that I started to get frustrated. About halfway through the book, readers are rewarded with some reveals, but at that point, it wasn't anything surprising. I had trouble motivating myself to finish the second half.

I think this book could be great if it was tightened to about 1/3 of the length with more intentional plot points.

I love the approach of this book - a modern woman fighting against traditional ways. The author frames this novel so beautiful and the writing is excellent. Looking forward to reading more work from Wynne!

I liked the plot for this book and was kept guessing as to what was going on at this creepy school. Rose was a strong character who was in over her head. The writing was atmospheric and rich in detail.
Many thanks to St. Martins Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Rose accepts a job at Caldonbrae Hall, an elite boarding school for young ladies, she is certain this is the answer to all her problems. They will give her job security, take care of her mothers diminishing health, and allow her to foster a love of Classics into the young ladies she teaches. However, as she learns the secrets behind the schools success, she begins to question whether this job is truly for her. Between the mysterious death of a young lady the year before, the firing of her predecessor, and the unhealthy obsession of a young girl named Bethany, Rose must figure out what is more important, her job or her morals.

The description of Madam checked a ton of boxes for me, but the delivery was muddled and a bit...well, weird. In many ways the book is set out of time, so the frequent reminders of the actual time period are jarring. Further, the way time passes for the characters is completely nonsensical. That's all outside of the characters themselves being unrelatable and somewhat uninteresting. Still though, I like the idea, overall.

What an interesting plot this one had. Definitely unique in the modern Gothic category. Get transported to Scotland in an all girls school where our main character Rose has just been hired to teach. She knows little of the school other than its goal to produce young women ready for their futures. Seems fine, right? Well Rose is on probation when she accepts the job so certain information isn't openly being shared with her. Again, nothing too out if the ordinary here, however even the students aren't telling her everything. But nevertheless she plods on teaching her students Classics as well as some very interesting (at least to me ) mythology. Now at first things are a little odd in the school, then they get very odd, and eventually as things unfold it's downright disturbing. But how can Rose make any difference in these young girls "promising futures" when they can't see the terrifying problem right in front of them.
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Like I said, this one has such a different story with some Stepford Wives vibes. I do recommend it. But for myself I wish things moved just a bit faster. You can check it for yourself in May 2021, so mark it down on your TBR list!.

Madam by Phoebe Wynne was an interesting story. Set in a small town in Scotland, Phoebe tells the story of a teacher brought to all girls private school. While she tries to educate the girls with goddesses and Greek mythology, the girls try to educate her with the secrets of their school.

Madam has an intriguing plot; one of those books you can fall into and stay up all night reading.
I like the mythology incorporated throughout.

However, the sentence and paragraph structure seem a bit off? It is hard to follow sometimes as if the sentences are backward. The transition between paragraphs is choppy and virtually nonexistent. You jump from one place to the next. There’s just such a lack of narrative flow.

Also, while I like the idea of feminism and equality etc, it all seems a bit over the top as though the author was striving to make a point of diversity. It comes across as very performative.

Aside from the quirks, it was still enjoyable. Would recommend it for a quick, fun read.

For 150 years Caldonbrae Hall (called Hope by the staff) has been an all girls boarding school, preparing young ladies to emerge “resilient and ready to serve society”.

Or at least-ready to serve a certain component of society.

All the male teachers are called Sir, and all of the female teachers will be addressed as “Madam”.

You will “buy into” their traditions or you will pay the price.
That refers to both the students and the staff.

So, when a new Head of Department is needed for “Classics” the headmaster chooses a young teacher named Rose, A person he feels can be indoctrinated into their VERY traditional belief system.

The year is 1993.
But you would think this is taking place in the 1800’s.

This book will probably be polarizing.
Love it or Hate It.

I fall in the second half unfortunately.
While the concept is intriguing, the execution falls flat.

We spend A LOT of time in the classroom learning A LOT of Mythology from Rose, and are privy to her student’s juvenile dialogue and impolite behavior. (Yawn) as things spiral out of control for both teacher and students.

The school manages to be CULT like without the charismatic leader or religious beliefs.

I don’t particularly enjoy stories about Cults or Mythology so I was as doomed as a Greek Goddess.
But, if those subjects entice you, perhaps this book will too!

Not one that I will be recommending, although I am sure it will find its audience.
2.5 rounded up

Thank You to the Publisher for my gifted copy. It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!
Available May, 18, 2021.

This book drove me nuts, and not in a good way. I could not stand most of it, from the way Rose reacted to every single situation to the ridiculous behavior from the students and teachers alike. I know that really was the main point of the story, the big secret everyone was trying to keep, but the way it came off was just not for me. I did finish, but it was a bit of a struggle for me.

Traditions may carry importance but some are antiquated and questioned in Phoebe Wynne's Madam.
Rose Christie is a young and relatively new teacher of Classics with strong viewpoints and a decent head on her shoulders. Caldonbrae Hall in Scotland is a historical institution with a respected reputation for the quality of instruction provided young ladies of prominent English families. The first outside hire in over a decade, Rose joins the ranks of teachers at this elite boarding school and quickly finds herself in over her head with the numerous rules and various societal oddities that govern the establishment, including adults being referred to as Madam and Sir. With a shroud of mystery about the rapid departure of her predecessor, as well as the rather odd behavior and speech of her colleagues and students, Rose comes to realize that there’s far more to this institution than she, and others, have been led to believe. As her beliefs conflict with the confining system that somehow managed to draw her in she becomes part of a larger struggle for sanity and safety, for her and the young ladies she’s charged with preparing for life after Caldonbrae.
Providing an appropriately atmospheric and unsettling, remote backdrop for the story, the slowly moving narrative explores outmoded values relating to gender roles within society in the context of a boarding school for young women, which is itself an eerie breeding ground for dramatic events. There were a variety of characters who all seemed to be a slightly different iteration of one another, making them rather interchangeable, making it hard to get too invested in them but it does demonstrate their perceived value in the premise of the novel; Rose’s inability to act in what would seem to be a reasonable manner with the information she learned was frustrating as a reader and made it difficult to relate to and root for her. Paring tales of women from Greek tragedies with the secretive situations unfolding around Rose in the school and her efforts to foster deeper thought and instill options available to the young ladies in a more feminist 1990s world was an interesting and fitting way to foreshadow and underscore the strictly and startlingly traditional events taking place within the closed off school.
Overall, I'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This had the hallmarks of books I like--girls boarding school, Scottland, odd things going on. It didn't disappoint on any of that. I didn't feel like it was a "feminist" as the description said--it was feminist in that it had women concerned about things that concern women so that was a little odd. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't particularly feminist to me.

I found this book very difficult to finish. At first I was intrigued by Rose’s experience at Caldonbrae and the odd behavior of everyone she encountered. But it just started to drag along with basically the same things happening, the weird dialogue from the girls and the bizarre treatment from the staff. Then when Rose finally discovers the truth it really fell apart for me. There were several episodes that were just too icky to read and didn’t seem to fit with the overall tone of the story. I did make it to the end but skipped a few pages as I went along. I am sure there is a great audience for this book but it just wasn’t for me. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book, but I'm sure that others will. It was a bit dull for me. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This book was totally unexpected. It was suspenseful and exciting. The characters were devious.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was expecting this book to be more creepy and Gothic, and it did let me down a little. Although I did really enjoy finding out the 'secret' that everyone at the school was keeping, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be, and most of the book up to the point of Rose discovering the secret was somewhat bland, with strange character interactions and lots of mundane descriptions. However, I did enjoy the story and liked Rose a lot as a main character!